cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Terthiophene-Jacketed Poly(benzyl ether) Dendrimers: Sonication Synthesis, Electropolymerization, and Polythiophene Film Formation

We report the design and synthesis of a series of poly(benzyl ether)-type terthiophene-jacketed dendrimers. These dendrimers were designed as precursor macromolecules, which bear the electroactive terthiophene group that can be cross-linked by electrochemical methods to form a conjugated polymer network (CPN) polythiophene film. Characterization was done by NMR, elemental analysis, MALDI-TOF, and GPC to confirm the chemical structure and macromolecular properties of the dendrimers. Spectroscopic studies of thin films made by electropolymerization of these materials show the role that the dendrimer structure plays in the UV−vis absorption and emission properties of a highly cross-linked conjugated polymer film compared to linear polymers. The distinction is more evident in their emission behavior. Copolymerization studies in particular were made to investigate the formation of more linear π-conjugated sequences and their effect in the spectroscopic properties. The results showed improved intermolecular cro...
A micromachined silicon multielectrode for multiunit recording

A 16-channel multielectrode was used to record propagating action potentials from multiple units in the ventral nerve cord of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. The multielectrode was fabricated using photolithographic and bulk silicon etching techniques. The fabrication differs from standard methods in its use of deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) to form the bulk electrode structure. This technique enables the fabrication of relatively thick (>100 microm), rigid structures whose top surface can have any form of thin film electronics. The multielectrode tested in this paper consists of 16 narrow silicon bridges, 150 microm wide and 350 microm tall, spaced evenly over a centimeter, with passive rectangular gold recording sites on the top surface. The nerve cord was placed perpendicularly across the bridges. In this geometry, the nerve spans a 350 microm deep, 450 microm wide trench between each recording site, permitting adequate isolation of recording sites from each other and a platinum ground plane. Spike templates for eight neurons were formed using principle component analysis and clustering of the concatenated multichannel waveforms. Clean templates were generated from a 40 s recording of stimulus evoked activity. Conduction velocities ranged from 2.59+/-0.05 to 4.99+/-0.12 m/s. Two limitations of extracellular electrode arrays are the resolution of overlapping spikes and relation of discriminated units to known anatomy. The high density, precise positioning, and controlled impedance of recording sites achievable in microfabricated devices such as this one will aid in overcoming these limitations. The rigid devices fabricated using this process offer stable positioning of recording sites over relatively large distances (several millimeters) and are suitable for clamping or squeezing of nerve cords.
D50 Shift Factor Shifting the Concept of SBMs Performance Evaluation

Different grades of sized bridging materials such as ultra-fine, fine, medium and coarse grades are frequently used in drillin fluid formulations to enhance fluid characteristics, improve mudcake quality and eliminate or reduce formation damage while drilling. Selection of high quality and long lasting SBMs is an essential part of superior drill-in fluid design to achieve these goals. Historically, color, provenience or origin of the SBM samples were evaluated visually or by applying some geological analysis tools such as the petrographic tools to identify and select highly durable and mechanically strong SBM products. These subjective and inappropriate methods of assessment frequently lead to disastrous SBMs performance in down hole conditions. Due to the limitation and ambiguity of the petrographic methods, attempt was made to identify high quality and long lasting SBMs by evaluating acid solubility of SBMs. Though this evaluation criterion is good from acid solubility point of view, it has no relevance to mechanical behavior of SBMs while drilling. Hence, the assessment method also provided misleading information regarding SBMs performance in down hole conditions. Due to the failure of the above approaches, attempt was made to assess SBMs quality using Brinnel Hardness Tester. The outcome of the research was not reliable and inconclusive and thus was not successful in providing a guiding tool for SBMs performance evaluation. This paper describes a fit-for-purpose index parameter defined as the D50 Shift Factor that readily indicates the relative toughness of SBM products and thus provides a powerful guiding tool for high quality SBM product selection for superior drill-in fluid formulations. The index parameter is based on size degradation principle of SBM particles i.e. weak SBMs will cause higher shift of the D50 size compared to tough SBM products. Experimental results demonstrate the usefulness of the D50 Shift Factor in SBM performance evaluation and superior fluid formulations for trouble-free, economic and nondamaging drilling operation.
Experimental and Computational Study of the Mechanics of Brain Folding

The human brain cortex undergoes substantial folding during development. Folding is essential to accommodate the expansion of the cortex in the skull. Abnormal cortical folding is associated with various genetic perturbations and neurological disorders.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Peptic Ulcer Disease

Abstract Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is due mostly to the widespread use of low-dose aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammator drugs. It occurs mostly in older patients and those with comorbidities. Pain awakening the patient from sleep between 12 and 3 a.m. affects two-thirds of duodenal ulcer patients and one-third of gastric ulcer patients. Older adults (>80 years old) with PUD often do not present with abdominal pain; instead, epigastric pain, nausea and vomiting are among their most common presenting symptoms.
"Stability breeds instability?" A Minskian analysis of the crisis of the Asian Tigers in the 1990s

The recent disruptions within the global financial system have led to a notable reassessment of heterodox economic theories in hope that their unique insights into the capitalist business cycle can help illuminate the underlying instabilities that may have contributed to recent crises. This paper focuses in particular on the work of noted post-Keynesian economist Hyman P. Minsky and his associated theories of financial fragility and the inherent instability of modern financial capitalism. We emphasize the theoretical foundations of Minsky's work, notably his financial instability hypothesis, and then apply this conceptual framework to the recent Asian financial crisis of 1997-98. Financial instability and overleveraging were important features in the Asian crisis, thus proving the validity of some of Minsky's assertions. The massive increases in speculation and dependence on external capital drove these economies toward a Minsky moment, when the bubble eventually burst.
Osteopontin expression correlates with clinical outcome in patients with mycobacterial infection.

Osteopontin (OPN) is a protein that is expressed in chronic inflammatory diseases including tuberculosis, and its deficiency predisposes to more severe mycobacterial infections in mice. However, no reports have identified altered OPN expression in, or correlated these alterations to, infections in humans. The data presented herein identify alterations in the tissue expression of OPN protein and describe an inverse correlation between these levels and disease progression after inoculation of Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine in humans. Patients with regional adenitis and good clinical outcomes had abundant OPN in infected lymph nodes. This pattern of OPN accumulation was also observed in patients infected by M. avium-intracellulare . In contrast, patients with disseminated infection and histologically ill-defined granulomas had no significant osteopontin accumulation in infected lymph nodes; these patients had either deficiencies in the interferon-γ receptor 1 or idiopathic immune defects. The level of OPN protein expression was inversely correlated with disseminated infection and, of particular interest, with death of the patient. We conclude that osteopontin expression correlates with an effective immune and inflammatory response when humans are challenged by a mycobacterial infection and that osteopontin contributes to human resistance against mycobacteria.
Reception for 25‐ and 50‐Year Members

AGU leadership and staff had the pleasure of hosting a 12 December 2013 reception to honor those celebrating their 25th and 50th years of AGU membership. Fifty-two members with more than 1500 years of collective AGU membership were in attendance and were awarded gold and silver lapel pins commemorating their many years of involvement with AGU. Members who were unable to attend will receive their pins in the mail shortly. Having the opportunity to meet with members and hear firsthand about their accomplishments was inspirational for the staff and affirmed how gratifying it is to work with such an incredible group of people.
XBRL Mandate: Thousands of Filing Errors and So What?

ABSTRACT: Since the mandate by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to begin interactive data reporting in June 2009, according to XBRL Cloud, an XBRL product and service provider, more than 4,000 filing errors have been identified. We examine the overall changing pattern of the errors to understand whether the large number of errors may hamper the transition to interactive data reporting. Using a sample of 4,532 filings that contain 4,260 errors, we document a significant learning curve exhibited by the XBRL filers. Specifically, we find that the number of errors per filing is significantly decreasing when a company files more times, suggesting that the company filers or the filing agents many companies use learn from their experiences and therefore the future filings are improved. Our findings provide evidence to encourage the regulatory body, the filers, and the XBRL technology supporting community to embrace the new disclosure requirement in financial reporting. The significantly decreas...
Testing for cointegration: Power versus frequency of observation — another view

Abstract Contrary to Hooker's finding (Economics Letters, 1993, 41, 359–362), Monte Carlo experiments reveal that Shiller and Perron's fundamental result (Economics Letters, 1985, 18, 381–386), according to which data span is more important than the number of observations in terms of the power of tests, carries over to the cointegration setting with the ADF test.
Vibration-free handing of deformable beams by robot end-effectors

Passive approaches for vibration-free handling of deformable beams are investigated in this article. Dynamic equations of a flexible beam handled by robot end-effectors are formulated and analyzed first. From the analysis, it is revealed that the inertia forces caused by the beam motion may affect the vibration of the beam in certain motion patterns. Motion trajectories of the end-effector that lead to a small or no vibration of the beam in these motion patterns are then specified. Because vibrations cannot be totally eliminated even if the vibration-free motion trajectory is employed, another passive approach is further suggested. The approach employs a rubber pad in parallel with a spring installed on the fingers of the end-effector. To understand the effectiveness of this passive approach, damped vibration and optimal damping are investigated. Experiments and simulations are conducted to verify the above two methods. The experiments display the vibration-free motion of the beam using the proposed motion planning strategy. The simulation results demonstrate the effects of the vibration-free trajectory and the passive damping. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Providing VANET position integrity through filtering

We describe an efficient method for positioning a vehicle in a noisy environment including malicious attackers and measurement errors. We assume the majority vehicles are honest and report the detection of position of other vehicles to provide vehicle position integrity in Vehicular Adhoc NETwork (VANET). The noise input includes bogus position information and position with measurement errors in VANET. Given such noisy input, the algorithm estimates the high resolution location of a vehicle by filtering the malicious location input and by refining low resolution location input. Moreover, the efficiency of the algorithm is highlighted because of the dynamic characteristic of vehicles. We also present results of simulations and evaluate the quality of position estimation.
Luminescent nitro derivatives of benzotriazolo[2,1a]benzotriazole

Fluorescence was enhanced and laser activity introduced by substitution in 5,11-dehydro-5H,11H-benzotriazolo[2,1-a]benzotriazole 6 to give 2-nitro, 2,8-dinitro, 2,4,8-trinitro, and 2,4,8,10-tetranitro derivatives 9a–d. Luminescence for compounds 6 and 9a–d and the 2,8-dinitro-3,9-dimethyl and 2,3,8,9-tetramethyl-4,10-dinitro derivatives 11a,b was erratically solvent dependent when examined in ethyl acetate, acetonitrile, and acetone and was most efficient in the 2,8-dinitro derivative 9b [λf 479 nm (ethyl acetate) Φ 0.98, λf 501 nm (acetonitrile) Φ 0.58, and λf 494 nm (acetone) Φ 0.61] and in the tetranitro derivative 9d [λf 509 nm (acetonitrile) Φ 0.81 and λf 511 nm (acetone) Φ 0.66]. With laser activity at 560–590 nm (acetonitrile) the dye 9b was 30% as efficient as rhodamine 6G (ethanol) in power output. Luminescence was quenched by the reduction of nitro groups to give 2-amino and 2,8-diamino derivatives 9e,f and by the conversion of the tetranitro compound 9d to an unassigned diazido dinitro derivative 9g. Luminescence was not detected in 2,5-dimethyl-3,6-dinitro-1,3a-4,6a-tetraazapentalene 14 and ethyl 2,5-dimethyl-1,3a,4,6a-tetraazapentalene-3,6-dicarboxylate 15. Azidoazobenzenes were obtained from 4-methyl- and 4,5-dimethyl-1,2-phenylene diamines via oxidation with lead dioxide to aminoazobenzene derivatives followed by treatment of the diazotized amines with sodium azide and thermolysis of azido intermediates to give 3,9-dimethyl and 2,3,8,9-tetramethyl derivatives 10a,b of the triazolotriazole 6. Nitration converted the triazole 6 to the 2,4,8-trinitro derivative 9c and the alkyltriazoles to their dinitro derivatives 11a,b.
Tree testing of hierarchical menu structures for health applications

Graphical abstractDisplay Omitted We conducted online tree tests to evaluate navigation structure in a health interface.In tree testing, participants navigate through a menu abstraction of the interface.Participants are asked to navigate while completing representative tasks.Performance metrics include completion time, task accuracy, and path length.Comparison with in person usability testing identified similar performance. To address the need for greater evidence-based evaluation of Health Information Technology (HIT) systems we introduce a method of usability testing termed tree testing. In a tree test, participants are presented with an abstract hierarchical tree of the system taxonomy and asked to navigate through the tree in completing representative tasks. We apply tree testing to a commercially available health application, demonstrating a use case and providing a comparison with more traditional in-person usability testing methods. Online tree tests (N=54) and in-person usability tests (N=15) were conducted from August to September 2013. Tree testing provided a method to quantitatively evaluate the information structure of a system using various navigational metrics including completion time, task accuracy, and path length. The results of the analyses compared favorably to the results seen from the traditional usability test. Tree testing provides a flexible, evidence-based approach for researchers to evaluate the information structure of HITs. In addition, remote tree testing provides a quick, flexible, and high volume method of acquiring feedback in a structured format that allows for quantitative comparisons. With the diverse nature and often large quantities of health information available, addressing issues of terminology and concept classifications during the early development process of a health information system will improve navigation through the system and save future resources. Tree testing is a usability method that can be used to quickly and easily assess information hierarchy of health information systems.
Evaluation of SCR-Based ESD Protection Devices in 90nm and 65nm CMOS Technologies

The authors compare a number of promising SCR-based ESD protection devices in 90nm and 65nm CMOS technologies implemented with a consistent layout. The devices are evaluated using ESD metrics such as trigger voltage and current, on-resistance, failure current, turn-on time and DC leakage current. The authors also report that SCR turn-on time is highly dependent on the amplitude of the applied pulse.
Effects of Invisibility: In Search of the ‘Economic’ in Transitional Justice

1 This article argues that the field of transitional justice - in both its institutional and scholarly aspects - has historically excluded issues of economic inequality, structural violence, redistribution and development. It seeks to combine a conceptual critique with concrete institutional examples in an effort both to highlight the theory/practice relationship within the field and to anchor theoretical claims in particular examples. The first part of the article briefly describes the chronological and regional iterations of transitional justice in light of its nature as a global enterprise. The second part of the article examines the constructed invisibility of economic questions in the literature and institutions, suggesting that exclusion derives from particular patterns: ignoring the issues altogether, treating inequality or structural violence as contextual background rather than central issues in transition, or reducing economic concerns to a narrowed discussion of reparations. The final section outlines three possible costs of economic invisibility: (1) an incomplete understanding of the origins of conflict; (2) an inability to imagine structural change due to a focus on reparations; and (3) the possibility of renewed violence due to a failure to address the role of inequality in conflict.
David Peterson Mar, What Trouble I Have Seen: A History of Violence Against Wives

David Peterson del Mar makes an important contribution to understanding the history of domestic violence in this study, which is based upon the unique records kept by the courts of Oregon since its earliest days. Oregon not only had liberal divorce laws, but its courts maintained detailed written records of divorce cases, including transcripts of witnesses. These records provide only a small sample of the domestic violence that must have occurred, because they are limited to cases in which married persons were the victims and actually sought and obtained a divorce, despite the shame and economic difficulty involved. Nonetheless, review of these records allows Peterson del Mar to describe the nature of domestice violence in a particular context and to do so in the voices of its victims and perpetrators.
Neutrophil serine proteases fine-tune the inflammatory response

Neutrophil serine proteases are granule-associated enzymes known mainly for their function in the intracellular killing of pathogens. Their extracellular release upon neutrophil activation is traditionally regarded as the primary reason for tissue damage at the sites of inflammation. However, studies over the past several years indicate that neutrophil serine proteases may also be key regulators of the inflammatory response. Neutrophil serine proteases specifically process and release chemokines, cytokines, and growth factors, thus modulating their biological activity. In addition, neutrophil serine proteases activate and shed specific cell surface receptors, which can ultimately prolong or terminate cytokine-induced responses. Moreover, it has been proposed that these proteases can impact cell viability through their caspase-like activity and initiate the adaptive immune response by directly activating lymphocytes. In summary, these studies point to neutrophil serine proteases as versatile mediators that fine-tune the local immune response and identify them as potential targets for therapeutic interventions.
PopHist: inferring population history from the spectrum of allele frequencies

Summary: PopHist is a computer program that uses the frequency spectrum of alleles to: (a) estimate maximum likelihood parameters describing a population's history; and (b) compare alternative hypotheses about population history using likelihood ratio tests. The program uses the matrix coalescent, a method for calculating theoretical frequency spectra that can be applied to sets of unlinked included by specifying that they come from the same locus. The model of population history describes a series of epochs that define population size during different time periods. PopHist performs two main analyses: parameter esti- mation and hypothesis testing. Estimates of maximum likelihood parameters are obtained by using a standard Metropolis algorithm (Robert and Casella, 1999, Chap. 5). This algorithm explores the parameter space defined by the user's model of population history as follows. The process begins with a population history of constant size. Then, prospective parameters are chosen by perturbing the current parameters. The likelihood of the new param- eters is calculated, and they are adopted with probability ex p((L p − Lc)/T), where L p is the likelihood of the prospective parameters, Lc is the likelihood of the current
Incorporating fault tolerance in superscalar processors

In this paper, we investigate techniques to incorporate fault tolerance in superscalar processors, the de facto execution model for building processors today. We first analyze the different ways in which errors can manifest when faults occur in various parts of a superscalar processor. We then describe different ways of detecting and recovering from these errors, and the merits and demerits of these schemes. Finally, we present the results of a simulation study conducted to determine the performance loss incurred due to the introduction of these fault tolerance schemes. These results suggest that fault tolerance can be incorporated in superscalar processors, with low hardware overhead, low performance overhead, and good error coverage.
Hydrogen Storage in the Dehydrated Prussian Blue Analogues M3[Co(CN)6]2 (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn)

The porosity and hydrogen storage properties for the dehydrated Prussian blue analogues M3[Co(CN)6]2 (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) are reported. Argon sorption isotherms measured at 87 K afford BET surface areas ranging from 560 m2/g for Ni3[Co(CN)6]2 to 870 m2/g for Mn3[Co(CN)6]2; the latter value is comparable to the highest surface area reported for any known zeolite. All six compounds show significant hydrogen sorption at 77 K and 890 Torr, varying from 1.4 wt % and 0.018 kg H2/L for Zn3[Co(CN)6]2 to 1.8 wt % and 0.025 kg H2/L for Cu3[Co(CN)6]2. Fits to the sorption data employing the Langmuir−Freundlich equation give maximum uptake quantities, resulting in a predicted storage capacity of 2.1 wt % and 0.029 kg H2/L for Cu3[Co(CN)6]2 at saturation. Enthalpies of adsorption for the frameworks were calculated from hydrogen isotherms measured at 77 and 87 K and found to increase with M varying in the order Mn < Zn < Fe < Co < Cu < Ni. In all cases, the binding enthalpies, which lie in the range of 5.3−7.4 ...
Removing Timed Delays in Stochastic Automata

We present a method to remove timed delays (transitions corresponding to timed internal actions) from a subset of stochastic automata. After removing the internal actions, the steady state probability of a subset of the states of the automata is preserved. The stochastic automata considered in this paper have the property of being Markov regenerative processes.
Granular computing I: the concept of granulation and its formal model

The term granular computing (GrC) was coined by Lin and Zadeh (derived from Zadeh's granular mathematics) in Fall, 1996. Since then, nine GrC models have been proposed. In GrC2008 keynote, the category theory based model (8th GrC model) was proposed to be 'the (final) GrC model'; however, the announcement was not in time to be included in the proceedings. So this paper is the first printed presentation. This paper explains the concept of granulation in three ways: it is defined 1) inductively by classical example; 2) informally by Zadeh, 3) formally by the category-based GrC model. It outlines how this model can be specified into nine models by specifying the abstract category to the category of; 1) sets/type I fuzzy sets; 2) functions/generalised functions such as, random variables (measurable functions), measures/probabilities; 3) Turing machines/clusters of computers; 4) qualitative fuzzy sets. The concept of qualitative fuzzy sets is new and quite novel; we have explained it via neighbourhood systems.
Revisiting the life cycle of dung fungi, Including Sordaria fimicola

Dung fungi, such as Sordaria fimicola, generally reproduce sexually with ascospores discharged from mammalian dung after passage through herbivores. Their life cycle is thought to be obligate to dung, and thus their ascospores in Quaternary sediments have been interpreted as evidence of past mammalian herbivore activity. Reports of dung fungi as endophytes would seem to challenge the view that they are obligate to dung. However, endophyte status is controversial because surface-sterilization protocols could fail to kill dung fungus ascospores stuck to the plant surface. Thus, we first tested the ability of representative isolates of three common genera of dung fungi to affect plant growth and fecundity given that significant effects on plant fitness could not result from ascospores merely stuck to the plant surface. Isolates of S. fimicola, Preussia sp., and Sporormiella sp. reduced growth and fecundity of two of three populations of Bromus tectorum, the host from which they had been isolated. In further work with S. fimicola we showed that inoculations of roots of B. tectorum led to some colonization of aboveground tissues. The same isolate of S. fimicola reproduced sexually on inoculated host plant tissues as well as in dung after passage through sheep, thus demonstrating a facultative rather than an obligate life cycle. Finally, plants inoculated with S. fimicola were not preferred by sheep; preference had been expected if the fungus were obligate to dung. Overall, these findings make us question the assumption that these fungi are obligate to dung.
Inhibition of bovine retinal microvascular pericyte proliferation in vitro by adenosine.

Adenosine acts on bovine retinal microvascular pericytes through one or more adenosine receptor subtypes present on the cell surface. Retinal pericytes cultured in medium containing adenosine at co...
Abstract 2745: A genetic screen to identify tumor suppressive DDR genes in breast cancer

To maintain genomic integrity, cells utilize a DNA damage response (DDR) mechanism that 1) functions to repair damaged DNA efficiently and 2) commits cells to apoptosis if damage is irreparable. Failure of this mechanism results in genomic instability and cancer predisposition. Defects in DDR have been implicated in both sporadic and familial breast and ovarian cancer predisposition syndromes (e.g. BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2), although the specific pathway components that are disrupted have not been elucidated. In particular, an impaired DDR may contribute to the pathophysiology of triple-negative (ER-/PR-/HER2-) breast cancer (TNBC) due to the extent and complexity of the genomic instability that is observed. We identified the DNA damage sensing Mre11- Rad50-Nbs1 (MRN) complex as an essential mediator of the oncogene-induced DDR. Disrupting the MRN complex in mouse models promotes the development of genomically unstable, metastatic breast cancer. The clinical relevance of this pathway is highlighted by the observation that components of the Mre11 complex are perturbed in a significant fraction of human TNBCs, which correlates with clinical outcomes. However, lack of MRN suppression in a majority of TNBCs indicates that alternative DDR components may also be inactivated to promote breast cancer development. Our goal is to identify additional DDR genes that, when perturbed, promote the development of genomically unstable breast cancers. In order to accurately distinguish driver genes from bystander genes we have developed a platform to identify DDR genes that mediate oncogene-induced senescence in mammary epithelial cells using both shRNA and CRISPR pooled libraries. Analysis of newly identified tumor suppressor genes, compared to what is already known about Mre11 and p53 (positive controls), will enable us to determine causality of specific DDR mutations in breast cancer development and importantly, the genomic instability phenotype that is typical for TNBC. The insights gleaned from this study may ultimately provide the means to determine the optimal treatment regimen for each patient with TNBC, and to prevent over-treatment of patients where certain chemotherapies may not be effective. Citation Format: Katerina D. Fagan-Solis, Gaorav P. Gupta. A genetic screen to identify tumor suppressive DDR genes in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2745.
Low Temperature Ultrafast Charge Separation: Rate Versus Free Energy

The rate of electron transfer from the lowest excited singlet state of a porphyrin to an acceptor was measured in 2-MTHF glass at 77 K for a series of molecules. Analysis of the rate data as a function of free energy of reaction reveals that the ion-pair state of the oxidized donor and reduced acceptor is destabilized in solid solution by about 0.7 eV relative to its energy in polar liquids.
On Comparison of Dynamics of Dissipative and Finite-Time Systems Using Koopman Operator Methods*

Abstract: Comparison of different dynamical systems or a dynamical system with data is one of the core issues in both dynamical systems and control theory. The fruitful approaches are particularly hard to come by for systems and data that show nonlinear behavior and non-Gaussian noise characteristics. We describe a theory that utilizes spectral theory of linear operators (composition, or Koopman) to provide the methodology, that was originally formulated for measure-preserving systems. Here we extend it to capture dissipative and finite-time dynamics. The approach combines a version of ergodic partition theory with Hardy space theory in observable space (rather than in time).
Slit-enabled linear-array photoacoustic tomography with near isotropic spatial resolution in three dimensions

Slit-enabled photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is a newly developed technique that improves the elevation resolution and signal to noise ratio of a linear array. The slit, placed along the transducer array focus, forms an array of virtual detectors with high receiving angle, which subsequently allows for three dimensional (3D) imaging with near-isotropic spatial resolution. Our development addressed the long-standing issue of high quality 3D imaging with a linear array and will have broad applications in preclinical and clinical imaging. This study presented the principle of slit-PAT and demonstrated its efficiency in phantom, animal, and human experiments.
Characterization of Anatase Phase on Calcinated Titanium-V Alloy

Surface modification of titanium implants has been a large focus of recent research. Thermal oxidation is a technique used to diffuse oxygen into the surface of a material to form an oxide layer. By varying the temperature of thermal oxidation, the crystal structure of the TiO 2 layer can be changed from anatase to rutile in the range 300 to 600 °C. The crystal structure of anatase has been shown to resemble hydroxyapatite, a mineral that is involved in bone growth. FTIR, an Ellipsometer, and a Geoniometer are used to analyse the anatase concentrations created at 24, 300, 375, and 450 °C. It was found that hydrophilicity increases on rough samples as oxidation temperature increases. Also, a peak shift from anatase to rutile is seen as annealing temperatures increase in the range of 300 to 600 °C. Greater relative anatase formation is seen at 300 and 375 °C. The shift to rutile begins to occur at 450 °C and continues to 600 °C.
43 Gender, peer networks, and sexual misconduct prevention education

Statement of purpose Roughly one in five US women and one in sixteen US men are sexually assaulted while in college. Sexual assault contributes to a range of psychological sequelae -- from depression to social withdrawal and sleep disturbances -- that hinder students’ ability to learn and fully participate in college. Mitigating this gender inequality in higher education has recently become a national priority; in 2011 the Department of Education clarified that it may withhold federal funds from schools that fail to adequately address sexual violence. Campus sexual violence precludes equal access to education. Its prevention is therefore crucial to promoting individual and national psychosocial health. Methods This study relies on 19 interviews and 3 focus groups University of Michigan sophomores (n=38). We examine perspectives on existing campus anti’”sexual violence trainings. Our sample mirrors the demographics of the University by gender, race, sexual orientation, athletic status, and Greek-affiliation. Results Respondents frame sexual assault as ‘˜someone else’s problem.’ Non-Greek affiliates blame Greek affiliates. Students involved with Greek Life reference non-University perpetrators. Women blame men; men blame women. Collectively, respondents construct ‘sexual assault’ as simultaneously everywhere and nowhere. Contributions to Injury Prevention Programming The ‘˜everywhere and nowhere’ trend obfuscates a process of locating blame, and subsequently effective prevention efforts. Firstly, it muddles individuals’ self-reflection – if one does not conceptualise themselves as possible perpetrator, they are unlikely to critically evaluate their sexual experiences. Similarly, for potential victims, conceptually locating the issue elsewhere complicates one’s ability to interpret and label nonconsensual sexual encounters. Not understanding one’s own experiences as an assault can be a barrier to resources, recourse, and recovery. Prevention programming might take into account how sexual violence manifests differently across University sub-groups.
Gene Duplication and Aneuploidy Trigger Rapid Evolution of Herbicide Resistance in Common Waterhemp

An increase in gene copy number is often associated with changes in the number and structure of chromosomes, as has been widely observed in yeast and eukaryotic tumors, yet little is known about stress-induced chromosomal changes in plants. Previously, we reported that the EPSPS (5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase) gene, the molecular target of glyphosate, was amplified at the native locus and on an extra chromosome in glyphosate-resistant Amaranthus tuberculatus Here, we report that the extra chromosome is a ring chromosome termed extra circular chromosome carrying amplified EPSPS (ECCAE). The ECCAE is heterochromatic, harbors four major EPSPS amplified foci, and is sexually transmitted to 35% of the progeny. Two highly glyphosate resistant (HGR) A. tuberculatus plants with a chromosome constitution of 2n = 32+1 ECCAE displayed soma cell heterogeneity. Some cells had secondary ECCAEs, which displayed size polymorphisms and produced novel chromosomal variants with multiple gene amplification foci. We hypothesize that the ECCAE in the soma cells of HGR A. tuberculatus plants underwent breakage-fusion-bridge cycles to generate the observed soma cell heterogeneity, including de novo EPSPS gene integration into chromosomes. Resistant soma cells with stable EPSPS amplification events as de novo insertions into chromosomes may survive glyphosate selection pressure during the sporophytic phase and are plausibly transmitted to germ cells leading to durable glyphosate resistance in A. tuberculatus This is the first report of early events in aneuploidy-triggered de novo chromosome integration by an as yet unknown mechanism, which may drive rapid adaptive evolution of herbicide resistance in common waterhemp.
Predicting Semantic Signatures of Fonts

Towards the aim of semantic font recommendation, we first analyze the relationship between fonts and semantic attributes using a crowdsourced dataset. We deepen this analysis at the level of font categories and font styles, including via a series of interactive visualizations of the relationships between multiple dimensions of this data. Subsequently, we induce semantic signatures for a large number of fonts by computationally predicting attribute values using a k-NN based approach. We evaluate the effectiveness of this approach, and, through a visual exploration, categorize semantic attributes into three groups based on their potential to be conveyed by the fonts. The resulting resource is made available, and we aim for the findings, visualizations, and data to benefit studies that computationally support the challenging but critical process of font selection.
Psychotherapy for Psychiatric Disorders

Psychotherapy has developed, in the past 100 or more years, from a theoretically derived intervention with little empirical support to a broad range of interventions for which there is an equally broad range of evidence. This chapter provides an overview of psychotherapy for psychiatric disorders. The goals of this chapter are to review the history of psychotherapy development, identify the primary efficacious approaches of psychotherapy, and describe the interventions currently used with specific disorders. This chapter focuses on evidence-based psychotherapies (with demonstrated treatment benefit in stringently controlled research trials) because it is our perspective that training and education in treatment should emphasize those interventions supported by scientific data. We hope to provide readers with an adequate understanding of the current literature to make effective treatment recommendations.
Banding Together: New Horizons in Lifelong Music Making

New Horizons Bands are wind and percussion bands designed for both novice and former musicians over the age of 50. This article describes the Iowa City, Iowa, program from the director's observations and from excerpted comments by participants. Not only does the band program fulfill musical aspirations, but it also provides meaningful interpersonal relationships for the adult learners and their families, the college-aged instructors, and the director.
How does "emporiophobia" develop?

Boyer & Petersen's (B&P's) evolutionary approach to folk-economic beliefs is insightful, with far-reaching implications. We add to their discussion by positing a complementary developmental approach to the study of "emporiophobia" - studying children whose behaviors provide insight into developmental origins. We hypothesize that emporiophobia emerges early in childhood through proximal mechanisms and propose that emporiophobia develops alongside emporiophilia.
Incidence and Treatment Outcomes of Vocal Fold Movement Impairment After Total Arch Replacement.

Background Vocal fold movement impairment (VFMI) secondary to neuronal injury is a known risk after aortic surgery. Total arch replacement is technically challenging, and the incidence of vocal fold movement impairment secondary to neuronal injury after this surgery is unknown. This study examined the incidence of VFMI after total arch replacement and medialization treatment outcomes. Study design Retrospective cohort study. Methods All patients who underwent total arch replacement at a tertiary care center over 11 years (2006-2017) were identified through an institutional database. End points included evidence of VFMI on flexible laryngoscopy, time to diagnosis, time to treatment, need for reintubation, and intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay. Results Of the 358 patients who underwent total arch replacement, 63 (20%) were diagnosed with VFMI during their initial inpatient stay. Fifty patients (79%) VFMIs were left-sided, nine (14%) were right-sided, and four (6%) were bilateral. Thirty-nine patients (62%) underwent inpatient vocal fold medialization: 28 (72%) by injection laryngoplasty and 11 (28%) by type 1 thyroplasty. Those with unilateral VFMI had longer ICU (8.9 days) and hospital (19.4 days) than those with no VFMI (5.7 and 16.1 days). Among patients with unilateral VFMI, those who underwent inpatient vocal fold medialization trended toward shorter ICU (6.2 vs. 14.4 days, P = .03) and hospital stays (20.1 vs. 23.3 days, P = .4) than patients who did not have a medialization procedure. Conclusion The overall incidence of VFMI after total arch replacement in our series was 20%. Both the right and left vocal folds are potentially at risk from a total arch replacement; consequently, the distribution of injury in our cohort was more heterogeneous than in other series. Level of evidence 3 Laryngoscope, 129:699-703, 2019.
Live animals for preclinical medical student surgical training

AIMS The use of live animals for surgical training is a well-known, deliberated topic. However, medical students who use live animals rate the experience high not only in improving their surgical techniques, but also positively influencing their confidence levels in the operating room later in their careers. Therefore, we hypothesized that the use of live animal models is a unique and influential component of preclinical medical education. MATERIALS AND METHODS Medical student performed the following surgical procedures using mice; surgical orthotopic implantation of cancer cells into fat pad and subsequently a radical mastectomy. The improvement of skill was then analyzed. RESULTS All cancer cell inoculations were performed successfully. Improvement of surgical skills during the radical mastectomy procedure was documented in all parameters. All wounds healed without breakdown or dehiscence. The appropriate interval between interrupted sutures was ascertained after fifth wound closure. The speed of interrupted sutures was doubled by last wound closure. The time required to complete a radical mastectomy decreased by almost half. A single animal died immediately following the operation due to inappropriate anesthesia, which was attributed to the lack of understanding of the overall operative management. CONCLUSION Surgical training using live animals for preclinical medical students provides a unique learning experience, not only in improving surgical skills but also and arguably most importantly, to introduce the student to the complexities of the perioperative environment in a way that most closely resembles the stress and responsibility that the operating room demands.
A two-course web application development sequence covering the lamp and mean stacks

Web application development courses, both required and elective, were added to computer science and information technology programs to address the growing demand of web application development skills in the graduates of these programs. In this paper we present a layout, design, and structure of a two-course web application development sequence covering both the LAMP (WAMP, MAMP) and the MEAN stacks which can be delivered in online, classroom, or blended formats. We provide an example of the course deliverables and assignments in both classes to hone these web programming skills.
Stochastic changes in gene expression promote chaotic dysregulation of homeostasis in clonal breast tumors

Cells within tumors vary in phenotype as a result of changes in gene expression caused by a variety of mechanisms, permitting cancers to evolve under selective pressures from immune and other homeostatic processes. Earlier, we traced apparent losses in heterozygosity (LOH) of spontaneous breast tumors from first generation (F1) intercrossed mice to atypical epigenetic modifications in the structure of DNA across the tumor genomes. Here, we describe a parallel pattern of LOH in gene expression, revealed through quantitation of parental alleles across a population of clonal tumors. We found variegated patterns of LOH, based on allelic ratio outliers in hundreds of genes, enriched in regulatory pathways typically co-opted by tumors. The frequency of outliers was correlated with transcriptional repression of a large set of homozygous genes. These findings suggest stochastic losses in gene expression across the genome of tumors generate phenotypic variation among cells, allowing clonal selection during tumor development. Sara Felts et al. present atypical losses of heterozygosity in genes expressed in breast tumors of first-generation intercrossed mice. They find evidence suggesting sporadic epigenetic errors causing dysregulated cellular homeostasis in tumors.
Abstract P6-03-07: NOTCH3 targeting inhibits ALDH1 activity and restores chemosensitivity in metastatic TNBC

Background: Onset of metastases involves a complex multistep biological process termed the invasion-metastasis cascade, which include dissemination of cancer cells from the primary tumor to secondary organs. NOTCH signaling plays a critical role in promoting Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) metastasis. Although all four NOTCH receptors show oncogenic properties, the unique role of each of these receptors in the sequential stepwise events that typify the invasion-metastasis cascade remains elusive. Methods: We established unique TNBC cells (TNBC-M14, -M25 and -M40), isolated from patient-derived brain metastasis xenografts (PD-BMXs). NOTCH3 genetic targeting was achieved using Lenti-vector shRNAs. Immunoblot analysis was used to assess NOTCH3 expression. ALDH1 activity was established using the ALDEOFLUOR Kit. To assess self-renewal capacity and resistance to docetaxel-based chemotherapy, TNBC cells were cultured under non-adherent conditions to form mammospheres (MPS). A publicly clinical database (http://kmplot.com) was employed to analyze NOTCH3 expression in a selected cohort of 107 lymph- node+ TNBC patients. Results: TNBC-M14, -M25 and -M40 MPS showed NOTCH3 overexpression and higher ALDH1 activity compared to MDA-MB 231 MPS used as control. To investigate the causative role of NOTCH3 in inducing ALDH1 activity, self-renewal capacity and chemoresistance, we infected TNBC MPS with Lenti-vector shRNAs targeting NOTCH3. NOTCH3 geneting targeting induced a significant reduction of ALDH1 activity compared to TNBC MPS infected with scrambled Lenti-shRNAs. Significantly, NOTCH3 geneting targeting significantly impaired MPS formation and restored sensitivity to docetaxel. The correlation between aberrant NOTCH3 expression and poor outcome in patients with advanced TNBC was also investigated in a publicly clinical database. Conclusions: These findings provide a compelling preclinical rationale for the design of novel clinical trials that will selectively target NOTCH3 to delay metastatic growth and to improve the clinical outcome of patients with advanced TNBC. Citation Format: Antonino Bonaventura D9Assoro. NOTCH3 targeting inhibits ALDH1 activity and restores chemosensitivity in metastatic TNBC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-03-07.