cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Residual noise in the aggregate beamformer

The aggregate beamformer samples data from an array of sensors in a random sequence and reconstructs the beamformed signal by time-aligning the data in a 'sequencing buffer'. The reconstructed signal is a highly over-sampled version of the corresponding delay-and-sum beamformer output except for an additional broadband noise component. To remove most of the noise power, while leaving the desired signal intact, the data is low-pass filtered and decimated, leaving a small amount of 'residual noise'. The aggregate beamformer offers reduced hardware complexity by removing the need for anti-alias filters and provides high time-delay resolution without the need for data interpolation or over-sampling on every channel. The total sampling rate is determined by the desired residual noise level and is independent of the number of sensors in the array, making beamforming arrays with many elements, such as for auditoria and other large venues, very practical. The paper describes the aggregate beamformer and demonstrates that modifying the statistical distribution of the channel sampling sequence to shape the noise in the sequencing buffer can further reduce the residual noise.
MAPP: The Berkeley Model and Algorithm Prototyping Platform

We present the Berkeley Model and Algorithm Prototyping Platform (MAPP), a MATLAB®-based framework for conveniently and quickly prototyping device compact models and simulation algorithms. MAPP's internal code structuring, which differs markedly from that of Berkeley SPICE and related simulators, allows users to add new devices with only minimal knowledge of simulation algorithms, and vice-versa. We describe MAPP's structuring and provide an overview of its capabilities. MAPP is available as open source under the GNU Public License.
Reflex-Tree: A Biologically Inspired Parallel Architecture for Future Smart Cities

We introduce a new parallel computing and communication architecture, Reflex-Tree, with massive sensing, data processing, and control functions suitable for future smart cities. The central feature of the proposed Reflex-Tree architecture is inspired by a fundamental element of the human nervous system: reflex arcs, the neuromuscular reactions and instinctive motions of a part of the body in response to urgent situations. At the bottom level of the Reflex-Tree (layer 4), novel sensing devices are proposed that are controlled by low power processing elements. These "leaf" nodes are then connected to new classification engines based on machine learning techniques, including support vector machines (SVM), to form the third layer. The next layer up consists of servers that provide accurate control decisions via multi-layer adaptive learning and spatial-temporal association, before they are connected to the top level cloud where complex system behavior analysis is performed. Our multi-layered architecture mimics human neural circuits to achieve the high levels of parallelization and scalability required for efficient city-wide monitoring and feedback. To demonstrate the utility of our architecture, we present the design, implementation, and experimental evaluation of a prototype Reflex-Tree. City power supply network and gas pipeline management scenarios are used to drive our prototype as case studies. We show the effectiveness for several levels of the architecture and discuss the feasibility of implementation
Simulation in Radiology Education: Thinking Outside the Phantom.

Objective The purpose of this article is to discuss the use of simulation in radiology education. Conclusion Simulation is an engaging way to educate radiology trainees. It allows trainees to improve their procedural and clinical skills in a calm, supportive environment that optimizes patient safety. Familiarity with the principles of simulation education may help radiologists evaluate their training curricula to identify skills that could be augmented with simulation training.
Biofuels from Pyrolysis in Perspective: Trade-offs between Energy Yields and Soil-Carbon Additions

Coproduction of biofuels with biochar (the carbon-rich solid formed during biomass pyrolysis) can provide carbon-negative bioenergy if the biochar is sequestered in soil, where it can improve fertility and thus simultaneously address issues of food security, soil degradation, energy production, and climate change. However, increasing biochar production entails a reduction in bioenergy obtainable per unit biomass feedstock. Quantification of this trade-off for specific biochar–biofuel pathways has been hampered by lack of an accurate-yet-simple model for predicting yields, product compositions, and energy balances from biomass slow pyrolysis. An empirical model of biomass slow pyrolysis was developed and applied to several pathways for biochar coproduction with gaseous and liquid biofuels. Here, we show that biochar production reduces liquid biofuel yield by at least 21 GJ Mg–1 C (biofuel energy sacrificed per unit mass of biochar C), with methanol synthesis giving this lowest energy penalty. For gaseous-b...
Innate immune DNA sensing pathways

How the cells triggers the induction of innate immune genes in response to nucleic acids derived from microbes, such as DNA viruses, intracellular bacteria, and parasites, or self DNA, has not been elucidated fully. We have previously shown that an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated multiple transmembrane protein, so-called STING (stimulator of interferon genes), functions as an essential molecules for triggering DNA-mediated gene induction. STING may directly associate with stimulatory ligands, which include DNA, as well as with cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs), which are secreted by intracellular bacteria. After DNA or CDN stimulation, STING traffics with kinase TBK1 in an autophagic signaling complex, from ER to perinuclear endosomal compartments harboring IRF3 and NF-κB. STING may involve in autoinflammatory disease manifested by aberrant self-DNA. Understanding of STING function may conceivably lead to the development of potent adjuvants for vaccine development or conversely therapeutics that could control inflammation aggravated disease.
Power to the people or regulatory ratcheting? Explaining the success (or failure) of attempts to site commercial US nuclear power plants: 1954–1996

Between 1954 and 1996, more than 200 nuclear power projects were publicly announced in the USA. Barely half of these projects were completed and generated power commercially. Existing research has highlighted a number of potential explanations for the varying siting outcomes of these projects, including contentious political protest, socioeconomic, and political conditions within potential host communities, regulatory changes (‘ratcheting’), and cost overruns. However, questions remain about which of these factors, if any, had an impact on these outcomes. This article uses a new data set of 228 host communities where siting was attempted to illuminate the factors that led projects towards either completion or cancellation. Controlling for factors highlighted by past studies, we find that regulatory and reactor-specific factors best predict the outcomes of attempts to site nuclear reactors over this time period. These findings have important implications in the postFukushima ‘nuclear renaissance’ era when many still hope to revitalize the nuclear industry in the USA.
Postdischarge Feeding Interactions and Neurodevelopmental Outcome at 1-Year Corrected Gestational Age

Objective To determine the extent to which postdischarge feeding behaviors and interactions among caregiver-preterm infant dyads are associated with infant neurodevelopment at 1-year corrected gestational age (CGA). Study design We studied 119 preterm infants born Results Mean ± SD gestational age was 29.6 ± 2.4 weeks, and birth weight was 1260 ± 320 g. After adjustment for maternal and infant demographics, gestational age at birth, discharge and birth weight, mode of infant feeding, and caregiver type during the postdischarge NCAFS assessment, overall NCAFS scores were positively associated with higher 1-year CGA Bayley mental developmental index (MDI) scores (for each 1 SD increase in overall NCAFS score, MDI increased by 2.8 [95% CI 0.7, 4.9] points). Among individual NCAFS domains, strongest effects were seen for caregiver responsiveness to infant distress, such that, compared with dyads having domain scores of 11 (highest possible score), the adjusted mean difference in MDI was 8.3 points (95% CI −15.2, −1.4) lower among dyads with scores Conclusions Caregiver-preterm infant feeding interaction and caregiver responsiveness to preterm infant feeding distress were associated with preterm infant Bayley MDI at 1-year CGA. Caregiver-infant feeding interaction may represent a modifiable factor to improve the neurodevelopment of at-risk preterm infants.
Hand-foot-mouth Disease in Shawan District,2008-2011

Objective To analyze the epidemic characters of hand-foot-mouth disease in Shawan district,so as to provide basis for pertinent prevention and control measures.Methods A descriptive epidemiological method was applied with Excel 2003.Results Totally 345 cases were reported,and the average incidence rate of hand-foot-mouth disease in Shawan county town from 2008 to 2011 was 45.74/105,in which the disease rate ranked highest in 2009 with 142 cases(75.24/105),41.16% of total 4 years' cases.The main population gathered from 1 to 4 years old children in kindergarten and from those live scattered,accounted for 86.15%(303 cases).The male to female ratio was 1.45∶1.Epidemic virus was mostly EV71 and prevalent in urban area,the time distribution was double peaked from June to July.Conclusion The incidence of hand-foot-mouth disease in Shawan district increased from 2008 to 2011.
Die adrenergischen Receptoren der extraoculären Muskeln des Kaninchens, der Katze und des Rhesusaffen. II

Durch Untersuchen der in vitro-Wirkung von 3 Catecholaminen (l-Epinephrin, l-Norepinephrin und l-Isoproterenol) und 4 adrenergischen Blockern (Dichloroisoproterenol, Alderlin, Tolazolin, Phenoxybenzamin) auf die extraocularen Muskeln des Kaninchens, der Katze und des Rhesusaffen werden unter identischen Versuchsbedingungen adrenotrope Receptoren in den auseren Augenmuskeln dieser Saugetiere nachgewiesen und in α- und β-Typen eingeteilt. Innerhalb derselben Species ist das Verteilungsmuster der α- und β-Typen konstant, nicht jedoch zwischen den 3 Species: in den auseren Augenmuskeln des Kaninchens und der Katze finden sich α- und β-adrenotrope Receptoren, wobei beim Kaninchen die adrenotropen Receptoren vom α-Typ, bei der Katze diejenigen vom β-Typ uberwiegen. In den extraocularen Muskeln des Rhesusaffen werden ausschlieslich adrenergische Receptoren vom β-Typ gefunden.
Chapter 49 – Salvage Cryoablation of the Prostate

This chapter reviews the various techniques and outcomes for patients undergoing salvage cryoablation. Cryosurgery has been used for the treatment of many benign and malignant conditions. Current cryoablation of the prostate continues to be performed using the transrectal ultrasound imaging of the prostate (TRUS) technique, and the formation of ice at the tips of the small cryoprobes, use of thermocouple devices, and a urethral warming device have led to a dramatic decline in the morbidity of cryosurgery. There is sufficient evidence both from the laboratory and clinical studies that cryoablation destroys cancer cells. Current data on salvage cryotherapy indicate that this therapy can impact local tumor control and possibly prevent progression of the disease. The data support the role of cryotherapy as a viable option in the management of patients who have biopsy-proven local failure following radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Further refinements in technique and equipment may enhance cryosurgical results.
Intracavity spectral shaping and chirp tailoring from hybrid modelocked external cavity semiconductor lasers

Compact, efficient sources of ultrashort, high repetition rate optical pulses are necessary for a variety of commercial applications. Previously, we have demonstrated the potential for shaping the intracavity modelocked spectrum of external cavity hybrid modelocked semiconductor diode lasers [1].
Classifying Magnetic Resonance Spectra of Brain Neoplasms Using Fuzzy and Robust Gold Standard Adjustments

Magnetic resonance spectra are often difficult to analyze due to their complex nature and the presence of noise. Many preprocessing methods exist that transform the original input data in order to eliminate or diminish the effects of noise and/or reduce the dimensionality of the input space. Unfortunately, culling diagnostic information is further exasperated by the fact that the reference test or “gold” standard, against which a new and possibly imperfect magnetic resonance diagnostic test is measured, may itself be imprecise or even unreliable. However, little work has been done to investigate a methodology whereby the possible imprecision of a well-established but tarnished gold standard may be addressed while at the same time maintaining its vital discriminatory power.
Semiprimitive Rings, Semiprime Rings, and the Nil Radical

A ring R is semiprime (semiprimitive) if and only the intersection of the prime (primitive) ideals is zero. Then, R is a subdirect product of prime (primitive) rings 26.6 and 26.13. The (McCoy) prime radical of a ring is defined to be the intersection of the prime ideals, and is characterized as the set of all strongly nilpotent elements of R (theorem of Levitzki 26.5). When R is commutative, this is just the set of nilpotent elements.
Acyl carrier protein from Mycobacterium phlei.

Abstract A heat-stable, 4′-phosphopantetheine-containing protein has been isolated in pure form from extracts of Mycobacterium phlei . The material has a molecular weight of 10,600 and properties similar to the acyl carrier proteins (ACP) 2 isolated from other bacterial sources.
Living Conditions and Psychological Distress in Latino Migrant Day Laborers: The Role of Cultural and Community Protective Factors

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between typically difficult living conditions and psychological distress in Latino migrant day laborers (LMDLs), with attention to the potentially protective roles of contact with family in country of origin (i.e., communication, sending money, etc.), availability of local culture (i.e., food, music, people from one's country of origin), and utilization of community resources perceived to be culturally competent (i.e., services that are respectful, able to serve Latinos, able to solve problems, in Spanish, etc.). Participants were 344 LMDLs surveyed in the San Francisco Bay Area. As hypothesized: (a) difficult living conditions were related to depression, anxiety, and desesperacion [desperation], the latter a popular Latino idiom of psychological distress recently validated on LMDLs; (b) contact with family moderated the relation between difficult living conditions and depression and desesperacion but not anxiety and (c) access to local culture, and utilization of community resources, mediated the relation between difficult living conditions and depression and desesperacion but not anxiety. Implications for intervening at local and larger levels in order to provide some protection against distress built into the LMDL experience in the United States are discussed.
Genetically Encoded 2-Aryl-5-carboxytetrazoles for Site-Selective Protein Photo-Cross-Linking

The genetically encoded photo-cross-linkers promise to offer a temporally controlled tool to map transient and dynamic protein–protein interaction complexes in living cells. Here we report the synthesis of a panel of 2-aryl-5-carboxytetrazole-lysine analogs (ACTKs) and their site-specific incorporation into proteins via amber codon suppression in Escherichia coli and mammalian cells. Among five ACTKs investigated, N-methylpyrroletetrazole-lysine (mPyTK) was found to give robust and site-selective photo-cross-linking reactivity in E. coli when placed at an appropriate site at the protein interaction interface. A comparison study indicated that mPyTK exhibits higher photo-cross-linking efficiency than a diazirine-based photo-cross-linker, AbK, when placed at the same location of the interaction interface in vitro. When mPyTK was introduced into the adapter protein Grb2, it enabled the photocapture of EGFR in a stimulus-dependent manner. The design of mPyTK along with the identification of its cognate aminoa...
Experimental Study of Flow past a Warped Transition

AbstractIrrigation networks use a warped transition to connect a narrow rectangular channel section with a relatively wide trapezoidal earth-channel section. The flow through the transition often s...
Non-Stationary Bayesian Learning for Global Sustainability

An increasingly warming planet calls for widespread use of sustainable energy sources like solar energy. To meet the rising energy demand, the focus of state-of-the-art solar energy models on local predictions is no longer sufficient as it only leads to local optimization of solar resources. Hence, a new class of models is needed that can provide a global response towards sustainability. In this paper, therefore, we propose a new approach that models cloud movement as a multilayer network and then performs parameter learning on it to generate short-term predictions of cloud fraction/solar irradiance simultaneously at a large number of locations. These learned parameters capture the spatio-temporal interdependencies of solar energy which can allow power-grid operators and policy-makers at different locations to know who impacts the solar energy of whom. Our results indicate a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 8-18% in one-hour cloud fraction prediction. Finally, using our network approach, we show that the cloud movement likely follows a power law distribution, an important domain knowledge discovery that may be useful for future models. A major consequence of our approach is that it can enable power-grid operators/policy-makers to see beyond the local boundaries of their respective geographical locations.
A 1.9–2.6GHz filter with both bandpass-to-bandstop reconfigurable function and bandpass-and-bandstop cascading function

In this paper, a novel tunable filter with multiple tuning functions is proposed. The filter can be used as a 4'h-order bandpass-to-bandstop reconfigurable filter for passband or stopband tuning, and also as a 2nd-order bandpass filter cascaded by a 2nd-order bandstop filter for passband tuning with controllable transmission zeroes. In each mode, both the frequency and bandwidth can be controlled within a wide range, demonstrating excellent tuning flexibility and capabilities. The filter topology is expected to find applications in modern wireless standards such as carrier aggregation and cognitive radios.
Overcoming cisplatin-resistance of breast cancer in mice by co-administering cisplatin and anti-phosphatidylserine antibody, 3G4

2123 Drug-resistance continues to be one of the greatest barriers to the successful treatment of cancer with chemotherapeutic drugs. A new strategy to combat drug resistance is to attack the genetically stable tumor endothelial cells rather than the tumor cells themselves. This has been achieved using chemotherapeutic drugs metronomically or combining chemotherapeutic drugs with anti-angiogenic agents. We have recently reported that anti-phosphatidylserine (PS) antibody, 3G4, can specifically localize to and destroy tumor vasculature, markedly suppress tumor growth in multiple tumor models. We report here that 3G4 in combination with cisplatin significantly suppresses the growth of cisplatin-resistant variant of MDA-MB-231 human breast tumors in mice. Tumors were grown orthotopically in the mammary fat pad of nude mice. Animals were treated i.p. twice a week with 2aG4 or control antibody C44 (100 ug), Cisplatin (2 mg/kg) or 2aG4 plus cisplatin. Fifty percent survival time was 105 days in the combination treated group, as compared with 50 days, 56 days and 60 days for control, 2aG4 and cisplatin treated groups, respectively. The combination group was significantly better (p
Exploring Cultural Competency Within the Public Affairs Curriculum

With the increasingly changing demographics of the U. S. population, increased opportunities for an effective public sector arise. The opportunities can be found in new and innovative approaches to...
Disposition and Metabolism of Malachite Green and Other Therapeutic Dyes in Fish

The triphenylmethane dye malachite green has been used in aquaculture worldwide for treatment of parasitic and fungal infections in fish and shellfish. Other dyes (i.e., acriflavine, methylene blue) exhibit similar antimicrobial properties and are widely marketed for treatment of external infections in ornamental fish. None of these compounds are regulated for use in food fish production in the United States. Concern about the health risks associated with drug residues in aquaculture products prompted our studies of the uptake, metabolism, and elimination of selected dyes in the channel catfish. Malachite green was the primary focus because of its toxicological properties and long history of use in aquaculture. Analytical methods were developed for the determination of parent compound and metabolites in fish tissues. Distribution and persistence of residues in the tissues, including edible flesh, were characterized. This chapter summarizes current knowledge of the disposition and metabolism of malachite green and other therapeutic dyes in aquatic species.
Vascular Transformation of Lymph Node Sinuses

Vascular transformation of lymph node sinuses (VTS) is a benign vasoproliferative lesion in which lymph node sinuses become converted to anastomosing endothelial-lined channels. Vascular transformation of sinuses is typically identified incidentally in lymph nodes excised for cancer staging. The lesion is believed to arise secondary to occlusion of efferent lymphatics and/or sluggish venous blood flow due to thrombotic obstruction, heart failure, or other conditions leading to venous stasis. Vasogenic stimuli secreted by regional neoplasms are also believed to play a role in the development of the lesion. Vascular transformation of sinuses most commonly affects intra-abdominal lymph nodes. Other lymph node groups can be involved and, in order of frequency, include nodes in the axillary, inguinal, cervical, supraclavicular, and mediastinal regions.
The Changing Role of Evaluation in Commercial ADR

This piece describes how processes of non-binding dispute resolution in civil cases changed over the past twenty-five years from heavy reliance on court-like evaluative processes such as advisory arbitration and mini-trials, and toward much greater use of facilitative mediation. The article argues that commercial mediation has evolved into a mixed form of facilitation and evaluation, and that in current practice “evaluation” consists of a spectrum of mediator interventions, ranging from “reality testing” questions to hard, global opinions about case value. The content of evaluations has also changed; they are no longer limited to the legal merits and more often consist of the neutral’s assessment of party attitudes and the bargaining situation.
Comparison of simultaneous static standing balance data on a pressure mat and force plate in typical children and in children with cerebral palsy.

Abstract Background Balance testing is an important component in treatment planning and outcome assessment for children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Objective measurement for static standing balance is typically conducted in motion labs utilizing force plates; however, a plantar pressure mat may prove to be a viable alternative for this type of balance assessment. Methods This study examined static standing balance simultaneously on a force plate and a plantar pressure mat in 30 typically developing (TD) and 30 children with CP to determine if valid measures of static standing balance could be obtained in children with CP using a pressure mat. Results Examination of the data provided evidence that reliable and valid measures of static standing balance can be produced with a plantar pressure mat for both groups. Five variables out of the 21 variables examined were found to be reliable and valid on both devices (pressure mat and force plate) for both subgroups (TD and CP). The variables medial/lateral (ML) average radial displacement, range moved-ML, anterior/posterior average velocity, ellipse area, and area per second were found to have high test-retest reliability (ICC > .6) and possess discriminant validity between the subgroups (TD vs. CP). Additionally, the ellipse area and area per second variables also had the ability to discriminate between GMFCS levels. A normative center of pressure (CoP) balance data set using all 21 variables was also established for typically developing children for both devices (pressure mat and force plate) within this study. Significance The ability to utilize a portable plantar pressure mat for quick and reliable standing balance measurement allows for expanded ability to capture objective data in a variety of settings thereby increasing opportunity for outcomes analysis.
Identifying and Resolving End of Session Cues in Substance Detection Canine Training

When training and working a substance detection canine, a trained final response should be performed immediately upon recognition of odor (Generally, a 1-3 s window is preferred within our detection practices). Typical canine training places much emphasis on planning and setting up training scenarios to achieve specific objectives but not much consideration is given to how to end a training session. When the canine fails to maintain criteria, trainers are left trying to determine the cause of poor performance. One consideration often overlooked is a phenomenon called End of Session Cueing that may exist in detection training whereby a previously trained canine no longer responds to odor because it has taken on aversive association. This may be due to several factors associated with motivation. The sequence of events at the end of a session can be as equally important to maintain motivation for the task of scent detection in future sessions. This paper will identify and examine multiple factors associated with "End of Session Cues" in working dogs, how they may be responsible for poor final response performance and discuss potential strategies to address them.
Methylglyoxal-derived post-translational arginine modifications are abundant histone marks

Histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) regulate chromatin dynamics, DNA accessibility, and transcription to expand the genetic code. Many of these PTMs are produced through cellular metabolism to offer both feedback and feedforward regulation. Here, we describe the existence of Lys and Arg modifications on histones by the glycolytic by-product, methylglyoxal (MGO). Our data demonstrate that adduction of histones by MGO is an abundant modification, present at the same order of magnitude as Arg methylation. These modifications were detected on all four core histones at critical residues involved in both nucleosome stability and reader domain binding. In addition, MGO treatment of cells lacking the major detoxifying enzyme, glyoxalase 1, results in a marked disruption in H2B acetylation and ubiquitylation, without affecting H2A, H3, and H4 modifications. Using RNA-Seq, we show that MGO is capable of altering gene transcription, most notably in cells lacking GLO1. Lastly, we show that the deglycase, DJ-1, protects histones from adduction by MGO. Collectively, we demonstrate the existence of a previously undetected histone modification derived from glycolysis, which may have far reaching implications on the control of gene expression and protein transcription linked to metabolism.
Tableaus and Dual Tableaus

In a sense, tableaus and dual tableaus are the same thing, just as tableaus and sequent calculi are the same thing. There are mathematical ideas, and there are presentations of them. For applications, representing linear operators as matrices is wonderfully helpful, but for proving results about linear operators a more abstract approach is simpler and clearer. The form of mathematical structures matters psychologically for people, though perhaps it matters little to the god of mathematics who kept Paul Erdős’s book of proofs. Tableaus work towards an obvious contradiction, dual tableaus work towards an obvious truth. Which is best? Who asks the question? That determines the answer. Here we examine the basics of tableaus and dual tableaus and their connections, looking only at the most fundamental of logics. That should be enough to make the general ideas plain.
SISTER: Starshade Imaging Simulation Toolkit for Exoplanet Reconnaissance (Conference Presentation)

We have developed a suite of software forming an end-to-end starshade imaging tool that produces images of an arbitrary user-defined exoplanetary system and background as observed by a starshade and a telescope. The starshade imaging characteristics include both the diffraction from an ideal or perturbed starshade as well as solar glint from the starshade edges, the largest source of local instrument scatter. The telescope model assumes an ideal telescope with a user-defined obscured pupil (e.g. secondary obstruction and struts). It incorporates a vanilla detector model with read noise and dark current. Finally, the astrophysics scenario incorporates Keplerian orbits, phase angles, geometric albedo, different atmospheric scattering/absorption laws, any kind of host star (by default the user can choose among any of the +10,000 stars from ExoCat) and a large variety of extragalactic background fields (galaxies, Quasars). Exodust emission is accurate for a solar system and flexible for an arbitrary user-defined profile. As a result, it can virtually build a large variety of extra-solar systems with an arbitrary number of exoplanets of multiple types and any host star, adding an optional background field, to obtain a series of images throughout the proposed mission. Proper motion and parallax are also taken into account when background fields are added to the simulated images. There are default systems, like the Solar System at any distance from us. We have employed the tool to support WFIRST-S, HabEx, and other mission probe studies and ground telescope concepts.
Deep Learning Enable Diagnostics and Prognostics of Machine Health Condition

This paper presents an overview of the first author’s research being conducted and future research plans for the rest of PhD career. The content of this paper was presented at the PHM 2019 Doctoral Symposium, which was a part of the program at the 11th Annual Conference of the Prognostic and Health Management Society held in Scottsdale, Arizona from September 21-26, 2019. The paper covers the development and application of data-driven approaches to machine health management.
Reliability of selected swimming endurance tests for laboratory rats.

Abstract Endurance testing of small animals has been evident in the physical education literature in recent years (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). Probably there will be an increase in the use of the laboratory rat in exercise testing, as the animal lends itself well to experimentations involving the effects of exercise during the formative periods on the adult, the effects of exercise on food consumption or voluntary exercise, the effects of radiation on endurance, and environmental effects on exercise. It is felt that standard methods of endurance testing with the laboratory rat should be developed to aid the investigator undertaking a study using the rat as an experimental animal. This study was an attempt to determine the reliability of some of the better known methods of measuring the swimming endurance of the laboratory rat. One of the following four tests was given to each group of 20 albino rats, trained for 5 weeks with a swimming regimen which progressed until each animal could swim for a period of 2 h...
Imaging Pulmonary Drug Delivery

This chapter focuses on the current practices of gamma imaging for the ­purposes of quantification of lung deposition or lung dose of inhaled therapeutics. The chapter reviews the various methodologies required for a viable imaging study. Specifically, a brief background on gamma imaging, radiolabeling method development and validation, dose administration, image acquisition, and image analysis is presented.
Pediatric hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a syndrome describing patients with severe systemic hyperinflammation. Characteristic features include unremitting fever, cytopenias, hepatosplenomegaly, and elevation of typical HLH biomarkers. Patients can develop hepatitis, coagulopathy, liver failure, central nervous system involvement, multiorgan failure, and other manifestations. The syndrome has a high mortality rate. More and more, it is recognized that while HLH can be appropriately used as a broad summary diagnosis, many pediatric patients actually suffer from an expanding spectrum of genetic diseases that can be complicated by the syndrome of HLH. Classic genetic diseases in which HLH is a typical and common manifestation include pathogenic changes in familial HLH genes (PRF1, UNC13D, STXBP2, and STX11), several granule/pigment abnormality genes (RAB27A, LYST, and AP3B1), X-linked lymphoproliferative disease genes (SH2D1A and XIAP), and others such as NLRC4, CDC42, and the Epstein-Barr virus susceptibility diseases. There are many other genetic diseases in which HLH is an infrequent complication of the disorder as opposed to a prominent manifestation of the disease caused directly by the genetic defect, including other primary immune deficiencies and inborn errors of metabolism. HLH can also occur in patients with underlying rheumatologic or autoinflammatory disorders and is usually designated macrophage activation syndrome in those settings. Additionally, HLH can develop in patients during infections or malignancies without a known (or as-yet-identified) genetic predisposition. This article will attempt to summarize current concepts in the pediatric HLH field as well as offer a practical diagnostic and treatment overview.
An Experimental Investigation of Multi-Hop V2V Communication Delays using WSMP

Even though there is an ongoing push by the U.S. government to adopt the Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) technology for intelligent transportation systems (ITS) applications, there is not sufficient real-world experimental data available that testifies the reliability of this technology when multi-hop communication is taken into consideration. The current protocol standards for DSRC, as defined by IEEE 1609.3, is purposefully not designed to provide support for multi-hop communication using WAVE short message protocol (WSMP). Instead, the WAVE protocol stack provides an alternate option for multi-hop communication using IP-based communication. However, most off-the-shelf DSRC devices only support WSMP-based broadcasts. Hence, the routing and forwarding services on WSMP are unavailable. Our current research attempts to implement the multi-hop forwarding services on top of WSMP as a cross-layer implementation. In this paper, we examined the challenges and performances of multi-hop vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication in terms of packet drop rate and intra-nodal forwarding delay. Field experimental results with three vehicles show that nodal processing delays within the relay node consistently range from approximately 1 to 5.6 milliseconds. Our results further illustrate the effect of line-of-sight and inter-nodal distances on packet transmission success.
Electric Field Calculations in non-uniform Geometry Part-I-Field simulation of Needle Plane Gap.

Rod-Plane gaps are used extensively in studying the effect of surface discharges on aging of nanofilled polymers and the resulting changes in remnant breakdown strength based on the content and type of filler. Hence it is of interest how the electric field in the gap varies especially in the presence of dielectric films. The overarching goal of these two papers is to find the electric field distribution in the gap using a Boundary Element Based software in presence of a dielectric barrier. In this paper (Part-I), a needle-plane gap, which produces divergent electric fields near the tip of the needle is investigated to benchmark the performance of the software. Once the results obtained here are satisfactory and realistic, in the next step (Part-II), rod-plane gap is simulated by the software by varying different parameters such as gap length, position of the barrier in the gap and applied voltages.
Before Columbus: Women in Indigenous America and Africa

Aztec birth ritual: “Thou wilt be in the heart of the home, thou wilt go nowhere, thou wilt nowhere become a wanderer, thou becomest the banked fire, the hearth stones. Here our lord planteth thee, burieth thee. And thou wilt become fatigued, thou wilt become tired; thou art to provide water, to grind maize, to drudge; thou art of sweat by the ashes, by the hearth.” Andean burial ritual: “The women have their spindles and skeins of spun cottons, the men their tacllas or hoes to work the fields, or the weapons they used in war.” [Among the Bijago] the women build the houses and work in the fields, and they fish and gather shellfish, doing all that men do elsewhere. The Iberian experience in the New World put the Spanish and Portuguese into immediate and intimate contact with peoples from two very different cultures: the indigenous inhabitants of America and Africans transported to the region as slaves. Although historians have examined the dynamics and results of the meeting of these three groups, few have considered the role of women in the Americas or Africa before these peoples were subjected to Iberian control. Although Indians had inhabited America for thousands of years before the arrival of the Spaniards and Portuguese, we know very little about women in those earlier Indian societies. A multitude of Indian cultures had risen and fallen before 1492, ranging from hunting-and-gathering peoples to builders of sophisticated city-states. Because of the geographical proximity of some of these peoples, it was not unusual for one culture to borrow, adapt, or be subjected to the cultural and religious practices of a nearby people.
Set size effects on working memory precision are not due to an averaging of slots

Visual working memory is often characterized as a discrete system, where an item is either stored in memory or it is lost completely. As this theory predicts, increasing memory load primarily affects the probability that an item is in memory. However, the precision of items successfully stored in memory also decreases with memory load. The prominent explanation for this effect is the "slots-plus-averaging" model, which proposes that an item can be stored in replicate across multiple memory slots. Here, however, precision declined with set size even in iconic memory tasks that did not require working memory storage, ruling out such storage accounts. Moreover, whereas the slots-plus-averaging model predicts that precision effects should plateau at working memory capacity limits, precision continued to decline well beyond these limits in an iconic memory task, where the number of items available at test was far greater than working memory capacity. Precision also declined in tasks that did not require study items to be encoded simultaneously, ruling out perceptual limitations as the cause of set size effects on memory precision. Taken together, these results imply that set size effects on working memory precision do not stem from working memory storage processes, such as an averaging of slots, and are not due to perceptual limitations. This rejection of the prominent slots-plus-averaging model has implications for how contemporary models of discrete capacities theories can be improved, and how they might be rejected.
Past, Present, and Future of Affinity-based Cell Separation Technologies

Progress in cell purification technology is critical to increase the availability of viable cells for therapeutic, diagnostic, and research applications. A variety of techniques are now available for cell separation, ranging from non-affinity methods such as density gradient centrifugation, dielectrophoresis, and filtration, to affinity methods such as chromatography, two-phase partitioning, and magnetic-/fluorescence-assisted cell sorting. For clinical and analytical procedures that require highly purified cells, the choice of cell purification method is crucial, since every method offers a different balance between yield, purity, and bioactivity of the cell product. For most applications, the requisite purity is only achievable through affinity methods, owing to the high target specificity that they grant. In this review, we discuss past and current methods for developing cell-targeting affinity ligands and their application in cell purification, along with the benefits and challenges associated with different purification formats. We further present new technologies, like stimuli-responsive ligands and parallelized microfluidic devices, towards improving the viability and throughput of cell products for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Our comparative analysis provides guidance in the multifarious landscape of cell separation techniques and highlights new technologies that are poised to play a key role in the future of cell purification in clinical settings and the biotech industry. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Technologies for cell purification have served science, medicine, and industrial biotechnology and biomanufacturing for decades. This review presents a comprehensive survey of this field by highlighting the scope and relevance of all known methods for cell isolation, old and new alike. The first section covers the main classes of target cells and compares traditional non-affinity and affinity-based purification techniques, focusing on established ligands and chromatographic formats. The second section presents an excursus of affinity-based pseudo-chromatographic and non-chromatographic technologies, especially focusing on magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Finally, the third section presents an overview of new technologies and emerging trends, highlighting how the progress in chemical, material, and microfluidic sciences has opened new exciting avenues towards high-throughput and high-purity cell isolation processes. This review is designed to guide scientists and engineers in their choice of suitable cell purification techniques for research or bioprocessing needs.
Residual breast tissue after robot-assisted nipple sparing mastectomy

Abstract Introduction While the long-term oncologic safety of robot-assisted nipple sparing mastectomy (RNSM) remains to be elucidated, histologically detected residual breast tissue (RBT) can be a surrogate for oncologically sound mastectomy. The objective of this study is to determine the presence of RBT after RNSM. Methods Between August 2019–January 2020, we completed 5 cadaveric RNSMs. Full thickness biopsies from the mastectomy skin flap were obtained from predefined locations radially around the mastectomy skin envelop and nipple areolar complex to histologically evaluate for RBT. Results The first case was not technically feasible due to inability to obtain adequate insufflation. Five mastectomy flaps were analyzable. The average mastectomy flap thickness was 2.3 mm (range 2–3 mm) and the average specimen weight was 382.72 g (range 146.9–558.3 g). Of 70 total biopsies, RBT was detected in 11 (15.7%) biopsies. Most common location for RBT was in the nipple-areolar complex, with no RBT detected from the peripheral skin flaps. Conclusions In this cadaveric study, RNSM is feasible leaving minimal RBT on the mastectomy flap. The most common location for RBT is in the periareolar location consistent with previous published findings after open NSM. Clinical studies are underway to evaluate the safety of RNSM.
A Deep Learning Approach for Fault Detection and Diagnosis of Industrial Processes using Quantum Computing

Quantum computing and deep learning methods hold great promise to open up a new era of computing and have been receiving significant attention recently. This paper presents quantum computing (QC) based deep learning methods for fault diagnosis that are capable of overcoming the computational challenges faced by conventional techniques performed on classical computers. The shortcomings of such classical data-driven techniques are addressed by the proposed QC-based fault diagnosis model. A quantum computing assisted generative training process followed by supervised discriminative training is used to train this model. The applicability of proposed model and methods is demonstrated by applying them to process monitoring of Tennessee Eastman (TE) process. The proposed QC-based deep learning approach enjoys superior performance with an average fault diagnosis rate of 80% and tremendously low false alarm rates for the TE process.
Microscopic examination of spatial transcriptome using Seq-Scope

Summary Spatial barcoding technologies have the potential to reveal histological details of transcriptomic profiles; however, they are currently limited by their low resolution. Here, we report Seq-Scope, a spatial barcoding technology with a resolution comparable to an optical microscope. Seq-Scope is based on a solid-phase amplification of randomly barcoded single-molecule oligonucleotides using an Illumina sequencing platform. The resulting clusters annotated with spatial coordinates are processed to expose RNA-capture moiety. These RNA-capturing barcoded clusters define the pixels of Seq-Scope that are ∼0.5–0.8 μm apart from each other. From tissue sections, Seq-Scope visualizes spatial transcriptome heterogeneity at multiple histological scales, including tissue zonation according to the portal-central (liver), crypt-surface (colon) and inflammation-fibrosis (injured liver) axes, cellular components including single-cell types and subtypes, and subcellular architectures of nucleus and cytoplasm. Seq-Scope is quick, straightforward, precise, and easy-to-implement and makes spatial single-cell analysis accessible to a wide group of biomedical researchers.
Protecting online information sharing in peer‐to‐peer (P2P) networks: A proposal for a P2P network security pricing model

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a P2P network security pricing model that promotes more secure online information sharing in P2P networks through the creation of networks with increased resistance to malicious code propagation. Online information sharing is at an all‐time high partly due to the recent growth in, and use of, online peer‐to‐peer (P2P) networks.Design/methodology/approach – The model integrates current research findings in incentive compatible network pricing with recent developments in complex network theory. File download prices in P2P networks are linked to network security using a graph theory measurement called the Pearson coefficient. The Pearson coefficient indicates a structural dimension of scale‐free networks (scale‐free networks like the internet) called preferential attachment. Preferential attachment refers to the network property where the probability for a node to connect to a new node is greater if the new node already has a high number of connections.Findin...