cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monte Carlo estimation of economic capital

Economic capital (EC) is a risk measure that has been used by financial firms to help determine capital levels to hold to protect (with high probability) against large unexpected losses of credit portfolios. Given a stochastic model for a portfolio’s loss over a given time horizon, the EC is defined as the difference between a quantile and the mean of the loss distribution. We describe Monte Carlo methods for estimating the EC. We apply measure-specific importance sampling to separately estimate the two components of the EC, which can lead to much smaller variance than when estimating both terms simultaneously. We provide Bahadur-type representations for our estimators of the EC, which we further exploit to establish central limit theorems and asymptotically valid confidence intervals. We present numerical results for a simple model to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approaches.
VarGrouper: A Bioinformatic Tool for Local Haplotyping of Deletion-Insertion Variants from Next-Generation Sequencing Data after Variant Calling

Accurate genetic variant representation through nomenclature and annotation is essential for understanding functional consequence and properly noting the presence of variants across time, assays, and laboratories. Current variant calling algorithms detect single deletion–insertion variants as multiple indel and/or substitution variants from next-generation sequencing data. Consequently, these variants are separately annotated in bioinformatics pipelines, leading to inaccurate variant representation. We developed a bioinformatic solution to this problem—VarGrouper—that automatically recognizes individual variants that arise from a deletion–insertion variant and aggregates them into a single variant that can be properly annotated. This tool has been integrated into our routine clinical molecular diagnostics workflow for DNA sequencing of solid tumors. Over an 11-month period, VarGrouper variants were reported by all attending molecular pathologists involved in interpretation and represented 4.1% of all variants reported; 10.9% of cases with reportable variants contained at least one VarGrouper variant. VarGrouper improves the practice of molecular diagnostics by increasing the accuracy and consistency of variant annotation. VarGrouper is freely available for use by the molecular diagnostic community.
Examining Brand Strength of Political Candidates: a Performance Premium Approach

Despite the growth of research on political marketing, fundamental questions concerning brand value of political candidates and its relationship with marketing mix activities remain unanswered. This research extends premium-based brand valuation methods to the political context by presenting a performance premium approach to assessing the strength of politicians’ brands and exploring the relationship between politician brand strength and political advertising. We develop a joint hierarchical Bayesian model of brand performance and marketing activity and estimate our model using data on the election performance and advertising expenditures of political candidates from US House of Representatives elections. Our findings suggest that politicians who possess a strong brand—those that perform better than expected given the partisan leanings of their districts, advertising spending, and other model controls—face a consequence for their brand strength in which political advertising by their opponents has a stronger negative impact on their performance compared to the effect of political advertising against politicians with weaker brands. We discuss the implications of our findings for political marketing.
Performance of Interferon-Gamma Release Assays for Tuberculosis Screening in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

ABSTRACTObjectives:The aim of the study was to analyze the diagnostic accuracy and utility of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube, an interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), as a screening tool for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) undergoing tre
Maximum Stable Matching with One-Sided Ties of Bounded Length

We study the problem of finding maximum weakly stable matchings when preference lists are incomplete and contain one-sided ties of bounded length. We show that if the tie length is at most L, then it is possible to achieve an approximation ratio of \(1 + (1 - \frac{1}{L})^L\). We also show that the same ratio is an upper bound on the integrality gap, which matches the known lower bound. In the case where the tie length is at most 2, our result implies an approximation ratio and integrality gap of \(\frac{5}{4}\), which matches the known UG-hardness result.
Toddlers' Hands Organize Parent-Toddler Attention across Different Social Contexts

Toddlers and their parents achieve joint attention in many different social contexts. In some contexts, parents follow toddlers' attention; in other contexts, toddlers follow parents. Using a dual head-mounted eye-tracking paradigm and microlevel analyses of behavior, we examined the sensorimotor properties of parent-toddler joint attention both in episodes where parents followed their toddlers' focus of attention and episodes where parents directed their toddlers' attention. Our results revealed that across both contexts the degree to which parents and toddlers engaged in sustained joint attention was predicted by toddlers' manual engagement with the target object. These results deepen our understanding of the sensorimotor and micro-level processes that shape joint attention and underscore the interconnections between early motor and social developments.
Characterizing Power Distribution Attacks in Multi-User FPGA Environments

Multi-tenant FPGAs that contain circuits from multiple users are emerging as a new usage model in cloud and embedded computing environments. Interactions between untrusting tenant applications in an FPGA can enable new security exposures and the risk of side channel attacks or fault injection. In this work, we investigate the ability for aggressive power consumption of one application to disturb the power network to an extent that causes delay faults in a second application on the same FPGA. In particular, we identify the mechanisms by which the supply voltage is disturbed by the attack, and we characterize the magnitude of the disturbance as a function of time, power consumed by attacker, and position of the victim relative to the attacker. We highlight strategies that can be used to mitigate attacks, including low-cost monitoring circuits that can identify the source of an attack so that the attacker's use of the FPGA can be revoked.
Revision of the Failed Flatfoot Reconstruction

Surgical correction of the adult acquired flatfoot deformity has evolved significantly over the previous several decades. The complex nature of flatfoot reconstruction results in potential complications of each procedure in isolation, which may ultimately lead to failure of the reconstruction. Revision of the failed flatfoot reconstruction is a challenging clinical problem. Diligent evaluation of the patient is required to determine the location and cause of symptoms. Residual deformity and its location is important to determine and is often an important contributor to the patient’s symptoms. Residual deformity may occur in the hindfoot, midfoot, or forefoot, with undercorrection and medial column instability two of the more common presentations. If there is no residual deformity, symptoms are likely secondary to complications at the specific site of prior procedures, such as nonunion of a lateral column lengthening (LCL). Surgical correction of the failed flatfoot reconstruction is often required. A combination of osteotomies, arthrodesis, and soft tissue procedures such as tendon transfers or tendon lengthenings may be required for adequate correction. Preoperative planning is paramount to achieving a good clinical outcome that results in a durable, functional, plantigrade foot and ankle.
The Framework for Assimilating All-Sky GPM Microwave Imager Brightness Temperature Data in the NASA GEOS Data Assimilation System

AbstractSatellite radiance observations combine global coverage with high temporal and spatial resolution, and bring vital information to NWP analyses especially in areas where conventional data ar...
Pilot Study of Surface Stabilization Techniques for Shallow-Land Burial Sites in the South-Western U.S.A

In semi- arid climates, long- term integrity of a waste burial site depends in part on managing site water balance. Runoff and erosion are often particularly severe as a result of short- duration, high intensity summer storms. Attempts to mitigate erosion can cause enhanced infiltration of water, thus increasing the chances of seepage of water into the waste material and subsequent migration of contaminants from the site into the ground water. Surface stabilization techniques for the purpose of minimizing contaminant migration from subsurface soils and wastes must focus on resolving the conflicting demands of controlling erosion and the deep percolation of water below the plant rooting zone.
Institutional Expenditures and Student Graduation and Retention

As the cost of higher education continues to rise faster than inflation and as the pressure from community colleges offering four-year degrees increases (See: https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-...
Redox Mediated Modifications of tRNA Bases

Abstract There have been 112 documented modifications in transfer RNA documented thus far. A small subset of these modifications are installed by enzymes that utilize redox active cofactors. This review summarizes the current knowledge on these transformations.
IV – CONTINUOUS FUNCTIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the continuous functions. It also discusses that f is continuous at c if limx→cf(x) = f(c), that is, if for every ɛ > 0 there exists a δ > 0, such that | f(x) − f(c) | < ɛ when | x − c | < δ. The concept of norm convergence, or uniform convergence, introduces the idea of convergence on a set of points rather than convergence at lots of points. Similarly, the idea of continuity can be extended to a property of a function on a set rather than at several points. The chapter also explains a few properties of a continuous function. Many properties of continuous functions are so basic that they are sometimes implicitly assumed to be true for all functions. The chapter describes the functions of two variables and some topological concepts.
Eigenvectors and Diagonalizable Matrices

Any square matrix A of size d × d can be considered a linear operator, which maps the d-dimensional column vector \(\overline {x}\) to the d-dimensional vector \(A \overline {x}\). A linear transformation \(A \overline {x}\) is a combination of operations such as rotations, reflections, and scalings of a vector \(\overline {x}\).
Analyzing Outcomes Among Older Adults With Necrotizing Soft-Tissue Infections in the United States.

Abstract Background Necrotizing soft-tissue infections (NSTIs) encompass a group of severe, life-threatening diseases with high morbidity and mortality. Evidence suggests advanced age is associated with worse outcomes. To date, no large data sets exist describing outcomes in older individuals, and risk factor identification is lacking. Methods Retrospective data were obtained from the 2015 Medicare 100% sample. Included in the analysis were those aged ≥65 y with a primary diagnosis of an NSTI (gas gangrene, necrotizing fasciitis, cutaneous gangrene, or Fournier's gangrene). Risk factors for in-hospital mortality and discharge disposition were examined. Continuous variables were assessed using central tendency, t-tests, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Categorical variables were assessed using the chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests. Statistical significance was defined as P Results 1427 patient records were reviewed. 59% of patients were male, and the overall mean age was 75.4±8.6 y. 1385 (97.0%) patients required emergency surgery for their NSTI diagnosis. The overall mortality was 5.3%. Several underlying comorbidities were associated with higher rates of mortality including cancer (OR: 3.50, P = 0.0009), liver disease (OR: 2.97, P = 0.03), and kidney disease (OR: 2.15, P = 0.01). While associated with high in-hospital mortality, these diagnoses were not associated with a difference in the rate of discharge to home compared with skilled nursing or rehab. Overall, patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities or rehab had higher rates of underlying comorbidities than patients who were discharged home (3 or more comorbid illness 84.3% versus 68.6%, P Conclusions In our Medicare data set, we identified several medical comorbidities that are associated with increased rates of in-hospital mortality. Patients with underlying cancers had the highest odds of increased mortality. The effect on outcomes of the potentially immunosuppressive cancer treatments in these patients is unknown. These data suggest that patients with underlying illnesses, especially cancer, kidney disease, or liver disease have higher mortalities and are more likely to be discharged to skilled nursing facilities or rehab. It is unclear why these illnesses were associated with these worse outcomes while others including diabetes and heart disease were not. These data suggest that these particular comorbid illnesses may have special prognostic implications, although further analysis is necessary to identify the causative factors.
Fatigue life prediction of cast aluminum alloy based on porosity characteristics

Abstract Fatigue life prediction is one of the most important problems in design of industrial components made of defect-containing materials. Not only can defects existing in these materials significantly affect the mechanical properties especially fatigue behavior, but they also lead to considerable scatter in fatigue life. Therefore, a robust design methodology for these materials should consist of statistical evaluation of defects and prediction of fatigue life using an appropriate defect-based model. In this study fatigue life analysis is performed using crack growth models. A small crack growth model is proposed which can consider the effect of mean stress as well as overall plastic deformation. Fatigue life predictions are performed using the defect size measured from the fracture surfaces, as well as the maximum defect size estimated by extreme value statistics within the stressed volume. The predicted fatigue lives based on the proposed model are in very good agreement with the experimental fatigue lives. Discussions of fatigue limit, mean stress, and the effect of defect parameters on fatigue life are also included.
Elucidating Interactions Between SARS-CoV-2 Trimeric Spike Protein and ACE2 Using Homology Modeling and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As of October 21, 2020, more than 41.4 million confirmed cases and 1.1 million deaths have been reported. Thus, it is immensely important to develop drugs and vaccines to combat COVID-19. The spike protein present on the outer surface of the virion plays a major role in viral infection by binding to receptor proteins present on the outer membrane of host cells, triggering membrane fusion and internalization, which enables release of viral ssRNA into the host cell. Understanding the interactions between the SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike protein and its host cell receptor protein, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), is important for developing drugs and vaccines to prevent and treat COVID-19. Several crystal structures of partial and mutant SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins have been reported; however, an atomistic structure of the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike protein complexed with ACE2 is not yet available. Therefore, in our study, homology modeling was used to build the trimeric form of the spike protein complexed with human ACE2, followed by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate interactions at the interface between the spike protein and ACE2. Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MMPBSA) and in silico alanine scanning were employed to characterize the interacting residues at the interface. Twenty interacting residues in the spike protein were identified that are likely to be responsible for tightly binding to ACE2, of which five residues (Val445, Thr478, Gly485, Phe490, and Ser494) were not reported in the crystal structure of the truncated spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) complexed with ACE2. These data indicate that the interactions between ACE2 and the tertiary structure of the full-length spike protein trimer are different from those between ACE2 and the truncated monomer of the spike protein RBD. These findings could facilitate the development of drugs and vaccines to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and combat COVID-19.
Analysis of School-Day Disruption of Administering School-Located Vaccination to Children in Three Local Areas, 2012-2013 School Year.

The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of time elementary and middle-school students spend away from the classroom and clinic time required to administer vaccines in school-located vaccination (SLV) clinics. We conducted a time study and estimated average time away from class and time to administer vaccine by health department (HD), student grade level, vaccine type, and vaccination process for SLV clinics during the 2012-2013 school year. Average time away from classroom was 10â min (sample: 688 students, 15 schools, three participating HD districts). Overall, time to administer intranasally administered influenza vaccine was nearly half the time to administer injected vaccine (52.5 vs. 101.7â s) (sample: 330 students, two HDs). SLV administration requires minimal time outside of class for elementary and middle-school students. SLV clinics may be an efficient way to administer catch-up vaccines to children who missed routine vaccinations during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic.
Optimal Qubit Mapping with Simultaneous Gate Absorption.

Before quantum error correction (QEC) is achieved, quantum computers focus on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) applications. Compared to the well-known quantum algorithms requiring QEC, like Shor's or Grover's algorithm, NISQ applications have different structures and properties to exploit in compilation. A key step in compilation is mapping the qubits in the program to physical qubits on a given quantum computer, which has been shown to be an NP-hard problem. In this paper, we present OLSQ-GA, an optimal qubit mapper with a key feature of simultaneous SWAP gate absorption during qubit mapping, which we show to be a very effective optimization technique for NISQ applications. For the class of quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA), an important NISQ application, OLSQ-GA reduces depth by up to 50.0% and SWAP count by 100% compared to other state-of-the-art methods, which translates to 55.9% fidelity improvement. The solution optimality of OLSQ-GA is achieved by the exact SMT formulation. For better scalability, we augment our approach with additional constraints in the form of initial mapping or alternating matching, which speeds up OLSQ-GA by up to 272X with no or little loss of optimality.
Research on Optimization Technology of Power Grid Knowledge Map Based on Graph Data Technology

Power grid knowledge is an important component of power grid data. With the rapid development of power grid, the knowledge data of power grid is increasing greatly, and its data scale is becoming more and more huge. Through the research of graph data technology, the knowledge data of power grid is optimized. The optimized knowledge map can meet the needs of rapid, efficient, accurate and stable application of power grid knowledge data.
Sample sizes for saturation in qualitative research: A systematic review of empirical tests.

Abstract Objective To review empirical studies that assess saturation in qualitative research in order to identify sample sizes for saturation, strategies used to assess saturation, and guidance we can draw from these studies. Methods We conducted a systematic review of four databases to identify studies empirically assessing sample sizes for saturation in qualitative research, supplemented by searching citing articles and reference lists. Results We identified 23 articles that used empirical data (n = 17) or statistical modeling (n = 6) to assess saturation. Studies using empirical data reached saturation within a narrow range of interviews (9–17) or focus group discussions (4–8), particularly those with relatively homogenous study populations and narrowly defined objectives. Most studies had a relatively homogenous study population and assessed code saturation; the few outliers (e.g., multi-country research, meta-themes, “code meaning” saturation) needed larger samples for saturation. Conclusions Despite varied research topics and approaches to assessing saturation, studies converged on a relatively consistent sample size for saturation for commonly used qualitative research methods. However, these findings apply to certain types of studies (e.g., those with homogenous study populations). These results provide strong empirical guidance on effective sample sizes for qualitative research, which can be used in conjunction with the characteristics of individual studies to estimate an appropriate sample size prior to data collection. This synthesis also provides an important resource for researchers, academic journals, journal reviewers, ethical review boards, and funding agencies to facilitate greater transparency in justifying and reporting sample sizes in qualitative research. Future empirical research is needed to explore how various parameters affect sample sizes for saturation.
Estimating uniaxial compressive strength of peridotites from simple tests using neural networks

In mechanical rock projects, it is often required to determine the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS). For the direct estimation of this parameter, destructive tests of high-quality core specimens of proper geometry are needed. However, these tests are demanding, and sometimes, it is difficult to obtain suitable specimens from highly porous, highly fractured, weathered, or thinly bedded rocks. Therefore, a model predicting UCS through intact rock properties has become an attractive alternative method. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are applied to estimate UCS through the physical, dynamic, and mechanical characteristics of various materials but not specifically for peridotites. In this study, the dry unit weight (γd), effective porosity (ne), P-wave ultrasonic velocity (Vp), the Schmidt rebound number (Srn), and the point load strength index (Is50) are selected as input parameters, and by using neural networks techniques, some equations are developed and presented in order to estimate the UCS. The data was gathered from earlier experimental work, which has taken place in central Greece. The results obtained from neural network modeling are compared with those from previous studies on peridotites, and it is shown that the proposed ANN is a better predictive tool than the earlier multiple regression models. Due to their high prediction performance; ANN can, therefore, be used during the preliminary stages of rock engineering assessments and help to reduce the requirements for more expensive and difficult or destructive tests.
An Inclusive Rural Post Secondary Education Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Post secondary education is a life long dream for many students with and without intellectual disabilities. This dream is particularly difficult to attain for students with intellectual disabilitie...
Urban Runoff Management: Future Modeling

Several recent studies have demonstrated that computer based mathematical models are becoming a standard part of the engineer's arsenal of tools for analyzing and designing urban drainage systems, and for evaluating the impacts of runoff-generated pollution and the remedial measures therefore. It is equally clear that while the catalogue of available models is quite large, only a few are in common use. Future model use will emphasize applications. New model development will proceed at a slower pace until an adequate data base is available. Receiving water quality models will receive increased use. The use of mini/micro computers will increase rapidly, and models will be adapted for use with low-cost hardware.
A Review of the New York State Task Force on Life & the Law's Report: Dietary Supplements: Balancing Consumer Choice & Safety

Dietary supplements, including vitamins, minerals, herbs, and amino acids have become increasingly popular with consumers. These products create significant regulatory challenges for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the federal agency charged with supervising the safety of these products. In 1994, Congress enacted the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), which provides the FDA with limited authority to regulate covered products. In June 2005, just over a decade after the passage of DSHEA, the New York State Task Force on Life & the Law published a comprehensive report dealing with dietary supplement safety entitled "Dietary Supplements: Balancing Consumer Choice Safety."
Analysis of the proteomic profile of chronic pressure ulcers

Analysis of the proteomic profile of pressure ulcers over time is a critical step in the identification of biomarkers of healing or nonhealing in pressure ulcers. The wound fluid from 32 subjects with 42 pressure ulcers was evaluated over 6 weeks at 15 time points. Samples specific to both the interior and the periphery of the wound bed were collected. Antibody screening arrays, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation with mass spectrometry and multiplexed microarrays were used to characterize wound fluid and results were correlated with clinical outcome. Twenty-one proteins were found to distinguish between healed and chronic wounds and 19 proteins were differentially expressed between the interior and periphery of wounds. Four proteins, pyruvate kinase isozymes M1/M2, profilin-1, Ig lambda-1 chain C regions, and Ig gamma-1 chain C region, were present in lower levels for periphery samples when compared to interior samples and six proteins, keratin, type II cytoskeletal 6A (KRT6A), keratin, type I cytoskeletal 14, S100 calcium binding proteins A7, alpha-1-antitrypsin precursor, hemoglobin subunit alpha, and hemoglobin subunit beta, were present in higher levels in periphery samples when compared with interior samples. S100 calcium binding protein A6, S100 calcium binding protein A7, and soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products had higher levels in the periphery of chronic wounds vs. the interior in planar arrays. A significant temporal trend was noted for monokine induced by gamma interferon (MIG), synonomous with chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 9 (CXCL9), which increased as wounds healed and remained nearly constant for ulcers that were not approaching closure.
Connecting to the Next Generation Mobile Desktop

Mobile phones have evolved over the years from a plain device that allowed voice communication to the present day smart phones that are capable of variety of tasks. Much touted smart phone lacks some of the rudimentary business as well as other functions that are available in a traditional laptop/desktop. This article proposes a new system called Next Generation Mobile Desktop (NGMD) that provides desktop equivalent functions on a functional mobile phone. Proposed NGMD leverage some of the emerging technologies to offer enhanced services to the user. This article discusses some of the existing as well as new mobile technologies and then proposes the architecture for the NGMD. This article also discusses some of the services offered by NGMD and provides illustrative examples of them. We believe NGMD capable phones would dominate the corporate market and free up the user from carrying multiple devices while on the road.
IL-1α is critical for leukocyte recruitment during pulmonary Aspergillus fumigatus infection (MPF1P.776)

Aspergillus fumigatus is a mold that causes severe pulmonary infections. Currently, our knowledge of how A. fumigatus growth is controlled in the respiratory tract is limited. Alveolar macrophages and the airway epithelial cells constitute the first lines of defense against inhaled A. fumigatus conidia; subsequently, neutrophils and macrophages are sequentially recruited to the respiratory tract to control fungal growth and germination. How neutrophils and macrophages are recruited to the respiratory tract after A. fumigatus infection remains ill defined. A. fumigatus instillation induced biphasic expression of the inflammasome-dependent cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 during the first 48 hours, while IL-1α expression linearly grew over the same period. Il1r1 -deficient mice are highly susceptible to pulmonary A. fumigatus infection. Enhanced susceptibility of Il1r1 -deficient mice correlated with defects in leukocyte recruitment and anti-fungal activity. Interestingly, IL-1α rather than IL-1β was crucial for optimal leukocyte recruitment. IL-1α signaling enhanced the production of CXCL1, which was responsible for pulmonary leukocyte recruitment. In contrast, the inflammasome and IL-1β was only essential for optimal activation of anti-fungal activity of leukocytes. As such, Pycard -deficient mice were only mildly susceptible to A. fumigatus infection. Taken together, our data reveal central, non-redundant roles for IL-1α and IL-1β in controlling A. fumigatus infection in the lung.
Coronal Mass Ejections and Type II Radio Bursts

The simultaneous availability of white light data on CMEs from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and radio data on shock waves from the Radio and Plasma Wave experiment on board the Wind spacecraft over the past decade have helped in making rapid progress in understanding the CME-driven shocks. I review some recent developments in the type II-CME relationship, focusing on the properties of CMEs as shock drivers and those of the medium supporting shock propagation. I also discuss the solar cycle variation of the type II bursts in comparison with'other eruptive phenomena such as CMEs, flares, large solar energetic particle events, and shocks detected in situ. The hierarchical relationship found between the CME kinetic energy and wavelength range of type II radio bursts, non-existence of CMEless type II bursts, and the explanation of type II burst properties in terms of shock propagation with a realistic profile of the fast mode speed suggest that the underlying shocks are driven by CMEs, irrespective of the wavelength domain. Such a unified approach provides an elegant understanding of the entire type II phenomenon (coronal and interplanetary). The blast wave scenario remains an alternative hypothesis for type II bursts only over a small spatial domain (within one solar radius above the solar surface) that is not accessible to in situ observation. Therefore the existence of blast waves cannot be directly confirmed. CMEs, on the other hand, can be remote sensed from this domain.
Mass Spectrometry for Lipid Analyses

The increasing recognition that lipids have important biological functions in signal transduction in addition to their structural role in cell membranes has stimulated tremendous activity in the field of lipid research. Their complex structures and the potent biological activity of many individual lipids has necessitated the development of highly specific and sensitive methodology for their analysis. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based methodology has become the technique of choice because of its ability to conduct analyses on trace amounts of bioactive lipids. Gas chromatography (GC)-MS was widely used for the early studies on lipid analysis, but the applicability was limited. Development of the new atmospheric pressure ionization (API) techniques and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) has significantly increased the range of lipids that can be analyzed by MS. Methodology based on these ionization techniques will continue to make an important contribution to lipid analysis for the foreseeable future.
The Social Industry

Historical mass media and contemporary social media are typically seen as opposites. “The culture industry” was the term used by the Frankfurt School in the 1940s to explain the emerging commercial...
Puzzling role of genetic risk factors in human longevity: "risk alleles" as pro-longevity variants.

Complex diseases are major contributors to human mortality in old age. Paradoxically, many genetic variants that have been associated with increased risks of such diseases are found in genomes of long-lived people, and do not seem to compromise longevity. Here we argue that trade-off-like and conditional effects of genes can play central role in this phenomenon and in determining longevity. Such effects may occur as result of: (i) antagonistic influence of gene on the development of different health disorders; (ii) change in the effect of gene on vulnerability to death with age (especially, from “bad” to “good”); (iii) gene–gene interaction; and (iv) gene–environment interaction, among other factors. A review of current knowledge provides many examples of genetic factors that may increase the risk of one disease but reduce chances of developing another serious health condition, or improve survival from it. Factors that may increase risk of a major disease but attenuate manifestation of physical senescence are also discussed. Overall, available evidence suggests that the influence of a genetic variant on longevity may be negative, neutral or positive, depending on a delicate balance of the detrimental and beneficial effects of such variant on multiple health and aging related traits. This balance may change with age, internal and external environments, and depend on genetic surrounding. We conclude that trade-off-like and conditional genetic effects are very common and may result in situations when a disease “risk allele” can also be a pro-longevity variant, depending on context. We emphasize importance of considering such effects in both aging research and disease prevention.
Impact of annealing on ALD Al2O3 gate dielectric for GaN MOS devices

A comparative study of the electrical and interface characteristics for on GaN MOS capacitors with as-deposited and post-annealed Al2O3 gate dielectric, deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD), has been performed to gain insight into the effects of annealing on the MOS interface properties. Comparison is also made to an annealed 65nm PECVD SiO2 gate dielectric. We have performed C-V and conductance spectroscopy measurements, demonstrating annealing provides a significant reduction in deep interface traps accompanied by a slight increase in shallow traps. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Cancer susceptibility in the mouse: genetics, biology and implications for human cancer

Growing evidence that a large proportion of apparently non-hereditary sporadic cancers occur in genetically predisposed individuals has emphasized the need to identify the underlying susceptibility genes. Increasingly, it seems that the best approach to define the numerous genes that have small but cumulative effects is to first identify and map them in mice, and subsequently to study the role of their homologues in humans. Development of new gene-mapping resources and strategies in mice has, for the first time, allowed some of these genes to be identified. In future, this unique approach is likely to provide important insights into the pathways of tumour development and might ultimately lead to more effective individually targeted cancer-prevention strategies.
Film Aesthetics for Teachers.

5) Number of students (participants) in program: 48 6) Levels represented college juniors college seniors in-service elementary teachers in-service high school teachers in-service college teachers Median age of students: 22.5 years 7) Groupings: All levels of college juniors and above 8) Number of times per week course meets: once Exact hours: 8:45 a.m.-ll:35 a.m. Credits given: 2 for course as an elective 9) Titles of films used to date: In addition to their intrinsic value, the films for the course were chosen for suitability to broad survey of various ways in which film expression can be aesthetic.
Zirconia-a non-inert material reacting with platinum and oxygen containing gases

Abstract Recently, the oxygen contents of high purity zirconia, ZrO2+σ, undoped and doped with calcium oxide, and of commercially available, calcium (partially) stabilized zirconia have been investigated by using thermogravimetry as a function of oxygen activity and temperature. In this study, some additional measurements of the oxygen content in commercial, CaO-doped zirconia were made. Moreover, based on the knowledge of the oxygen activity dependent oxygen contents of different zirconia materials, the oxygen activity dependent dissolution of zirconium from zirconia into platinum has been studied thermogravimetrically at temperatures between 1100°C and 1400°C. The results obtained indicate that at temperatures below 1300°C the solubility of zirconium in Pt at equilibrium with zirconia is negligibly small at all oxygen activities experimentally accessible in this study. However at temperatures above 1300°C and at oxygen activities below 10−8, zirconium dissolves to a measurable extent into platinum. The experimental results obtained on this subject indicate that the equilibrium constant for the dissolution of zirconium from zirconia into platinum follows an Arrhenius-type temperature dependence. Furthermore, some qualitative observations on the formation of Pt-Zr intermetallics at very low oxygen activity are briefly discussed.
Synthesis and Reactivity of 23‐tert‐Butyl‐ and 23‐Phenyltetraarylazuliporphyrins: an Analysis of the Effect of Bulky Substituents on Oxidative Ring Contractions to Benzocarbaporphyrins (Eur. J. Org. Chem. 24/2007)

The cover picture shows the oxidative ring contraction of tetraphenylazuliporphyrins to give benzocarbaporphyrins. Bulky substituents on the azulene moiety influence the regioselectivity but do not inhibit this unusual chemistry. Details are discussed in the article by J. A. El-Beck and T. D. Lash on p. 3981 ff.
Age-grading in Japan1

T HE emphasis upon age in Japanese culture has long been noted by Western observers. Numerous references to this emphasis may be found in both implicit and explicit form in Western accounts of historical and modern Japan. The subject of emphasis upon age as manifested in age-grading and age-classes, although virtually absent from Western publications, has in recent years received attention from Japanese social scientists. Although no comprehensive study has as yet emerged in Japanese, present accumulations of data appear to indicate that practices of age-grading and the existence of certain formalized, named age-classes were common if not general among the peasantry of Japan in the past. An attempt will be made here to review and appraise the data on this subject presented in such works by Japanese scholars as are at hand. To the knowledge of the author only one American publication (Matsumoto 1949) deals with age-grading in Japan-and only peripherally. T. Omachi and K. Segawa, who are among the Japanese social scientists interested in this topic, both state that their research in this field has just begun (personal communications). Data are also drawn in part from the author's field work in Japan. Practices of age-grading which appear to be very ancient still exist in a number of rural communities of Japan. Of the formalized age-classes which once existed, however, only those composed of young men and young women are common today. Present-day communities which retain more or less clearly defined age-classes applying to all persons are uncommon, and such communities are usually isolated geographically from urban centers. Only vestiges of age-grading practices remain in the more modernized and urban areas, with the exception that age-classes for young, unmarried persons exist in communities which can be called neither backward nor isolated. Clearly defined age-class systems covering the whole life span of individuals appear to have become relatively rare by the end of the nineteenth century even in rural Japan, where ancient customs have lingered the longest. There is, however, a quantity of evidence of their former widespread existence. Material at hand on past or present practices of age-grading covers a wide area of Japan, all of the major islands except Hokkaido (on which the author has no data whatever), as well as the Ryukyu Islands and the Island of Tsushima in the Japan Sea. A description of age-grading customs as they appear to have existed in much of Japan until a period perhaps less than a century ago will be attempted here. In some instances, as may be noted, the practices continued until a much later date or exist today.
Gyrotron travelling wave amplifier: III. A proposed wide-band fast wave amplifier

A simple scheme is proposed for the construction of a wide-band fast wave gyrotron travelling wave amplifier. The key features of this scheme include a contoured waveguide, a tapered magnetic field, and injection of input signals in opposite direction of the streaming electrons. Bandwidths at tens of percents, and gain at tens of decibals, are projected.
Assessing a nurse-led advance directive and advance care planning seminar.

Abstract Background Advance directives (AD) and advance care planning (ACP) are critical to making patient-centered end-of-life decisions. Despite their importance, completion rates for AD in the United States remain low at about 18–36%. Lack of education related to AD and not understanding AD have been cited as key reasons for not participating in ACP or completing AD. Purpose The purpose of this quasi-experimental pilot study was to assess the effectiveness of a nurse led educational AD seminar that used the Five Wishes on attitudes related to AD, AD completion, and participation in ACP conversations. Methods A post-test repeated measures design was used. Results Of the 86 participants who attended the seminar, most ( n =71, 82.6%) found the seminar useful, and 97.7% ( n =84) reported that they were likely to complete an AD and participate in ACP conversations with family or friends. Overall attitudes about ADs were high. Older females were more likely to complete AD than their younger male counterparts, and women were more likely than men to have ACP conversations. Conclusion The results of this study lend support to the role of nursing-driven community-based educational interventions to improve AD completion and participation in the ACP process.
Identification and Stability Analysis of the Postural Control System During Small Magnitude Perturbations

Age-related increases in postural sway during quiet standing are well-documented [1]. These increases could result from age-related degradation of sensory information from the somatosensory [2] and vestibular [3] systems, or may result from inaccurate or imprecise muscle forces resulting from excitation-contraction uncoupling [4].Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Human-observer templates for detection of a simulated lesion in mammographic images

We describe a probit regression approach for maximum-likelihood (ML) estimation of a linear observer template from human-observer data in two-alternative forced-choice experiments. Like a previous approach to ML estimation in this problem [Abbey & Eckstein, Proc. SPIE, Vol. 4324, 2001], our approach does not make any assumptions about the distribution of the images. The previous approach utilized a regularizing prior distribution to control the degrees of freedom in the problem. In this work, we constrain the observer template to be represented by a limited number of linear features. Standard methods of probit regression are described for estimating the feature weights, and hence the observer templates. We have used this probit regression method to estimate human-observer templates for the detection of a small (5mm diameter) round simulated mass embedded in digitized mammograms. Our estimated templates for detecting the mass contain a band of heavily weighted spatial frequencies from 0.08 to 0.3 cycles/mm. We show comparisons between the human-observer template data, and the templates of a number of linear model observers that have been investigated as perceptual models of the human.
Förster energy-transfer signatures in optically driven quantum dot molecules

eld dependent opti- cal spectrum of realistic QDMs. In Sec. II the model for the QDM is introduced. An excitonic population map, as function of applied bias and pump laser energy is constructed, resembling the dressed LACS spectra of the QDM. Our main results are presented for two dif- ferent cases. In Sec. III we consider the LACS for a QDM dressed spectrum involving Forster coupling of di- rect single excitons. We show how the coupling is man- ifested in the variation of the amplitude (brightness) of a FRET split satellite as a function of the applied elec- tric
Asymmetric policy effects, campaign contributions, and the spatial theory of elections

A spatial model of elections with campaign contributions is constructed in which contributors give money to help the candidates they like get elected. It is shown how candidate-specific policy effects on firms cause candidates to adopt different policy positions. It is also shown how the additional presence of firm-specific policy effects may cause polarization of candidate policy positions. A comparative statics analysis establishes relationship among several key parameters of the model. Even though contributors take candidate positions as given, anticipatory position-taking by the candidates causes contributors to exert a powerful influence over candidate behavior.
Hybrid enzymes for structure-function analysis of cytochrome P-450 2B11.

Abstract Previous work has shown that P-450 2B11 is responsible for the unique ability of dogs to metabolize and eliminate certain highly-chlorinated biphenyls such as 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (245-HCB), whereas the related P-450 2B forms in rat and rabbit are unable to metabolize the compound to any significant degree. To determine the structural basis for this functional diversity, hybrid enzymes were generated. Success with this approach required a careful choice of second enzyme and common substrate with which to assess the functional integrity of the hybrid proteins. The choices of P-450 2B5 from rabbit as the second enzyme and androstenedione as the substrate were based in part on the finding that P-450 2B11 and P-450 2B5 hydroxylate androstenedione with similar overall activities but distinct profiles. Enzymatic studies with eight hybrid enzymes provided evidence for two regions of P-450 2B11 and 2B5, between residues 95–239 and 240–370, that appear to be involved in defining substrate specificity for androstenedione, and three regions of P-450 2B11, between residues 95–239, 240–370, and 371–494, that contain amino acids necessary for metabolism of 245-HCB. This deliberate approach to the creation of hybrid cytochromes P-450 has generated a series of enzymes that will be central to further structure-function studies of the cytochromes P-450 2B.