cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of transient chromatin immunoprecipitation assays to test models for E2F1-specific transcriptional activation

The E2F family of transcription factors regulates the expression of genes involved in cell cycle progression, DNA synthesis, repair, and recombination, and a variety of other cellular processes. Although E2F proteins are often redundant in function, specificity of binding and activity can occur. For example, E2F1, but not other E2F family members, was shown previously to bind the murine carboxylesterase promoter in chromatin immunoprecipitation studies. This promoter region lacks a consensus E2F binding site, suggesting that E2F1 may be recruited to the DNA in a unique fashion. To further investigate this E2F1-specific binding, we have employed a "transient chromatin immunoprecipitation" approach. Using various deletions and mutations of the promoter region, we localized the E2F1-specific binding site and demonstrated that it was required for E2F1-mediated transcription of the carboxylesterase promoter. The identified site was similar to the 8-bp consensus E2F site but differed from the consensus at a crucial position. To address whether E2F1 directly bound to this non-consensus site, we demonstrated that the DNA binding domain of E2F1 is necessary for E2F1-mediated activation of the carboxylesterase promoter. Interestingly, a "UP" mutation of the site, making it more similar to the consensus element, did not improve the ability of E2F1 to bind the promoter. Rather, E2F1 could no longer bind to the carboxylesterase promoter that contained the consensus E2F site. We propose a model in which E2F1-specific regulation of the carboxylesterase promoter requires both E2F1/DNA interactions and protein-protein interaction between E2F1 and a factor that binds adjacent to the non-consensus site.
Modeling of converter transformers using frequency domain terminal impedance measurements

Frequency-dependent node-to-node impedance function (NIF) models of power system equipment based on systematic broad frequency range (50 Hz to 1 MHz) external driving point impedance measurements are described. Such models are needed to calculate and predict the radio frequency electromagnetic (EM) noise produced by the valve ignition of a converter station. The application of the transformer frequency-domain NIF model related to HVDC converter station EM noise calculations is demonstrated. Calculated performance data are compared with field measurements. >
A restructured decision feedback equalizer for facilitating the LMS algorithm

The least-mean-square (LMS) algorithm used to adapt the feedforward and feedback filters of a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) is often poorly conditioned. The result is that convergence is slow and misadjustment large. We propose a restructuring of the DFE that will improve the performance of the adaptive algorithm without changing the efficacy of the equalizer. In particular, we propose two similar designs neither of which requires a matrix inversion or matrix multiplication. One takes advantage of some a priori knowledge of the channel and the other draws on simple channel identification as part of the adaptive process to facilitate the algorithm. >
Applying compactness constraints to differential traveltime tomography

Tomographic imaging problems are typically ill-posed and often require the use of regularization techniques to guarantee a stable solution. Minimization of a weighted norm of model length is one commonly used secondary constraint. Tikhonov methods exploit low-order differential operators to select for solutions that are small, flat, or smooth in one or more dimensions. This class of regularizing functionals may not always be appropriate, particularly in cases where the anomaly being imaged is generated by a nonsmooth spatial process. Time-lapse imaging of flow-induced velocity anomalies is one such case; flow features are often characterized by spatial compactness or connectivity. By performing inversions on differenced arrival time data, the properties of the time-lapse feature can be directly constrained. We develop a differential traveltime tomography algorithm whichselects for compact solutions, i.e., models with a minimum area of support, through application of model-space iteratively reweighted leas...
Nitrogen Metabolism and Insulin Requirements in Obese Diabetic Adults on a Protein-Sparing Modified Fast

A protein-sparing modified fast (PSMF), which is a total fast modified by the intake of 1.2-1.4 gm. protein per kilogram ideal body weight (IBW), fluids ad libitum, and vitamin and mineral supplementation, allows effective control of carbohydrate metabolism and hunger. It reduces serum glucose and insulin concentrations in obese diabetic patients and increases free fatty acid and ketone body concentrations; ketonuria appears within 24-72 hours. When this fast was applied to seven obese adult-onset diabetics who were receiving 30-100 units of insulin per day, insulin could be discontinued after 0-19 days (mean, 6.5). In the three patients who had extensive nitrogen-balance studies, balance could be maintained chronically by 1.3 gm. protein per kilogram IBW, despite the gross caloric inadequacy of the diet. The PSMF was tolerated well in an outpatient setting after the initial insulin-withdrawal phase had occurred in the hospital. Significant improvements in blood pressure, lipid abnormalities, parameters of carbohydrate metabolism, and cardiorespiratory, symptoms were associated with weight loss and/or the PSMF. For diabetics with some endogenous insulin reserve, the PSMF offers significant advantages for weight reduction, including preservation of lean body mass (as reflected in nitrogen balance) and withdrawal of exogenous insulin.
A computational representation for rigid and articulated assembly

With the increasing bevel of automation in assembly planning and assembly execution, it becomes more obvious that there is a gap between the output of a mechanical designer and an assembly planner. The question is: How to describe a designed assembly to an assembly planning system? The input to almost all the current reported automatic assembly planning systems is one-static-state of the final assembly configuration regardless the assembly is meant to be rigid or articulated. The inability to represent the assembly design completely, accurately and computationally has hindered the power of an assembly planner in dealing with articulated assemblies as simple as taking something out of a drawer. In this paper we identify a computational representation (specification) of an assembly. The basic idea of this representation is to use each oriented surface on a solid as a descriptive primitive and the symmetry group of the surface as a computational primitive. The relative motions (degree of freedom) under various contacts between a part or a subassembly and the rest of the assembly can be efficiently determined by computing these basic symmetry groups in a proved correct manner. The results reported in this paper lay out a more realistic and precise group theoretic framework than our previous work, and provide a concise, complete and computational representation for rigid and articulated assembly.
The Geology of the Chicamauga Campaign, American Civil War

Regional and local geology exerted a very strong influence on the outcome of the Chickamauga Campaign of September 1863. The Union Army of the Cumberland met the Confederate Army of Tennessee at the Battle of Chickamauga in north Georgia. Topography of the Cumberland Plateau and Valley and Ridge Provinces of the Appalachian Mountains determined the movement of troops. General George Thomas was almost trapped in the confined anticline of McLemore's Cove. The opposing forces met near Chickamauga Creek in an area underlain by Ordovician carbonates. The Battle of Chickamauga can be related to differences in topography that are directly connected to differences in lithologies within these rocks. Thus, the maneuvers of armies prior to the Battle of Chickamauga and the battle itself were largely determined by both regional and local geology.
Frequency-tuning technique for remote detection of heartbeat and respiration using low-power double-sideband transmission in the ka-band

A Ka-band transceiver using low-power double-sideband transmission to detect human heartbeat and respiration signals is demonstrated. The Ka-band electromagnetic wave offers higher detection sensitivity on small movement due to its shorter wavelength. Indirect-conversion receiver architecture is chosen to reduce the dc offset and 1/f noise that can degrade the signal-to-noise ratio and detection accuracy. Furthermore, the double-sideband signals at the transmitter output can be in quadrature by choosing a proper frequency separation to relieve the severe null point problem that occurs at high frequency. As a result,the detection accuracy is significantly improved with low transmitted power. This radar sensor system achieves better than 80% detection accuracy at a distance of 2.0 m with a combined transmitted power of only 12.5 /spl mu/W in both sidebands.
THE ROLE OF SLAVE LABOR IN GROUNDNUT PRODUCTION IN EARLY COLONIAL KANO

This article reinforces the interpretation of numerous scholars who have highlighted the role of slave labor in groundnut production during the ‘cash-crop revolution’ in West Africa in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It also expands Jan Hogendorn's argument on the African initiatives involved in the expansion of groundnut production in colonial Northern Nigeria. In particular, it provides evidence of the key role of the emir of Kano (Abbas) and important merchants in the transition to groundnut cultivation and the significant use of slave labor by these large estate-holders. The article focuses mainly on the Fanisau unit of Kano.
Scatter Correction Requirements for Likelihood-Based Attenuation Artifact Correction in PET

Artifacts have been observed in CT-based, 511-keV attenuation images for PET attenuation correction. Artifact detection and correction algorithms are being developed based on the Poisson log likelihood function (LLF). The LLF quantifies the level of consistency between an activity and attenuation image pair and the measured emission sinogram. We have shown that the LLF can discriminate more-artifactual from less-artifactual attenuation images at clinical noise levels. Here we use a digital anthropomorphic phantom to examine the effect of scatter on LLF performance. Base sinograms were formed by forward projecting a true activity distribution through a true attenuation distribution. Scatter was simulated by filtering the base sinograms. Noise was considered by producing 128 Poisson-randomized variates of the filtered base sinograms for each of 7 assumed count levels. An artifactual attenuation image was produced by modifying mu-values of regions of the true attenuation image. For each sinogram, two OSEM reconstructions were performed and two LLF values obtained using the artifactual and true attenuation. Accuracy was calculated as the fraction of cases in which the LLF preferred the artifact-free attenuation image. Additional studies were performed to test several scatter correction procedures. Findings show that scatter may render the LLF unreliable even in the limit of high-count scans but that its usefulness is restored by applying an appropriate correction.
Sall2 is a novel p75NTR‐interacting protein that links NGF signalling to cell cycle progression and neurite outgrowth

By screening a fetal brain two-hybrid library with the death domain of the p75 neurotrophin receptor (NTR), we identified the Sall2 transcription factor as a novel interacting protein. Sall2 is a unique member of the Sall gene family, which is believed to be a tumour suppressor. Here, we show that Sall2 contains a p75NTR interaction domain not found in other Sall proteins and that p75NTR/Sall2 complexes co-immunoprecipitate from brain lysates. NGF dissociates p75NTR/Sall2 complexes and activates TrkA, which has an obligate function in the nuclear translocation of Sall2. NGF also increases Sall2 expression and this is mediated by p75NTR, but may not require TrkA. Depletion of Sall2 from cells decreases the expression and activity of p21WAF1/CIP1, as well as the ability of NGF to induce growth arrest and the development of neurites. Overexpression of Sall2 activates p21WAF1/CIP1, induces growth arrest, and promotes neurite outgrowth independently of NGF. These data establish Sall2 as a link between NTRs and transcriptional events that regulate the growth and development of neuronal cells.
LIABILITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHOICE

Abstract Scholars have long maintained that increases in liability encourage firms to contract out risky activities in order to take advantage of so‐called judgment‐proof strategies. These strategies allow entities to limit their liability through contractual arrangements with nearly insolvent firms. However, the use of judgment‐proof firms triggers countervailing effects: it provides opportunities to externalize liability through judgment‐proof firms, but the insolvency of these firms introduces distortion in care levels that can generate more liability costs. These costs may outweigh the benefits of externalizing liability, making contracting out suboptimal. A simple model of organizational decision making with judgment‐proof firms is developed and applied to the oil industry, where contracting out decreased in response to heightened liability following the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Acute oral toxicity of mono- and di-alkyl ring-substituted derivatives of aniline.

Abstract Oral LD50 values of methyl, ethyl and isopropyl ring-substituted aniline derivatives at the 2 and 2,6 positions were estimated in male rats. LD50 values are about the same in mono-substituted anilines for 1- to 3-carbon substituents, but increase in di-substituted anilines as carbon chain increases from C = 1 to C = 3. Di-substituted anilines are less toxic than mono-substituted anilines when C = 2 and 3, but not when C = 1.
Serum sample stability in ligand-binding assays: challenges in assessments of long-term, bench-top and multiple freeze–thaw

Chris Macaraeg has been a lead scientist for method development, validation, and study support intended for regulated pre-clinical/clinical studies within the Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism department at Amgen Inc, Thousand Oaks, CA. He joined Amgen in 2006. His expertise also includes automation and method transfer to CROs. Chris received his BS degree in Physiological Science and Neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles, CA and MS in Forensic Science from Pace University, New York, NY. Stability of therapeutic proteins in biological matrix is an important parameter to evaluate in bioanalytical support of regulated nonclinical or clinical studies. Despite industry guidance publications, many questions still arise as to how these practices are implemented to establish therapeutic protein stability in bioanalytical method validations. This article presents findings from long-term, bench-top and freeze–thaw stability assessments for three therapeutic monoclonal antibodies using eith...
The response dynamics of recognition memory: Sensitivity and bias.

Advances in theories of memory are hampered by insufficient metrics for measuring memory. The goal of this paper is to further the development of model-independent, sensitive empirical measures of the recognition decision process. We evaluate whether metrics from continuous mouse tracking, or response dynamics, uniquely identify response bias and mnemonic evidence, and demonstrate 1 application of these metrics to the strength-based mirror-effect paradigm. In 4 studies, we show that response dynamics can augment our current analytic repertoire in a way that speaks to the psychological mechanisms underlying recognition memory. We manipulated familiarity and response bias via encoding strength and the proportion of targets at test (Experiment 1) and found that the initial degree of deviation of the mouse movement toward a response is a robust indicator of response bias. In order to better isolate measures of memory strength, we next minimized response bias through the use of 2-alternative forced-choice tests (Experiments 2 and 3). Changes in the direction of movement along the x-axis provided an indication of encoding strength. We conclude by applying these metrics to the typical strength-based mirror effect design (Experiment 4) in an attempt to further discriminate between differentiation and criterion-shift accounts. (PsycINFO Database Record.
Connective Tissue XIII. Effect of Estradiol Benzoate upon Collagen Synthesis by Sponge Biopsy Connective Tissue.

Summary1. The effect of estradiol benzoate upon collagen synthesis in sponge biopsy connective tissue has been studied in normal and ovariectomized rats. 2. A dose of 300 μg, twice weekly for 4 weeks, produced a decrease in sponge weight, collagen concentration and total amount of collagen. However, the radioisotopic data demonstrated a stimulating effect of estrogen on collagen synthesis, as there was an increase in the specific activity of collagen, hydroxylysine and lysine and the total counts per minute recovered per incubation. These results lead to the conclusion that estradiol stimulates the metabolism of collagen. 3. The stimulatory effect of estradiol on collagen synthesis in sponge biopsy connective tissue is more readily demonstrated in the ovariectomized than in the intact rat.
Three Ounces of Sea Shells and One Fish Bone do not a Coastal Migration Make

The suggestion by Jones et al. (2002) that a terminal Pleistocene-early Holocene California site contains evidence for a separate coastal migration into the New World is challenged. The authors ignore the fact that some 100 or more generations passed since the initial New World colonization event(s) and the occupation of their site (Cross Creek), during which time many cultural changes could be expected, including post-big-game-hunting coastal adaptations throughout the Americas. Moreover, the amount of food refuse is so minuscule that inferring the exact nature of the initial Cross Creek economy is doubtful at best. The recovered chipped stone artifacts have no diagnostic value for economic function or ecological correlation, and the grinding stones suggest more seed than sea exploitation. Lastly, what is known about the biological origins, variation, and microevolution of Native Americans does not support a direct coastal migration from Siberia to California.
Influence of Temperature on Translaminar and Systemic Toxicities of Aphicides for Green Peach Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) Suppression on Spinach

Laboratory studies indicated that at 24OC, application of five systemic insecticides to the top surface of spinach leaves resulted in rapid mortality of green peach aphid, Myzus petsicae (Sulzer), on the ventral side of treated leaves. Mortalities were generally delayed and reduced at lower temperatures of 16 and 8OC. Systemic activity of dimethoate, pirimicarb, phosphamidon, and acephate was low. Dimethoate, the only systemic insecticide currently registered for use on spinach, failed to provide satisfactory aphid suppression at any test temperature. RH7988 appeared to translocate rapidly at each test temperature and was effective in suppressing aphids on nontreated leaves.
Nonlinear Constraint Model for Symmetric Three-Dimensional Beams

The constraint-based design of flexure mechanisms requires a qualitative and quantitative understanding of the constraint characteristics of flexure elements that serve as constraints. This paper presents the constraint characterization of a slender, uniform and symmetric cross-section, spatial beam, which is one of the most basic flexure elements used in three-dimensional flexure mechanisms. The constraint characteristics of interest, namely stiffness and error motions, are determined from the non-linear load-displacement relations of the beam. Appropriate simplifying assumptions are made in deriving these relations so that relevant non-linear effects (load-stiffening, kinematic, and elastokinematic) are captured in a compact, closed-form, and parametric manner. The resulting spatial beam constraint model is shown to be accurate, using non-linear finite element analysis, within a load and displacement range of practical interest. The utility of this model lies in the physical and analytical insight that it offers into the constraint behavior of a spatial beam flexure, its use in 3D flexure mechanism geometries, and fundamental performance tradeoffs in flexure mechanism design.© 2010 ASME
RAdiology For Practicing Physicians: Solitary and Multiple Osteocartilaginous Exostoses and Enchondromatoses

This month's article has been prepared in collaboration with Dr. Robert D. Moseley, Jr., Chairman of the Department of Radiology at the University of Chicago. Dr. Moseley came to the University of Chicago in January 1949 as an assistant resident in radiology, having received his M.D. degree from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine. He was assigned by the University as its representative at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory for the year 1950, and subsequently served two years in the United States Navy. He returned to the University of Chicago as an instructor in radiology in July 1954, and in July 1958 he became a professor and chairman of the department.—Paul C. Hodges, M.D.
One Capitalism or Many? Interpreting Indian Industrial Development

The objective of this study is to capture the process of capitalist transformation in India. The starting point is a theoretical account of why the singular logic of capitalism, namely, market exchange for profit based on mainly wage labor, in reality takes many institutional guises. An examination of the “heterogeneity” of capitalist “models” allows us to capture the institutional variety underpinning capitalist evolution. However, these accounts usually describe advanced capitalist economies or their newly successful East Asian counterparts. In the search for institutional variety in these economies, considerable emphasis is placed on agency-based non-market social arrangements for economic coordination or capitalist regulation at both the macro and sector-specific levels.
Effect of phantom size and composition on neutron dosemeter reading

Unmoderated and D 2 O-moderated 252 Cf neutron sources were used to irradiate several types of personal neutron dosemeters. The dosemeters were irradiated on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) phantoms with frontal dimensions of 40 x 40 cm 2 and 30 x 30 cm 2 ; both phantoms were 15 cm thick. Monte Carlo computer calculations of the neutron spectra and the ratios of dose equivalents at the surfaces of these phantoms were performed using the MCNP computer code. Additional calculations were performed for a 241 Am-Be neutron source and for phantoms composed of Intemational Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) tissue and of water ; the water phantom used the design specified recently by the Intemational Organization for Standardization (ISO). The calculations indicated negligible differences in the effects that either of the PMMA phantoms produced on the neutron energy spectra studied. However, the dose equivalent at the surface of the 30 x 30 x 15 cm 3 PMMA phantom differed from the dose equivalents at the surfaces of the water phantom and the ICRU tissue phantom by about 4%. Dosemeters irradiated on the two different sized PMMA phantoms, using unmoderated and D 2 O moderated 252 Cf neutron sources, gave nearly identical readings. All of the phantoms had similar effects on the neutron spectra, producing additional low energy neutrons. It was concluded that either size of PMMA phantom could be used for the irradiations required by the US dosimetry accreditation programmes.
Computation of breast ptosis from 3D surface scans of the female torso

Stereophotography is now finding a niche in clinical breast surgery, and several methods for quantitatively measuring breast morphology from 3D surface images have been developed. Breast ptosis (sagging of the breast), which refers to the extent by which the nipple is lower than the inframammary fold (the contour along which the inferior part of the breast attaches to the chest wall), is an important morphological parameter that is frequently used for assessing the outcome of breast surgery. This study presents a novel algorithm that utilizes three-dimensional (3D) features such as surface curvature and orientation for the assessment of breast ptosis from 3D scans of the female torso. The performance of the computational approach proposed was compared against the consensus of manual ptosis ratings by nine plastic surgeons, and that of current 2D photogrammetric methods. Compared to the 2D methods, the average accuracy for 3D features was ~13% higher, with an increase in precision, recall, and F-score of 37%, 29%, and 33%, respectively. The computational approach proposed provides an improved and unbiased objective method for rating ptosis when compared to qualitative visualization by observers, and distance based 2D photogrammetry approaches.
Evolutionary potential of upper thermal tolerance: biogeographic patterns and expectations under climate change

How will organisms respond to climate change? The rapid changes in global climate are expected to impose strong directional selection on fitness-related traits. A major open question then is the potential for adaptive evolutionary change under these shifting climates. At the most basic level, evolutionary change requires the presence of heritable variation and natural selection. Because organismal tolerances of high temperature place an upper bound on responding to temperature change, there has been a surge of research effort on the evolutionary potential of upper thermal tolerance traits. Here, I review the available evidence on heritable variation in upper thermal tolerance traits, adopting a biogeographic perspective to understand how heritability of tolerance varies across space. Specifically, I use meta-analytical models to explore the relationship between upper thermal tolerance heritability and environmental variability in temperature. I also explore how variation in the methods used to obtain these thermal tolerance heritabilities influences the estimation of heritable variation in tolerance. I conclude by discussing the implications of a positive relationship between thermal tolerance heritability and environmental variability in temperature and how this might influence responses to future changes in climate.
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) That Signal via Protein Kinase A (PKA) Cross-talk at Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 (IRS1) to Activate the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT Pathway

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) activate PI3K/v-AKT thymoma viral oncoprotein (AKT) to regulate many cellular functions that promote cell survival, proliferation, and growth. However, the mechanism by which GPCRs activate PI3K/AKT remains poorly understood. We used ovarian preantral granulosa cells (GCs) to elucidate the mechanism by which the GPCR agonist FSH via PKA activates the PI3K/AKT cascade. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) is secreted in an autocrine/paracrine manner by GCs and activates the IGF1 receptor (IGF1R) but, in the absence of FSH, fails to stimulate YXXM phosphorylation of IRS1 (insulin receptor substrate 1) required for PI3K/AKT activation. We show that PKA directly phosphorylates the protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) regulatory subunit myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1 (MYPT1) to activate PP1 associated with the IGF1R-IRS1 complex. Activated PP1 is sufficient to dephosphorylate at least four IRS1 Ser residues, Ser318, Ser346, Ser612, and Ser789, and promotes IRS1 YXXM phosphorylation by the IGF1R to activate the PI3K/AKT cascade. Additional experiments indicate that this mechanism also occurs in breast cancer, thyroid, and preovulatory granulosa cells, suggesting that the PKA-dependent dephosphorylation of IRS1 Ser/Thr residues is a conserved mechanism by which GPCRs signal to activate the PI3K/AKT pathway downstream of the IGF1R.
Competitive Hold-Up: Monopoly Prices Too High to Maximize Profits when Retailers or Complement Goods Are Perfectly Competitive

If a monopolist (any manufacturer with downward-sloping demand) cannot commit to a wholesale price in advance, even competitive retailers will be reluctant to enter the market, knowing that once they have entered, the monopolist has incentive to choose a higher price and reduce their quasi-rents. Retailers earn zero profits in the long run, but this hurts the monopolist by shifting in the retailer short-run supply curve. I call this inefficiently high price "competitive hold-up''. A similar problem occurs if the monopolist's product is sold directly to consumers but is complementary to a product sold by a competitive industry. Competitive hold-up arises from upstream opportunism, not downstream market power, and so is distinct from two problems that look superficially similar, double marginalization and the two-monopoly complements externality.
Overlapping Mental Magisteria: Implications of Experimental Psychology for a Theory of Religious Belief as Misattribution

Subjective religious and spiritual experiences ( RS ) are believed by many to be reliable indicators of external agency. A set of related phenomena are used to support this view that typically involve intuitions or attributions of mental interaction or experiences with RS agents. The present review integrates empirical findings from the fields of the Cognitive Sciences of Religion, experimental social psychology, and neuropsychology to support the position that individuals misattribute RS thoughts and experiences. That is, these experiences are believed to be veridical indicators of external agency when in fact they are subject to materialistic causal influences. This tendency varies as a function of individual differences and contextual conditions. RS phenomena can be artificially generated in a way that is phenomenologically indistinguishable from spontaneous experiences. Intuitions of external agency are rationalized and confabulated, leaving the mistaken impression of validation by analytic processes. The theoretical and philosophical implications of findings are discussed.
Nonconventional Antisense in Zebrafish for Functional Genomics Applications

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the nonconventional antisense in zebrafish for functional genomics applications. The ability of the various genome projects to acquire gene sequence data has far outpaced the ability to ascribe biological functions to these new genes. For the many biological processes that are well conserved in evolution, model systems with rapid genetic tools such as D. melanogaster have opened the door to functional genomics. In this paradigm, genes with specific biological roles are identified first in the model organism, and genome databases are subsequently used to identify human homologs. Many biological and biochemical pathways are not conserved between flies and vertebrates, and, consequently, studies directly using biologically more complex model systems such as the mouse and the fish are warranted. Examples include neural crest formation, most organogenesis pathways, and signaling cascades such as those induced by vascular endothelial growth factor. Genetic approaches have been developed to approach this problem, but each is a significant cost in terms of animal husbandry needs and time for large-scale analyses in vertebrates. The chapter discusses the use of morpholinos (MOs) as antisense tools in zebrafish.
Pathophysiology of Calcification and Ossification of the Ligamentum Flavum in the Cervical Spine

Calcification of the ligamentum flavum (CLF) and ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) in the cervical spine are differential diagnoses in patients with posterior extradural compressive lesions related to cervical degenerative disease. Preoperative computed tomography can facilitate the detection of characteristic findings and help to distinguish between CLF and OLF. Although these are rare entities in the cervical spine, adequately timed surgical decompression is required in most patients who present with radiculomyelopathy.
Using novel technology to augment complex video-assisted thoracoscopic single basilar segmentectomy

There are many novel technologies that enable complex segmentectomy to be performed. As lung cancer screening becomes more prevalent, patients are increasingly diagnosed with early stage lung cancer, multifocal disease, and second primary tumors. This shift to an earlier clinical presentation combined with advances in technology and an emphasis on minimally invasive techniques have led to the current developments we are now seeing with anatomic segmentectomy. In this paper, we describe the operative technique of an indocyanine green (ICG)-guided video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) single basilar segmental resection, augmented with methylene blue dye marker localization via SuperDimension electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy. The CT scans of the posterior basal segment tumor are enhanced with three-dimensional (3D) modeling. A description of the approach is detailed with a video, intraoperative photographs, and illustrations. Successful removal of the S10 segment with novel techniques permitted the patient to have five percent of the lung removed (segmentectomy) instead of 25% (right lower lobectomy). In the setting of multifocal disease, future treatment options for the tumors in other locations of the lung are enhanced. Novel lung imaging techniques along with careful intraoperative identification of appropriate segmental anatomy allow patients to be offered an optimal basilar parenchymal-sparing segmentectomy.
Asynchronous Transmission Using Universal Filtered Multicarrier for Multiservice Applications in 5G Fiber-Wireless Integrated Mobile Fronthaul

We propose a fiber-wireless-access system capable of asynchronous transmission with diverse applications in 5G communication through UFMC modulation. Experimental results validate stable asynchronous data transmission with three different services while reducing number of sub-band filters.
Lack of 2'-O-methylation in the tRNA anticodon loop of two phylogenetically distant yeast species activates the general amino acid control pathway

Modification defects in the tRNA anticodon loop often impair yeast growth and cause human disease. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the phylogenetically distant fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, trm7Δ mutants grow poorly due to lack of 2'-O-methylation of C32 and G34 in the tRNAPhe anticodon loop, and lesions in the human TRM7 homolog FTSJ1 cause non-syndromic X-linked intellectual disability (NSXLID). However, it is unclear why trm7Δ mutants grow poorly. We show here that despite the fact that S. cerevisiae trm7Δ mutants had no detectable tRNAPhe charging defect in rich media, the cells constitutively activated a robust general amino acid control (GAAC) response, acting through Gcn2, which senses uncharged tRNA. Consistent with reduced available charged tRNAPhe, the trm7Δ growth defect was suppressed by spontaneous mutations in phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (PheRS) or in the pol III negative regulator MAF1, and by overexpression of tRNAPhe, PheRS, or EF-1A; all of these also reduced GAAC activation. Genetic analysis also demonstrated that the trm7Δ growth defect was due to the constitutive robust GAAC activation as well as to the reduced available charged tRNAPhe. Robust GAAC activation was not observed with several other anticodon loop modification mutants. Analysis of S. pombe trm7 mutants led to similar observations. S. pombe Trm7 depletion also resulted in no observable tRNAPhe charging defect and a robust GAAC response, and suppressors mapped to PheRS and reduced GAAC activation. We speculate that GAAC activation is widely conserved in trm7 mutants in eukaryotes, including metazoans, and might play a role in FTSJ1-mediated NSXLID.
Uncertain Model Set Calculation from Frequency Domain Data

Uncertainty models play a central role in the robust control framework. The uncertainty models and their structure determine the design trade off between performance and robustness of the closed-loop system. Therefore, given a nominal multivariable model of the system, a set of multivariable frequency response measurements, and model structure, it is desirable to generate a correspondingmodel set which tightly over bounds the given data.We show that computation of themodel set for a given structure, which is consistent with the data, can be formulated as a linear matrix inequality feasibility problem. Formulas are derived which allow comparison between model structures to assess the relative size of the each model set. The proposed algorithms are applied to the lateral-directional axis of a radio-controlled aircraft developed by NASA Langley researchers.
Robust Dynamic Sensor Fault Detection and Isolation of Helical Coil Steam Generator Systems Using a Subspace Identification Technique

A design approach to sensor fault detection and isolation (FDI) of helical coil steam generator (HCSG) systems of the International Reactor Innovation Secure (IRIS) reactor is presented. In the design phase, a physical model is first developed to provide a realistic simulation and generate data characterizing the system dynamics. A subspace identification technique is then used to extract a low-order linear state-space model from the data. Finally, a robust dynamic parity space approach is utilized to design residual generators for FDI. This design approach is able to achieve fault isolation following a predetermined logic without the need to use data during fault conditions, which is an unrealistic assumption of many FDI approaches studied for nuclear power plants. The results of the HCSG application show that the approach is robust to not only measurement and process noises but also operation condition changes and has the capability of correct FDI during reactor power transients and during the propagation of sensor faults in a control loop.
Physical Concepts and Mathematical Models

This chapter rests on the introduction to electricity and magnetism provided by Chapter 2. Its primary goal is to demonstrate how measurements of the biomagnetic field may be used to reveal information concerning biological sources. To unlock this information entails a somewhat lengthy chain of reasoning beginning with some careful definitions and proceeding by certain well-established physical laws to calculate the actual magnetic fields produced by various sources. The chain is then completed by comparing the measured field pattern with these predictions and thereby tracing the measured field, via an inverse process, back to its source. At present there appears to be no more direct alternative to this sequence.
Credible Prediction: Big Data, Machine Learning and the Credibility Revolution

This essay addresses the place of machine learning in a post "credibility revolution'" landscape. We begin with an overview of machine learning. Then, we make four main points. First, design still trumps analysis. The lessons of the credibility revolution should not be forgotten in the excitement around machine learning: machine learning does nothing to address the problem of omitted variable bias. Nonetheless, machine learning can improve a researcher's data analysis. Indeed, with growing concerns about the reliability of even design-based research, perhaps we should be aiming for triangulation rather than design purism. Further, for some questions we do not have the luxury of waiting for a strong design, and we need a best approximation of answer in the meantime. Second, even design-committed researchers should not ignore machine learning: it can be used in service of design-based studies to make causal estimates less variable, less biased, and more heterogeneous. Third, there are important policy-relevant prediction problems for which machine learning is particularly valuable (e.g., predicting recidivism in the criminal justice system). Yet even with research questions centered around prediction, a focus on design is still essential. As with causal inference, researchers cannot simply rely on statistical models, but must also carefully consider threats to the validity of predictions. We briefly review some of these threats: GIGO ("garbage-in garbage out"), selective labels, and Campbell's law. Fourth, the predictive power of machine learning can be leveraged for descriptive research. Where possible, we illustrate these points using examples drawn from real-world research.
Target Corporation Rewards Program, June 2010

It was May 2010, and the results were in. For Doug Scovanner, CFO of Target Corporation, there was good news, and there was bad news. The recent trials of a new REDcard Rewards Program in Kansas City, Missouri, and San Antonio, Texas, had yielded mixed results. In San Antonio, the new rewards program offered customers a 3% discount on Target purchases when using a REDcard, but it had not produced a meaningful increase in sales in that market. On the other hand, the trial in Kansas City, with a 5% discount on Target REDcard purchases, resulted in a significant sales increase. In fact, if the results were applicable to the rest of the chain, this program would add 1% in comparable-store sales in the fourth quarter of 2010 and provide an even bigger boost in 2011. There were risks involved in the decision—without incremental sales, the 5% discount would hurt the company's bottom line. Opting for more testing would raise its own set of questions: Would the company learn a lot more? And what about the opportunity costs of waiting to roll out the program nationwide? Scovanner needed to decide then if the program should be in place for the fall and holiday seasons. Excerpt UVA-F-1632 Nov. 15, 2011 Target Corporation Rewards Program, June 2010 Our mission is to make Target the preferred shopping destination for our guests by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and an exceptional guest experience by consistently fulfilling our Expect More. Pay Less.® brand promise. —Target Corporation's mission statement It was May 2010, and the results were in. For Doug Scovanner, CFO of Target Corporation, there was good news, and there was bad news. The recent trials of a new REDcard Rewards Program in Kansas City, Missouri, and San Antonio, Texas, had yielded mixed results. In San Antonio, the new rewards program offered customers a 3% discount on Target purchases when using a REDcard, but it had not produced a meaningful increase in sales in that market. On the other hand, the trial in Kansas City, with a 5% discount on Target REDcard purchases, resulted in a significant sales increase. In fact, if the results were applicable to the rest of the chain, this program would add 1% in comparable-store sales in the fourth quarter of 2010 and provide an even bigger boost in 2011. There were risks involved in the decision—without incremental sales, the 5% discount would hurt the company's bottom line. Opting for more testing would raise its own set of questions: Would the company learn a lot more? And what about the opportunity costs of waiting to roll out the program nationwide? Scovanner needed to decide then if the program should be in place for the fall and holiday seasons. . . .
Blockchain-inspired Framework for Runtime Verification of IoT Ecosystem Task Fulfillment

As the application of IoT systems becomes more and more widespread, the increasing complexity of modern hardware and software platform along with the imperative assurance on stability deems runtime verification of task fulfillment necessary in IoT ecosystems. Nevertheless, distributing the burden of a central verification monitor to individual devices could improve the efficiency. To achieve the decentralized runtime verification, this work investigates and incorporates some of the mechanisms of blockchain technology into IoT ecosystems for locating the accountability when error occurs.
In-hospital formula supplementation and breastfeeding initiation in infants born to women with pregestational diabetes mellitus.

Objective To ascertain the rate of in-hospital supplementation as it relates to early breastfeeding (BF) and early formula feeding (FF) and its effects on BF (exclusive and partial) at the time of discharge for infants born to women with pregestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM). Methods Retrospective cohort investigation of 282 women with PGDM who intended to BF and their asymptomatic infants admitted to the newborn nursery for blood glucose monitoring and routine care. Early feeding was defined by the initial feeding if given within four hours of birth. Results Of the 282 mother-infant dyads, for 134 (48%) early feeding was BF and for 148 (52%) early feeding was FF. Times from birth to BF and FF (median 1 hr, 0.3-6) were similar, while the time to first BF for those who FF and supplemented was longer (median 6 hr., 1-24). Ninety-seven infants (72%) who first BF also supplemented. Of these, 22 (23%) BF exclusively, 67 (69%) BF partially and 8 (8%) FF at discharge. One hundred seventeen (79%) who first FF also supplemented. Of these, 21 (18%) BF exclusively, 76 (65%) BF partially and 20 (17%) FF at discharge. Conclusion Regardless of the type of first feeding, the majority of infants born to women with PGDM require supplementation. Even when medically indicated, in-hospital supplementation is an obstacle, albeit not absolute, to exclusive BF at discharge. Parents should be reminded that occasional supplementation should not deter resumption and continuation of BF.
A parametric evaluation of shear wave speeds estimated with the time-of-flight approach in viscoelastic media

The time-of-flight approach estimates the shear elasticity in tissue mimicking elastography phantoms and in soft tissue. The time-of-flight approach is effective in elastic phantoms, but the time-of-flight approach tends to overestimate the shear elasticity in viscoelastic phantoms and in viscoelastic soft tissues. To characterize errors in estimated parameters for different values of the shear elasticity and the shear viscosity, three-dimensional (3D) shear wave simulations are evaluated for twelve different parameter combinations. The 3D acoustic radiation force is calculated for an L7-4 transducer using the fast nearfield method and the angular spectrum approach, and then, 3D shear wave propagation in a viscoelastic medium is simulated with Green's functions for a Kelvin-Voigt model. The time-of-flight method is then evaluated within a two-dimensional plane. The results show that the accuracy of the time-of-flight method depends on the values of the shear elasticity and the shear viscosity. In particular, the error in the estimated shear elasticity increases as the shear viscosity increases, where the largest errors are observed when larger values of the shear viscosity are combined with smaller values of the shear elasticity. [Work supported in part by NIH Grants DK092255, EB023051, and EB012079.]
Two Is Better than One: Dual SEC11 Binding Sites Regulate SYP121-Mediated Vesicle Trafficking.

Vesicle trafficking is indispensable, playing critical roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses, and trafficking to the plasma membrane is an important contributor to cell expansion and cell wall remodeling (for review, see [Lipka et al., 2007][1]; [Grefen and Blatt, 2008][2]).