cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Orazipone, a locally acting immunomodulator, ameliorates intestinal radiation injury: A preclinical study in a novel rat model

Purpose: Intestinal radiation injury (radiation enteropathy) is relevant to cancer treatment, as well as to radiation accidents and radiation terrorism scenarios. This study assessed the protective efficacy of orazipone, a locally-acting small molecule immunomodulator. Methods and Materials: Male rats were orchiectomized, a 4-cm segment of small bowel was sutured to the inside of the scrotum, a proximal anteperistaltic ileostomy was created for intraluminal drug administration, and intestinal continuity was re-established by end-to-side anastomosis. After three weeks postoperative recovery, the intestine in the “scrotal hernia” was exposed locally to single-dose or fractionated X-radiation. Orazipone (30 mg/kg/day) or vehicle was administered daily through the ileostomy, either during and after irradiation, or only after irradiation. Structural, cellular, and molecular aspects of intestinal radiation toxicity were assessed two weeks after irradiation. Results: Orazipone significantly ameliorated histologic injury and transforming growth factor-β immunoreactivity levels, both after single-dose and fractionated irradiation. Intestinal wall thickness was significantly reduced after single-dose and nonsignificantly after fractionated irradiation. Mucosal surface area and numbers of mast cells were partially restored by orazipone after single-dose irradiation. Conclusions: This work (1) demonstrates the utility of the ileostomy rat model for intraluminal administration of response modifiers in single-dose and fractionated radiation studies; (2) shows that mucosal immunomodulation during and/or after irradiation ameliorates intestinal toxicity; and (3) highlights important differences between single-dose and fractionated radiation regimens.
Linear and nonlinear information flow based on time-delayed mutual information method and its application to corticomuscular interaction.

Abstract Objective To propose a model-free method to show linear and nonlinear information flow based on time-delayed mutual information (TDMI) by employing uni- and bi-variate surrogate tests and to investigate whether there are contributions of the nonlinear information flow in corticomuscular (CM) interaction. Methods Using simulated data, we tested whether our method would successfully detect the direction of information flow and identify a relationship between two simulated time series. As an experimental data application, we applied this method to investigate CM interaction during a right wrist extension task. Results Results of simulation tests show that we can correctly detect the direction of information flow and the relationship between two time series without a prior knowledge of the dynamics of their generating systems. As experimental results, we found both linear and nonlinear information flow from contralateral sensorimotor cortex to muscle. Conclusions Our method is a viable model-free measure of temporally varying causal interactions that is capable of distinguishing linear and nonlinear information flow. With respect to experimental application, there are both linear and nonlinear information flows in CM interaction from contralateral sensorimotor cortex to muscle, which may reflect the motor command from brain to muscle. Significance This is the first study to show separate linear and nonlinear information flow in CM interaction.
In Vitro Analog of Operant Conditioning in Aplysia. I. Contingent Reinforcement Modifies the Functional Dynamics of an Identified Neuron

Previously, an analog of operant conditioning in Aplysia was developed using the rhythmic motor activity in the isolated buccal ganglia. This analog expressed a key feature of operant conditioning, namely a selective enhancement in the occurrence of a designated motor pattern by contingent reinforcement. Different motor patterns generated by the buccal central pattern generator were induced by monotonic stimulation of a peripheral nerve (i.e., n.2,3). Phasic stimulation of the esophageal nerve (E n.) was used as an analog of reinforcement. The present study investigated the neuronal mechanisms associated with the genesis of different motor patterns and their modifications by contingent reinforcement. The genesis of different motor patterns was related to changes in the functional states of the pre-motor neuron B51. During rhythmic activity, B51 dynamically switched between inactive and active states. Bursting activity in B51 was associated with, and predicted, characteristic features of a specific motor pattern (i.e., pattern I). Contingent reinforcement of pattern I modified the dynamical properties of B51 by decreasing its resting conductance and threshold for eliciting plateau potentials and thus increased the occurrences of pattern I-related activity in B51. These modifications were not observed in preparations that received either noncontingent reinforcement (i.e., yoke control) or no reinforcement (i.e., control). These results suggest that a contingent reinforcement paradigm can regulate the dynamics of neuronal activity that is centrally programmed by the intrinsic cellular properties of neurons.
Intelligent diagnostics in robotics and integrated manufacturing systems

A methodology is described for hybrid diagnostic search in computer integrated manufacturing systems with a two phase learning system to update the rule-based component. Initial testing with a prototype indicates that the approach is both effective and efficient. A hybrid CIM diagnostic algorithm is reported, and a CIM system case study is discussed. >
Intelligent Systems for Assessing Aging Changes: Home-Based, Unobtrusive, and Continuous Assessment of Aging

Results. M ean age was 83.3 years, mean years of education was 15.5, and 73% of cohort were women. During a 4-week snapshot, participants left their home twice a day on average for a total of 208 min per day. Mean in-home walking speed was 61.0 cm/s. Participants spent 43% of days on the computer averaging 76 min per day. Discussion. These results demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of engaging seniors in a large-scale deployment of in-home activity assessment technology and the successful collection of these activity metrics. We plan to use this platform to determine if continuous unobtrusive monitoring may detect incident cognitive decline.
A frequency rendezvous approach for decentralized dynamic spectrum access networks

In this paper, we propose a transmission frequency rendezvous approach for secondary users deployed in decentralized dynamic spectrum access networks. Frequency rendezvous is a critical step in bootstrapping a wireless network that does not possess centralized control. Current techniques for enabling frequency rendezvous in decentralized dynamic spectrum access networks either require pre-existing infrastructure or use one of several simplifying assumptions regarding the architecture, such as the use of regularly spaced frequency channels for communications. Our proposed approach is designed to be operated in a strictly decentralized wireless networking environment, where no centralized control is present and the spectrum does not possess pre-defined channels. This is accomplished via a combination of receiver pilot tones, a tone scanning protocol, and transmitter/receiver handshaking process. In our proposed rendezvous algorithm, the most important step is pilot tone detection and receiver query. In order to realize a shortest search time for the target receiver, an efficient scanning rule should be employed. In this paper, three scanning rules are proposed and evaluated, namely: frequency sequence scanning, pilot tone strength scanning, and cluster scanning. To validate our result, we test our scanning rules with actual paging band spectrum measurements.
Saccharide receptor achieves concentration dependent mannoside selectivity through two distinct cooperative binding pathways

Tetrapodal receptor 1 relies upon structural flexibility to reveal new binding modes for saccharide recognition and to achieve unique pyranoside binding affinity and concentration dependent selectivity. The association constants, Kas, between 1 and eight pyranosides commonly found in cell surface glycans were measured in CDCl3 by 1H NMR titrations, revealing a preference for α- and β-octyl mannopyranosides (α-Man and β-Man). Whereas most of the pyranosides studied – α/β-octyl glucopyranoside (α/β-Glc), α/β-octyl galactopyranoside (α/β-Gal), and α/β-octyl N-acetylglucosaminopyranoside (α/β-GlcNAc) – bind 1 in a 1 : 1 stoichiometry at 25 °C, β-Man exclusively forms a 2 : 1 receptor–pyranoside complex. Alternatively, in an excess of pyranoside, 1 binds α- and β-Man in a 1 : 2 receptor : pyranoside stoichiometry with a high degree of positive cooperativity (K2/K1 ∼ 13.7 and 7.6 for α- and β-Man respectively) and selectivities as high as 16.8 : 1 α-Man : α-Gal. Moreover, this preference changes as a function of pyranoside concentration, favoring β-Glc at low concentration (<0.1 mM) and favoring mannosides at higher concentrations. The thermodynamic binding parameters (ΔH0 and ΔS0) reveal that the cooperativity in the second binding events drive the formation of 12:β-Man or 1:β-Man2 because of a decrease in unfavorable entropy upon each second binding event compared to the first. The structures of the complexes were determined by 1D and 2D 1H NMR spectroscopy in combination with molecular modeling. The 1:β-Man2 complex exhibits C2 symmetry, where both β-Man equivalents bind identical sites within 1, such that the pyranosides within the complex are symmetrically equivalent. Alternatively, 12:β-Man is a cage-like structure where only three of the aminopyrrolitic arms of the receptor are involved in binding, leaving a fourth available for further functionalization in later generation receptors. Multivalency and cooperativity are ubiquitous in Nature, and 1 utilizes these modes of recognition to achieve selectivity for monosaccharide residues.
Bonobos and chimpanzees exhibit human-like framing effects

Humans exhibit framing effects when making choices, appraising decisions involving losses differently from those involving gains. To directly test for the evolutionary origin of this bias, we exami...
The SiO2/Si Interface Probed With Positrons

The effects of the heat treatment of Si covered with a thermally-grown approx.50 nm overlayer of SiO/sub 2/ were probed by means of measurements of positron annihilation characteristics obtained with a variable-energy positron beam. From measurements at elevated temperature (approx.500/sup 0/C) it was observed that positrons implanted overlapping the SiO/sub 2//Si interface decay from a state with properties distinctively different from the state in Si and in SiO/sub 2/. The nature of the annihilation characteristics indicates the presence of open volume defects. 19 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
Femtosecond Laser Pulse Shaping for Molecular Imaging in Biological Tissue

Recently developed ultrafast laser pulse shaping technology allows high-sensitivity measurements of nonlinear optical effects in highly scattering media. We present applications of these techniques to extract intrinsic structural, metabolic and functional contrast in biological tissue.
Rejoinder to “Comments” by Philip Converse and Jerrold Rusk

Professors Converse and Rusk have replied to my present paper in two different ways: the former by a short, sharp rejoinder and the latter by a longer and more diffuse article. For space reasons alone, my commentary on their remarks must be concise; and while there is much which I should like to discuss further, there comes a time when the case must be sent to the jury. It is best, I think, to confine most of my comments on Philip Converse's Note to the last half of it. We begin with The American Voter and the SRC “paradigm” as I see them. Having also reread this book, I will go even further in my praise of it than Converse has. It is not only a meticulous piece of scholarship; it is also truly a classic, a seminal work which justly gives permanent professional honor to those who wrote it. A seminal work is one which not only contributes to knowledge but permanently reorganizes the shape of a scholarly field. This can be done only by providing a conceptual framework for the myriad nonseminal but essential scholarly activities which take place in that field thereafter. As a meticulous piece of work, The American Voter was indeed qualified and judicious in its statements and generalizations. It also had at least as much sensitivity to the time dimension as could be expected for 1960.
Release of Backcross Insects on St. Croix to Suppress the Tobacco Budworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Behavior and Interaction with Native Insects

During four releases of backcross insects to suppress native populations of Heliothis Virescens (F.) on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, the behavior of backcross insects and their interaction with native insects were studied. Backcross females were observed actively flying, feeding, and mating earlier than native females; however, no difference in time of oviposition or preference for oviposition sites was detected. Activity time of backcross and native males appeared to coincide. Mating interaction was at random between native and backcross insects when backcross insects were placed in the field as pupae and allowed to emerge. When adults were released, greater than expected intramating frequencies were observed, apparently as a result of inadequate dispersal of insects released as adults. Mating interaction between native and backcross insects was verified by an increase in sterility of native females with increased numbers of released insects. Backcross females with eupyrene sperm in their spermathecae were commonly collected.
The Journal of Information Systems 2015 Conference on Information Technology Audit

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the author focuses on the systems research invigorated by the American Accounting Association (AAA), the information technology audit, and improvement of the publication process in accounting.
Influence of Stress Cone Location on the Electric Field Distribution in HV Cable Terminal Under Impulse Voltage

The position of the stress cone in cable termination is easy to ignore for designers. It is indicated through testing that the location of the stress cone has great impact on the overall performance of the cable termination,especially under the stress of impulse voltage. Aiming to this phenomenon,the simulation model is built by using the finite element method, and the electric field distribution for different locations of the stress cone in 110 kV cable terminal is computed. The results show that the position of the stress cone has effects on the electric field distribution of the bushing surface. It is verified by test result and the stress cone position in the bushing can not be ignored.
The Expression of MMP-9 and the Effect of Hight Cholesterol Diet in ApoE-Deficient Mice

Objective To study the expression of matrix metalloprotein-9(MMP-9)in atherosclerosis plaques of apolipoprotein E-deficient mice and the impact of high cholesterol diet on it and to investigate whether high cholesterol diet is involved in unstable plaques.Methods 16 ApoE-deficient mice at 30 weeks of age were divided randomly into high cholesterol diet group(n=8)and normal diet group(n=8),with 8 normal wild-type C57BL/6J mice as a control group.After the mice were fed for 4 months,their arterial aortas were separated,and the atherosclerosis lesions tissues were observed with HE staining and Masson staining.The expressions of MMP-9 and macrophage were analyzed immunohistochemically.Results Atherosclerosis lesions and unstable plaques were seen clearly in the Ch-ApoE(-/-)and ApoE(-/-).The expressions of macrophage and MMP-9 in the unstable plaques of Ch-ApoE(-/-)were significantly higher than that of ApoE(-/-).Conclusion The expression of MMP-9 is closely related to the unstable atherosclerosis plaques.High cholesterol diet can aggravate the damage.
On the Reform and Innovation of Adults' Educational Teaching Method

With the development of society,remarkable achievement is made in the adults' education.However,the adults' education is still limited by the national education model in the admission and employment.The old teaching method does not fit adults' educational character,and cannot satisfy the need of the new adults' education,which lowers the quality of adults' education to some extent.This article explores and discusses the reform and innovation of adults' educational teaching method.
Treating Speech Comprehensibility in Students With Down Syndrome.

Purpose This study examined whether a particular type of therapy (Broad Target Speech Recasts, BTSR) was superior to a contrast treatment in facilitating speech comprehensibility in conversations o...
Soliton-Guided Quantum Information Processing

We describe applications of solitons and soliton collisions to the transport, transfer, and beam-splitting of qubits carried by optical photons. The transport and transfer realize the “flying qubits” necessary for quantum information processing, and the beam-splitting leads, in theory, to an implementation of quantum computing using linear optics. These proposed applications are embedded in a uniform optical fiber and require no special device fabrication, no cooling, and no vacuum.
Post-Mortem Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Device Interrogation: Clinical Indications and Potential Benefits∗

Cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) is an umbrella term that describes pacemakers, implantable-defibrillators (ICDs), and cardiac resynchronization devices useful in the treatment of and or prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD) secondary to an array of cardiac arrhythmias and conduction
Detection of redundant frame in audio visual speech recognition using low level analysis

Audio visual speech recognition (AVSR) is a technique that uses image processing capabilities in lip reading to aid speech recognition systems in recognizing un-deterministic phones or giving preponderance among near probability decisions where as an lipreading is a technique of understanding speech by visually interpreting the movements of the lips, face and tongue with information provided by the context, language, and any residual hearing. This paper represents method of identifying redundant frames from audio visual data for audio visual speech recognition by low level analysis. Results presented in paper depict the necessity of distinct frame for feature extraction so that efficacy of the recognition system will be improved.
MOST-visualization: software for producing automated textbook-style maps of genome-scale metabolic networks.

Summary Visualization of metabolites, reactions and pathways in genome-scale metabolic networks (GEMs) can assist in understanding cellular metabolism. Three attributes are desirable in software used for visualizing GEMs: (i) automation, since GEMs can be quite large; (ii) production of understandable maps that provide ease in identification of pathways, reactions and metabolites; and (iii) visualization of the entire network to show how pathways are interconnected. No software currently exists for visualizing GEMs that satisfies all three characteristics, but MOST-Visualization, an extension of the software package MOST (Metabolic Optimization and Simulation Tool), satisfies (i), and by using a pre-drawn overview map of metabolism based on the Roche map satisfies (ii) and comes close to satisfying (iii). Availability and Implementation MOST is distributed for free on the GNU General Public License. The software and full documentation are available at http://most.ccib.rutgers.edu/. Contact dslun@rutgers.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Parents, friends, and depression: A multi-country study of adolescents in South Asia

Abstract Purpose This study investigates the association between social support networks, as measured by parental involvement and close friendships, and depression among adolescents in South Asia. Methods Nationally representative samples of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 16 + years (n = 16,592) from the Global School Based Health Surveys from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Myanmar were analyzed to provide prevalence rates of depression. Additionally, differences in past year depressive symptoms were compared cross-sectionally by social support from parents and friends, separately. This was done by computing prevalence ratios adjusting for potential confounders and demographic factors. Results Of all adolescent respondents in the study, 14.5% met the criteria to be screened for depression, while 50% reported having three or more close friends, and 80% reported having very involved parents. Adjusted prevalence ratios indicated that those with close friendships were much less likely to be screened for depressive symptoms compared to their counterparts, as were adolescents with very involved parents. However, low and moderate levels of parent involvement were not found to be significantly associated with adolescents' propensity for being screened for depressive. Conclusion Social support is a social determinant of adolescent mental health in South Asia that has received little scholarly attention to date. This study highlights the importance of research and interventions involving parents and close friends in building programs for adolescents that target mental health.
Abstract TMP96: Neuroinflammatory Mechanism of Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Introduction: The mechanisms of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) are poorly understood. We previously demonstrated increased expression and activity of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) in microva...
Importance of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and critical issues it faces

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides essential, trustworthy, highly visible statistics that promote economic efficiency. However, its ability to do so is threatened by many challenges, chief among which is its funding situation. This article updates important stakeholders, such as those at NABE, on the situation at BLS. The paper reviews evidence on the vital role played by BLS products, how BLS maintains high data integrity, and evidence of users’ trust in the data. This is followed by discussion of the agency’s continuous efforts to improve efficiency. Despite the agency’s importance and efficiency, its funding has been flat in nominal terms since 2009, leading to a $90 million shortfall (15% below that needed) in real terms by FY2018. The BLS has needed to curtail spending in ways that are not sustainable, slowing modernization and raising the risk of data errors or delayed releases. With adequate funding, BLS could greatly speed modernization and better serve its customers in many ways. The paper concludes with a call to action: steps that NABE economists and other data users should take to help assure that BLS continues to provide the data that we all need in order to preserve our national vitality.
GeoTalk: a GPS-Enabled Portable Speech Output Device for People with Intellectual Disability

A high percentage of people with intellectual disability experience communication impairments that limit their use of spoken language and make the use of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices potentially beneficial. However, AAC devices often present barriers for people with intellectual disability due to the complexity of switching between levels and overlays and by hardware configurations that limit the number of words or phrases that can be programmed into a device. This study reports on an evaluation of GeoTalk, a handheld device application that incorporates universal design in the user interface and integrates global positioning system (GPS), electronic schedule timers, and other sensor technology to automatically switch between vocabulary sets when the user enters a designated geographic zone, such as a school, bank, and grocery store. The system also triggers automated switches in vocabulary sets based upon time of day or remote sensors in situations that require a unique vocabulary set. Findings from the pilot test showed that people with intellectual disability were able to operate the GPS-enabled GeoTalk device with fewer errors, requiring fewer prompts, and with greater speed than two commercially available comparison AAC devices.
Investigation of sampling-probe distorted temperature fields with X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

Abstract Flame-sampling experiments, especially in conjunction with laminar low-pressure premixed flames, are routinely used in combustion chemistry studies to unravel the identities and quantities of key intermediates and their pathways. In many instances, however, an unambiguous interpretation of the experimental and modeling results is hampered by the uncertainties about the probe-induced, perturbed temperature profile. To overcome this limitation, two-dimensional perturbations of the temperature field caused by sampling probes with different geometries have been investigated using synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. In these experiments, which were performed at the 7-BM beamline of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at the Argonne National Laboratory, a continuous beam of hard X-rays at 15 keV was used to excite krypton atoms that were added in a concentration of 5 vol.-% to the unburnt gas mixture and the resulting krypton fluorescence at 12.65 keV was subsequently collected. The highly spatially resolved signal was converted into the local flame temperature to obtain temperature fields at various burner-probe separations as functions of the distance to the burner surface and the radial distance from the centerline. Multiple measurements were performed with different probe geometries and because of the observed impact on the temperature profiles the results clearly revealed the need to specify the sampling probe design to enable quantitative and meaningful comparisons of modeling results with flame-sampled mole fraction data.
Altruism in Its Personal, Social, and Cultural Contexts: An Introduction

Altruism is a complex, multifaceted concept that is difficult to define and challenging to investigate. At its core, it refers to intrinsically motivated action for the benefit of other human beings. Proponents of universal egoism attempt to reduce altruism to a surface manifestation of more fundamental, self-gratifying motives. Research over the last several decades has resulted in a partial paradigm shift toward the conclusion that altruism cannot be reduced to egotistic sources and that its roots are deeply embedded in human nature. A variety of research methods have been developed and are being vigorously pursued. They range from studies of altruistic behavior in social psychology experiments to naturalistic field and biographical approaches, sometimes supplemented by psychometric methods. Researchers have studied in exceptional situations as well as in daily lives and have introduced innovative approaches for its exploration. Several sources of altruistic motivation and conduct have emerged, ranging from biological to sociocultural. Yet a great many questions remain to be answered by multimethod and interdisciplinary inquiry before the biological, psychological, and cultural threads are integrated into a scientifically based understanding of human potential for altruism in its manifold modes of expression.
Coupled ecohydrology and plant hydraulics modeling predicts ponderosa pine seedling mortality and lower treeline in the US Northern Rocky Mountains.

We modeled hydraulic stress in ponderosa pine seedlings at multiple scales to examine its influence on mortality and forest extent at the lower treeline in the northern Rockies. We combined a mechanistic ecohydrologic model with a vegetation dynamic stress index incorporating intensity, duration and frequency of hydraulic stress events, to examine mortality from loss of hydraulic conductivity. We calibrated our model using a glasshouse dry-down experiment and tested it using in situ monitoring data on seedling mortality from reforestation efforts. We then simulated hydraulic stress and mortality in seedlings within the Bitterroot River watershed of Montana. We show that cumulative hydraulic stress, its legacy and its consequences for mortality are predictable and can be modeled at local to landscape scales. We demonstrate that topographic controls on the distribution and availability of water and energy drive spatial patterns of hydraulic stress. Low-elevation, south-facing, nonconvergent locations with limited upslope water subsidies experienced the highest rates of modeled mortality. Simulated mortality in seedlings from 2001 to 2015 correlated with the current distribution of forest cover near the lower treeline, suggesting that hydraulic stress limits recruitment and ultimately constrains the low-elevation extent of conifer forests within the region.
Dynamic Data-Driven SAR Image Reconstruction Using Multiple GPUs

The reconstruction of n x n -pixel synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery using a backprojection algorithm incurs $O(n^ {2}\cdot m)$ cost, where $m$ is the number of pulses. This paper presents dynamic data-driven multiresolution algorithms to speed up SAR backprojection on multiple graphics processing units (GPUs). A critical part of this spatially variant reconstruction process is load balancing, which circumvents asymmetric work assignment. Fine-tuned algorithms for GPUs are presented as a part of improving running time. Communication between processors is overlapped with GPU calculation to reduce communication time.
Fabrication and Optimization of Dp44mT-Loaded Nanoparticles

This paper describes the modulation of polymeric nanoparticle (NP) preparation to produce an optimal nanocarrier for delivery of the potent anti-tumor iron chelator, Di2-pyridylketone-4,4-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (Dp44mT) towards application in cancer therapy. We have previously shown the potential of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) NPs as a nano-carrier for delivery of Dp44mT to malignant cells. The focus of this study is to alter the fabrication parameters to improve the characteristics of these NPs as a delivery vehicle for Dp44mT. To this end, PLGA NPs encapsulating Dp44mT are fabricated using the nanoprecipitation method with systematic variations in (i) the amount of surfactant poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in aqueous phase, and (ii) the drug to polymer ratio in organic phase. The resultant NPs are characterized for size, surface potential, encapsulation efficiency, and drug release profile. Results of this study showed that increasing the PVA % (within the examined range of 0.5-4% w/v) and decreasing the Dp44mT to PLGA ratio (within the tested range of 0.0375-0.3: 1 mg/mL) both led to an increase in drug encapsulation efficiency. Focusing on the optimal PVA percentage, we found that the changes in drug to polymer ratio did not have a significant impact on the size distribution and surface potential of Dp44mT-NPs and these NPs remained in the desirable range of 80-120 nm. Lastly, the release of Dp44mT from NPs differed for different Dp44mT: PLGA ratios, providing a means to further optimize the NP formulation for future cancer treatment applications.
The Use and Interpretation of Impedance Oscillometry in Pulmonary Disorders

Chronic respiratory diseases are prevalent among adults and lung function testing is imperative for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. While spirometry is the standard measure of lung function, there exist groups of individuals unable to adequately perform accurate and reproducible lung function testing. Impedance oscillometry system (IOS) is an effort independent test that may be employed to assess airway function in challenging groups such as children and elderly. This review will compare IOS and spirometry and describe the physiologic measurements of lung function and interpretation strategies in adults with chronic airway disease. In adults with COPD, impedance oscillometry measurements of airway resistance correlate with the severity of airflow limitation measured with spirometry. In adults with asthma, IOS is a sensitive measure of airway hyperresponsiveness and bronchodilator response. Impedance oscillometry is emerging, alternative method to assess lung function in adults.
Cotton Fiber Biosynthesis

Cotton is the world’s most economically important natural fiber. Fully developed cotton fibers mainly consist of secondary cell wall that is almost pure cellulose. Cellulose deposition is developmentally regulated during cotton fiber development and affects phenotypes and commercial values of cotton fibers. Limited phenotypic information of developing fibers have impeded cotton scientists from accurately interpreting transcriptomic data that are obtained from developing fibers. This review describes the recent adoptions of advanced phenotypic techniques along with the conventional fiber-specific methods for bridging the gap between the genotypic and phenotypic approaches and summarizes the recent advances of the understanding of upland cotton fiber developments.
African, Black, Neither or Both? Models and Strategies Developed and Implemented by The Association of Black Psychologists:

The Association of Black Psychologists’ (ABPsi) has embodied its mission within the context of the evolving discipline of Black Psychology. In its 50-year evolution, the association has evolved and...
Incumbency, National Conditions, and the 2012 Presidential Election

Although research at other levels of elected office has shown that incumbency has a powerful, additive effect on votes (Hogan 2004; Jacobson 2009; Krebs 1998), these effects largely have been ignored in presidential forecasting models (but see Abramowitz 2008). Instead, some scholars speculate about the conditional effects of incumbency; specifically, the decreased applicability of the retrospective model when the president is not on the ticket leaving the somewhat-harder-to-blame-or-reward vice president to represent the administration. The difficult-to-predict 2000 presidential election generated some discussion on this point. Although I and others argued (Campbell 2001; Holbrook 2001; Wlezien 2001) that part of the explanation for the forecasting error in 2000 lies with Al Gore's failure to embrace the Bill Clinton-Al Gore record and reinforce retrospective voting, others indicate that the retrospective cue may generally be weaker when the president is not on the ticket (Campbell 2001; Lewis-Beck and Tien 2001; Nadeau and Lewis-Beck 2001). Indeed, Campbell (2001; 2008) argues in favor of only giving half weight to presidential performance variables when the vice president, rather than president, is representing the incumbent administration. The logic here is simple: absent the president on the ticket, it is more difficult to frame the election as a referendum, leading voters to attach less weight to incumbency-oriented considerations. This is not to say that factors such as presidential approval and economic performance are unimportant when incumbents do not run, only that these factors might matter less.
Hardware Acceleration of Long Read Pairwise Overlapping in Genome Sequencing: A Race Between FPGA and GPU

In genome sequencing, it is a crucial but time-consuming task to detect potential overlaps between any pair of the input reads, especially those that are ultra-long. The state-of-the-art overlapping tool Minimap2 outperforms other popular tools in speed and accuracy. It has a single computing hot-spot, chaining, that takes 70% of the time and needs to be accelerated. There are several crucial issues for hardware acceleration because of the nature of chaining. First, the original computation pattern is poorly parallelizable and a direct implementation will result in low utilization of parallel processing units. We propose a method to reorder the operation sequence that transforms the algorithm into a hardware-friendly form. Second, the large but variable sizes of input data make it hard to leverage task-level parallelism. Therefore, we customize a fine-grained task dispatching scheme which could keep parallel PEs busy while satisfying the on-chip memory restriction. Based on these optimizations, we map the algorithm to a fully pipelined streaming architecture on FPGA using HLS, which achieves significant performance improvement. The principles of our acceleration design apply to both FPGA and GPU. Compared to the multi-threading CPU baseline, our GPU accelerator achieves 7x acceleration, while our FPGA accelerator achieves 28x acceleration. We further conduct an architecture study to quantitatively analyze the architectural reason for the performance difference. The summarized insights could serve as a guide on choosing the proper hardware acceleration platform.
Authentication Against a Myopic Adversary

We consider keyless authentication for point-to-point communication in the presence of a myopic adversary. In particular, the adversary has access to a non-causal noisy version of the transmission and may use this knowledge to choose a channel state; the receiver is successful if it either decodes to the correct message or correctly detects adversarial interference. We show that, depending on the relationship between the channels to the legitimate receiver and the adversary, the authentication capacity is either zero or bounded above by the no-adversary capacity. To this end we introduce a novel channel property, termed $U$ -overwritability, which allows the adversary to make its false message appear legitimate. We conjecture that if the capacity is nonzero, it is in fact equal to the no-adversary capacity, and show that this is true for a particular binary model.
A randomized controlled trial of online symptom searching to inform patient generated differential diagnoses.

Patient online health searching is now commonplace, however, the accuracy of patient generated differentials for new symptoms and potential for patient anxiety are concerns. We aimed primarily to determine the accuracy of patient generated differentials for new symptoms with and without online searching, and secondarily, to evaluate the impact of searching on anxiety levels. In the waiting room prior to seeing a clinician, 300 patients with new symptoms were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to Google searching with health related features including a symptom search tool vs Google searching with health related features disabled vs no searching. Participants were 18 years or older and presenting to the emergency department of an urban academic medical center with new low-acuity symptoms that were not due to exacerbation of a chronic condition. Search groups received access on a tablet/smartphone to Google searching with or without health related features. Both search groups could access any websites; health related features led the patient to common diagnoses and physician-validated information. The primary outcome was accuracy of the patient generated differential assessed by matching at least two of the top three diagnoses on the clinician’s differential. A secondary outcome was anxiety by a visual analogue scale. Patients were a median of 33.1 (IQI 26.2–45.9) years old, 60% women, 63% black, 82% had a high school education or less, and 45.7% reported having performed an online search prior to presentation. Search group patients spent a median of 3.82 (2.53–5.72) minutes searching online. Similar proportions of patients in each group matched at least two of three clinician diagnoses: 27.0% and 28.3% for Google searching with and without health related features vs 23.8% in the no search group. Patients in the search groups had a similar odds of matching ≥2/3 diagnoses as the no search group [OR (95% CI): 1.23 (0.70–2.13), p = 0.47]. Anxiety was unchanged with online searching. In conclusion, brief online searching in the waiting room did not improve accuracy of patient generated differential diagnoses for new symptoms. The absence of an increase in patient anxiety provides reassurance for subsequent work to refine and investigate online symptom search tools.
A clinical algorithm for management of fertility in adolescents with the Klinefelter syndrome.

Purpose of review The review presents a clinical algorithm for the evaluation and treatment for adolescents with Klinefelter's syndrome who desire fertility preservation. Recent findings Sperm is present in the ejaculate in around 8% of men with Klinefelter's syndrome. Although most are severely oligospermic/azoospermic, 43-45% of men will have sperm found during a testicular sperm extraction, reaching up to 70% in adolescents. Summary Klinefelter's syndrome (47, XXY) causes hypogonadotophic hypogonadism and severe oligospermia/azoospermia rendering natural conception rare. During puberty, boys often require testosterone replacement therapy to develop secondary sexual characteristics, which can further decrease spermatogenesis. There is a progressive decrease of testicular germ cells after the onset of puberty, suggesting that fertility evaluation and preservation should begin shortly thereafter. In adolescents desiring fertility evaluation, any testosterone therapy should be discontinued, hormones and gonadotrophins measured, and a semen analysis obtained. Adolescents with low testosterone are administered aromatase inhibitors, selective estrogen receptors modulators and/or human chorionic gonadotropin to increase endogenous testosterone production. After testosterone levels are normalized, semen analysis is performed, and cryopreservation encouraged if sperm is present. For those without sperm in the ejaculate, a testicular sperm extraction is offered.
Methods for Model Calibration under High Uncertainty: Modeling Cholera in Bangladesh.

Background. Published data on a disease do not always correspond directly to the parameters needed to simulate natural history. Several calibration methods have been applied to computer-based disease models to extract needed parameters that make a model's output consistent with available data. Objective. To assess 3 calibration methods and evaluate their performance in a real-world application. Methods. We calibrated a model of cholera natural history in Bangladesh, where a lack of active surveillance biases available data. We built a cohort state-transition cholera natural history model that includes case hospitalization to reflect the passive surveillance data-generating process. We applied 3 calibration techniques: incremental mixture importance sampling, sampling importance resampling, and random search with rejection sampling. We adapted these techniques to the context of wide prior uncertainty and many degrees of freedom. We evaluated the resulting posterior parameter distributions using a range of metrics and compared predicted cholera burden estimates. Results. All 3 calibration techniques produced posterior distributions with a higher likelihood and better fit to calibration targets as compared with prior distributions. Incremental mixture importance sampling resulted in the highest likelihood and largest number of unique parameter sets to better inform joint parameter uncertainty. Compared with naive uncalibrated parameter sets, calibrated models of cholera in Bangladesh project substantially more cases, many of which are not detected by passive surveillance, and fewer deaths. Limitations. Calibration cannot completely overcome poor data quality, which can leave some parameters less well informed than others. Calibration techniques may perform differently under different circumstances. Conclusions. Incremental mixture importance sampling, when adapted to the context of high uncertainty, performs well. By accounting for biases in data, calibration can improve model projections of disease burden.
Retrospective clinical evaluation of 4 lateral flow assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgG.

Abstract In a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments laboratory setting, we evaluated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) IgG detection with 4 lateral flow immunoassays [LFIAs; 2 iterations from BTNX Inc. (n = 457) and 1 each from ACON Laboratories (n = 200) and SD BIOSENSOR (n = 155)]. In a cohort of primarily hospitalized, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction–confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 cases, sensitivity at ≥14 days from symptom onset was: BTNX kit 1, 95%; BTNX kit 2, 91%; ACON, 95%; and SD, 92%. All assays showed good concordance with the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay at ≥14 days from symptom onset: BTNX kit 1, 99%; BTNX kit 2, 94%; ACON, 99%; and SD, 100%. Specificity, measured using specimens collected prior to SARS-CoV-2 circulation in the United States and “cross-reactivity challenge” specimens, was 98% for BTNX kit 1 and ACON and 100% for BTNX kit 2 and SD. These results suggest that LFIAs may provide adequate results for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2.
Akirin is critical for early tinman induction and subsequent formation of the heart in Drosophila melanogaster.

Abstract The regulation of formation of the Drosophila heart by the Nkx 2.5 homologue Tinman is a key event during embryonic development. In this study, we identify the highly conserved transcription cofactor Akirin as a key factor in the earliest induction of tinman by the Twist transcription cofactor. akirin mutant embryos display a variety of morphological defects in the heart, including abnormal spacing between rows of aortic cells and abnormal patterning of the aortic outflow tract. akirin mutant embryos have a greatly reduced level of tinman transcripts, together with a reduction of Tinman protein in the earliest stages of cardiac patterning. Further, akirin mutants have reduced numbers of Tinman-positive cardiomyoblasts, concomitant with disrupted patterning and organization of the heart. Finally, despite the apparent formation of the heart in akirin mutants, these mutant hearts exhibit fewer coordinated contractions in akirin mutants compared with wild-type hearts. These results indicate that Akirin is crucial for the first induction of tinman by the Twist transcription factor, and that the success of the cardiac patterning program is highly dependent upon establishing the proper level of tinman at the earliest steps of the cardiac developmental pathway.
Europe's Double Standard for China's Overfishing

A decade ago, the European Union (EU) implemented a bold new initiative to counter the growing problem of overfishing around the world. Over this past decade, the EU has implemented this initiative effectively against a number of nations. But an issue has arisen from an overlooked reality that the EU has not applied this initiative to the nation in the world that is the most culpable for overfishing: the People’s Republic of China. This commentary takes a closer look at this issue.