cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A family of efficient burst-correcting array codes

A family of binary burst correcting array codes that are defined as follows is discussed: consider an n/sub 1/*nn/sub 2/ array with n/sub 1/=4u+ nu +2 and n/sub 2/=6u+2 nu +5, u>or=1, nu >or=0, nu not=1 where each row and column has even parity. The bits are read diagonally starting from the upper-left corner. The columns are viewed cyclically, i.e. the array is a cylinder. If one diagonal has been read out, one proceeds with the second diagonal preceding it. It is proven that the codes of this type can correct any burst of length up to n/sub 1/. The burst-correcting efficiency of this family tends to 4/5 as u to infinity . As a comparison, the burst-correcting efficiency of other families of array codes tends to 2/3; the same is true for Fire codes. A simple decoding algorithm for the codes is also presented. >
Ironic Faith in Monty Python's Life of Brian

Monty Python’s Life of Brian tells the story of Brian, a contemporary of Jesus whose life becomes chaotic when he is mistaken for a messiah. Standard comedic devices are used to mock and ridicule those who use their authority or office to claim that they are more than human. In this case, laughter humbles those individuals and brings them back to the human community. Second, an ironic faith perspective allows the Pythons to assert that it is up to each individual to define the meaning of his/her own life. While some interpretations of ironic faith suggest the possibility of an ethical response to the perception of the gap between what is and what ought to be, the vision of the absurd in Life of Brian is focused more on the individual than on the community. The end result of an ironic faith is not a call to change the world but inclusion in a community of people who share the same ironic vision.
Lignin monomer composition affects Arabidopsis cell-wall degradability after liquid hot water pretreatment

Lignin is embedded in the plant cell wall matrix, and impedes the enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic feedstocks. To investigate whether enzymatic digestibility of cell wall materials can be improved by altering the relative abundance of the two major lignin monomers, guaiacyl (G) and syringyl (S) subunits, we compared the degradability of cell wall material from wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana with a mutant line and a genetically modified line, the lignins of which are enriched in G and S subunits, respectively. Arabidopsis tissue containing G- and S-rich lignins had the same saccharification performance as the wild type when subjected to enzyme hydrolysis without pretreatment. After a 24-hour incubation period, less than 30% of the total glucan was hydrolyzed. By contrast, when liquid hot water (LHW) pretreatment was included before enzyme hydrolysis, the S-lignin-rich tissue gave a much higher glucose yield than either the wild-type or G-lignin-rich tissue. Applying a hot-water washing step after the pretreatment did not lead to a further increase in final glucose yield, but the initial hydrolytic rate was doubled. Our analyses using the model plant A. thaliana revealed that lignin composition affects the enzymatic digestibility of LHW pretreated plant material. Pretreatment is more effective in enhancing the saccharification of A. thaliana cell walls that contain S-rich lignin. Increasing lignin S monomer content through genetic engineering may be a promising approach to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of biomass to biofuel conversion.
Hybrid Verification of Protocol Bridges

It's usually necessary to apply formal verification on very small modules or else be content with bounded proofs on realistically large modules. But there is no denying that despite its capacity problems, formal verification has its strengths and utility and is a complementary technique to simulation. Used judiciously, simulation and formal techniques can complement each other's strengths, thereby balancing their respective weaknesses. There are different ways to combine these two techniques. In this article, we present two case studies of the application of one such technique: the hybrid verification of a serial protocol. We chose this example because of serial protocols' added complexity compared to parallel protocols. Both case studies involve the same serial protocol (I2C) but demonstrate different aspects of its verification. Selection of the same protocol in both case studies also demonstrates the tremendous value of reuse in formal verification.
Holocene activity of the San Andreas fault at Wallace Creek, California

Wallace Creek is an ephemeral stream in central California, the present channel of which displays an offset of 128 m along the San Andreas fault. Geological investigations have elucidated the relatively simple evolution of this channel and related landforms and deposits. This history requires that the average rate of slip along the San Andreas fault has been 33.9 ± 2.9 mm/yr for the past 3,700 yr and 35.8 + 5.4/−4.1 mm/yr for the past 13,250 yr. Small gullies near Wallace Creek record evidence for the amount of dextral slip during the past three great earthquakes. Slip during these great earthquakes ranged from ∼9.5 to 12.3 m. Using these values and the average rate of slip during the late Holocene, we estimate that the period of dormancy preceding each of the past 3 great earthquakes was between 240 and 450 yr. This is in marked contrast to the shorter intervals (∼150 yr) documented at sites 100 to 300 km to the southeast. These lengthy intervals suggest that a major portion of the San Andreas fault represented by the Wallace Creek site will not generate a great earthquake for at least another 100 yr. The slip rate determined at Wallace Creek enables us to argue, however, that rupture of a 90-km-long segment northwest of Wallace Creek, which sustained as much as 3.5 m of slip in 1857, is likely to generate a major earthquake by the turn of the century. In addition, we note that the long-term rates of slip at Wallace Creek are indistinguishable from maximum fault-slip rates estimated from geodetic data along the creeping segment of the fault farther north. These historical rates of slip along the creeping reach thus do represent the long-term—that is, millennial—average, and no appreciable elastic strain is accumulating there. Finally, we note that the Wallace Creek slip rate is appreciably lower than the average rate of slip (56 mm/yr) between the Pacific and North American plates determined for the interval of the past 3 m.y. The discrepancy is due principally to slippage along faults other than the San Andreas, but a slightly lower rate of plate motion during the Holocene epoch cannot be ruled out.
Distributed power flow controller design based-on ETO-light converter

Static synchronous series compensator (SSSC) is one of the solid state power electronics technology based flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices which is effective to control the active power flow across the transmission lines by altering or changing the characteristic impedance of power line. However its widespread application is still limited by high costs, low reliability and long build cycle. In this paper, a new ETO light converter based series compensating distributed power flow controller (DPFC) is introduced. The proposed single phase modular power flow controller system combines modular converter, modular heat-pipe and modular digital interface designs to achieve modular single phase control. It has intelligent functions such as the self-power and self-protection. Its interfaces are fully optical fibers and simple for connection. The modular DPFC makes it possible to have the transformerless connection to the existing power grid. These specific designs reduce the cost and increase the reliability greatly and introduce significant benefits to the power system. The proposed power flow controller system is verified by a single-phase power transmission system.
Influence of apolipoprotein E genotype variation on the means, variances, and correlations of plasma lipids and apolipoproteins in children

The impact of the three most common apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotypes (epsilon 32, epsilson 33, and epsilon 43) on means, variances, and correlations of nine plasma lipid and apolipoprotein traits (total cholesterol, InTriglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and apolipoproteins AI, AII, B, CII, CIII, and InE) was studied in 212 unrelated female and 219 unrelated male children aged 5-21.5 years from 278 pedigrees ascertained without regard to health status from Rochester, Minnesota. There was significant heterogeneity (p < or = 0.05) among genotypes for the mean plasma levels of InApo E, Apo CII, Apo CIII, and InTriglycerides (InTrig) in females, and for the means of InApo E, Apo B, and total cholesterol (Total-C) in males. Significant heterogeneity of intragenotypic variance was observed in males for Apo CII, InTrig, and HDL-C; no significant heterogeneity was observed in females. Pairwise correlations between traits differed significantly among APOE genotypes in both females (6 of 36 pairs) and males (5 of 36 pairs). These results differ from those obtained from studies of the parental generation from the same sample of pedigrees. Our study further demonstrates that, with the exception of mean InApo E levels, the univariate and bivariate distributions of traits that are measures of lipoprotein metabolism are influenced by variation in the APOE gene in a gender- and generation-dependent manner.
Mining coherent dense subgraphs across massive biological networks for functional discovery

Motivation: The rapid accumulation of biological network data translates into an urgent need for computational methods for graph pattern mining. One important problem is to identify recurrent patterns across multiple networks to discover biological modules. However, existing algorithms for frequent pattern mining become very costly in time and space as the pattern sizes and network numbers increase. Currently, no efficient algorithm is available for mining recurrent patterns across large collections of genome-wide networks. Results: We developed a novel algorithm, CODENSE, to efficiently mine frequent coherent dense subgraphs across large numbers of massive graphs. Compared with previous methods, our approach is scalable in the number and size of the input graphs and adjustable in terms of exact or approximate pattern mining. Applying CODENSE to 39 co-expression networks derived from microarray datasets, we discovered a large number of functionally homogeneous clusters and made functional predictions for 169 uncharacterized yeast genes. Availability: http://zhoulab.usc.edu/CODENSE/ Contact: [email protected]
Unusual Holocene Serpulid-Tufa Bioherms, Enriquillo Valley, Dominican Republic: Morphologies and Paleoenvironmental Implications

During the early Holocene, rising waters of the Caribbean Sea flooded the Enriquillo Valley of southwestern Dominican Republic. A fringing coral reef developed and flourished along the margins of the Enriquillo Seaway for several millennia, until the seaway became restricted due to a combination of slowed sea-level rise, tectonic uplift, and increased sedimentation. Following changes in salinity and death of the coral reef by about 5 ka, meter-scale bioherms composed of the tubes of opportunistic, aggregating serpulid worms and associated with carbonate tufa that precipitated from the ancient lake or declining seaway waters formed along the steep walls of the valley over a period of 1,000 years or more. Paleoenvironmental conditions likely conducive to formation of these unusual bioherms include: non-normal marine salinity, warm and restricted waters, periods of stable water level, high Ca 2+ and CO3 22 influx, and moderate wave action. Although apparently rare elsewhere in the rock record, occurrences of serpulid-tufa bioherms provide useful constraints on paleoenvironmental settings. In previous literature, variations in terminology used to describe both tufa and serpulid-tufa bioherms have hindered intersite comparisons. Herein, serpulid-tufa bioherm structures are described at macro-, meso-, and microscales, and the varied bioherm macromorphologies are classified as individual, clustered, terraced, and patch types. These form descriptions are compared with previously published classifications of similar structures; the goal is to facilitate development of a comprehensive and universal classification of serpulid-tufa bioherms to further understand their formation and paleoenvironmental significance.
Properties of the blue light requirements for primordia initiation and basidiocarp maturation in Coprinus stercorarius

Primordia formation and basidiocarp maturation have separate requirements for light. Both show maximum activity in the 440–470 nm range but with slightly different peak values. Maturation requires over 2 orders of magnitude longer exposures to light than does initiation. Fluence–response relationships of primordia initiation are complex and do not show reciprocity.
Targeted gene transfer to nigrostriatal neurons in the rat brain by helper virus-free HSV-1 vector particles that contain either a chimeric HSV-1 glycoprotein C-GDNF or a gC-BDNF protein

Direct gene transfer into neurons has potential for both studying neuronal physiology and for developing gene therapy treatments for specific neurological conditions. Due to the heterogeneous cellular composition of the brain, cell-type-specific recombinant gene expression is required for many potential applications of neuronal gene transfer. The two prevalent approaches for achieving cell-type-specific expression are to use a cell-type-specific promoter to control recombinant gene expression or to modify a virus vector particle to target gene transfer to a specific cell type. Targeted gene transfer to multiple peripheral cell types has been described, but targeted gene transfer to a specific type of neuron in the brain has yet to be reported. Targeted gene transfer approaches with Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-1) vectors have focused on modifying glycoprotein C (gC) to remove the heparin binding domain and add a binding activity for a specific protein on the cell surface. This study was designed to develop HSV-1 vectors that target gene transfer to cells that contain receptors for either glial-cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), such as nigrostriatal neurons. We isolated chimeric gC-GDNF or chimeric gC-BDNF constructs, and the resulting proteins were incorporated into HSV-1 virus particles. We performed helper virus-free HSV-1 vector packaging in the presence of each chimeric protein. The resulting vector stocks supported 2.2- to 5.0-fold targeted gene transfer to nigrostriatal neurons in the rat brain, compared to vector particles that contained wild-type (wt) gC. Gene transfer to nigrostriatal neurons by vector particles that contained chimeric gC-BDNF was reduced by preincubation with an anti-BDNF antibody. Targeted gene transfer to neurons that contain specific neurotrophic factor receptors may benefit specific physiological and gene therapy studies.
The Role of Ligand Density in the Enzymatic Glycosylation of Carbohydrates Presented on Self-Assembled Monolayers of Alkanethiolates on Gold.

The biological activity of immobilized carbohydrates can show a dramatic dependence on the density of carbohydrate. This is the result of investigations with self-assembled monolayers that present N-acetylglucosamine groups as a model substrate for glycosylation by bovine β-1,4-galactosyltransferase (GalTase; see picture). Surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and carbohydrate-binding lectins were used to characterize the reaction at the interface. UDP-Gal=uridine diphosphogalactose.
Concomitant chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and thrombosis with protein C deficiency. Case report and review of the literature

A patient is reported who presented simultaneously with two distinct forms of leukemia: chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The diagnosis of CLL was supported by the presence of lymphocytosis, lymphadenopathy, and splenomegaly with mature B-cell markers on the population of lymphoid cells in the bone marrow. AML was documented by the presence of circulating blast cells and 50% blasts with myeloid markers and Auer rods in the bone marrow. A complete remission from both forms of leukemia was obtained after treatment for the AML. The patient also experienced the temporal occurrence of venous thrombosis for the first time at the age of 69 years, shortly before the diagnosis of leukemia. Protein C deficiency was documented and may have been hereditary as suggested by the strong family history of thrombosis or alternatively may have been the consequence of one of the leukemias.
ENVIRONMENTAL HETEROGENEITY AND THE MAINTENANCE OF GENETIC VARIATION FOR REPRODUCTIVE DIAPAUSE IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Drosophila melanogaster has colonized temperate habitats on multiple continents over a historical time period, and many traits vary predictably with latitude. Despite considerable attention paid to clinal variation in Drosophila, the mechanisms generating such patterns in nature remain largely unidentified. In D. melanogaster, the expression of reproductive diapause can be induced by exposure to low temperatures and shortened photoperiods. Both diapause expression itself and the underlying genetic variance for diapause expression have widespread impacts on organismal fitness, and diapause incidence exhibits a 60% cline in frequency in the eastern United States. The major aim of this study was to evaluate whether the relative fitness of diapause and nondiapause genotypes varies predictably with environment. In experimental population cages in the laboratory, the frequency of genotypes that express diapause increased over time when flies were exposed to environmental stress, whereas the frequency of nondiapause genotypes increased when flies were cultured under benign control conditions. Other fitness traits correlated with the genetic variance for diapause expression (longevity, mortality rates, stress resistance, lipid content, preadult viability, fecundity profiles, and development time) also diverged between experimental treatments. Similarly, sampling of isofemale lines from natural populations revealed that the frequency of diapause incidence cycled over time in seasonal habitats: diapause expression was at high frequency following the winter season and subsequently declined throughout the summer months. In contrast, diapause expression was low and temporally homogeneous in isofemale line collections from human-associated urban habitats. These data suggest that genetic variation underlying the diapause-nondiapause dichotomy may be actively maintained by selection pressures that vary spatially and temporally in natural populations.
FROM NETWORK LEARNING TO CLASSROOM TEACHING

In this period of designing controls to producegreater teacher accountability, the NationalWriting Project (NWP) stands as an importantcontrast, teaching us what it means to developthe capacity of teachers. We undertook atwo-year study of the NWP by looking intenselyat two sites, an urban and a rural site. Wesought to understand and document what teacherslearned from their induction to the WritingProject, what they took back to their classroomand how they stayed involved in various localnetwork activities. By looking at the five weeksummer invitational seminar held on thecampuses of their respective sites, we foundcore activities as well as other ancillary onesthat helped teachers gain a set of principlesand ways of working that they took back totheir classrooms. We also found a welldeveloped set of activities run in networkfashion that gave teachers numerousopportunities to stay connected, to leadprofessional development in their localcontexts, to explore special interest groups,and to become members of a powerful learningcommunity. We highlight two of six teachersthat we studied who provide an example of hownetwork learning is linked to classroomteaching. The success of the NWP as aprofessional development network rooted inteachers' work with teachers teaching teachersas a core element, suggests that networks suchas these may be well suited to the rapid changein our society as well as to the growingcomplexity of teachers' work.
Improve the City: Send Your Kids to Its Schools

For parents who are looking for a way to make a difference, I have a suggestion: Consider sending your children to a public school. For some this suggestion may seem too modest to be meaningful. Most, however, would dismiss it as naive. The conventional wisdom is that the public schools are in terrible shape and no parent with the financial resources would make such a decision. But such reasoning reflects the prevailing narrow vision of community and good citizenship. The classical definition of citizenship was framed in terms of duties - citizens were obligated to take their turn in public office, sacrificing some of their private life in the name of civic responsibility. The modern view of citizenship focuses more on rights - citizens have a right to vote and otherwise participate in public service, but also to place private concerns ahead of obligations to their community.
The effect of simulated air conditions on N95 filtering facepiece respirators performance

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to determine the effect of several simulated air environmental conditions on the particle penetration and the breathing resistance of two N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) models. The particle penetration and breathing resistance of the respirators were evaluated in a test system developed to mimic inhalation and exhalation breathing while relative humidity and temperature were modified. Breathing resistance was measured over 120 min using a calibrated pressure transducer under four different temperature and relative humidity conditions without aerosol loading. Particle penetration was evaluated before and after the breathing resistance test at room conditions using a sodium chloride aerosol measured with a scanning mobility particle sizer. Results demonstrated that increasing relative humidity and lowering external temperature caused significant increases in breathing resistance (p < 0.001). However, these same conditions did not influence the penetration or...
An alternative to the fullness index

The traditional fullness index exhibits many of the same undesirable features as the gonosomatic index. A recently proposed alternative is examined and refined. This alternative estimates the values for full stomachs at all lengths of a species from the maximum gut content masses observed when the data are sorted by the lengths of the fish from which they were taken. The actual gut content mass of each fish is then expressed as the proportion of the maximum amount expected for a fish of that size. This technique is flexible enough to be used for a variety of patterns of change in gut content mass with growth.
Irradiance responsivity and unequivocal type-1 phase responsivity of rat circadian activity rhythms

Behavioral, neuropharmacological, and molecular studies of light-induced phase shifting of rodent circadian rhythms evaluate carefully the phase dependence of light responsivity. However, much less information is available regarding the dependence of such effects on the duration and irradiance of the photic stimulus used. In this study, very brief (5-min) white light pulses of 50 microW/cm2 (175 lux) administered to hooded rats elicited unequivocal type-1 phase responsivity, without significant changes in period, and with phase shift variability comparable to that in studies using longer, higher intensity pulses. Irradiance dependence was demonstrated in the phase-delay, phase-advance, and crossover portions of the phase-response curve, with minimal phase shifting seen during the dead zone even at very high irradiance. These results indicate that maximal phase-shifting magnitude may be achieved with shorter, less intense photic stimuli than are often used in studies of the neural mechanisms involved in light responsivity of rat circadian rhythms.
BREADTH-DEPTH SEARCH IS ${\mathcal P}$-COMPLETE

The parallel complexity of a search strategy that combines attributes of both breadth-first search and depth-first search is studied. The search called breadth-depth search was defined by Horowitz and Sahni. The search technique has applications in branch-and-bound strategies. Kindervater and Lenstra posed the complexity of this type of search strategy as an open problem. We resolve their question by showing that a natural decision problem based on breadth-depth search is -complete. Specifically, we prove that if given a graph G=(V, E) either directed or undirected, a start vertex s∈V, and two designated vertices u and v in V, then the problem of deciding whether u is visited before v by a breadth-depth search originating from s is -complete. The search can be based either on vertex numbers or fixed ordered adjacency lists. Our reductions differ for directed/undirected graphs and depending on whether vertex numbers/fixed ordered adjacency lists are used. These results indicate breadth-depth search is highly sequential in nature and probably will not adapt to a fast parallel solution, unless equals .
Equation of State for Thermodynamic Properties of Fluids.

This equation of state was developed from PVT compressibility data on methane and ethane. The highly-constrained form originates on a given liquid-vapor coexistence boundary (described by equations for the vapor pressures and the orthobaric densities). It then requires only five least-squares coefficients, and ensures a qualitatively correct behavior of the P(ρ, T) surface and of its derivatives, especially about the critical point. This nonanalytic equation yields a maximum in the specific heats Cυ (ρ, T) a t the critical point.
Progress and Prospects of Reactive Oxygen Species in Metal Carcinogenesis

Carcinogenesis induced by environmental metal exposure is a major public health concern. The exact mechanisms underlying metal carcinogenesis remain elusive. In the past few decades, the relationship between metal induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the mechanism of metal carcinogenesis has been established. The carcinogenic process is a very complex one. In the early stage of metal carcinogenesis or cell transformation high levels of ROS are oncogenic by causing DNA damage, genetic instability, epigenetic alteration, and metabolic reprogramming, leading to malignant transformation. In the second stage of metal carcinogenesis or the cancer development of metal-transformed cells, low levels of ROS are carcinogenic by promoting apoptosis resistance. The metal-transformed cells have the property of autophagy deficiency, resulting in accumulation of p62 and constitutive activation of Nrf2, and leading to higher levels of antioxidants, decreased levels of ROS, apoptosis resistance, inflammation, and angiogenesis. This review summarizes the most recent development in the field of metal carcinogenesis with emphasis on the difference in cellular events between early (cell transformation) and late (after cell transformation) stages of metal carcinogenesis.
Structural cardiovascular abnormalities presenting as persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn

Among the many causes of PPHN may be numbered several cardiovascular malformations. This article introduces the concept of PPHN due to congenital heart disease, illustrates each of the five categories of congenital heart disease that present as PPHN, and outlines noninvasive approaches for diagnosis of congenital heart disease in infants with PPHN.
Studies on Cell Injury: Effects of Ion Regulation on Cell Membranes and the Cytoskeleton

A major role of cellular ion regulation in cell injury and cell death has been proposed for many years. Recently, however, new technology has permitted significant improvement in the characterization of such ion movements and redistribution. The following outline summarizes these developments, concentrating on work from our laboratory.
Regenerative Treatments for Spinal Conditions

A literature review of clinical and translational studies was performed to provide an overview of current concepts on regenerative treatments for spinal conditions, including platelet rich plasma and stem cell treatments to treat low back pain.
Advanced Automatic Lateral Control Schemes for Vehicles on Highways

Abstract In this paper, open-loop and closed-loop lane change maneuvers are studied for an autonomous vehicle. Necessary and sufficient conditions to be satisfied by the steering signal are derived. A methodology is developed to determine the steering signal which will be optimal with respect to a specific criterion. Finally, a previously obtained lane following controller is modified to achieve that steering signal via a feedback controller during autonomous travel. Simulation examples are included which illustrate the developed methodology for automobiles and articulated vehicles.
An Essential Role of Maspin in Embryogenesis and Tumor Suppression-Letter.

The title of a new article on maspin by Dzinic and colleagues ([1][1]) is inconsistent with the data contained within it. Maspin (SERPINB5) was first identified in screens for potential tumor suppressors absent in human breast cancer cells ([2][2]). Reexpression of maspin in cloned breast tumor cell
Chemisorption of Organic Triols on Ge(100)-2 × 1 Surface: Effect of Backbone Structure on Adsorption of Trifunctional Molecules

The effect of backbone on the adsorption mechanism of homo-trifunctional molecules on Ge(100)-2 × 1 has been studied. The chemisorption of the triols 1,3,5-benzenetriol and 2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol on Ge(100)-2 × 1 was investigated by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations. Both triol molecules undergo an O–H dissociation reaction with the Ge dimers, with experiments showing that the fraction of O–H groups that dissociates per molecule is the same for 2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol and 1,3,5-benzenetriol. Experimental results suggest that for both molecules there is a mix of products formed at saturation, with evidence of trifold adsorbates. The flexibility of the backbone is shown to influence surface coverage and dimer occupancy, with the flexible backbone able to pack the surface more easily. DFT calculations support these results by showing favorable pathways for all reactions through single, double, and tr...
Scaling bioinformatics applications on HPC.

Recent breakthroughs in molecular biology and next generation sequencing technologies have led to the expenential growh of the sequence databases. Researchrs use BLAST for processing these sequences. However traditional software parallelization techniques (threads, message passing interface) applied in newer versios of BLAST are not adequate for processing these sequences in timely manner. A new method for array job parallelization has been developed which offers O(T) theoretical speed-up in comparison to multi-threading and MPI techniques. Here T is the number of array job tasks. (The number of CPUs that will be used to complete the job equals the product of T multiplied by the number of CPUs used by a single task.) The approach is based on segmentation of both input datasets to the BLAST process, combining partial solutions published earlier (Dhanker and Gupta, Int J Comput Sci Inf Technol_5:4818-4820, 2014), (Grant et al., Bioinformatics_18:765-766, 2002), (Mathog, Bioinformatics_19:1865-1866, 2003). It is accordingly referred to as a “dual segmentation” method. In order to implement the new method, the BLAST source code was modified to allow the researcher to pass to the program the number of records (effective number of sequences) in the original database. The team also developed methods to manage and consolidate the large number of partial results that get produced. Dual segmentation allows for massive parallelization, which lifts the scaling ceiling in exciting ways. BLAST jobs that hitherto failed or slogged inefficiently to completion now finish with speeds that characteristically reduce wallclock time from 27 days on 40 CPUs to a single day using 4104 tasks, each task utilizing eight CPUs and taking less than 7 minutes to complete. The massive increase in the number of tasks when running an analysis job with dual segmentation reduces the size, scope and execution time of each task. Besides significant speed of completion, additional benefits include fine-grained checkpointing and increased flexibility of job submission. “Trickling in” a swarm of individual small tasks tempers competition for CPU time in the shared HPC environment, and jobs submitted during quiet periods can complete in extraordinarily short time frames. The smaller task size also allows the use of older and less powerful hardware. The CDRH workhorse cluster was commissioned in 2010, yet its eight-core CPUs with only 24GB RAM work well in 2017 for these dual segmentation jobs. Finally, these techniques are excitingly friendly to budget conscious scientific research organizations where probabilistic algorithms such as BLAST might discourage attempts at greater certainty because single runs represent a major resource drain. If a job that used to take 24 days can now be completed in less than an hour or on a space available basis (which is the case at CDRH), repeated runs for more exhaustive analyses can be usefully contemplated.
CARE Scale-7: Development and Preliminary Validation of a Measure to Assess Factors Impacting Self-Care in Chronic Pain.

Objectives Social and interpersonal factors may impact chronic pain self-care and self-management; however, no integrated measure exists to assess the interplay of these factors. We developed and tested a measure designed to assess salient interpersonal factors, including relationship guilt and worry, and difficulty prioritizing self-care in chronic pain. Methods We tested self-report items broadly relevant to locus of care, limit-setting capacity, and worry/guilt about relationships in 3 discrete chronic pain samples (total N=1,452): (1) online sample of chronic pain clinic patients (N=729; 21 candidate CARE items, sociodemographics, and measures of psychological and physical functioning). Analytic results supported a final 7-item CARE scale that was next tested in (2) an anonymous online sample of 578 adults with chronic pain. (3) Finally, preliminary validation of the CARE scale was performed in a tertiary pain clinic sample (N=145). Results Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 7-item, 2-factor solution (difficulty prioritizing self-care and guilt/worry) that accounted for a combined total of 58% of the variance. CARE scale-7 had modest convergent validity with pain intensity, pain-related interference, and emotional distress. Extreme difficulty with both factors was reported by about one-third of the total sample, suggesting that relationship factors significantly impact pain management and self-care. Discussion Social factors are gaining attention for their influence on the trajectory of chronic pain. The CARE scale is a brief, integrated measure that may be used to reveal specific interpersonal and personal impediments to self-care, and identify important therapeutic targets to optimize self-management behaviors.
Estrogen, the Cerebrovascular System, and Dementia

Dementia has been recognized as a major public health issue that will grow in prominence as life expectancy increases. It has been proposed that estrogen (E2) deficiency in postmenopausal women may predispose older women to increased vulnerability of developing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and injury associated with cerebrovascular stroke. Indeed, some epidemiological data (1, 2, 3) indicate a higher incidence of dementia in women than in men, especially after the age of 85. Even though the gender differences in risk for dementia are generally shown for AD, not for vascular dementia (VaD), the longitudinal Bronx Aging Study reported that a history of myocardial infarction (MI) increased women’s risk to develop dementia fivefold but had no effect on dementia risk in men (3), suggesting the vascular effect on dementia in relationship to E2 status. In contrast, other studies report no gender differences in the age-adjusted incidence of dementia up to high age (4, 5, 6). In fact, the longer life expectancy in women than in men seemingly exposes women to higher risk of cognitive impairment in their late life.
Driver Behavior and Fuel Efficiency

Gasoline consumption is an important policy issue, with major impacts on pollution, climate change and global trade. Previous research has focused on vehicle choice and distance traveled as the determinants of total gasoline consumption, treating the fuel economy of the vehicle as a fixed parameter. However, even for the same vehicle, driver behaviors cause large differences in efficiency. I use a rich dataset of naturalistic driving to analyze second-by-second fuel consumption and find that total gasoline use would fall by 17–26% if all drivers behaved like the most efficient individuals. ∗Many thanks to the wonderful people who have helped me on this project. First and foremost, my advisor Shaun McRae has been invaluable throughout the process. He provided insightful guidance, a realistic perspective and incredibly patient assistance. Jeffrey Smith, Jeremy Fox, Earl Werner, Ruth Dunkle and Dave Childers have been amazing resources for all of my statistics and economics questions. Any errors, econometric or otherwise, are entirely my own. Stata .do files and the LTEX source files are available upon request. †University of Michigan, Karldw@umich.edu
Medical and socioeconomic factors associated with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in women with health care disparities.

e17512 Background: TNBC accounts for approximately 15-20% of breast cancer diagnoses. Several factors prompted this analysis of factors associated with TNBC in a population with health care dispari...
A National Survey of Radiation Oncologists and Urologists on Perceived Attitudes and Recommendations of Active Surveillance for Low-Risk Prostate Cancer

Abstract Background Clinical factors and barriers affecting adoption of active surveillance (AS) for low-risk prostate cancer (PCa) remain poorly understood. We performed a national survey of radiation oncologists (RO) and urologists (URO) about the perceptions and recommendations of AS for low-risk PCa. Materials and Methods In 2017, we surveyed 915 RO and 940 URO about AS for low-risk PCa in the United States. Survey items queried respondents about their attitudes toward AS and recommendations of AS for low-risk PCa. Pearson chi-square and multivariable logistic regression identified clinical and physician factors related toward AS for low-risk PCa. Results Overall, the response rate was 37.3% (n = 691) and was similar for RO and URO (35.7% vs. 38.7%; P = .18). RO were less likely to consider AS effective for low-risk PCa (86.5% vs. 92.0%; P = .04) and more likely to rate higher patient anxiety on AS (49.5% vs. 29.5%; P Conclusion RO and URO consider AS to be effective in the clinical management of low-risk PCa, but this varies by clinical and physician factors.
Party System Nationalization and Ethnic Conflicts

Party system nationalization, defined as the extent to which national parties receive similar vote shares across regions, has a huge impact on the nature of programs and policy outcomes from party systems. Nationalized party systems are characterized by nationalized broad based policies and programs while less nationalized or regionalized party systems are associated with more particularistic, pork-barrel based policies and programs. Since party system nationalization affects the nature of programs and policy outcomes, I examine whether party system nationalization does have any impact on the occurrence of ethnic rebellion. I argue that party system nationalization affect the occurrence of ethnic rebellion based on the geographic distribution of ethnic groups. Party system nationalization tends to increase rebellion by concentrated ethnic groups, while it decreases the rebellion by dispersed ethnic groups. I use a dataset of 33 countries over the period of 1985-2006 to test these interaction effects. The findings suggest that party system nationalization increases the likelihood of rebellion of concentrated majority groups, while decreasing the likelihood of rebellion of widely dispersed groups. I also find that party system nationalization have no impact on the probability of rebellion of urban groups and concentrated minority groups.
Obesity risk factors in American Indians and Alaska Natives: a systematic review.

Abstract Objectives We systematically reviewed the literature on risk factors for obesity in American Indians (AIs) and Alaska Natives (ANs) of all ages. Study design We searched titles and abstracts in PubMed with combinations of the following terms: obesity, body mass index (BMI), American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native American. Methods We limited our review to articles that provided an empirically testable claim about a variable associated with obesity, measured obesity as a dependent variable, and provided data specific to AI/ANs. Results Our final sample included 31 articles; 20 examined AI/AN youth ( Conclusions Extant studies have three limitations: they do not apply a life course perspective, they lack nationally representative data and have limited knowledge of the resilience, resistance and resourcefulness of AI/ANs. Future studies that avoid these shortcomings are needed to inform interventions to reduce the prevalence of obesity in AI/ANs across the life course.
P265 The reliability of point of care ketone measurement in the paediatric hypoglycaemia setting

Introduction Point of care capillary ketone (beta-hydroxybutyrate) measurement is often used in the management of paediatric dysglycaemia. The accuracy of point of care ketone (POCK) measurement has not been evaluated in the setting of paediatric hypoglycaemia. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of POCK measurement compared to gold-standard laboratory plasma ketone (PK) measurement in a population of infants and children presenting to a paediatric emergency department. Methods This retrospective study was conducted between January-December 2017 in the Emergency Department (ED) at Children’s University Hospital (CUH), Temple Street, Dublin, Ireland. The ED recorded 54,222 attendances during the study period and all hypoglycaemia screens performed in the study period were reviewed. PK values were extracted from laboratory records. POCK results were retrieved from patient’s electronic emergency department medical records. Where data was incomplete (either POCK or PK measurement were not recorded), results were excluded from the analysis. Results were also excluded where greater than thirty minutes had elapsed between POCK and PK measurement. The agreement between the two methods of ketone measurement was analysed using a Bland-Altman plot. The difference between mean POCK and PK were analysed using a paired t-test. Results A total of 34 hypoglycaemia screens were performed in ED during the study period. Of these, 15 screens were excluded (two because of incomplete data and 13 because of a time interval of greater than thirty minutes between POCK and PK measurement). 19 screens were included in the analysis. No significant difference was seen between mean PK (3.39± 1.66 mmol/L) and mean POCK (4.28 ± 1.62), with a mean difference of -0.30 ± 0.54 mmol/L (95% CI, -0.364 to -0.243; p=0.032) No significant proportional bias was seen between POCK and PK levels on Band-Altman plot. Discussion This study provides evidence for the use of POCK as a reliable surrogate for PK in the setting of hypoglycaemia in paediatric patients. Accurate POCK measurement is very useful in the diagnosis and management of paediatric hypoglycaemia. In the paediatric ED, children presenting with hypoglycaemia often do so during episodes of intercurrent illness where dehydration is common, and phlebotomy is challenging. Furthermore, when faced with a small child with hypoglycaemia, timely correction of hypoglycaemia is an urgent priority. While not a substitute for formal diagnostic tests, POCK measurements are quick and easy to obtain, can direct appropriate investigation and allow sample prioritisation where sample volume is limited.
The probability of seizures during continuous EEG monitoring in high-risk neonates.

OBJECTIVE We evaluated the impact of monitoring indication, early electroencephalography (EEG), and clinical features on seizure risk in all neonates undergoing continuous EEG (cEEG) monitoring following a standardized monitoring protocol. METHODS All cEEGs from unique neonates 34-48 weeks postmenstrual age monitored from 1/2011-10/2017 (n = 291) were included. We evaluated the impact of cEEG monitoring indication (acute neonatal encephalopathy [ANE], suspicious clinical events [SCEs], or other high-risk conditions [OHRs]), age, medication status, and early EEG abnormalities (including the presence of epileptiform discharges and abnormal background continuity, amplitude, asymmetry, asynchrony, excessive sharp transients, and burst suppression) on time to first seizure and overall seizure risk using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS Seizures occurred in 28% of high-risk neonates. Discontinuation of monitoring after 24 hours of seizure-freedom would have missed 8.5% of neonates with seizures. Overall seizure risk was lower in neonates monitored for ANE compared to OHR (P = .004) and trended lower compared to SCE (P = .097). The time course of seizure presentation varied by group, where the probability of future seizure was less than 1% after 17 hours of seizure-free monitoring in the SCE group, but required 42 hours in the OHR group, and 73 hours in the ANE group. The presence of early epileptiform discharges increased seizure risk in each group (ANE: adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 4.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-15.13, P = .022; SCE: aHR 10.95, 95% CI 4.77-25.14, P < 1e-07; OHR: aHR 56.90, 95% CI 10.32-313.72, P < 1e-05). SIGNIFICANCE Neonates who undergo cEEG are at high risk for seizures, and risk varies by monitoring indication and early EEG findings. Seizures are captured in nearly all neonates undergoing monitoring for SCE within 24 hours of cEEG monitoring. Neonates monitored for OHR and ANE can present with delayed seizures and require longer durations of monitoring. Early epileptiform discharges are the best early EEG feature to predict seizure risk.