cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scalable stochastic processors

Future microprocessors increasingly rely on an unreliable CMOS fabric due to aggressive scaling of voltage and frequency, and shrinking design margins. Fortunately, many emerging applications can tolerate computational errors caused by hardware unreliabilities, at least during certain execution intervals. In this paper, we propose scalable stochastic processors, a computing platform for error-tolerant applications that is able to scale gracefully according to performance demands and power constraints while producing outputs that are, in the worst case, stochastically correct. Scalability is achieved by exposing to the application layer multiple functional units that differ in their architecture but share functionality. A mobile video encoding application here is able to achieve the lowest power consumption at any bitrate demand by dynamically switching between functional-unit architectures.
Design of nitride semiconductors for solar energy conversion

Nitride semiconductors are a promising class of materials for solar energy conversion applications, such as photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical cells. Nitrides can have better solar absorption and electrical transport properties than the more widely studied oxides, as well as the potential for better scalability than other pnictides or chalcogenides. In addition, nitrides are also relatively unexplored compared to other chemistries, so they provide a great opportunity for new materials discovery. This paper reviews the recent advances in the design of novel semiconducting nitrides for solar energy conversion technologies. Both binary and multinary nitrides are discussed, with a range of metal chemistries (Cu3N, ZnSnN2, Sn3N4, etc.) and crystal structures (delafossite, perovskite, spinel, etc.), including a brief overview of wurtzite III-N materials and devices. The current scientific challenges and promising future directions in the field are also highlighted.
Comedy meets media: how three new media features have influenced changes in the production of stand-up comedy

This paper describes the ways in which overarching changes to media and the dissemination of information have impacted stand-up comedy as an industry. The three main areas of intersection between comedy and media examined here are: prosumer production, transmedia journalism and culture jamming. The first parallel drawn is to the shift in journalistic sources from large, ‘legacy media’ channels such as newspapers and daily news to multiple amateur writers reporting via personal blogs and other open source platforms. Similarly, amateur consumers have begun producing and self-publishing comedic material using YouTube and other accessible means of communication, which has impacted the professional livelihood of stand-up comedians. The second comparison is to transmedia journalism, or the telling of one story across multiple media mediums; comedians are asked to perform across multiple media as transmedia communication becomes more normative. Finally, comedians are presented as doing the playful, parody-based ...
Method for analyzing passive silicon carbide thermometry with a continuous dilatometer to determine irradiation temperature

Abstract Silicon carbide is used as a passive post-irradiation temperature monitor because the irradiation defects will anneal out above the irradiation temperature. The irradiation temperature is determined by measuring a property change after isochronal annealing, i.e., lattice spacing, dimensions, electrical resistivity, thermal diffusivity, or bulk density. However, such methods are time-consuming since the steps involved must be performed in a serial manner. This work presents the use of thermal expansion from continuous dilatometry to calculate the SiC irradiation temperature, which is an automated process requiring minimal setup time. Analysis software was written that performs the calculations to obtain the irradiation temperature and removes possible user-introduced error while standardizing the analysis. This method has been compared to an electrical resistivity and isochronal annealing investigation, and the results revealed agreement of the calculated temperatures. These results show that dilatometry is a reliable and less time-intensive process for determining irradiation temperature from passive SiC thermometry.
Theorizing Black Women’s Politics in the Age of Obama

The political behavior of U.S. black women is both enabled and constrained by structural intersectionality. As political actors, black women have persevered, resisted, challenged, and excelled despite constellations of power and privilege that work to silence their voices and render them politically invisible. This panel centers black women as political actors by detailing their agency in state legislatures, urban politics, presidential campaigns, and local movements for social justice in the last five years. Each paper illuminates how black women negotiate power and deploy identity to resist the intersecting effects of race, gender, class, and generation within and across distinctive kinds of political spaces. The papers featured on this panel describes the specific ways that African American women inhabit political power, and explores how their politics have shifted with the ascendancy of Barack and Michelle Obama, and the conservative backlash that coincided with their 2008 electoral victory. This transdisciplinary panel will feature papers that utilize a variety of methodological approaches including elite interviews, urban ethnography, discourse analysis, and participatory action research.
The Perfect Converb? Semantically-Related Functions of the Sinhala Conjunctive Participle

0. Introduction In recent years, the term ‘converb’ has increasingly been used to describe constructions with crosslinguistically comparable forms and functions which include nonfinite verbal affixation, dependency on a finite verb, clause linking, and the sequencing of events (Bickel 1998, Genetti 2005, Hasplemath and Konig 1995, Masica 1991). Among such constructions, two broad areal categories have been suggested (Bickel 1998), European and Asian converbs, differing primarily with respect to the potential for what Bickel refers to as ‘narrative chaining:’ Asian converbs perform a clause chaining function in addition to various types of modification, whereas the European type “does not include chaining functions but rather stands in a binary relation to the main verb.” One form potentially instantiative of the former category comes from the Indo-Aryan language Sinhala, namely the conjunctive participle. Examples include the following.
Identifying the Role of Attributions in Human Perceptions of Robots

To date, research into the potential impact of fundamental design attributes, such as material and color, on human-robot trust has been limited. This study addresses how a human’s perception of fundamental, basic design features (i.e., the robot’s physical appearance) may influence their attribution of anthropomorphic characteristics to the robot. Two experiments investigated the correlations between the color, texture, and material of a robot body and the perception of the robot’s internal characteristics (i.e. intelligence, friendliness, robustness, reliability, personality, and integrity), as well as its appropriate uses and tasks. Experiment 1 found correlations between participants’ basic attributions and fundamental design elements of the robot images. Experiment 2 evaluated combinations of significant correlational relationships from study 1 to determine which of competing characteristics would determine the participants’ attributions of the robots’ internal characteristics. These correlations have...
Analysis of western blot band patterns of HIV-1 antibody positive samples in Chaozhou region,Guangdong province

Objective To investigate the western blot(WB) band patterns of HIV positive people in Chaozhou region.Methods The 114 HIV-1 antibody positive samples from 2009 to 2013 were collected and the WB band patterns wereanalyzed. Results Among 114 samples,gp160 was expressed in 100% of the samples; gp120,gp41,p24,p66,p31 wereexpressed over in 90% of the samples; the p51,p17 and p55 were expressed in 85.96% of the samples,78.07% of the samplesand 53.51% of the samples,respectively. There was no statistical difference between the expression of different WB bands anddifferetn gender groups or among age groups(P0.05). Conclusion The positive rate of WB band patterns in Chaozhou region was different from data reported in other regions.
Apparent digestibility of amino acids in raw and heated conventional and low-trypsin-inhibitor soybeans for pigs.

An experiment was conducted with ileally cannulated pigs to determine the apparent digestibility of amino acids and N in raw or heated conventional or low-trypsin-inhibitor soybeans. Six littermate barrows initially averaging 24 kg were fed cornstarch-based diets (10.5% CP, .68% lysine, 3,558 kcal of ME/kg) supplemented with raw (unheated), conventional soybeans; raw, low-trypsin-inhibitor soybeans; heated, conventional soybeans; heated, low-trypsin-inhibitor soybeans; or solvent-extracted soybean meal. Heating was achieved by autoclaving soybeans (after grinding) for 20 min at 110 degrees C. The urease activities of the two raw soybean sources were similar, but the trypsin inhibitor activity of the raw, low-trypsin-inhibitor soybeans was about one-half that of the raw, conventional soybeans. The lower trypsin inhibitor activity of the raw, low-trypsin-inhibitor soybeans was associated with an improvement in the apparent digestibility of amino acids and N compared with the raw, conventional soybeans (P less than .05). Heating reduced the urease and trypsin inhibitor activities and improved (P less than .05) the apparent digestibility of amino acids and N in both types of soybeans. However, the heated, conventional soybeans contained more trypsin inhibitor activity than the heated, low-trypsin-inhibitor soybeans and the digestibilities of the amino acids were lower (P less than .05). Although the urease and trypsin inhibitor activities of the two heated soybean sources were similar to or less than those of soybean meal, the digestibilities of amino acids were not as great (P less than .05) in the heated soybeans as in soybean meal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Segregation and Component Distribution

Abstract This chapter focuses on segregation and component distribution encountered in Czochralski, Directional Solidification, and Zone Melting processes. We emphasize the benefits of forced convection, relative to natural convection, which is unavoidable, unsteady, and difficult to control. The effective segregation coefficient (keff) is presented as a function of the Nusselt number, for laminar or turbulent flows, buoyancy-induced and forced convection.
Constitutional and Public Policy Issues

Two critical Supreme Court cases decided in the early 1990s set forth a plethora of constitutional and policy issues that plague the application of contemporary hate crime statutes. In RAV v The City of St Paul Minnesota, the Court struck down the city ordinance that it deemed a violation of the principle of content neutrality. However, a year later, the Court in Wisconsin v Mitchell upheld the Wisconsin penalty enhancement discriminatory selection statue because it proscribed discriminatory conduct. The Wisconsin Court distinguished the statute in RAV that proscribed disfavored expression from the Wisconsin statute that proscribed disfavored conduct. These cases were decided on 1st and 14th amendment grounds that the statutes were content biased (RAV) and permissible as a compelling governmental objective as the court ruled against the petitioner’s 14th amendment due process challenge (Mitchell). However, constitutional scholars and opponents of hate crime statutes continue to challenge the efficacy of hate crime statutes on 1st and 14th amendment grounds and argue a series of unintended consequences undermine the statutes and polarize groups against one another.
Development and validation of a liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric method for the multiplexed quantification of etravirine, maraviroc, raltegravir, and rilpivirine in human plasma and tissue

Abstract Background Analytical methodologies for antiretroviral (ARV) quantification are important in determining both systemic and localized drug concentrations. The CCR5-antagonist maraviroc (MVC), the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) etravirine (ETV) and rilpivirine (RPV), as well as the integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) raltegravir (RAL), have all been evaluated using both oral and non-oral dosing regimens, demonstrating a need for dynamic and sensitive bioanalytical tools for drug quantification in plasma and tissue. Methods K 2 EDTA plasma or blank luminal tissue lysate were spiked with ETV, MVC, RAL, and RPV. Following the addition of isotopically-labeled internal standards and sample extraction via protein precipitation or solid phase extraction, respectively, samples were subjected to liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric (LC–MS/MS) analysis. Chromatographic separation was performed using a Waters BEH C8, 50 × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm particle size column, and detected on an API 5000 mass analyzer operated in selective reaction monitoring mode. The method was validated according to FDA Bioanalytical Method Validation guidelines. Results Analytical methods were optimized for the multiplexed monitoring of ETV, MVC, RAL, and RPV in plasma and homogenized tissue lysate. The lower limits of quantification (LLOQs) for ETV, RAL, and RPV were 1 ng/mL and the LLOQ for MVC was 0.1 ng/mL in plasma; the LLOQs for all ARVs in homogenized tissue lysate was 0.05 ng/sample. Standard curves were generated via weighted quadratic (plasma) or linear (tissue) regression of calibrators. Intra- and inter-assay precision and accuracy studies demonstrated %CVs ≤ 15.93% and %DEVs ≤ ± 13.52%, respectively. Stability and matrix effects studies, as well as external proficiency testing assessment, were also performed. All results were acceptable and in accordance with the guidelines recommended by the FDA, Guidance for Industry: Bioanalytical Method Validation document. Conclusions LC–MS/MS assays that are sensitive, specific, and dynamic have been developed and validated for the multiplexed quantification of ETV, MVC, RAL, and RPV in plasma and homogenized tissue lysate. The described methods meet sufficient throughput criteria to support large research trials.
Uncooled ultrasensitive broad-band solution-processed photodetectors(Conference Presentation)

Sensing from the ultraviolet (UV)-visible to infrared (IR) is critical to environmental monitoring and remote sensing, fibre-optic communication, day and night-time surveillance, and emerging medical imaging modalities. Today, separate sensors or materials are required for different sub-bands within the UV to IR wavelength range. In general, AlGaN, Si, InGaAs and PbS based photodetectors (PDs) are used for the four important sub-bands: 0.25 μm-0.4 μm (UV), 0.45 μm-0.8 μm (visible), 0.9 μm-1.7 μm (near IR), 1.5 μm-2.6 μm (middle IR), respectively. To obtain the desired sensitivity, these detectors must be operated at low temperatures (for example, at 4.2 K). Thus, a “breakthrough” technology would be enabled by a new class of PDs ---- PDs that do not require cooling to obtain high detectivity; PDs which are fabricated by solution-processing to enable low-cost multi-color, high quantum efficiency, high sensitivity and high speed response over this broad spectral range. The availability of such PDs for use at room temperature (RT) would offer new and important applications. In this presentation, we would like to share with you how we approach RT operated ultrasensitive broad-band solution-processed PDs. - By developing novel low bandgap semiconducting polymers, we are able to develop RT operated solution-processed polymers PDs with spectral response from 350 nm to 1450 nm, the detectivity over 1013 Jones and linear dynamic range over 100 dB; spectral response from 350 nm to 2500 nm, the detectivity over 1012 Jones; - By using low bandgap semiconducting polymers mixed with high electrical conductivity PbS quantum dots (QDs), inverted polymer hybrid PDs with spectral response from 300 nm to 25000 nm, the detectivity over 1013 Jones and linear dynamic range over 100 dB are realized; - By using novel perovskite hybrid materials incorporated with carbon nanotubes, novel n-type newly developed semiconducting polymers, we are able to realize RT operated solution-processed PDs with spectral response from 350 nm to 1400 nm, the detectivity over 1012 Jones and linear dynamic range approximatively 100 dB.
Flipping the Value Creation Model

AbstractTechnological innovation has enabled the reversing of the traditional marketer seeking customers through various forms of media and promotion to one where consumers are making their needs k...
Impact of Intrinsic Profiling Limitations on Effectiveness of Adaptive Optimizations

Many performance optimizations rely on or are enhanced by runtime profile information. However, both offline and online profiling techniques suffer from intrinsic and practical limitations that affect the quality of delivered profile data. The quality of profile data is its ability to accurately predict (relevant aspects of) future program behavior. While these limitations are known, their impact on the effectiveness of profile-guided optimizations, compared to the ideal performance, is not as well understood. We define ideal performance for adaptive optimizations as that achieved with a precise profile of future program behavior. In this work, we study and quantify the performance impact of fundamental profiling limitations by comparing the effectiveness of typical adaptive optimizations when using the best profiles generated by offline and online schemes against a baseline where the adaptive optimization is given access to profile information about the future execution of the program. We model and compare the behavior of three adaptive JVM optimizations—heap memory management using object usage profiles, code cache management using method usage profiles, and selective just-in-time compilation using method hotness profiles—for the Java DaCapo benchmarks. Our results provide insight into the advantages and drawbacks of current profiling strategies and shed light on directions for future profiling research.
Evaporation rate of particles in the vaporizer of the Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer

ABSTRACTWe present calculations for evaporation rates of particles collected on the vaporizer of the Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). These calculations provide insight on certain observed phenomena associated with the size-resolved mass spectrum (MS), because the time width of the MS signal from a particle can be limited by its evaporation rate upon contact with the vaporizer. We show that the counterintuitive weak dependence of observed MS signal widths (evaporation rates) on particle volatility is due to suppression of evaporation rates induced by latent heat release, which is more prominent at high volatilities. The same physics is responsible for the observed diminishing returns associated with increasing the vaporizer temperature to achieve narrower single particle pulses. We also show that the vaporizer typical operating temperature of 600°C is sufficient to evaporate extremely low volatility organic compounds (ELVOCs) rapidly enough to obtain reliable measurements for particles smaller th...
Acupuncture Therapy in a Group Setting for Chronic Pain

Objective This project was designed to test the feasibility and effectiveness of acupuncture therapy given in a group setting for chronic pain. Design Nonrandomized, repeated measures quasi-experimental trial. Setting Care was delivered in a primary care clinic waiting area after clinic hours. Subjects Included were primary care patients (≥18 years old) with chronic pain of the neck, back, shoulder, or osteoarthritis of any site of at least three months' duration. Methods Subjects received eight weekly acupuncture therapy sessions in a group setting. Acupuncture therapy included a combination of palpation, acupuncture needling, Tui na, Gua sha, and auricular treatment. Baseline pain levels were established in a two- to four-week run-in; assessment of the intervention impact on pain intensity, mood, and functional status were made at the end of the treatment period (eight weeks) and 16 weeks after completion of intervention (24 weeks). Results Of the total 113 participants recruited for the trial, 96 completed the 24-week protocol. We found a statistically and clinically significant decrease in pain severity, pain interference, and depression in our study population. There were no serious adverse events. Conclusions Acupuncture therapy offered in the group setting was effective in reducing pain severity, pain interference, and depression in patients with chronic neck, back, or shoulder pain or osteoarthritis. Benefit persisted through the 24-week measure despite no additional treatment. This finding has potentially important implications for improving access to effective acupuncture treatment for patients with limited financial resources.
Clinician-Friendly Physical Performance Tests for the Hip, Ankle, and Foot.

Reference: Hegedus EJ, McDonough SM, Bleakley C, Baxter D, Cook CE. Clinician-friendly lower extremity physical performance tests in athletes: a systematic review of measurement properties and correlation with injury. Part 2: the tests for the hip, thigh, foot, and ankle including the Star Excursion Balance Test. Br J Sports Med. 2015;49(10):649–656. Clinical Question: Do individual physical performance tests (PPTs) for the lower extremity have any relation to injury in athletes 12 years of age and older? Data Sources: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed to locate articles. Three databases were searched from inception to January 13, 2014: PubMed, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus. Search phrases were sport, athletics, athletes, and injuries combined with strength, power, endurance, agility, and function. Reference lists of all remaining articles and personal collections of the authors were then reviewed for any missing articles. Study Selection...
Dialysis facility staff perceptions of racial, gender, and age disparities in access to renal transplantation.

Racial/ethnic, gender, and age disparities in access to renal transplantation among end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients have been well documented, but few studies have explored health care staff attitudes towards these inequalities. Staff perceptions can influence patient care and outcomes, and identifying staff perceptions on disparities could aid in the development of potential interventions to address these health inequities. The objective of this study was to investigate dialysis staff (n = 509), primarily social workers and nurse managers, perceptions of renal transplant disparities in the Southeastern United States. This is a mixed methods study that uses both deductive and inductive qualitative analysis of a dialysis staff survey conducted in 2012 using three open-ended questions that asked staff to discuss their perceptions of factors that may contribute to transplant disparities among African American, female, and elderly patients. Study results suggested that the majority of staff (n = 255, 28%) perceived patients’ low socioeconomic status as the primary theme related to why renal transplant disparities exist between African Americans and non-Hispanic whites. Staff cited patient perception of old age as a primary contributor (n = 188, 23%) to the disparity between young and elderly patients. The dialysis staff responses on gender transplant disparities suggested that staff were unaware of differences due to limited experience and observation (n = 76, 14.7%) of gender disparities. These findings suggest that dialysis facilities should educate staff on existing renal transplantation disparities, particularly gender disparities, and collaboratively work with transplant facilities to develop strategies to actively address modifiable patient barriers for transplant.
Transits of Venus and the astronomical unit

Our story starts with the German astronomer Johannes Kepler in the early part of the seventeenth century. Though Kepler never witnessed a transit himself, his significance in the story is enormous for two reasons. First, according to Kepler's Third Law, as it is now known, the ratio of the square of a planet's orbital period to the cube of its mean distance from the Sun is the same for all planets. From this law, the relative scale of the solar system can be determined simply by observing the orbital periods of the planets. In fact, Kepler's own estimates of the relative distances of the known planets from the Sun do not differ significantly from
Diabetes and the Cardiovascular System

Diabetes has become a worldwide epidemic. The majority of patients with diabetes ultimately die from complications of cardiovascular disease. The mechanisms underlying macrovascular disease in diabetes are incompletely understood but likely involve inflammation and alterations of the endothelium and vascular smooth muscle. An increasing proportion of patients hospitalized with acute coronary syndromes will have diabetes. These patients tend to have worse outcomes and are less likely to receive guideline-based therapy. Prevention of cardiovascular disease in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes is an area of increasing focus and complexity. Both diabetes and prediabetes commonly carry with them cardiovascular risk factors including dyslipidemia, hypertension, hyperglycemia, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle. Intensive glucose control has not been shown to improve macrovascular outcomes in patients with diabetes. A number of explanations for this counterintuitive data have been proposed, and ongoing studies are needed for further clarification. New antidiabetic drugs and therapeutic strategies are being pursued, including their effects on macrovascular outcomes. Multifactorial risk factor modification appears to be particularly effective in preventing cardiovascular events, underscoring the critical need for careful management of risk factors in patients with diabetes.
Identification of immunogens of Mycoplasmapneumoniae by protein blotting

Abstract Proteins of Mycoplasma pneumoniae were separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and transferred to a nitrocellulose sheet by blotting. Sera obtained from infected hamsters and immunized rabbits were then incubated with the nitrocellulose strips. Proteins which are capable of eliciting antibodies were detected by indirect immunoradioautography using 125I-labeled antisera against hamster or rabbit IgG. Antibodies to seven immunogens were demonstrated in the sera of hamsters infected with M. pneumoniae by inhalation, while many more proteins were found to be capable of stimulating antibodies in rabbits immunized parenterally with mycoplasmas. This method should prove useful for identifying those components of a microorganism which elicit antibody responses and contribute to the protective state.
Are household disinfectants microbially mediated obesogens

[See related article at [www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.170809][2]][2] KEY POINTS Childhood obesity continues to rise in prevalence globally, and is associated with lifelong morbidity and premature mortality. Because losing weight and keeping it off later in life have proven difficult,[1][2]
Buckling sheets open a door to understanding self-organization in soft matter

Many real-world systems are interesting precisely because they can self-organize to form composite structures with novel “emergent” properties—colloquially, “more is different” (1). This is certainly true for living organisms where cells self-organize to form tissues, which make up organs, and so on. It is also true in geological and geophysical systems, materials and composites, and even social structures and hierarchies. Thus, researchers across many disciplines grapple with the following two questions, which are the essence of multiple-scale analysis: ( i ) How does large-scale behavior emerge out of the collective behavior of smaller units? and ( ii ) What are the rules governing the large-scale “system” behavior, and how do these rules influence the behavior of the small-scale units? Given the bewildering array of multiple-scale behaviors we see around us, we should not expect universal answers that apply in all circumstances. In PNAS, Davidovitch et al. (2) present some remarkable insights into these questions as they pertain to self-organized structures in thin elastic sheets. Beyond thin sheets, the ideas in Davidovitch et al. (2) might also apply more generally to energy-driven pattern formation (3), that is, to the spontaneous formation of multiple-scale structures as a physical system relaxes to its ground state by minimizing its thermodynamic free energy (4). To discuss the ideas presented by Davidovitch et al. (2) in PNAS, we first step back for a broader perspective on the subject of self-organization in soft matter. “Soft matter,” a term coined in the 1970s, was initially meant to describe physical systems in which the energy of self-interactions is comparable to thermal fluctuations on a mesoscopic length scale (i.e., for a collection of numerous atoms that is yet much smaller than the macroscopic size of the system) (5). Consequently, soft matter is easily deformed by thermal fluctuations, unlike, say, crystalline solids. Concurrently the self-interactions … [↵][1]1Email: shankar{at}math.arizona.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Questions of life and death: (De)constructing human rights norms through US public opinion surveys

Public opinion polls on national security issues are often seen as indicators of the strength of international human rights norms. By contrast, we hypothesise that the very act of answering poll questions can weaken citizens’ understandings of important international human rights laws and norms in the very moment they are being measured. We ground this discussion empirically by analysing a new dataset of post-9/11 survey questions on two US national security policies at odds with international human rights norms: ‘enhanced interrogations’ and ‘targeted killing’. In so doing, we encourage a widened research agenda on how international legal and normative understandings are transmitted to the public through surveys. We conclude by highlighting substantive implications for norm scholars and policy implications for norm advocates.
IF3 licenses newly made 30S subunits for translation during stress

SUMMARY Bacterial ribosome biogenesis and translation occur in the same cellular compartment. Therefore, a biochemical gate-keeping step is required to prevent immature ribosomes from engaging in protein synthesis. Here, we show that the abundant ribosome assembly factor, RbfA, creates this checkpoint by suppressing protein synthesis by immature E. coli 30S subunits. After 30S maturation, RbfA is released by initiation factor 3 (IF3), which remains bound to 30S subunits to promote translation initiation. Genetic interactions between RbfA and IF3 show that IF3 is important for RbfA release during logarithmic growth. Moreover, IF3 is the main pathway for RbfA release in stationary phase when the activity of a less abundant RbfA-release factor, RsgA GTPase, is inhibited by the alarmone (p)ppGpp. By gating the transition from 30S biogenesis to translation initiation, RbfA and IF3 maintain the integrity of bacterial protein synthesis under a range of growth conditions and especially under stress.
How Many Stages Should We Use in Pouch Surgery

For the last three decades restorative proctocolectomy with J-pouch ileoanal anastomosis has been the primary treatment for ulcerative colitis patients who require surgery. While most patients requiring surgery for ulcerative colitis are young and are at baseline in good health, many are at least temporarily debilitated from either severity of disease, infection, malnutrition, obesity or side effects of immunosuppressant medications. These factors greatly increase the risk for poor surgical outcomes, both in the short and long term. Even when conditions are optimized, the ileoanal anastomosis is known to be a high-risk anastomosis with frequent leaks and pelvic sepsis. Leak rates for the procedure are reported to be between 5% and 14% [1].
Groups and Group Actions

This chapter provides the foundations for deriving a class of manifolds known as homogeneous spaces. It begins with a short review of group theory, introduces the concept of a group acting on a set, and defines the Grassmannians and Stiefel manifolds as homogenous manifolds arising from group actions of Lie groups. The last section provides an overview of topological groups, of which Lie groups are a special example, and contains more advanced material that may be skipped upon first reading.
Extended Interactions between HIV-1 Viral RNA and tRNALys3 Are Important to Maintain Viral RNA Integrity.

The reverse transcription of the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) initiates upon annealing of the 3′-18-nt of tRNALys3 onto the primer binding site (PBS) in viral RNA (vRNA). Additional intermolecular interactions between tRNALys3 and vRNA have been reported, but their functions remain unclear. Here, we show that abolishing one potential interaction, the A-rich loop: tRNALys3 anticodon interaction in the HIV-1 MAL strain, led to a decrease in viral infectivity and reduced the synthesis of reverse transcription products in newly infected cells. In vitro biophysical and functional experiments revealed that disruption of the extended interaction resulted in an increased affinity for reverse transcriptase (RT) and enhanced primer extension efficiency. In the absence of deoxyribose nucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs), vRNA was degraded by the RNaseH activity of RT, and the degradation rate was slower in the complex with the extended interaction. Consistently, the loss of vRNA integrity was detected in virions containing A-rich loop mutations. Similar results were observed in the HIV-1 NL4.3 strain, and we show that the nucleocapsid (NC) protein is necessary to promote the extended vRNA: tRNALys3 interactions in vitro. In summary, our data revealed that the additional intermolecular interaction between tRNALys3 and vRNA is likely a conserved mechanism among various HIV-1 strains and protects the vRNA from RNaseH degradation in mature virions.
Санч як Центр Західньой Лемковины

AbstractSącz as a Center of Western Lemko Region At the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries, Nowy Sącz became an important center for the Lemko Region. A group of East Galician activists teamed up with several local Lemko activists to set up Rusyn Boarding School (1898). Ideological differences led the former group to create a rival Ukrainian Boarding School (1902). Ukrainians also established the Lemko Bank (1903) and were behind the erection of a Greek Catholic church in the city (1911). Competing ethnonational agendas were also reflected in the activities of Prosvita (1902) and Kachkovsky (1903) societies. The overall presence of both groups in the city was noticeable. However, after World War I only the Greek Catholic parish continued its activity but when its church was destroyed, the Lemko organized presence in the city also disappeared.
Severe baffle leak after Takeuchi repair successfully treated with coronary bypass and percutaneous baffle closure: a case report

Background Anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery is a rare congenital abnormality that requires surgical correction. Case summary We describe the case of a 33-year-old female with a history of anomalous left coronary artery of the pulmonary artery who presents with exertional angina. She underwent a Takeuchi repair that was complicated by a baffle leak. She was successfully treated with left internal mammary artery-left anterior descending (LAD) bypass grafting and percutaneous baffle leak closure. Discussion The Takeuchi procedure involves the creation of an aortopulmonary window and an intrapulmonary tunnel that 'baffles' the aorta to the ostium of the anomalous left coronary artery. The most common late complication of the Takeuchi procedure is the presence of a baffle leak. Percutaneous baffle leak occlusion via vascular plug and coronary bypass of the LAD can successfully treat a baffle leak with excellent short-term follow-up.
Imputation of PaO2 from SpO2 values from the MIMIC-III Critical Care Database Using Machine-Learning Based Algorithms

Abstract Background The partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2)/fraction of oxygen delivered (FIO2) ratio is the reference standard for assessment of hypoxemia in mechanically ventilated patients. Non-invasive monitoring with the peripheral saturation of oxygen (SpO2) is increasingly utilized to estimate PaO2 because it does not require invasive sampling. Several equations have been reported to impute PaO2/FIO2 from SpO2 /FIO2. However, machine-learning algorithms to impute the PaO2 from the SpO2 has not been compared to published equations. Research Question How do machine learning algorithms perform at predicting the PaO2 from SpO2 compared to previously published equations? Methods Three machine learning algorithms (neural network, regression, and kernel-based methods) were developed using 7 clinical variable features (n=9,900 ICU events) and subsequently 3 features (n=20,198 ICU events) as input into the models from data available in mechanically ventilated patients from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC) III database. As a regression task, the machine learning models were used to impute PaO2 values. As a classification task, the models were used to predict patients with moderate-to-severe hypoxemic respiratory failure based on a clinically relevant cut-off of PaO2/FIO2 ≤ 150. The accuracy of the machine learning models was compared to published log-linear and non-linear equations. An online imputation calculator was created. Results Compared to seven features, three features (SpO2, FiO2 and PEEP) were sufficient to impute PaO2/FIO2 ratio using a large dataset. Any of the tested machine learning models enabled imputation of PaO2/FIO2 from the SpO2/FIO2 with lower error and had greater accuracy in predicting PaO2/FIO2 ≤ 150 compared to published equations. Using three features, the machine learning models showed superior performance in imputing PaO2 across the entire span of SpO2 values, including those ≥ 97%. Interpretation The improved performance shown for the machine learning algorithms suggests a promising framework for future use in large datasets.
Diplodia Leaf Streak of Corn: A Diagnostic Guide

The official common name of the foliar disease on corn is Diplodia leaf streak, often given the shorthand nomenclature DLS. The only known host of DLS is corn (Zea mays). The fungus that causes DLS...
Randomized Similarity Analysis of Multispecies Laboratory and Field Studies

Publisher Summary This chapter presents randomized similarity analysis of multispecies laboratory and field studies. There are two steps in randomization analysis. The first step is the summarization of the data vectors with similarity measures. A similarity measure S ij describes the degree of relatedness between the species at two sites i and j. The second step is the test of site differences based on permutations of the matrix of similarity or distance measures. This chapter focuses on the analysis of biological data arising from multispecies studies. It discusses if the differences are due to either locations or treatments, describes if the species primarily involved in the differences, and lists the locations or treatments that are different.
Workflow Mining Alpha Algorithm — A Complexity Study

Workflow mining algorithms are used to improve and/or refine design of existing workflows. Workflows are composed of sequential, parallel, conflict and iterative structures. In this paper we present results of experimental complexity study of the alpha workflow mining algorithm. We studied time and space complexity as dependent on workflow’s internal structure and on the number of workflow tasks.
Juice and water intake in infancy and later beverage intake and adiposity: Could juice be a gateway drink?

Objectives To examine the tracking and significance of beverage consumption in infancy and childhood. Methods Among 1163 children in Project Viva, we examined associations of fruit juice and water intake at 1 year (0 oz, 1-7 oz [small], 8-15 oz [medium], and ≥16 oz [large]) with juice and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake and BMI z-score during early (median 3.1 years) and mid-childhood (median 7.7 years). Results In covariate adjusted models, juice intake at 1 year was associated with greater juice and SSB intake during early and mid-childhood and also greater adiposity. Children who drank medium and large amounts of juice at 1 year had higher BMI z-scores during both early (medium: β = 0.16 [95% CI = 0.01-0.32]; large: β = 0.28 [95% CI = 0.01-0.56]) and mid-childhood (medium: β = 0.23 [95% CI = 0.07-0.39]; large: β = 0.36 [95% CI = 0.08-0.64]). After covariate adjustment, associations between water intake at 1 year and beverage intake and adiposity later in childhood were null. Conclusions Higher juice intake at 1 year was associated with higher juice intake, SSB intake, and BMI z-score during early and mid-childhood. Assessing juice intake during infancy could provide clinicians with important data regarding future unhealthy beverage habits and excess adiposity during childhood.
Time signatures of images

Group linking effects in a pulse-coupled neural network are shown to make multiple time scales for the image time signature. >
An Advanced Telereflexive Tactical Response Robot

ROBART III is intended as an advanced demonstration platform for non-lethal tactical response, extending the concepts of reflexive teleoperation into the realm of coordinated weapons control (i.e., sensor-aided control of mobility, camera, and weapon functions) in law enforcement and urban warfare scenarios. A rich mix of ultrasonic and optical proximity and range sensors facilitates remote operation in unstructured and unexplored buildings with minimal operator oversight. Supervised autonomous navigation and mapping of interior spaces is significantly enhanced by an innovative algorithm which exploits the fact that the majority of man-made structures are characterized by (but not limited to) parallel and orthogonal walls. This paper presents a brief overview of the advanced telereflexive man-machine interface and its associated “human-centered mapping” strategy.
Wirability-designing wiring space for chips and chip packages

Early estimation of the wiring space requirements for logic chips and chip-carrying packages is essential. The authors propose a way to do this by taking into account the average length of wiring connections, the number of logic units to be wired, and the average number of connections per logic unit. They show that the probability of automatic wiring success is a function of the number of wiring tracks per logic unit, and that logic changes during design and the use of multicell macros increase the required track count. Intentional depopulation of the image, on the other hand, and the use of multilevel metal wiring decrease the required track count and chip size, respectively, for fixed maximum circuit cell count and fixed probability of automatic wiring success.
Effect of Antioxidants in Typical Rubber Stocks

Abstract The results of these tests show that antioxidants are of value in stocks which become hot in service, such as bus tubes, belt frictions, and heavy truck tire treads. It is believed that aging at 90° C., both in air and in an inert gas free from oxygen, will be of assistance in separating the factors of oxidation and overcure in designing rubber compounds for resistance to heat.
Future Directions for Biomedical Engineering Research: Recommendations of an Evaluation Workshop for the NIGMS Physiology and Biomedical Engineering Program

This report presents the recommendations of participants in a workshop held to evaluate the content of the Physiology and Biomedical Engineering Program of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). On the basis of a systematic review of the field, a number of promising areas were identified in which further work is needed.
Conductance through a one-atom point contact

Abstract Linear conductance and current–voltage characteristics in a one-atom point contact are calculated. A one-atom point contact is modeled by a double-barrier tunnel junction with a central island which is either a single atom or an atomic cluster. A finite electron reflection and induced charge at both sides of the tapered constriction alter the conductance from the quantum unit of conductance in a perfectly smooth point contact. The conductance is expressed in terms of a difference ΔWbetween the work function of the electrodes and the atomic energy level, a charging energyUand an energy level broadening ħΓ in our simple model of a one-atom point contact.
Respiratory syncytial virus and other respiratory viruses in the setting of bone marrow transplantation.

Purpose of review Several epidemiologic studies have enhanced our understanding of the impact of respiratory viruses on bone marrow transplant recipients. Recent findings Respiratory viral infections occur frequently following stem cell transplantation but present atypically. Many patients have asymptomatic infections. There is a growing armamentarium of antiviral agents currently under development, although prospective studies in transplant patients are needed. Summary Respiratory viral infections occur frequently after hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Newer agents may prove useful in the prevention and treatment of respiratory viral infections in this population.