cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of coefficient inaccuracy in switched-capacitor transversal filters

Coefficient inaccuracy effects in the frequency response of finite-impulse-response (FIR) switched-capacitor filters implemented in direct form are investigated. No assumption is made with respect to the filter coefficients, so that the results of the analysis are valid for both linear and nonlinear phase FIR filters. Assuming that the errors in the capacitor ratios realizing the tap coefficients are uncorrelated and have identical Gaussian distributions, an exact probability distribution function is derived for the error in the frequency response. It is shown that this distribution can be characterized by a Rayleigh distribution, which is then used to derive an upper bound for the expected stopband attenuation. Extensive simulation results are shown to support the analysis. >
ANYON SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND CHARGE-VORTEX DUALITY

We review recent work on a bosonic formulation of both anyon superconductivity and the fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE). Central to this approach is the concept of charge-vortex duality in two-dimensional (2d) boson systems. A formal duality transformation which takes one from a particle to a vortex representation of a 2d boson model is described in detail. The duality transformation is employed to obtain detailed properties of both the FQHE hierarchy and a hierarchy of anyon superconducting phases.
Self-Awareness of Learning Styles among Surgical Trainees

INTRODUCTION: Recent literature has identified differences in how learners prefer to assimilate information, as demonstrated through Fleming’s validated Visual, Aural, Read/Write, Kinesthetic (VARK) learning styles inventory. Studies also indicate residents’ self-awareness of preferred learning styles affects academic success. Methods for increasing self-awareness of learning styles within surgical education have been insufficiently explored, and may improve educational efficacy.
Relation of Depressive Symptoms With Coronary Artery Calcium Determined by Electron-Beam Computed Tomography (from the Rancho Bernardo Study)

Studies linking depressive symptoms and coronary artery calcium (CAC), a measure of subclinical atherosclerosis, have yielded mixed results. No longitudinal studies of depressive symptoms and CAC have included older adults of both genders. This study examined the association of depressive symptoms with CAC and CAC progression in older men and women. Participants were 417 community-dwelling older adults (mean age = 67 ± 7) with no history of heart disease who attended a 1997 to 1999 research clinic visit when depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). CAC was measured using electron-beam computed tomography in 2000 to 2002 and again in 2005 to 2007. Median BDI was 3, range = 0 to 37; 39% of men and 10% of women had severe CAC (Agatston score ≥400) in 2000 to 2002. Ordinal logistic regression analyses examining the odds of greater compared with lesser CAC severity by BDI quartiles showed an unexpected negative association whereby women with the lowest depressive symptoms had 2.4 times the odds of increasing CAC severity compared with women in the second BDI quartile (95% CI 1.1 to 5.4). A nonlinear, U-shaped association was observed in men with those in the first and fourth BDI quartiles having 2.6 and 3.0 times higher odds of increasing CAC severity than subjects in the second quartile (95% CI 1.2 to 5.6 and 1.3 to 6.9, respectively) after adjustment for coronary heart disease risk factors. No significant associations were observed for CAC progression although similar nonlinear patterns were observed in men. In conclusion, our results suggest that depressive symptoms have a gender-specific, cross-sectional association with CAC but no statistically significant associations with CAC progression.
Diffusion Imaging of White Matter in Schizophrenia: Progress and Future Directions

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a powerful tool for the in vivo assessment of white matter microstructure. The application of DTI methodologies to the study of schizophrenia has supported and advanced the hypothesis of schizophrenia as a disorder of disrupted connectivity. In the context of impaired structural connectivity, the extended time frame of white matter development may offer unique opportunities for treatment that can capitalize on the neural flexibility that is still present in the period leading up to and after disease onset. Therefore, it is important to gain a clear understanding of white matter deficits and how they may emerge and change across the illness. However, although there is broad consistency in the findings of white matter deficits in patients with schizophrenia, there is also a great deal of variability in specific findings across studies. The aim of this review is to move beyond summarizing case-control analyses to consider the many factors that may have an impact on DTI measures, to explain the variability of findings, and to explore future directions for the field. Topics explored include ways to parse DTI patterns associated with different disease subtypes, ways in which novel and established treatments might interact with or enhance white matter, ways of dissociating developmental change from the disease process itself, and understanding the role of emerging analytic methodologies.
Abstract TP337: Feasibility of Cognitive Testing in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) research protocols are initiated within hours of stroke onset and need to be executed without hindering patient care. The CASTLe Study at our center quanti...
Configurations of Enslavement

Invoking Slavery in the Eighteenth-Century British Imagination is a crucial scholarly work, since it invigorates the extant research by taking the concept of slavery into new directions. Drawing on...
In-Situ Crafting of ZnFe2O4 Nanoparticles Impregnated within Continuous Carbon Network as Advanced Anode Materials

The ability to create a synergistic effect of nanostructure engineering and its hybridization with conductive carbonaceous material is highly desirable for attaining high-performance lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we judiciously crafted ZnFe2O4/carbon nanocomposites composed of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles with an average size of 16 ± 5 nm encapsulated within the continuous carbon network as anode materials for LIBs. Such intriguing nanocomposites were yielded in situ via the pyrolysis-induced carbonization of polystyrene@poly(acrylic acid) (PS@PAA) core@shell nanospheres in conjunction with the formation of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles through the thermal decomposition of ZnFe2O4 precursors incorporated within the PS@PAA nanospheres. By systematically varying the ZnFe2O4 content in the ZnFe2O4/carbon nanocomposites, the nanocomposite containing 79.3 wt % ZnFe2O4 was found to exhibit an excellent rate performance with high capacities of 1238, 1198, 1136, 1052, 926, and 521 mAh g–1 at specific currents of 100, 20...
EELV Progress in Compliance with U.S. Space Debris Mitigation Policies

The 2010 U.S. National Space Policy (NSP) has placed increased emphasis on compliance with the U.S. Government Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices. The 2010 NSP requires that exceptions to the Practices be approved by the head of the sponsoring department or agency. In addition, recent Air Force (AF) instructions have additional restrictions on space debris for AF missions. In light of the renewed emphasis and new requirements, significant progress has been made with the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program to meet compliance requirements. For the EELV program, the most challenging requirement has been compliance with the expected casualty rate of 1 in 10,000 for upper stage reentry. The upper stages for EELV were designed in the mid-90s, largely based on heritage designs produced at a time when orbital debris mitigation was not a national priority. As such, the upper stages were not designed to completely breakup upon reentry into the earth’s atmosphere. Analytical calculations and empirical evidence both indicate that several components can survive until landfall and contribute to the overall risk calculations. In addition, the capabilities of the on-board commodities (helium, hydrazine, propellant, battery life, etc) were not designed with a capacity to enable the extended mission duration and increased performance sometimes necessary to enable a controlled reentry or maneuvering to a compliant disposal orbit after spacecraft separation. To improve compliance, mission design changes have been developed and implemented in recent EELV missions. These changes include modified disposal maneuvers to reduce orbit lifetime and modified spacecraft separation orbits to enable use of a compliant disposal orbit. Other mission design changes have proven too challenging to meet mission requirements and debris mitigation requirements. The progress made and lessons learned are described in this paper. In addition, several design trade studies have been accomplished to affect a long term solution for the program. These include studies of launch vehicle modifications as well as spacecraft mission design changes to improve launch vehicle compliance. These studies and summary results are described along with potential future directions to meet the full intent of the space debris mitigation policies.
Enhanced hopping conductivity in low band gap donor-acceptor molecular wires Up to 20 nm in length.

We have measured the current−voltage characteristics of conjugated oligo-tetrathiafulvalene-pyromelliticdiimide-imine (OTPI) wires ranging in length from 2.5 to 20.2 nm, contacted by Au electrodes. OTPI wires were built from Au substrates using alternating donor (tetrathiafulvalene, TTF) and acceptor (pyromelliticdiimide, PMDI) building blocks linked via aryl imine groups. Metal−molecule−metal junctions consisting of approximately 100 wires in parallel were prepared by contacting the wire films with an Au-coated atomic force microscope tip. The long OTPI wires exhibit a narrow band gap (<1.5 eV) and multiple redox states, which facilitate carrier injection from the Au contacts for hopping transport. We observe the theoretically predicted change in direct current (DC) transport from tunneling to hopping as a function of systematically controlled wire length, as well as strongly enhanced wire conductivity (0.02 S/cm) in the hopping regime. Hopping conduction is confirmed by length-, temperature-, and field-...
Hypersaline lakes harbor more active bacterial communities

Extremophiles employ a diverse array of resistance strategies to thrive under harsh 18 environmental conditions but maintaining these adaptations comes at an energetic cost. If energy reserves to drop too low, extremophiles may enter a dormant state of reduced 20 metabolic activity to survive. Dormancy is frequently offered as a plausible explanation for the persistence of bacteria under suboptimal environmental conditions with the 22 prevalence of this mechanism only expected to rise as stressful conditions intensify. We estimated dormancy in ten hypersaline and freshwater lakes across the Western United 24 States. To our surprise, we found that extreme environmental conditions did not induce higher levels of bacterial dormancy. Based on our approach using rRNA:rDNA gene 26 ratios to estimate activity, halophilic and halotolerant bacteria were classified as inactive at a similar percentage as freshwater bacteria, and the proportion of the community 28 exhibiting dormancy was considerably lower (16%) in hypersaline than freshwater lakes across a range of cutoffs estimating activity. Of the multiple chemical characteristics we 30 evaluated, salinity and, to a lesser extent, total phosphorus concentrations influenced activity. But instead of dormancy being more common as stressful conditions intensified, 32 the percentage of the community residing in an inactive state decreased with increasing salinity in freshwater and hypersaline lakes, suggesting that salinity acts as a strong 34 environmental filter selecting for bacteria that persist and thrive under saltier conditions. Within the compositionally distinct and less diverse hypersaline communities, abundant 36 taxa were disproportionately active and localized in families Microbacteriaceae (Actinobacteria), Nitriliruptoraceae (Actinobacteria), and Rhodobacteraceae 38 (Alphaproteobacteria). Our results demonstrate that extreme environments may not PeerJ Preprints | https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.1922v1 | CC-BY 4.0 Open Access | rec: 1 Apr 2016, publ: 1 Apr 2016
Themes from the frontlines: hospital social work with people with AIDS.

There is little in the literature that specifically explains challenges and perceived rewards faced by direct care social work practitioners who work with an inpatient AIDS population, although there are hints (Egan, 1993, Oktay, 1992, and Gilmann, 1991). This article, based on a study of 20 designated AIDS social workers at four large inner-city voluntary hospitals, will focus on challenges and rewards as perceived by social work practitioners working with the HIV-infected population. The study will report commonly identified themes which include unique stressors, rewards and challenges experienced by social work practitioners working with those living with AIDS.
Binding properties of bovine neurophysins I and II: an equilibrium dialysis study.

Native bovine neurophysin II has one binding site per monomer for lysine-vasopressin at physiological pH (pH 7.38), as revealed by equilibrium dialysis. Oxytocin is bound to neurophysin II with the same or slightly greater affinity than vasopressin, but binding of the two hormones is competitive. The affinities of vasopressin and oxytocin for neurophysins I and II are essentially the same. Substitution of the asparagine (position 5) and glycinamide (position 9) residues in oxytocin by valine and glycine, respectively, has no substantial effect on binding of the resulting analogues to neurophysin; substitution of the glutamine residue by ornithine in position 4 of oxytocin slightly increases the affinity of the analogue for neurophysin II. The results are in agreement with the contention that the specific association of neurophysin I with oxytocin and of neurophysin II with vasopressin in neurosecretory granules is a result of compartmentalization during the biosynthesis of the neurohypophysial hormones and neurophysin proteins. The relatively low binding constants of neurohypophysial hormones to neurophysin proteins at physiological pH assure complete dissociation of the hormone-protein complexes after their release into the blood. Our observations also show that the specificity of the hormone-binding site of neurophysin proteins for the neurohypophysial hormones differs from that of the hormone receptors.
SNPs: Impact on Gene Function and Phenotype

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is the simplest form of DNA variation among individuals. These simple changes can be of transition or transversion type and they occur throughout the genome at a frequency of about one in 1,000 bp. They may be responsible for the diversity among individuals, genome evolution, the most common familial traits such as curly hair, interindividual differences in drug response, and complex and common diseases such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and psychiatric disorders. SNPs may change the encoded amino acids (nonsynonymous) or can be silent (synonymous) or simply occur in the noncoding regions. They may influence promoter activity (gene expression), messenger RNA (mRNA) conformation (stability), and subcellular localization of mRNAs and/or proteins and hence may produce disease. Therefore, identification of numerous variations in genes and analysis of their effects may lead to a better understanding of their impact on gene function and health of an individual. This improved knowledge may provide a starting point for the development of new, useful SNP markers for medical testing and a safer individualized medication to treat the most common devastating disorders. This will revolutionize the medical field in the future. To illustrate the effect of SNPs on gene function and phenotype, this minireview focuses on evidences revealing the impact of SNPs on the development and progression of three human eye disorders (Norrie disease, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy, and retinopathy of prematurity) that have overlapping clinical manifestations.
Enterohemorrhagic and other Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) can cause food-borne disease outbreaks associated with contaminated beef or fresh produce, resulting in diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and/or hemolytic uremic syndrome: the triad of anemia, thrombocytopenia, and renal failure. Intestinally colonized cattle are a major source of human infection. Upon colonic infection, EHEC utilizes a type III secretion system to translocate into mammalian cells bacterial effector proteins that target cellular functions such as epithelial barrier integrity, vesicular transport, and cytoskeletal structure. Translocated effectors induce ‘attaching and effacing’ lesions, characterized by microvillar effacement, intimate attachment, and actin ‘pedestal’ formation beneath bound bacteria. Systemic disease relies on the production of Shiga toxin, a potent inhibitor of ribosome function that triggers cell death, inflammation, and vascular damage. Most current therapies are only supportive in nature because antibiotic treatment may increase Shiga toxin production. Therefore, outbreak prevention, early diagnosis, and the development of new therapeutic strategies are critical.
The epidemiology and outcomes of invasive Candida infections among organ transplant recipients in the United States: results of the Transplant‐Associated Infection Surveillance Network (TRANSNET)

Background Invasive candidiasis (IC) is a common cause of mortality in solid organ transplant recipients (OTRs), but knowledge of epidemiology in this population is limited. Method The present analysis describes data from 15 US centers that prospectively identified IC from nearly 17,000 OTRs. Analyses were undertaken to determine predictors of infection and mortality. Results A total of 639 cases of IC were identified. The most common species was Candida albicans (46.3%), followed by Candida glabrata (24.4%) and Candida parapsilosis (8.1%). In 68 cases >1 species was identified. The most common infection site was bloodstream (44%), followed by intra-abdominal (14%). The most frequently affected allograft groups were liver (41.1%) and kidney (35.3%). All-cause mortality at 90 days was 26.5% for all species and was highest for Candida tropicalis (44%) and C. parapsilosis (35.2%). Non-white race and female gender were more commonly associated with non-albicans species. A high rate of breakthrough IC was seen in patients receiving antifungal prophylaxis (39%). Factors associated with mortality include organ dysfunction, lung transplant, and treatment with a polyene antifungal. The only modifiable factor identified was choice of antifungal drug class based upon infecting Candida species. Conclusion These data highlight the common and distinct features of IC in OTRs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Digital Storytelling: An Alternative Way of Expressing Oneself

Digital storytelling has many implications in teaching and learning. As a way to communicate ideas, experiences, beliefs, and topics to an audience through the use of technology and multimedia, digital stories help storytellers acquire many different skills and literacies. The most important aspect is that the storyteller learns to create stories using their personal voice and interpretation to be shared with a larger community. Self-expression is encouraged and confidence can be developed through the creation of digital stories. This paper examines digital storytelling from an instructional and learning perspective. Areas such as the implications of digital storytelling in education, the process of planning and developing stories, and a discussion of various tools to create digital stories are included. Digital storytelling can provide storytellers with an avenue for conveying ideas and information that are personal in nature or more informational.
Simultaneous Upgrading of Furanics and Phenolics through Hydroxyalkylation/Aldol Condensation Reactions

The simultaneous conversion of cyclopentanone and m-cresol has been investigated on a series of solid acid catalysts. Both compounds are representative of biomass-derived streams. Cyclopentanone can be readily obtained from sugar-derived furfurals via Piancatelli rearrangement under reducing conditions. Cresol represents the family of phenolics, typically obtained from the depolymerization of lignin. In the first biomass conversion strategy proposed here, furfural is converted in high yields and selectivity to cyclopentanone (CPO) over metal catalysts such as Pd-Fe/SiO2 catalyst at 600 psia H2 and 150oC. Subsequently, CPO and cresol are further converted via acid-catalyzed hydroxyalkylation. When Amberlyst resins were used as a catalyst, C12-C24 products were obtained, whereas when zeolites with smaller pore sizes were used, they selectively produced C10 products. Alternatively, CPO can undergo the acid-catalyzed self-aldol condensation to form C10 bicyclic adducts. As an illustration of the potential of practical implementation of this strategy for biofuel production, the long chain oxygenates obtained from hydroxyalkylation/aldol condensation were successfully upgraded via hydrodeoxygenation to a mixture of linear alkanes and saturated cyclic hydrocarbons, which in practice would be direct drop-in components for transportation fuels. The proposed acid-catalyzed upgrading strategy is advantageous in terms of process simplicity for biomass conversion.
On classification of environmental acoustic data using crowds

In this work, we use crowds for acoustic classification of animal species in supervised and unsupervised manners. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed triplet based crowdsourcing systems via actual experiments. Moreover, we propose a generalized 1-bit RPCA algorithm to further improve classification performance. The unique marriage of crowdsourcing and generalized 1-bit RPCA algorithm is shown to yield excellent performance for acoustic data classification.
Structural Change and Energy Use in China: A SAM-based CGE Analysis

This article presents a structuralist computable general equilibrium (CGE) model for China based on a three productive activities—agriculture, energy and industry—social accounting matrix. Four sim...
No Consensus for Femoral Head Impaction Technique in Surgeon Education Materials From Orthopedic Implant Manufacturers.

Abstract Background Prior studies indicate that one factor that may contribute to total hip arthroplasty failure due to mechanically assisted crevice corrosion at the femoral head-trunnion junction is the method of femoral head fixation. Methods Up-to-date on-line surgical technique guides describing fixation of the prosthetic femoral head of common implants of the 4 largest manufacturers as well as 2 minor manufacturers were identified. The information given regarding preparation and fixation of the femoral head was evaluated and compared. Results A total of 24 surgical technique guides were evaluated. Most guides (22/24) addressed fixation technique; of these, 19 of 22 suggested cleaning and 20 of 22 suggested drying the trunnion prior to affixing the femoral head. The manner of fixation, however, varied widely and there was no single technique advocated. Conclusion The majority of surgeon education materials do not specify a single technique for assembly of the head femoral component in total hip arthroplasty. If the method of fixation is indeed important, efforts should be made to identify the best technique, and improve and unify the surgical technique instructions.
Macroeconomic policy tools to finance gender equality

Feminist economists and heterodox macroeconomists have contributed substantively to the body of research that explores the distributional effects of macro policies. This work explicitly addresses the livelihood problems created by neoliberalism and, in addition, it provides a pathway for identifying financing mechanisms. Building on earlier work by Seguino and Grown (2006), this article synthesizes and elaborates the major contributions of this body of gender and macro research and, from this, extrapolates macro‐level policies and tools that support gender equality. Among the tools identified is targeted government spending on physical and social infrastructure, the latter a relatively new conceptual tool that is discussed in detail. A key argument is that financing for gender equality that raises economy‐wide productivity can be self‐sustaining. As a result, both physical and social infrastructure spending have the ability to create fiscal space. This possibility offers a financing framework for gender equality expenditures. A contribution of this article is to critique mainstream monetary policies and identify alternative approaches that expand the toolkit to achieve gender equality goals.
Field Observation — Prelude to Discovery of Marine Natural Products

I feel that field work should be considered an appropriate activity of the natural products chemist. I feel that the observations the chemist can make in the field will help him make a better choice in selecting material to work up for “natural products.”
Mass Transfer in Polymer Systems

The goal of all polymer processing operations is to produce a usable object. Basically, these operations involve flow and deformation (rheology) as well as the transfer of energy (thermodynamics and heat transfer). As such, we can state that, for all polymer processing operations, necessary areas of knowledge are: Rheology (Chapter 3) Thermodynamics (Chapter 2) Heat transfer (Chapter 4)
Ruxolitinib (RUX) in combination with azacytidine (AZA) in patients (pts) with myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPNs).

7064Background: Clinical trials exclusively focusing on pts with MDS/MPNs are lacking. Combining RUX and AZA may target distinct manifestations of MDS/MPNs. Methods: Pts were treated with single-ag...
Optical downlink propagation from space-to-earth: aperture-averaged power fluctuations, temporal covariance and power spectrum

In this work, we consider optical downlink from space-based laser sources and develop a consistent quantitative analysis of the collected power fluctuations by finite receiving apertures, and both the corresponding temporal covariance and power spectral density (PSD). Here we assume weak to moderate scintillation conditions where lognormal statistics are valid. We derive both exact solutions and highly accurate engineering easy to implement approximations for the downlink aperture-averaging factor, and both the corresponding aperture-averaged signal temporal covariance and PSD. Additionally, highly accurate elementary analytic scaling relations are derived for the corresponding aperture-averaged characteristic correlation time and scintillation bandwidth, which are in good agreement with available experimental observations. Finally closed form expressions for the so-called quasi-frequency that is central to the determination of level crossing rates and duration of fades and surges in a propagation channel are derived. Wherever possible, we endeavor to derive "user friendly" accurate engineering approximations for the various statistical quantities of interest.
Developmental differentiation of executive functions on the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery.

Objective: The NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NTCB) is a brief computerized method for evaluating neuropsychological functions in children, adolescents, and adults. We examined how performance on the 2 executive function measures of cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control was related to perform
Efficient Hydration of Alkynes Through Acid‐Assisted Broensted Acid Catalysis.

The combined acid catalyzed hydration of alkynes is an efficient one-step synthesis of carbonyl compounds.
miR-21 Expression Determines the Early Vaccine Immunity Induced by LdCen−/− Immunization

No vaccine exists against visceral leishmaniasis. Toward developing vaccines against VL, we have reported previously on the immunogenicity of live attenuated LdCen -/- parasites in animal models. Immunization with LdCen -/- parasites has been shown to induce durable protective immunity in pre-clinical animal models. Although the innate immune responses favoring a Th1 type immunity are produced following LdCen -/- immunization, the molecular determinants of such responses remain unknown. To identify early biomarkers of immunogenicity associated with live attenuated parasitic vaccines, we infected macrophages derived from healthy human blood donors with LdCen -/- or LdWT parasites ex vivo and compared the early gene expression profiles. In addition to altered expression of immune related genes, we identified several microRNAs that regulate important cytokine genes, significantly altered in LdCen -/- infection compared to LdWT infection. Importantly, we found that LdCen -/- infection suppresses the expression of microRNA-21 (miR-21) in human macrophages, which negatively regulates IL12, compared to LdWT infection. In murine DC experiments, LdCen -/- infection showed a reduced miR-21 expression with a concomitant induction of IL12. Silencing of miR-21 using specific inhibitors resulted in an augmented induction of IL12 in LdWT infected BMDCs, illustrating the role of miR-21 in LdWT mediated suppression of IL12. Further, exosomes isolated from LdCen -/- infected DCs contained significantly reduced levels of miR-21 compared to LdWT infection, that promoted proliferation of CD4+ T cells in vitro. Similar miR-21 mediated IL12 regulation was also observed in ex vivo human macrophage infection experiments indicating that miR-21 plays a role in early IL12 mediated immunity. Our studies demonstrate that LdCen -/- infection suppresses miR-21 expression, enables IL12 mediated induction of adaptive immunity including proliferation of antigen experienced CD4+ T cells and development of a Th1 immunity, and suggest that miR-21 could be an important biomarker for LdCen -/- vaccine immunity in human clinical trials. One sentence summary Role of miR-21 in vaccine induced immunity.
Towards Morphing Wing Technology in Aircraft for Improved Flight Performance

Conventional wing structures have no adaptation to changing flight conditions – they are optimized for specific flight conditions. An aerodynamically efficient configuration in one flight condition may be inefficient in another. As such, this work explores the architecture of a morphing wing and assesses the possibility of achieving a functional deformable wing by determining suitable sensors, actuators and controllers for implementation. The morphing wing technology adopts a closed-loop control whereby real-time sensing and monitoring of the wing shape is used to determine if the deformed shape is optimum under the flight condition. For this to be achievable, different sensors and their potential for use in the determination of pressure distribution are explored. Optical sensors were found to be the most reliable. To enable control of the morphing wing during flight, actuators were investigated. Piezoelectric actuators were found to be the most suitable for an adaptive and flexible wing structure due to their weight, precision and speed. In terms of controllers, fuzzy controllers were found to be the most computationally efficient. A combination consisting of optical sensors, piezo-electrical actuators and fuzzy controllers was found to be the most efficient for implementing the adaptive wing system. The benefits of the morphing wing technology depend on the development of robust and reliable sensors, actuators and controllers that facilitate the operation of the flexible wing structure.
Optimal timing of the second trimester fetal ultrasound in the obese gravida.

Obesity is increasingly prevalent in the obstetric patient population, becoming one of the most commonly occurring risk factors in obstetric practice. Obesity has implications for maternal and feta...
On Post-Parody, Nominal Trademark Infringement, and Copyright Supremacy

In this companion piece to “Trademark Law and the Prickly Ambivalence of Post-Parodies,” 163 U. Pa. L. Rev. Online 11 (2014), I explain why claims brought by brand owners against post-parodists incorporating third-party graphic trademarks — in what I call “nominal trademark infringement” cases — are foreclosed, as a structural matter, by the interface between federal trademark and copyright law. I argue that under the constitutionally grounded principle of “copyright supremacy,” claims for nominal trademark infringement are (trademark owners’ perfunctory recitations of “likelihood of confusion” notwithstanding) substantively indistinguishable from copyright-infringement claims based on alleged violations of authors’ exclusive rights to the “reproduction,” “distribution,” and/or “public display” of their works, and thus “laterally preempted.” Even to the extent such nominal trademark infringement claims are not completely foreclosed, I explain, they are nevertheless subject to the more robust — and, in the post-parody context, practically dispositive — limitations on copyright’s reach, including copyright law’s threshold requirement of “originality,” its “idea/expression” distinction, and its “fair use” defense (far broader than the similarly named defenses traditionally associated with trademark jurisprudence.) This article concludes with observations about the incidental, but salutary, effects of this mandatory application of “copyright supremacy,” including the avoidance of such perilous judicial endeavors as distinguishing (1) “commercial” from “non-commercial” speech, (2) “artistic” from “non-artistic” uses of marks, and (3) “incorrect” from “correct” interpretations of non-literal imagery (which, by its very nature, has no singular or fixed meaning — as cognitive scientists, art theorists, and others have long recognized.)
Unconventional viral gene expression mechanisms as therapeutic targets.

Unlike the human genome that comprises mostly noncoding and regulatory sequences, viruses have evolved under the constraints of maintaining a small genome size while expanding the efficiency of their coding and regulatory sequences. As a result, viruses use strategies of transcription and translation in which one or more of the steps in the conventional gene–protein production line are altered. These alternative strategies of viral gene expression (also known as gene recoding) can be uniquely brought about by dedicated viral enzymes or by co-opting host factors (known as host dependencies). Targeting these unique enzymatic activities and host factors exposes vulnerabilities of a virus and provides a paradigm for the design of novel antiviral therapies. In this Review, we describe the types and mechanisms of unconventional gene and protein expression in viruses, and provide a perspective on how future basic mechanistic work could inform translational efforts that are aimed at viral eradication. This Review outlines the gene and protein expression strategies used by viruses to expand the efficiency of their coding and regulatory sequences, and the implications of these mechanisms for developing antiviral agents.
Production, Purification, and Applications of a Potential Theranostic Pair: Cobalt-55 and Cobalt-58m

The emerging success of [68Ga/177Lu]Ga/Lu-DOTATATE as a theranostic pair has spurred interest in other isotopes as potential theranostic combinations. Here, we review cobalt-55 and cobalt-58m as a potential theranostic pair. Radionuclidically pure cobalt-55 and cobalt-58m have been produced on small cyclotrons with high molar activity. In vitro, DOTATOC labeled with cobalt has shown greater affinity for SSTR2 than DOTATOC labeled with gallium and yttrium. Similarly, [58mCo]Co-DOTATATE has shown improved cell-killing capabilities as compared to DOTATATE labeled with either indium-111 or lutetium-177. Finally, PET imaging with an isotope such as cobalt-55 allows for image acquisition at much later timepoints than gallium, allowing for an increased degree of biological clearance of non-bound radiotracer. We discuss the accelerator targetry and radiochemistry used to produce cobalt-55,58m, emphasizing the implications of these techniques to downstream radiotracers being developed for imaging and therapy.
Shedding some light on Light Up with Artificial Intelligence.

The Light-Up puzzle, also known as the AKARI puzzle, has never been solved using modern artificial intelligence (AI) methods. Currently, the most widely used computational technique to autonomously develop solutions involve evolution theory algorithms. This project is an effort to apply new AI techniques for solving the Light-up puzzle faster and more computationally efficient. The algorithms explored for producing optimal solutions include hill climbing, simulated annealing, feed-forward neural network (FNN), and convolutional neural network (CNN). Two algorithms were developed for hill climbing and simulated annealing using 2 actions (add and remove light bulb) versus 3 actions(add, remove, or move light-bulb to a different cell). Both hill climbing and simulated annealing algorithms showed a higher accuracy for the case of 3 actions. The simulated annealing showed to significantly outperform hill climbing, FNN, CNN, and an evolutionary theory algorithm achieving 100% accuracy in 30 unique board configurations. Lastly, while FNN and CNN algorithms showed low accuracies, computational times were significantly faster compared to the remaining algorithms. The GitHub repository for this project can be found at this https URL.
Chemodectoma and the Familial Paraganglioma Syndrome

Publisher Summary Although there are no known tumors that arise from the carotid sinus, the neoplastic growth of the carotid body can occur either as an isolated tumor or as a part of the familial paraganglioma syndrome. Because of the chemoreceptor function of the carotid body, these tumors were first called “chemodectomas” or “carotid body tumors (CBTs),” but “carotid paraganglioma” is the most accurate histologic terminology for these lesions. The inheritance pattern of familial paraganglioma syndrome appears to be autosomal dominant modified by genomic imprinting. In genomic imprinting, the imprintable gene is transmitted in a Mendelian manner, but the expression of the gene is determined by the sex of the transmitting parent. In the case of paragangliomas, the gene does not result in the development of tumors when maternally inherited. There are multiple imaging modalities used in the diagnosis of cervical paragangliomas. With clinical suspicion of a cervical or parapharyngeal space paraganglioma, magnetic resonance imaging is the most informative and valuable imaging modality, allowing greater soft-tissue resolution and imaging in multiple planes.
Ozonation and oxidation competition values: Relationship to disinfection and microorganisms regrowth

Abstract This study was conducted to determine the role of the oxidation competition value (Ω) in an ozone disinfection process and to evaluate the potential bacterial growth capacity of water as a result of ozonation. For water from five different sources, good correlations were obtained between TOC, Ω and three measures of microbial inactivation (90% kill, 50% kill and breakpoint). Initial death rates were related to the quantity of ozone applied. Application of ozone to Delaware River water appeared to enhance growth of P. aeruginosa . The results are interpreted via a mechanistic approach related to ozone chemistry.
Testing Ada 95 Programs for Conformance to Rapide Architectures

The architecture of a system expresses the structural aspects of the system — the modules, the control structure, communication design, sharing of data and composition of modules. The architecture of a complex software system is a significant issue in the proper design, analysis and possibility of reuse of the software system.
Observations of Energetic Storm Particles: An Overview

An increase in the intensity of energetic particles associated with the passage of an interplanetary shock has long been referred to as an 'energetic storm particle (ESP) event.' Such increases have been observed since the 1960's and the particles were generally thought to be either locally accelerated or trapped in the vicinity of the shock and transported with it. This general overview will describe the initial observations and theories of ESP events as well as the measurements that have led to our current understanding of the creation of these events. The relevance of ESP events to space weather as well as furthering our understanding of particle acceleration by shocks is also discussed.
CNOOC: Building a World-Class Energy Company

Fu Chengyu is the fifth CEO to lead China National Offshore Oil Company - an SOE founded in 1982 to exploit Chinese offshore deposits. In 2010 he is trying to decide how to drive further growth in a company that has grown 556 times in less than 30 years, with profits grown 2600 times. He believes that the way CNOOC has been managed, a blend of market orientation and concern for employees and the nation has contributed importantly to the success. His challenge is to allocate resources among new areas to explore for petroleum and new sources of energy, and to develop managers with the capability of leading those businesses in the face of world class competitors. Both technical talent and the ability to integrate the efforts of non-Chinese leaders are involved.Learning Objective:Help students to understand the governance of a state owned company. Explore the relationship between strategic challenges and the availability of talent. Understand the challenges of building a global company with multiple national cultures. Examine a company built in a Chinese culture using modern management techniques.
Associations between circulation pattern frequencies and sea ice minima in the western Arctic

In this study, a synoptic climatological approach is employed to assess the relationship between the frequency of circulation patterns (CPs) and the latitude of mid-September sea ice minima in the western Arctic. Fifteen CPs are created via principal component analysis and cluster analysis from daily NCEP/NCAR reanalysis sea-level pressure (SLP) fields across a grid from 50 to 90°N and 150°E–100°W from 1979 to 2011. The frequency of these CPs are statistically compared with the latitude of the sea ice minimum from passive microwave data for each of 11 equally-spaced longitudes (176°W to 126°W) extending into the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Monthly frequencies for each of the 15 CPs from March to September, signifying the melt season, for each year are correlated with the ice minimum for that September. These monthly frequencies are then entered into a stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR) and collectively, CP frequencies explain 40–79% of the total ice retreat variance across the longitudes. The frequency of one cluster, CP 11, representing a broad high pressure area over the Beaufort Sea, is highly correlated with the latitude of the sea ice minima; June and August frequencies of this pattern are the initial predictors at 8 of the 11 longitudes and explain 22–32% of the variance. This pattern has occurred more frequently from 2007 onwards; compared with a June mean occurrence of 9 days during 1979–2006, CP 11 occurred 16 times in June 2007, and on average more than 17 days per month during June 2008–2011. The Arctic Dipole (AD), Arctic Oscillation (AO), and Pacific-North American (PNA) pattern indices are significantly correlated with CPs 11–13 frequencies throughout certain summer months, further indicating strong relationships between summer circulation and sea ice minima in the region.
Criticality of Plutonium Nitrate Solutions in Slab Geometry

A series of criticality experiments was performed on plutonium nitrate solutions in slab geometry. The solutions contained plutonium at concentrations ranging between 58 and 412 g Pu/liter for mate...
Conservative Christians and Support for Transracial Adoption as an Alternative to Abortion

Objective This study examines whether support for transracial adoption (TRA) among evangelical Protestants and Catholics is uniquely tied to their cultural and political opposition to abortion. Mainline Protestants, persons of other religious faiths, and the religiously unaffiliated are used as comparison groups, and support for same-sex adoption is used as a comparison issue. Method Data are taken from the 2005 Baylor Religion Survey. I estimate logistic regression models to examine the link between support for TRA and abortion attitudes across all five groups considered, net of relevant sociodemographic and ideological factors. Results For evangelicals and Catholics, opposition to abortion under any circumstance has a positive net effect on their support for TRA. However, opposition to abortion does not predict support for TRA among mainline Protestants, adherents to other religions, or the unaffiliated. Support for same-sex adoption is a strong predictor of support for TRA across all groups. Conclusion An interesting paradox is thus observed in that evangelicals and Catholics who support TRA are more socially progressive on most other issues (younger, more racially tolerant, support same-sex adoption), except in their views toward abortion. On this issue, they are more conservative.
Diagnostics of processing plasmas, using optical emission from trace rare gases

Summary form only given. This talk will describe the use of Trace Rare Gases Optical Emission Spectroscopy (TRG-OES) for quantitative determination of electron temperatures (T/sub e/), electron energy distribution functions (EEDF), positive ion densities (n/sup +/), and selected species concentrations in plasmas. Small, non-perturbing amounts of the five rare gases are added to the main plasma gases. Collisions of electrons with the rare gases result in excitation of the Paschen 2p levels. These levels quickly decay by emitting a photon in the red-near-infrared region. The emission intensities are a function of several parameters, including the number of electrons within a range of energies. The electron energy dependencies are dictated by the electron impact excitation cross sections. From published cross sections, and a detailed treatment of the excitation mechanism, T/sub e/, and under some circumstances EEDFs can be derived. In addition, emission from the trace rare gases can be used to determine the relative number density of the positive ions in the plasma, and the number density of other species (e.g. Cl/sub 2/, or O-atoms) by taking the ratio of the emission from a selected level of the species (e.g. Cl/sub 2/ 305 nm band, or O 844.6 nm line) to an emission from one of the rare gases that most closely matches its electron energy dependence. This actinometry method has been widely used to determine species concentrations. We have more recently obtained a more detailed accounting for other pathways for excitation of emission, as well as for mismatches in relative electron energy dependencies, allowing the accuracy of these methods to be improved.
SVIQUEL: A Spatial Visual Query and Exploration Language

This paper represents the first effort to apply direct-manipulation (VIS) techniques to spatial data exploration providing mechanisms for visually querying as well as browsing spatial data and for reviewing the visual results for trend discovery. We present a visual query language (SVIQUEL) which allows us to specify the relative spatial position (both topology and direction) between objects using direct manipulation of spatial query filters, called S-sliders. The S-sliders for the selection of precise numeric ranges for query dimensions are complimented by Active- Picture- for- Querying (APIQ), a qualitative directmanipulation query paradigm. SVIQUEL thus supports spatial browsing and spatial trend discovery with no particular query in mind. The tight coupling between the quantitative S-sliders and qualitative APIQ allows the users to work either qualitatively or quantitatively depending on his/her particular needs and freely switch between the two while working in a continuous data exploration mode.