cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Promoting environmental sustainability via an expert elicitation process

Abstract Environmental sustainability (ES) planning was applied to the 981-mile, commercially navigable Ohio River. Navigation improvement needs were identified within the broad study along with actions to restore aquatic and riparian ecological resources to a higher state of sustainability. The actions were identified via an Expert Elicitation Process (EEP) involving aquatic and riparian/terrestrial experts knowledgeable of Ohio River resources. The received information was synthesized into goals for the selected resources (Valued Ecosystem Components — or VECs), actions or measures to attain the goals, and monitoring to evaluate conditions. Finally, 26 types of ES actions were identified and classified into three ES alternatives. These alternatives were then evaluated relative to key decision criteria, and such evaluations, based on pertinent decision criteria, were also conducted for four navigation improvement alternatives. Finally, the best combination of ES and navigation alternatives was identified. The key lessons derived from this use of EEP were that: (1) EEP can support the preliminary identification of ES measures; however, more detailed study of specific designs and cost evaluations will be necessary; (2) the method promotes collaboration between key scientists and policymakers from governmental agencies and private sectors, and such collaboration will ultimately provide the foundation for implementation of sustainability actions; and (3) an effective EEP does not occur by accident, it requires careful planning, implementation, and documentation.
Salinity adaptation of plasma membrane H+-ATPase in the salt marsh plant Spartina patens: ATP hydrolysis and enzyme kinetics

Spartina patens, an intertidal C 4 grass, grows in the upper salt marsh and tolerates coastal seawater salinity. The regulation of ion movement across the plasma Introduction membrane (PM) for plant salt tolerance is thought to The C 4 grass, Spartina patens (Aiton) Muhl, grows in the be achieved by an electrochemical gradient generated upper part of salt and brackish marshes just above the by plasma membrane H+-ATPase. In this study, the Spartina alterniflora zone. It can tolerate coastal seawater change of PM H+-ATPase in response to NaCl was
Kinematic and EMG characteristics of simple shoulder movements with proprioception and visual feedback.

The objective of this study was to determine if simple, shoulder movements use the dual control hypothesis strategy, previously demonstrated with elbow movements, and to see if this strategy also applies in the absence of visual feedback. Twenty subjects were seated with their right arm abducted to 90� and externally rotated in the scapular plane. Subjects internally rotated to a target position using a custom shoulder wheel at three different speeds with and without visual feedback. Kinematics were collected with a motion analysis system and electromyographic (EMG) recordings of the pectoralis major (PECT), infraspinatus (INFRA), anterior and posterior (ADELT, PDELT) deltoid muscles were used to evaluate muscle activity patterns during movements. Kinematics changed as movement speed increased with less accuracy (p < 0.01). Greater EMG activity was observed in the PECT, PDELT, and INFRA with shorter durations for the ADELT, PDELT and INFRA. Movements with only kinesthetic feedback were less accurate (p < 0.01) and performed faster (p < 0.01) than movements with visual feedback. EMG activity suggests no major difference in CNS control strategies in movements with and without visual feedback. Greater resolution with visual feedback enables the implementation of a dual control strategy, allowing greater movement velocity while maintaining accuracy. � 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The association between atrial fibrillation and stroke in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a population-based case-control study.

Abstract Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been shown to be an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke and may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) by up to fourfold. Given these relationships, it is possible that OSA may provide a link between stroke and AF. A case-control study was conducted to examine the association between AF and stroke in patients with OSA. Methods Olmsted County, MN, USA, residents with a new diagnosis of OSA based on polysomnography (PSG) between 2005 and 2010 ( N =2980) who suffered a first-time ischemic stroke during the same period were identified as cases. Controls with no history of stroke were randomly chosen from the same database. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed with age, gender, body mass index (BMI), smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) and coronary artery disease (CAD) as co-variates, with the diagnosis of AF as the variable of interest. Results A total of 108 subjects were studied. Mean age of cases ( n =34) was 73±12years and 53% were men. Among controls ( n =74), mean age was 61±16years and 55% were male. On univariate analyses, AF was significantly more common in the cases than among controls (50.0% vs 10.8%, p Conclusions Patients with OSA who had a stroke had higher rates of AF even after accounting for potential confounders.
Crime and Punishment: A Study in Social Attitudes

The relationships between punitive sanctions directed at offenders and public sentiments about appropriate penalties are in need of investigation. Previous studies dealing with this subj ect are noted. This paper reports on an investigation in California in which citizens indicated the degree of punishment they felt to be appropriate for 20 different crimes. The most visible and coercive offenses received the most severe penalty choices and these are crimes which are severely punished in the state. However, some discrepancies between citizen preferences and penalties currently imposed were also observed.
NFAT transcription factor regulation by urocortin II in cardiac myocytes and heart failure

Urocortin II (UcnII), a cardioactive peptide with beneficial effects in normal and failing hearts, is also arrhythmogenic and prohypertrophic. We demonstrated that cardiac effects are mediated by a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt kinase (Akt)/endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)/nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathways. Nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) transcription factors play a key role in the regulation of gene expression in cardiac development, maintenance of an adult differentiated cardiac phenotype, and remodeling processes in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure (HF). We tested the hypothesis that UcnII differentially regulates NFAT activity in cardiac myocytes from both normal and failing hearts through the PI3K/Akt/eNOS/NO pathway. Isoforms NFATc1 and NFATc3 revealed different basal subcellular distribution in normal and HF rabbit ventricular myocytes with a nuclear NFATc1 and a cytosolic localization of NFATc3. However, in HF, the nuclear localization of NFATc1 was less pronounced, whereas the nuclear occupancy of NFATc3 was increased. In normal myocytes, UcnII induced nuclear export of NFATc1 and attenuated NFAT-dependent transcriptional activity but did not affect the distribution of NFATc3. In HF UcnII facilitated nuclear export of both isoforms and reduced transcriptional activity. NFAT regulation was mediated by a PI3K/Akt/eNOS/NO signaling cascade that converged on the activation of several kinases, including glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 mitogen-activated kinase (p38), and PKG, resulting in phosphorylation, deactivation, and nuclear export of NFAT. In conclusion, while NFATc1 and NFATc3 reveal distinct subcellular distribution patterns, both are regulated by the UcnII-PI3K/Akt/eNOS/NO pathway that converges on the activation of NFAT kinases and NFAT inactivation. The data reconcile cardioprotective and prohypertrophic UcnII effects mediated by different NFAT isoforms.
19·9%‐efficient ZnO/CdS/CuInGaSe2 solar cell with 81·2% fill factor

We report a new record total-area efficiency of 19·9% for CuInGaSe2-based thin-film solar cells. Improved performance is due to higher fill factor. The device was made by three-stage co-evaporation with a modified surface termination. Growth conditions, device analysis, and basic film characterization are presented. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessment of the utility of technology transfer guidelines as determined by the evaluation of the RESCUER program in rural Uganda

The role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in disseminating knowledge, particularly knowledge of new technologies, in order to facilitate development can be paramount. However, if technologies are not transferred properly, development potential can be severely limited. To address this issue, a number of lists of technology transfer guidelines have arisen to prescribe proper technology transfer practices. The purpose of this study is to address the question of whether technology transfer guidelines have predictive abilities by examining the Rural Extended Services and Care for Ultimate Emergency Relief (RESCUER) program, a case of development aided by an ICT transfer for congruence with existing technology transfer guidelines. In this study, program descriptions and updates were compared with pre-existing technology transfer guidelines to determine their utility in real-world technology transfer situations. This analysis determined that most, but not all guidelines seemed critical indicators of success, however, more case studies would have to be examined before a definitive conclusion can be reached. Although the guidelines cannot be the single predictive factor of success in a development program based on technology transfer, adherence to the guidelines could act as a general framework from which to begin assessing technology transfer programs in their initial stages.
Multiplexing ATE channels for production testing at 2.5 Gbps

We describe two versions of a multiplexing test system for multigigahertz devices. Our approach leverages test resources available in existing ATE, and achieves higher rates with added multiplexing logic. In the prototype, 32 high-speed differential-pair signals each support data at 2 Gbps to 2.5 Gbps. An updated system uses water cooling to better maintain the test electronics temperature. This system also has improved relays for better signal integrity, and better embedded calibration circuits to obtain stable operation at 2.5 Gbps. The production version is scalable to as many as 144 high-speed differential-pair signals. Integral to the design are embedded circuits that support automated, accurate timing calibration with 10-ps resolution.
Seismic Wave Attenuation in Fluid-Saturated Porous Media

Contrary to the traditional view, seismic attenuation in Biot’s theory of fluid-saturated porous media is due to viscous damping of local (not global) pore-fluid motion. Since substantial inhomogeneities in fluid permeability of porous geological materials are to be expected, the regions of highest local permeability contribute most to the wave energy dissipation while those of lowest permeability dominate the fluid flow rate if they are uniformly distributed. This dichotomy can explain some of the observed discrepancies between computed and measured attenuation of compressional and shear waves in porous earth. One unfortunate consequence of this result is the fact that measured seismic wave attenuation in fluid-filled geological materials cannot be used directly as a diagnostic of the global fluid-flow permeability.
The interaction integral for fracture of orthotropic functionally graded materials: Evaluation of stress intensity factors

Abstract The interaction integral is an accurate and robust scheme for evaluating mixed-mode stress intensity factors. This paper extends the concept to orthotropic functionally graded materials and addresses fracture mechanics problems with arbitrarily oriented straight and/or curved cracks. The gradation of orthotropic material properties are smooth functions of spatial coordinates, which are integrated into the element stiffness matrix using the so-called “generalized isoparametric formulation”. The types of orthotropic material gradation considered include exponential, radial, and hyperbolic-tangent functions. Stress intensity factors for mode I and mixed-mode two-dimensional problems are evaluated by means of the interaction integral and the finite element method. Extensive computational experiments have been performed to validate the proposed formulation. The accuracy of numerical results is discussed by comparison with available analytical, semi-analytical, or numerical solutions.
Stronger winds over a large lake in response to weakening air-to-lake temperature gradient

Surface water temperatures in Lake Superior have warmed faster than air temperature during the thermally stratified summer season. Analyses of a range of observations show that as a result surface wind speeds above the lake have been increasing by nearly 5% per decade. The impacts of climate change on the world’s large lakes are a cause for concern1,2,3,4. For example, over the past decades, mean surface water temperatures in Lake Superior, North America, have warmed faster than air temperature during the thermally stratified summer season, because decreasing ice cover has led to increased heat input2,5. However, the effects of this change on large lakes have not been studied extensively6. Here we analyse observations from buoys and satellites as well as model reanalyses for Lake Superior, and find that increasing temperatures in both air and surface water, and a reduction in the temperature gradient between air and water are destabilizing the atmospheric surface layer above the lake. As a result, surface wind speeds above the lake are increasing by nearly 5% per decade, exceeding trends in wind speed over land. A numerical model of the lake circulation suggests that the increasing wind speeds lead to increases in current speeds, and long-term warming causes the surface mixed layer to shoal and the season of stratification to lengthen. We conclude that climate change will profoundly affect the biogeochemical cycles of large lakes, the mesoscale atmospheric circulation at lake–land boundaries and the transport of airborne pollutants in regions that are rich in lakes.
Persistence and selection of an expanded B-cell clone in the setting of rituximab therapy for Sjögren’s syndrome

Subjects with primary Sjogren’s syndrome (SjS) have an increased risk of developing B-cell lymphoma and may harbor monoclonal B-cell expansions in the peripheral blood. Expanded B-cell clones could be pathogenic, and their persistence could exacerbate disease or predispose toward the development of lymphoma. Therapy with anti-CD20 (rituximab) has the potential to eliminate expanded B-cell clones and thereby potentially ameliorate disease. This study was undertaken to identify and track expanded B-cell clones in the blood of subjects with primary SjS who were treated with rituximab. To determine whether circulating B-cell clones in subjects with primary SjS emerge or remain after B cell-depleting therapy with rituximab, we studied the antibody heavy-chain repertoire. We performed single-memory B-cell and plasmablast sorting and antibody heavy-chain sequencing in six rituximab-treated SjS subjects over the course of a 1-year follow-up period. Expanded B-cell clones were identified in four out of the six rituximab-treated SjS subjects, based upon the independent amplification of sequences with identical or highly similar VH, DH, and JH gene segments. We identified one SjS subject with a large expanded B-cell clone that was present prior to therapy and persisted after therapy. Somatic mutations in the clone were numerous but did not increase in frequency over the course of the 1-year follow-up, suggesting that the clone had been present for a long period of time. Intriguingly, a majority of the somatic mutations in the clone were silent, suggesting that the clone was under chronic negative selection. For some subjects with primary SjS, these data show that (a) expanded B-cell clones are readily identified in the peripheral blood, (b) some clones are not eliminated by rituximab, and (c) persistent clones may be under chronic negative selection or may not be antigen-driven. The analysis of sequence variation among members of an expanded clone may provide a novel means of measuring the chronicity and selection of expanded B-cell populations in humans.
A dynamic pruning and feature selection strategy for real-time tracking

Automated video tracking is useful in a number of applications such as surveillance, multisensor networks, robotics and virtual reality. In this paper we investigate an approach to tracking based on fusing the output of a collection of video trackers, each attending to a different feature or cue on the target. We show both theoretically and experimentally that the method used to prune the growth of target hypotheses can have a great impact on the trackers performance, and indirectly, change the benefit of using linear score combination as opposed to a non-linear rank combination for fusion. We also show that the rank-score graph defined by Hsu and Taksa can be used to select a subset of features to fuse to reduce classification error.
Coupled acoustic mode propagation through continental-shelf internal solitary waves

Three techniques are used to investigate mode coupling as acoustic energy passes through continental-shelf internal solitary waves (ISW's). Results from all techniques agree. The waves considered here are single downward undulations of a thermocline layer separating upper and lower well-mixed layers. Two techniques are numerical: parabolic equation (PE) solution and a sudden approximation joining range-invariant regions at sharp vertical interfaces. The third technique is an analytic derivation of ISW scale lengths separating adiabatic (at large scale) and coupled-mode propagation. Results show that energy is exchanged between modes as ISW's are traversed. The sharp interface solutions help explain this in terms of spatially confined coupling and modal phase interference. Three regimes are observed: 1) for short ISW's, coupling upon wave entrance is reversed upon exit, with no net coupling; 2) for ISW scales of 75-200 m, modal phase alteration averts the exit reversal, giving net coupling; transparent resonances yielding no net coupling are also observed in this regime; and 3) for long ISW's, adiabaticity is probable but not universal. Mode refraction analysis for nonparallel acoustic-ISW alignment suggests that these two-dimensional techniques remain valid for 0/spl deg/ (parallel) to 65/spl deg/ (oblique) incidence, with an accordant ISW stretching.
RANDOM KNOTS AND ENERGY: ELEMENTARY CONSIDERATIONS

We present two constructions of random knots. The first gives piecewise linear knots. It has a parameter (which can be a function), which allows one some control of the expected shape of the knot. The second construction uses Fourier series to construct smooth random knots. We then discuss preliminary notions of the interplay between random knots and the energy of a knot.
Healthcare-associated infection and hospital readmission.

Objective. Hospital readmissions are a current target of initiatives to reduce healthcare costs. This study quantified the association between having a clinical culture positive for 1 of 3 prevalent hospital-associated organisms and time to hospital readmission. Design. Retrospective cohort study. Patients and Setting. Adults admitted to an academic, tertiary care referral center from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2008. Methods. The primary exposure of interest was a clinical culture positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), or Clostridium difficile obtained more than 48 hours after hospital admission during the index hospital stay. The primary outcome of interest was time to readmission to the index facility. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to model the adjusted association between positive clinical culture result and time to readmission and to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results. Among 136,513 index admissions, the prevalence of hospital-associated positive clinical culture result for 1 of the 3 organisms of interest was 3%, and 35% of patients were readmitted to the index facility within 1 year after discharge. Patients with a positive clinical culture obtained more than 48 hours after hospital admission had an increased hazard of readmission (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.33–1.46) after adjusting for age, sex, index admission length of stay, intensive care unit stay, Charlson comorbidity index, and year of hospital admission. Conclusions. Patients with healthcare-associated infections may be at increased risk of hospital readmission. These findings may be used to impact health outcomes after discharge from the hospital and to encourage better infection prevention efforts.
Classification of phase transitions in reaction-diffusion models

Equilibrium phase transitions are associated with rearrangements of minima of a (Lagrangian) potential. Treatment of nonequilibrium systems requires doubling of degrees of freedom, which may be often interpreted as a transition from the "coordinate"- to the "phase"-space representation. As a result, one has to deal with the Hamiltonian formulation of the field theory instead of the Lagrangian one. We suggest a classification scheme of phase transitions in reaction-diffusion models based on the topology of the phase portraits of corresponding Hamiltonians. In models with an absorbing state such a topology is fully determined by intersecting curves of zero "energy." We identify four families of topologically distinct classes of phase portraits stable upon renormalization group transformations.
Syntectonic and Annealing Recrystallization of Fine-Grained Quartz Aggregates

This paper presents the results of the first systematic study of preferred orientation in quartz aggregates developed as a result of experimental deformation and recry-stallization. Earlier work led to apparently conflicting results which are mostly resolved in this study. What emerges, however, is a complex picture of several different types of preferred orientation developed under different experimental conditions.
The Emerging New Life of Contract Law Studies: A Review of Ben-Shahar and Schneider's More than You Wanted to Know and a Methodological Plea to the Field

Within contract law studies, the law and economics paradigm is still the predominant paradigm, and its methods continue to guide a great deal of influential research. Much of the continuing strength of this paradigm nevertheless derives from its willingness to reject two of the central premises of the classical law and economics paradigm and replace them with better understandings, rooted in methods from the correct cognate fields. More specifically, the classical economic assumption that humans act rationally is increasingly being replaced by genuine empirical research into human psychology. Classical reliance on economic modeling to predict the consequences of legal rules is also increasingly being replaced by genuine empirical research. These methodological moves have begun to breathe new life into the study of contract law.But this research paradigm has not yet gone far enough, because it continues to rely on a third set of ungrounded normative premises, rather than turning to the cognate fields that have developed the most rigorous lines of argumentation relevant to normative questions. I argue that this fact has prevented large segments of the field from asking the right normative questions, when it comes to consumer protection law, or knowing how to assess the increasing number of psychological and empirical facts that are now at our disposal. More Than You Wanted to Know illustrates both aspects of these developments. By rejecting the first two classical economic premises, it is able to pull together an increasingly persuasive body of evidence that credibly challenges one of the central dogmas of the classical law and economics paradigm. This is the dogma that mandatory disclosure regimes can be assumed to provide a useful and sufficient to cure a host of problems in consumer protection law. But because the book has not yet rejected the third set of ungrounded assumptions, it cannot tell us where to go from here.If this paradigm were to begin to draw on the right lines of normative evidence and argumentation to answer normative questions, then it would be fundamentally transformed. What began as a mere sub-discipline in the law would change into a more fully informed and highly interdisciplinary search for the truth. But absent this transformation, the current paradigm risks generating continued distortions. To cure these distortions, I argue that the right normative question to ask in consumer protection law is which set of laws would be equally empowering -- i.e., in the sense of giving both consumer and corporations the most equal opportunity to meet a broad range of needs and interests by influencing one another's actions with legally enforceable promises. But my methodological point goes deeper: we need increased interdisciplinary collaborations between economics, psychologist, empirical legal scholars -- on the one side -- and moral and legal philosophers -- on the other -- if we are to make true progress in tracking the truth.
Best Interests of the Child

This brief article, for the forthcoming single-volume encyclopedia, "The Chicago Companion to the Child," offers an overview of the history and current use of the family law standard, "Best Interests of the Child." The standard arose out of changing ideas about child custody, and now is a pervasive touchstone in many countries for family law decisions of all kinds. The article also briefly discusses concerns that the standard encourages litigation, gives too much discretion to judges, and does not grant sufficient weight to the rights of parents.
Profiling Global Kinome Signatures of the Radioresistant MCF-7/C6 Breast Cancer Cells Using MRM-based Targeted Proteomics

Ionizing radiation is widely used in cancer therapy; however, cancer cells often develop radioresistance, which compromises the efficacy of cancer radiation therapy. Quantitative assessment of the alteration of the entire kinome in radioresistant cancer cells relative to their radiosensitive counterparts may provide important knowledge to define the mechanism(s) underlying tumor adaptive radioresistance and uncover novel target(s) for effective prevention and treatment of tumor radioresistance. By employing a scheduled multiple-reaction monitoring analysis in conjunction with isotope-coded ATP affinity probes, we assessed the global kinome of radioresistant MCF-7/C6 cells and their parental MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. We rigorously quantified 120 kinases, of which 1/3 exhibited significant differences in expression levels or ATP binding affinities. Several kinases involved in cell cycle progression and DNA damage response were found to be overexpressed or hyperactivated, including checkpoint kinase 1...
Aflatoxin and mold flora in North Carolina in 1977 corn crop

In a 1977 survey, 187 of 238 maize samples from the Piedmont and Coastal Plain area contained aflatoxin; of these 139 were above the 20 p.p.b. guideline. Aflatoxin G1 was found in 32 samples from the Piedmont/mountain area. The highest level of aflatoxin found was 3622 p.p.b. In general, the higher the percentage of insect-damaged maize the higher the aflatoxin levels found. The sample with the most insect damaged maize (11%) showed a level of 2208 p.p.b., and all samples with 4.5% or more insect damage contained aflatoxin. In general, the greater the infection of maize by Aspergillus flavus the higher the level of aflatoxin, with 7 samples having 40-44 undamaged kernels out of 50 infected. A. niger was found in 10.9% of the samples, but there was no positive correlation with the amounts of aflatoxin found. Strs. of Penicillium funiculosum series isolated from S. Carol. were found again in 25.3% of the total kernels examined. Few other P. or A. spp. were seen. Maize germination was high in most samples. Assuming that most of the aflatoxin G1 was produced by A. parasiticus, a definite ecological correlation was found between G1 and a specific area, i.e. the Piedmont/mountain area.
Configuration prefetching and reuse for preemptive hardware multitasking on partially reconfigurable FPGAs

Partially reconfigurable (PR) FPGAs enable preemptive hardware (HW) multitasking using PR regions (PRRs). To enable this multitasking, the HW task's partial bit-stream is downloaded to only the task's PRR, and only that PRR is reconfigured. Since only a small portion of the FPGA fabric is reconfigured, reconfiguration time is significantly reduced as compared to reconfiguring the entire fabric, however this time is not negligible. Reconfiguration time can be reduced/hidden using two techniques: configuration prefetching and configuration reuse. Even though these techniques can effectively reduce/hide reconfiguration overhead, prior works in preemptive HW multi-tasking did not use these techniques. To the best of our knowledge, no prior work evaluated physical implementations of these techniques on PR FPGAs, which precludes consideration of physical-implementation-specific details, such as delays in accessing bitstreams, speed limitations during reconfiguration, etc. In this work, we present a novel implementation of configuration prefetching and reuse for preemptive HW multitasking on a Virtex-5 FPGA, however, our established fundamentals are device-family independent.
Corrigendum to "Using gap symmetry and structure to reveal the pairing mechanism in Fe-based superconductors" [C. R. Physique 17 (1-2) (2016) 197-231]

Comptes Rendus Physique - In Press.Proof corrected by the author Available online since jeudi 14 juillet 2016
Practical Techniques for Limiting Disclosure of RF-Equipped Medical Devices

The use of radio for communication with medical devices provides important convenience and safety features. However, devices that respond to unauthorized queries may inadvertently disclose their presence. It is reasonable for users to expect that their devices' detectability by third parties to be limited, and thus even eavesdroppers to an authorized conversation (e.g. a command sent to an insulin pump) should observe an access code of minimal utility for triggering future transmissions. Access rights should be revocable in a manner that limits that harm that can be caused by authorized devices in the possession of unauthorized users. In order to detect inappropriate use, it may be desirable for access history to be available for audit. We describe a family of replay-attack resistant protocols suitable for embedding into query messages that can authorize users with a range of differentiated access rights. Implanted devices utilizing these techniques can evade detection by suppressing responses to queries that do not contain appropriate authorization. Techniques are described that can support revocation of authorization and audits of access history. Finally, we observe that the processing of unauthorized queries consumes power and thus can be used to mount a potentially devastating denial-of-service attack against the batteries of both conventional devices and devices that utilize the cryptographic protocols we describe. Since field-powered communication systems (e.g. HF-RFID) contain embedded general-purpose processors that operate using only power extracted from externally applied fields, they are substantially more robust against such forms of attack.
Design and Rationale of the Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (MaRCC) Registry: A Prospective Academic and Community-Based Study of Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer

The Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer Registry, a large, nationally representative, prospective registry of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), aims to understand real-world treatment patterns and outcomes of patients with mRCC in routine clinical practice across the United States. This observational study is designed to enroll 500 patients with previously untreated mRCC from approximately 60 academic and community treatment sites; as of December 7, 2016, 500 patients have enrolled at 54 sites. Key endpoints include real-world data on reasons for treatment initiation and discontinuation; treatment regimens; disease progression; patient-reported outcomes; and healthcare resource utilization in this patient population.
Nasal plasmid Flt3 ligand and CpG ODN alone enhances immediate, influenza virus-specific recall secretory IgA Ab responses in aging (MUC1P.904)

The elderly have already experienced various pathogens and thus possess pathogen-specific Abs, whose titers are too low to combat reinfection. Thus, it would be of great benefit to the aged population if one could use an innate adjuvant system alone, without vaccine, in order to enhance mucosal immunity against past respiratory infections. We tested whether a combined plasmid Flt3 ligand (pFL) and CpG ODN adjuvant would enhance influenza virus-specific recall Ab responses without a need for additional vaccination. Young adult mice were nasally immunized with A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (PR8) hemagglutinin (HA) plus cholera toxin as mucosal adjuvant three times at weekly intervals. Seven months later, these mice were given nasal pFL and CpG ODN only or combined adjuvant together with PR8 HA. Saliva and plasma samples were collected 7 days later and PR8 HA-specific IgA Ab responses were evaluated. Both groups of mice showed significantly increased and comparable levels of anti-PR8 HA secretory IgA Ab responses in saliva when compared with those responses seen without innate adjuvant. The increase in total IgG Ab responses in mice given pFL and CpG ODN were limited when compared with those seen after primary nasal immunization. Total plasma IgE Ab titers in mice given nasal pFL and CpG ODN only were the same as IgE levels seen in naive mice. These results suggest that nasal pFL and CpG ODN alone can enhance pre-existing Ag-specific Ab responses without adverse effects in the elderly.
Pandemic 2009 H1N1 Influenza Venus reporter virus reveals broad diversity of MHC class II-positive antigen-bearing cells following infection in vivo

Although it is well established that Influenza A virus infection is initiated in the respiratory tract, the sequence of events and the cell types that become infected or access viral antigens remains incompletely understood. In this report, we used a novel Influenza A/California/04/09 (H1N1) reporter virus that stably expresses the Venus fluorescent protein to identify antigen-bearing cells over time in a mouse model of infection using flow cytometry. These studies revealed that many hematopoietic cells, including subsets of monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, neutrophils and eosinophils acquire influenza antigen in the lungs early post-infection. Surface staining of the viral HA revealed that most cell populations become infected, most prominently CD45neg cells, alveolar macrophages and neutrophils. Finally, differences in infection status, cell lineage and MHC class II expression by antigen-bearing cells correlated with differences in their ability to re-stimulate influenza-specific CD4 T cells ex vivo. Collectively, these studies have revealed the cellular heterogeneity and complexity of antigen-bearing cells within the lung and their potential as targets of antigen recognition by CD4 T cells.
Radiographic Findings of Distressed Venous Stents and Inferior Vena Cava Filters: Clinical Implications

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to describe an association between the radiographic appearance of distressed intravascular implants and venous stenosis or occlusion and to determine the s...
An infinite cardinal-valued Krull dimension for rings

Abstract We define and study two generalizations of the Krull dimension for rings, which can assume cardinal number values of arbitrary size. The first, which we call the cardinal Krull dimension, is the supremum of the cardinalities of chains of prime ideals in the ring. The second, which we call the strong cardinal Krull dimension, is a slight strengthening of the first. Our main objective is to address the following question: for which cardinal pairs ( κ , λ ) does there exist a ring of cardinality κ and (strong) cardinal Krull dimension λ? Relying on results from the literature, we answer this question completely in the case where κ ≥ λ . We also give several constructions, utilizing valuation rings, polynomial rings, and Leavitt path algebras, of rings having cardinality κ and (strong) cardinal Krull dimension λ > κ . The exact values of κ and λ that occur in this situation depend on set-theoretic assumptions.
Unmanned aerial system detection and assessment through temporal frequency analysis

There is a desire to detect and assess unmanned aerial systems (UAS) with a high probability of detection and low nuisance alarm rates in numerous fields of security. Currently available solutions rely upon exploiting electronic signals emitted from the UAS. While these methods may enable some degree of security, they fail to address the emerging domain of autonomous UAS that do not transmit or receive information during the course of a mission. We examine frequency analysis of pixel fluctuation over time to exploit the temporal frequency signature present in imagery data of UAS. This signature is present for autonomous or controlled multirotor UAS and allows for lower pixels-on-target detection. The methodology also acts as a method of assessment due to the distinct frequency signatures of UAS when examined against the standard nuisance alarms such as birds or non-UAS electronic signal emitters. The temporal frequency analysis method is paired with machine learning algorithms to demonstrate a UAS detection and assessment method that requires minimal human interaction. The use of the machine learning algorithm allows each necessary human assess to increase the likelihood of autonomous assessment, allowing for increased system performance over time.
Neuroinflammation in Huntington's Disease: New Insights with 11C-PBR28 PET/MRI.

Huntington’s disease is a devastating neurodegenerative genetic disorder that causes progressive motor dysfunction, emotional disturbances, and cognitive impairment. Unfortunately, there is no treatment to cure or slow the progression of the disease. Neuroinflammation is one hallmark of Huntington’s disease, and modulation of neuroinflammation has been suggested as a potential target for therapeutic intervention. The relationship between neuroinflammation markers and the disease pathology is still poorly understood. To improve our understanding of neuroinflammation in Huntington’s disease, we measured translocator protein (TSPO) expression using 11C-PBR28 and simultaneous PET/MRI. Standardized-uptake-value ratios, normalized by whole brain uptake, were calculated for data acquired 60–90 min after radiotracer administration. We identified distinct patterns of regional neuroinflammation (as defined by TSPO overexpression relative to a control group) in the basal ganglia of Huntington’s disease patients. The...
Sales-to-Marketing Job Transitions:

AbstractCareers evolve over time and can take many paths as they develop. Within marketing and sales, a common variant of career progression is to begin in a sales position and then advance internally into a marketing role. Doing so provides employees with unique but complementary sets of skills, experiences, and perspectives that may increase their efficacy as marketers. However, sales-to-marketing job transitions (SMJTs) can also be suboptimal and result in adverse outcomes. Although the sales–marketing interface literature has examined how the two functions work together, the SMJT process is unclear. To provide an understanding of this phenomenon, the authors conduct in-depth interviews across a host of different companies and industries with 56 informants who successfully transitioned intraorganizationally from sales to marketing, informants who transitioned but did not remain in marketing, and executives. They develop a theoretical model consisting of transition motivation, acquisition, preparation, ...
75 The Alfin Reagent

Alfin polymerization of butadiene is unique in being a surface phenomenon. It is dependent upon specific components which must be present in proper proportions for the best reactions. Polymerization appears to be limited strictly to particular areas on the aggregate. These areas can be dispersed or poisoned by the presence of some compounds. Polymerization takes place by a radical mechanism, confined, however, to the surface where the monomer is adsorbed in a position ideal for polymerization.
Optimization, simulation and control of coal preparation plants

Abstract: Coal preparation plants incorporate a variety of separation processes that operate in relatively independent parallel circuits. The identification of optimum cutpoints for each circuit that globally maximize plant performance have historically involved the use of mathematical simulation routines. Unfortunately, these routines require detailed washability data and empirical partition information that is not always available to plant operators. In addition, fluctuations in the washability characteristics of the plant feed often make this approach impractical to implement in modern plants. This chapter suggests a more practical approach to plant control that involves generic operating protocols based on fundamental scientific principles that operators can adopt to optimize plant performance. Several industrial case studies are also presented that demonstrate the economic impacts of these optimization strategies.
GFAP Mutations in Astrocytes Impair Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Proliferation and Myelination in an hiPSC Model of Alexander Disease

Alexander disease (AxD) is a leukodystrophy that primarily affects astrocytes and is caused by mutations in the astrocytic filament gene GFAP. While astrocytes are thought to have important roles in controlling myelination, AxD animal models do not recapitulate critical myelination phenotypes and it is therefore not clear how AxD astrocytes contribute to leukodystrophy. Here, we show that AxD patient iPSC-derived astrocytes recapitulate key features of AxD pathology such as GFAP aggregation. Moreover, AxD astrocytes inhibit proliferation of human iPSC-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) in co-culture and reduce their myelination potential. CRISPR/Cas9-based correction of GFAP mutations reversed these phenotypes. Transcriptomic analyses of AxD astrocytes and postmortem brains identified CHI3L1 as a key mediator of AxD astrocyte-induced inhibition of OPC activity. Thus, this iPSC-based model of AxD not only recapitulates patient phenotypes not observed in animal models, but also reveals mechanisms underlying disease pathology and provides a platform for assessing therapeutic interventions.
UNIT 8.1 Overview of Clinical Cytogenetics

Chromosome analysis is one of the first approaches to genetic testing and remains a key component of genetic analysis of constitutional and somatic genetic disorders. Numerical or unbalanced structural chromosome abnormalities usually lead to multiple congenital anomalies. Sometimes these are compatible with live birth, usually resulting in severe cognitive and physical handicaps; other times they result in miscarriage or stillbirth. Chromosome rearrangements also occur as somatic changes in malignancies. Identification of constitutional chromosomal anomalies (anomalies present in most or all cells of the body and/or the germline) can provide important information for genetic counseling. In this unit, we introduce chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), which is a relatively recent addition to cytogenetic technologies, and has become the recommended first-tier testing method for patients with developmental delay, intellectual disability, autism, and/or multiple congenital anomalies. We also discuss non-invasive prenatal testing/screening (NIPTS), which uses circulating cell-free fetal DNA (cfDNA) from maternal plasma to rapidly screen for autosomal and sex-chromosome aneuploidies. Cytogenetic analysis of tumors is helpful in diagnosis and in monitoring the effects of treatment. The protocols in this chapter cover the clinical study of chromosomes in nonmalignant tissues. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: cytogenetics; chromosomes; microarray; FISH; prenatal; postnatal; constitutional
English for Craft Students — 6

WETHER IT is humdrum or exciting, the day‐to‐day life of a craft student can be a rich source of raw material for written and oral work. The teacher who can exploit it will make his work with craft students enjoyable to himself and to them.
Atrioesophageal Fistula Following Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

Atrioesophageal fistula (AEF) is a rare but catastrophic complication of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF), with an incidence of 0.03% to 1.5% per year. We report two cases and review the epidemiology, clinical features, pathogenesis, and management of AEF after AF ablation. The principal clinical features of AEF include fever, hematemesis, and neurologic deficits within 2 months after ablation. The close proximity of the esophagus to the posterior left atrial wall is considered responsible for esophageal injury during ablation and the eventual development of AEF. Prophylactic proton pump inhibitors, esophageal temperature monitoring, visualization of the esophagus during catheter ablation, esophageal protection devices, esophageal cooling, and avoidance of energy delivery in close proximity to the esophagus are some techniques to prevent esophageal injury. Eliminating esophageal injury during AF ablation is of utmost importance in preventing AEF. A high index of suspicion and early intervention are necessary to prevent fatal outcomes. Early surgical repair is the mainstay of treatment.
PI-LSTM: Physics-Infused Long Short-Term Memory Network

We introduce a novel machine learning-based fusion model termed as PI-LSTM (Physics-Infused Long Short-Term Memory Networks) that integrates first principle Physics-Based Models and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network. Our architecture aims at combining equation-based models with data-driven machine learning models to enable accurate predictions of complex dynamic systems. In this hybrid architecture, recurrency aids the temporal memory of the inputs and output of the partial physics model, in a way that facilitates generalization with scarce data sets. We illustrate the application of PI-LSTM on two dynamical systems namely Inverted Pendulum and Tumor Growth. Empirical results on both test problems stand witness to the effectiveness of using physics in guiding machine learning models and the superiority of the outlined hybrid model over purely data-driven models.
Device Architecture Study in Fullerene-Based Organic Photovoltaics

The effect of device architecture on the performance of fullerene-based organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices has not been investigated so far. Here, we performed experimental and simulation studies o...