cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The flexDrive: an ultra-light implant for optical control and highly parallel chronic recording of neuronal ensembles in freely moving mice

Electrophysiological recordings from ensembles of neurons in behaving mice are a central tool in the study of neural circuits. Despite the widespread use of chronic electrophysiology, the precise positioning of recording electrodes required for high-quality recordings remains a challenge, especially in behaving mice. The complexity of available drive mechanisms, combined with restrictions on implant weight tolerated by mice, limits current methods to recordings from no more than 4-8 electrodes in a single target area. We developed a highly miniaturized yet simple drive design that can be used to independently position 16 electrodes with up to 64 channels in a package that weighs ~2 g. This advance over current designs is achieved by a novel spring-based drive mechanism that reduces implant weight and complexity. The device is easy to build and accommodates arbitrary spatial arrangements of electrodes. Multiple optical fibers can be integrated into the recording array and independently manipulated in depth. Thus, our novel design enables precise optogenetic control and highly parallel chronic recordings of identified single neurons throughout neural circuits in mice.
Raytheon 95 K high efficiency cryocooler program

Air Force/Raytheon 95K High Efficiency Cryocooler (95 K HEC) Program is developing a new two-stage hybrid Stirling-pulse tube space qualified refrigerator with high heat lift capacity, high efficiency, low weight and size, and low production costs relative to the current state-of-the-art. The basic program will deliver a protoflight Stirling-class Thermo Mechanical Unit (TMU) with protoflight radiation hard electronics. The cooler is designed to support 10 W heat lift from a 95 K source to a 300 K sink. Motor power consumption is to be less than 100 W and system power (including electronics) is to be less than 137 W. The cooler is to weigh no more than 6 Kg. The TMU cold head and compressor designs are highly versatile to enable low cost tailoring to meet the needs of a wide variety of applications. The first demonstration of this versatility is a program option to deliver a companion high-capacity 35 K cryocooler. This cooler will also have an aggressive efficiency requirement. The 95K and 35 K TMU will share over 95% of components, resulting in significant production efficiencies. Another result of this high degree of commonality is that each cooler can be powered and controlled by standardized command and control electronics.
Genetic determination of Colles' fracture and differential bone mass in women with and without Colles' fracture

Osteoporotic fractures (OFs) are a major public health problem. Direct evidence of the importance and, particularly, the magnitude of genetic determination of OF per se is essentially nonexistent. Colles’ fractures (CFs) are a common type of OF. In a metropolitan white female population in the midwestern United States, we found significant genetic determination of CF. The prevalence (K) of CF is, respectively, 11.8% (6SE 0.7%) in 2471 proband women aged 65.55 years (0.21), 4.4% (0.3%) in 3803 sisters of the probands, and 14.6% (0.7%) in their mothers. The recurrence risk (K0), the probability that a woman will suffer CF if her mother has suffered CF is 0.155 (0.017). The recurrence risk (Ks), the probability that a sister of a proband woman will suffer CF given that her proband sister has suffered CF is 0.084 (0.012). The relative risk l (the ratio of the recurrence risk to K), which measures the degree of genetic determination of complex diseases such as CF, is 1.312 (0.145; l0) for a woman with an affected mother and 1.885 (0.276; ls) for a woman with an affected sister. A l-value significantly greater than 1.0 indicates genetic determination of CF. The terms l0 and ls are related to the genetic variances of CF. These parameters translate into a significant and moderately high heritability (0.254 [0.118]) for CF. These parameters were estimated by a maximum likelihood method that we developed, which provides a general tool for characterizing genetic determination of complex diseases. In addition, we found that women without CF had significantly higher bone mass (adjusted for important covariates such as age, weight, etc.) than women with CF. (J Bone Miner Res 2000;15:1243‐1252)
Rotate-and-Slant Projector for Fast LOR-Based Fully-3-D Iterative PET Reconstruction

One of the greatest challenges facing iterative fully-3-D positron emission tomography (PET) reconstruction is the issue of long reconstruction times due to the large number of measurements for 3-D mode as compared to 2-D mode. A rotate-and-slant projector has been developed that takes advantage of symmetries in the geometry to compute volumetric projections to multiple oblique sinograms in a computationally efficient manner. It is based upon the 2-D rotation-based projector using the three-pass method of shears, and it conserves the 2-D rotator computations for multiple projections to each oblique sinogram set. The projector is equally applicable to both conventional evenly-spaced projections and unevenly-spaced line-of-response (LOR) data. The LOR-based version models the location and orientation of the individual LORs (i.e., the arc-correction), providing an ordinary Poisson reconstruction framework. The projector was implemented in C with several optimizations for speed, exploiting the vertical symmetry of the oblique projection process, depth compression, and array indexing schemes which maximize serial memory access. The new projector was evaluated and compared to ray-driven and distance-driven projectors using both analytical and experimental phantoms, and fully-3-D iterative reconstructions with each projector were also compared to Fourier rebinning with 2-D iterative reconstruction. In terms of spatial resolution, contrast, and background noise measures, 3-D LOR-based iterative reconstruction with the rotate-and-slant projector performed as well as or better than the other methods. Total processing times, measured on a single CPU Linux workstation, were ~ 10 & times; faster for the rotate-and-slant projector than for the other 3-D projectors studied. The new projector provided four iterations fully-3-D ordered-subsets reconstruction in as little as 15 s-approximately the same time as FORE + 2-D reconstruction. We conclude that the rotate-and-slant projector is a viable option for fully-3-D PET, offering quality statistical reconstruction in times only marginally slower than 2-D or rebinning methods.
Liquefied Natural Gas Tender Crashworthiness Research

Research is being conducted to develop technical information needed to formulate effective natural gas fuel tender crashworthiness standards. This research is being performed for the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA’s) Office of Research, Development, and Technology, and intended to facilitate industry efforts to use natural gas as a locomotive fuel. Strategies to assure crashworthiness during moderate accidents, such as train-to-train collisions at speeds up to 40 mph, are being evaluated. This research applies the approach FRA has used to develop technical information on locomotive, hazmat tank car, and diesel fuel tank crashworthiness. There are four primary tasks: 1. Definition of collision scenarios 2. Evaluation of traditional designs 3. Evaluation of alternative designs 4. Recommendation of effective crashworthiness strategies The tender scenarios have been drafted from reviews of freight train accidents and of scenarios developed for locomotives, hazmat tank cars, and fuel tanks. From these reviews, five scenarios were selected. These scenarios are intended to bound the range of collisions that a tender may experience, are being used to evaluate the crashworthiness of traditional tender designs, and will be used to evaluate alternative design tenders. The five candidate scenarios are: 1. Train-to-train collision 2. Grade-crossing accident 3. Tender derailment and rollover 4. Impact into tender tank shell during derailment 5. Impact into tender tank head during derailment As part of previous research on locomotives and passenger equipment, a range of crashworthiness analysis techniques were developed. These include simplified techniques, which can be performed rapidly and provide essential results, and detailed computer simulations which provide a wealth of information. The crashworthiness performance of a hypothetical tender design has been evaluated using simplified techniques. Simplified techniques include quasi-static crush analysis of structural elements and lumped-parameter analysis of train dynamics. The results suggest that efforts to enhance crashworthiness should principally be directed toward the trainto-train scenario. Work is ongoing to develop strategies for improving tender crashworthiness. This research is being conducted cooperatively with the Association of American Railroads (AAR). The research results are being shared with the AAR’s Natural Gas Fuel Tender Technical Advisory Group (NGFT TAG). The NGFT TAG is developing industry standards, including crashworthiness requirements, for revenue-service natural gas fuel tenders. There is a companion paper which describes crashworthiness research sponsored by AAR, including detailed computer simulations of tender crashworthiness. This paper describes development of scenarios and simplified analyses of tender crashworthiness.
The Politics of Descriptive Representation: Revisiting Winning and Losing Groups in American Elections

According to scholars, certain groups are disproportionately likely to be on the losing side of American elections and to face serious consequences in terms of representation as a result. Using ANES and a new, merged ANES/United States Historical Election Returns datasets, this paper revisits this question with a longitudinal analysis of presidential, senate, and congressional vote returns for key political groups. Unlike previous studies, this analysis links actual election returns to voters’ electoral choices with the multi-faceted characteristics that ANES requests.Using linear probability models in a longitudinal framework, I find that blacks are more likely than non-blacks to be on the winning side of American congressional and senate elections, but more likely to be on the losing side of presidential elections. While the finding related to presidential voting fits with previous literature, the senate and congressional finding sheds new light on the story of minority voting in American politics. Additionally, many of the key constituent groups that make up American political parties do not fare as well as expected. Northern white Protestants, for example, are more likely than the rest of the sample to be on the losing end of American senate and congressional elections, while Catholics are more likely than the rest of the sample to be on the losing end of congressional elections. This result suggests that Catholics may not have benefitted electorally from a movement toward the Republican Party.Last, political interest plays a profound role in determining whether blacks are going to be on the winning side of American elections. High political interest blacks are much more likely than all others in the ANES/USHER sample to be on the winning side of American senate and congressional elections. This finding suggests that political campaigns should specifically target minority voters, in order to facilitate turnout, political information, and voting among minority populations. Additionally, political campaigns should target high political interest blacks, since they are the vote win leaders in the black population and the sample at large.
Non-equilibrium Josephson-like effects in mesoscopic S-N-S junctions

Wide mesoscopic superconducting - normal-metal - superconducting (S-N-S) junctions exhibit Andreev bound states which carry substantial supercurrents, even at temperatures for which the equilibrium Josephson effect is exponentially small --- the currents carried by different states can cancel each other. This cancellation is incomplete whenever the junctions are driven out of equilibrium, e.g., by a dc voltage. This leads to phenomena similar to the usual dc and ac Josephson effects, but dominated by the second harmonic of the Josephson frequency, which may explain some striking recent experiments. A simple description of these, in the spirit of the Resistively-Shunted-Junction model, is suggested.
Performance Comparison of Web Servers with Different Architectures: A Case Study Using High Concurrency Workload

Responsiveness is increasingly important for web servers to seamlessly interact with end-users and enhance user experience. In this paper, we studied how different server architectures -- asynchronous and thread-based -- impact the responsiveness of web servers under high concurrency workload. Through extensive measurements of a standard web server benchmark (Apache Bench), we show that the web servers with asynchronous architecture can achieve much better tail-latency than the thread-based version due to their robustness to handle high concurrency workload. Our fine-grained timeline analysis shows that a thread-based server is fragile to high concurrency workload because of its limited queue size (e.g., limited by thread pool size) for high concurrent requests, causing queue overflow and requests with very long response time due to TCP retransmissions. On the other hand, if we configure a thread-based server with large thread pool size to avoid queue overflow, the maximum achievable throughput can be significantly lower than that of the asynchronous version due to the multi-threading overhead. Our initial results suggest that asynchronous architecture should be considered to construct high responsive and robust web applications that involve hundreds of servers in cloud data centers.
N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Antibodies in Herpes Simplex Encephalitis

Researchers at Charite University Medicine Berlin, and other centers in Germany, Spain and the US performed a retrospective analysis of 44 patients with polymerase chain reaction-proven herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) for the presence of onconeuronal and synaptic receptor antibodies.
Three-Dimensional Computer-Based Online Learning Environments

Learning environments, where students are immersed in some type of communications sphere (text or graphics) to promote learning has been discussed for over two decades. With the introduction and growing availability of personal computers supporting high-quality graphics capability, the type of learning environment research has shifted away form text to graphics. A number of projects have undertaken to design and study the digital learning environments ranging from 2D environments with such projects as the Inquiry Learning Forum, Math Forum, and the original MOOSE Crossing to 3D environments like River City, Quest Atlantis, or Chalk House. Studies on both the design and learning outcomes of these environments are opening up a number of avenues for working towards improvements in student learning, engagement, and satisfaction that make them and exciting focus for theorists and researchers. Beyond the “wow” factor of these environments there are also struggles that accompany any innovation, and this chapter examines both some of the successes and challenges to designing and using these educational environments.
Readiness-to-change as a moderator of a web-based brief intervention for marijuana among students identified by health center screening.

Abstract Introduction Electronic screening and brief intervention has been identified as a low cost strategy to address marijuana use among students, however there is little known about who may be most responsive to this intervention approach. This study examined whether readiness-to-change moderated the influence of a web-based intervention on frequency of use at 3-month outcomes. Methods One-hundred twenty-three students who smoked marijuana at least monthly were identified by screening in a student health center. Baseline and 3-month outcome assessments were conducted on-line. Participants were randomly assigned to either eCHECKUP TO GO-marijuana or a control condition after completing marijuana measures and the Readiness-to-Change Questionnaire (RTCQ). Negative binomial regression analyses were conducted to examine whether the effect of the intervention on marijuana use at 3-month outcomes was moderated by the Action and Problem Recognition dimensions of the RTCQ, adjusting for baseline use. Results Analyses showed a significant Intervention × Action interaction. Probing of interaction effects showed that among those with high scores on the Action scale participants in the intervention group reported significantly fewer days of use than those in the control condition at follow-up (IRR = 0.53, 95%CI: 0.94, 2.08). The Problem Recognition dimension did not moderate the influence of the intervention on outcomes. Conclusion These results suggest that this eSBI may bolster change efforts among students who have begun taking steps toward changing their marijuana use.
The Diagnosis and Management of Mallet Finger Injuries.

Background: Mallet finger is a common injury of the extensor tendon insertion causing an extension lag of the distal interphalangeal joint. Methods: We reviewed the most current literature on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of mallet finger injuries focusing on the indications and outcomes of surgical intervention. Results: Nonoperative management has been advocated for almost all mallet finger injuries; however, complex injuries are usually treated surgically. There is still controversy regarding the absolute indications for surgical intervention. Conclusions: Although surgery is generally indicated in the case of mallet fractures involving more than one-third of the articular surface as well as in all patients who develop volar subluxation of the distal phalanx, a significant advantage of surgical management even in those complicated cases has yet to be clearly proven.
Dust emissions in cattle feedlots.

Dust emissions were measured at three Texas cattle feedlots on 15 occasions in 1987 to determine concentrations of total suspended particulate matter (TSP) and dust with 10 microns or less aerodynamic particle size (PM-10). Net feedlot dust concentrations (downwind minus upwind) ranged from 15.7 to 1,700.1 micrograms per m3 and averaged 412.4 +/- 271.2 micrograms per m3, which is about 37 per cent less than was determined in feedlot dust research in California approximately 17 years earlier. Upwind concentrations averaged 22 per cent of the downwind concentrations. Feedlot dust concentrations were generally highest in early evening and lowest in early morning. Using the Wedding and Andersen-321A PM-10 samplers, the PM-10 dust concentrations were 19 and 40 per cent, respectively, of mean TSP concentrations in direct comparisons. There was good correlation between PM-10 and TSP concentrations. Although dust concentrations decreased with increasing moisture, the correlation coefficients were relatively low. Odor intensity appeared to increase with decreasing net dust concentrations, perhaps due to moisture influences. Mean particle sizes of feedlot dust were 8.5 to 12.2 microns on a particle volume basis and 2.5 to 3.4 microns on a population basis. Respirable dust (below 2 microns) represented only 2.0 to 4.4 per cent of total dust on a particle volume basis. Under conditions of these experiments, the feedlots often exceeded both state and federal (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) standards for TSP concentrations and for PM-10 concentrations measured using the Andersen-321A sampler. However, feedlots were below the new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards when the Wedding PM-10 sampler was used for measuring dust emissions.
Grain growth in perovskites: What is the impact of boundary transitions?

Abstract Several perovskite ceramics are known to have non-Arrhenius type grain growth and to show grain growth transitions instead. These growth transitions are coupled to bimodal microstructures and seem to be caused by the existence, coexistence and transition of two different grain boundary types. This paper gives a review on the details of the grain growth transitions in perovskite ceramics. A simple mean field approach and standard grain growth experiments are used for quantification. However, this approach is far too simple to understand bimodal anisotropic grain growth completely as apparent in perovskites. Important parameters such as atomistic boundary structure, segregation effects, wetting transitions, faceting, grain boundary stoichiometry, space charge and interfacial drag effects are discussed with respect to their impact on grain growth in perovskites. A summary of open questions and future directions is given.
Studies on the complex between human α2-macroglobulin and Crotalus adamanteus proteinase II. Release of active proteinase from the complex

Abstract Proteinase II from Crotalus adamanteus venom formed a complex with human α 2 - macroglobulin in which approx. 1.7 mol of enzyme were bound per mol inhibitor. The complex did not enzymatically inactivate human α 1 proteinase inhibitor. However, active proteinase II was released from the complex in the presence of a high molecular weight proteinase fraction from C. adamanteus venom. The α 2 - macroglobulin-proteinase II complex was also unstable during incubation in serum, and the enzyme released from the complex caused inactivation of serum proteinase inhibitors. The results indicate conditions under which venom proteinases can be dissociated from their complexes with α 2 - macroglobulin and thus remain functional in the presence of molar excesses of inhibitor.
SU-D-209-01: Can Fluoroscopic Air-Kerma Rates Be Reliably Measured with Solid-State Meters?

Purpose: Ionization chambers remain the standard for calibration of air-kerma rate measuring devices. Despite their strong energy-dependent response, solid state radiation detectors are increasingly used, primarily due to their efficiency in making standardized measurements. To test the reliability of these devices in measuring air-kerma rates, we compared ion chambers measurements with solid-state measurements for various mobile fluoroscopes operated at different beam qualities and air-kerma rates. Methods: Six mobile fluoroscopes (GE OEC models 9800 and 9900) were used to generate test beams. Using various field sizes and dose rate controls, copper attenuators and a lead attenuator were placed at the image receptor in varying combinations to generate a range of air-kerma rates. Air-kerma rates at 30 centimeters from the image receptors were measured using two 6-cm3 ion chambers with electrometers (Radcal, models 1015 and 9015) and two with solid state detectors (Unfors Xi and Raysafe X2). No error messages occurred during measurements. However, about two months later, one solid-state device stopped working and was replaced by the manufacturer. Two out of six mobile fluoroscopic units were retested with the replacement unit. Results: Generally, solid state and ionization chambers agreed favorably well, with two exceptions. Before replacement of the detector, the Xi meter when set in the “RF High” mode deviated from ion chamber readings by factors of 2 and 10 with no message indicating error in measurement. When set in the “RF Low” mode, readings were within −4% to +3%. The replacement Xi detector displayed messages alerting the user when settings were not compatible with air-kerma rates. Conclusion: Air-kerma rates can be measured favorably well using solid-state devices, but users must be aware of the possibility that readings can be grossly in error with no discernible indication for the deviation.
Nexus to Lexis: Phonological Disorders in Children

Research on phonological disorders in children has conventionally emphasized the speech sound in search of causes, diagnoses, treatments, and prevention of the disorder. This article aims to shift the research focus to the word instead. The motivation comes from advances in psycholinguistics that demonstrate the word is central to the perception, production, and acquisition of phonological information. Three strands of potential study are outlined in evaluation of how words might initiate and boost, but perhaps also, interrupt learning for children with phonological disorders.
Integrating immunometabolism and macrophage diversity

Macrophages are heterogeneous cells that play a key role in inflammatory and tissue reparative responses. Over the past decade it has become clear that shifts in cellular metabolism are important determinants of macrophage function and phenotype. At the same time, our appreciation of macrophage diversity in vivo has also been increasing. Factors such as cell origin and tissue localization are now recognized as important variables that influence macrophage biology. Whether different macrophage populations also have unique metabolic phenotypes has not been extensively explored. In this article, we will discuss the importance of understanding how macrophage origin can modulate metabolic programming and influence inflammatory responses.
Sex/gender influences on the nervous system: Basic steps toward clinical progress

A Commentary highlighting the progress that sex-based data and research have made in neuroscience and the complexities that research has revealed thus far. Basic and preclinical neuroscientific research that considers sex as a biological variable will continue to build on the foundation of knowledge that has been started by multiple predecessors. The expansion of knowledge in preclinical neuroscience that integrates the study of both sexes will have a significant role in informing clinical trial design. We applaud the efforts of the editors and authors who have contributed to this issue. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Methanol to Hydrocarbon Catalysis on Sulfated Zirconia Proceeds Through a Hydrocarbon-Pool Mechanism

Aromatic hydrocarbons and other cyclic organic species have recently been identified as the locus of carbon--carbon bond forming and breaking in the conversion of methanol to olefins (MTO) on microporous solid acids such as HZSM-5 and HSAPO-34. In order to ascertain whether or not this hydrocarbon-pool mechanism for MTO catalysis is unique to zeotype solid acids, we studied the stronger solid acid sulfated zirconia. This study establishes a greater generality for the hydrocarbon-pool mechanism.
IN-HOSPITAL MORTALITY IN PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY STENTING OF BIFURCATION VERSUS NON-BIFURCATION LESIONS IN ACUTE ST-ELEVATION MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Background: Stenting of bifurcation coronary lesions is challenging, associated with adverse outcomes. Prior studies have identified various predictors of long-term outcome. The goal of this study is to investigate in-hospital mortality differences in index hospitalization in patients with acute ST-
Statistics: Setting the Stage

Results from clinical trials are often cited as the highest-quality evidence available to guide clinical practice. While many reported clinical trials are of high quality, many have significant deficiencies in study design, data analysis, and interpretation of results. Up-front attention to the fundamentals of statistics is paramount to the design and conduct of a high-quality clinical trial. This chapter will address the fundamentals of study design, focusing on statistical topics including randomization, treatment allocation, cohort stratification, sample size, power, and type II errors.
Rehabilitation Needs of the Elderly Patient with Cancer

Physiatrist taking care of the geriatric patient with cancer should be able to manage an array of conditions that might present from diagnosis throughout completion of treatments and beyond. The elderly cancer population is at greater risk of functional impairments. The physician should anticipate changes in clinical status and must adjust rehabilitation goals accordingly. Treatment options and rehabilitation goals should be tailored to help maximize quality of life in these patients.
Brodmann area 10: Collating, integrating and high level processing of nociception and pain

Multiple frontal cortical brain regions have emerged as being important in pain processing, whether it be integrative, sensory, cognitive, or emotional. One such region, Brodmann Area 10 (BA 10), is the largest frontal brain region that has been shown to be involved in a wide variety of functions including risk and decision making, odor evaluation, reward and conflict, pain, and working memory. BA 10, also known as the anterior prefrontal cortex, frontopolar prefrontal cortex or rostral prefrontal cortex, is comprised of at least two cytoarchitectonic sub-regions, medial and lateral. To date, the explicit role of BA 10 in the processing of pain hasn't been fully elucidated. In this paper, we first review the anatomical pathways and functional connectivity of BA 10. Numerous functional imaging studies of experimental or clinical pain have also reported brain activations and/or deactivations in BA 10 in response to painful events. The evidence suggests that BA 10 may play a critical role in the collation, integration and high-level processing of nociception and pain, but also reveals possible functional distinctions between the subregions of BA 10 in this process.
Smartwatch-based transcription biometrics

Handwriting analysis and the identification of people based on individual typing patterns are of great interest in the field of biometrics. The increasing need for user authentication in our modern society has underscored the need for smarter and more automated security protocols. The goal of this research is to explore the feasibility of using relatively inexpensive commercial smartwatches as a reliable platform for transcription-based biometrics. This study demonstrates that it is possible to accurately identify individuals performing transcription tasks (i.e. handwriting sentences, typing on a keyboard, etc.) using only a smartwatch.
Independent relation of maternal prenatal factors to early childhood obesity in the offspring

OBJECTIVE:To examine the independent contribution of risk factors developing during pregnancy to subsequent risk of obesity in young children.METHODS:We conducted a historical cohort study using data from electronic medical records of mothers and their 3,302 singleton offspring born between 2004 and
Two MHC class II A loci in the channel catfish

The use of a striped bass MHC class II A gene as a heterologous probe allowed for the isolation and identification of MHC class II A genes from both an outbred and a second generation gynogenetic, and presumably homozygous, channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Four different clones were isolated from a cDNA library generated from a heterozygous catfish, suggestive of the presence of at least two functional loci. Additionally, both genomic and corresponding class II A cDNA clones were isolated for each of the two loci from gynogenetic cell lines. The amino acids sequences encoding the putative MHC class II α chain of the catfish possess the general features of those of the three known teleost species. However, the catfish lacks N-linked glycosylation sites. Comparison of the IcpuDAAI *01 and Icpu-DBA1 *01 genomic sequence with the corresponding cDNA sequences revealed that the channel catfish MHC class II A gene has 5 exons and 4 phase 1 introns. Introns 1 and 2 showed only short stretches of identity between the two class II A loci. All three introns differ in length between the two loci. The catfish II A gene has a significantly longer intron 2 versus that found in the zebrafish gene. The relationship of these two loci to the A locus identified in zebrafish, or to the two loci implicated to be present in striped bass, carp, and shark, remain to be elucidated. Genomic sequence determination of class II A genes in these and other species would help determine the evolutionary history of the II A gene in fishes.
Digital protocells with dynamic size, position, and topology

In spatial computational models such as cellular automata (CA), designing mobile objects larger than the CA neighborhood is challenging when the object properties and dynamics are incompletely specified in advance. This paper introduces C211, a two-dimensional digital ‘protocell’ with life-like and potentially useful features, designed for the best-effort asynchronous CA called the Movable Feast Machine (MFM). The protocell consists of an amorphous variable-density ‘cytoplasm’ that uses gossiping to coordinate operations such as cell movements, surrounded by an asymmetric ‘bilayer membrane’ providing some environmental isolation while adapting to cytoplasmic dynamics. C211 was engineered in a new ‘little language’ called SPLAT, which adds discrete 2D spatial pattern transforms to the ulam programming language. SPLAT is expressive enough that minimal code was required, for example, to enable membrane topology changes such as cell splitting and fusion. C211’s cytoplasm maintains internal state but leaves do...
Lessons learned and best practices derived from environmental monitoring at a large-scale CO2 injection project

Abstract Near-surface soil gas and groundwater measurements can be helpful tools in assuaging concerns of potential out-of-zone migration of CO2 from a geologic storage unit into the overlying near-surface environment. These data, therefore, help to build confidence with local stakeholders and regulators that stored CO2 is not impacting surface/near-surface environments. Routine monitoring of soil gas concentrations in the vadose zone can be used to show a lack of change or effect. However, both air temperature modeling and the Romanak et al. (2012) process-based approach should be applied when soil gas data are evaluated, as increased CO2 concentrations can occur naturally from changes in the soil environment. Laboratory testing of groundwater and formation rock (drill cuttings) samples, exposed to varying concentrations of CO2 under in situ temperature and pressure conditions, yield valuable information with respect to water chemistry changes that could occur from a potential out-of-zone migration. Key field-measured groundwater monitoring parameters that change significantly in response to low levels of CO2 are pH (rapid decrease), alkalinity (increase), and conductivity (increase). Empirical models that predict soil gas concentrations using routinely measured climatic data such as air temperature, as well as models that predict the magnitude and duration of potential CO2 exposure in groundwater, should be employed as components of a broad surface and subsurface monitoring program.
Dual-axis illumination for virtually augmenting the detection view of optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy

Optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) has demonstrated fast, label-free volumetric imaging of optical-absorption contrast within the quasiballistic regime of photon scattering. However, the limited numerical aperture of the ultrasonic transducer restricts the detectability of the photoacoustic waves, thus resulting in incomplete reconstructed features. To tackle the limited-view problem, we added an oblique illumination beam to the original coaxial optical-acoustic scheme to provide a complementary detection view. The virtual augmentation of the detection view was validated through numerical simulations and tissue-phantom experiments. More importantly, the combination of top and oblique illumination successfully imaged a mouse brain in vivo down to 1 mm in depth, showing detailed brain vasculature. Of special note, it clearly revealed the diving vessels that were long missing in images from original OR-PAM.
The Cost-Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Versus Second-Generation Antidepressants for Initial Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in the United States: A Decision Analytic Model.

Background Most guidelines for major depressive disorder recommend initial treatment with either a second-generation antidepressant (SGA) or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Although most trials suggest that these treatments have similar efficacy, their health economic implications are uncertain. Objective To quantify the cost-effectiveness of CBT versus SGA for initial treatment of depression. Design Decision analytic model. Data sources Relative effectiveness data from a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials; additional clinical and economic data from other publications. Target population Adults with newly diagnosed major depressive disorder in the United States. Time horizon 1 to 5 years. Perspectives Health care sector and societal. Intervention Initial treatment with either an SGA or group and individual CBT. Outcome measures Costs in 2014 U.S. dollars, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. Results of base-case analysis In model projections, CBT produced higher QALYs (3 days more at 1 year and 20 days more at 5 years) with higher costs at 1 year (health care sector, $900; societal, $1500) but lower costs at 5 years (health care sector, -$1800; societal, -$2500). Results of sensitivity analysis In probabilistic sensitivity analyses, SGA had a 64% to 77% likelihood of having an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $100 000 or less per QALY at 1 year; CBT had a 73% to 77% likelihood at 5 years. Uncertainty in the relative risk for relapse of depression contributed the most to overall uncertainty in the optimal treatment. Limitation Long-term trials comparing CBT and SGA are lacking. Conclusion Neither SGAs nor CBT provides consistently superior cost-effectiveness relative to the other. Given many patients' preference for psychotherapy over pharmacotherapy, increasing patient access to CBT may be warranted. Primary funding source Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institute of Mental Health.
The Clinical Challenge of Idiopathic Cytopenias of Undetermined Significance (ICUS) and Clonal Cytopenias of Undetermined Significance (CCUS)

To review terminology, diagnostic algorithms, and clinical outcomes for patients with unexplained blood cytopenias. Patients with cytopenias that remain unexplained after organized diagnostic testing can be described as having “idiopathic cytopenias of undetermined significance” (ICUS). Patients with unexplained cytopenias have a risk of progression to clonal myeloid neoplasms, including myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). If a somatic mutation in a gene associated with leukemia is detectable in hematopoietic tissue, especially if multiple mutations with a high (> 10%) variant allele frequency are present, the risk of progression to frank neoplasia is greater than if such mutations are not detected. These patients can be described with the term, “clonal cytopenias of undetermined significance” (CCUS). CCUS patients have a natural history similar to lower-risk MDS. For patients with unexplained cytopenias, longitudinal follow-up including serial monitoring of blood counts is appropriate in view of the progression risk. Genetic testing may aid in risk stratification.
Islam with a female face: how women are changing the religious landscape in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan

Anna Cieślewska’s Islam with a Female Face provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of female religious leaders in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. This study is based on extensive ethnographic mate...
Continuous Pain Assessment Using Ensemble Feature Selection from Wearable Sensor Data

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a red blood cell disorder complicated by lifelong issues with pain. Management of SCD related pain is particularly challenging due to its subjective nature. Hence, the development of an objective automatic pain assessment method is critical to pain management in SCD. In this work, we developed a continuous pain assessment model using physiological and body movement sensor signals collected from a wearable wrist-worn device. Specifically, we implemented ensemble feature selection methods to select robust and stable features extracted from wearable data for better understanding of pain. Our experiments showed that the stability of feature selection methods could be substantially increased by using the ensemble approach. Since different ensemble feature selection methods prefer varying feature subsets for pain estimation, we further utilized stacked generalization to maximize the information usage contained in the selected features from different methods. Using this approach, our best performing model obtained the root-mean-square error of 1.526 and the Pearson correlation of 0.618 for continuous pain assessment. This indicates that subjective pain scores can be estimated using objective wearable sensor data with high precision.
Comparing organizational content and fan interaction on Twitter and Facebook in United States professional sport

Rationale/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to extend social media research by comparing how professional sport organizations in the United States used Facebook and Twitter in the off-season a...
Security Architecture Framework for Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) nowadays plays an essential and critical role in our lives and is beginning to dominate Internet communications. The twenty-first century will continue to witness exponential growth and dependence on IoT systems in all aspects of life from smart homes, smart vehicles, e-health, smart cities, and smart grid to wearables, and medical devices that are becoming more microscopic due to the increase in processing ability and communications capabilities. The massive deployment of IoT devices in various domains has increased security threats to IoT devices and systems and created internet of vulnerabilities. Different bodies have proposed several fundamental architectural models for IoT. Privacy and security requirements and challenges of IoT are different from any other types of communications. Building trust between different entities and systems is the motive behind this work. This paper proposes a novel security architecture framework for IoT.
Body mass index moderates the association between gait kinetics, body composition, and femoral knee cartilage characteristics.

This study compared femoral cartilage characteristics between age- and sex-matched individuals with (n = 48, age = 22.8 ± 3.5 years; body mass index [BMI] = 33.1 ± 4.1 kg/m2 ) and without obesity (n = 48 age = 22.0 ± 2.6 years; BMI = 21.7 ± 1.7 kg/m2 ) and evaluated the associations between body composition, quadriceps function, and gait kinetics with femoral cartilage characteristics. Medial and lateral femoral cartilage thickness, medial:lateral thickness ratio and medial and lateral cartilage echo intensity were measured using ultrasound imaging. Body composition was assessed using air displacement plethysmography. Quadriceps function was assessed via maximal isometric knee extension. Three-dimensional gait biomechanics were recorded to extract peak external knee flexion and adduction moments, and peak loading rate of the vertical ground reaction force. Cartilage outcomes were compared between groups using one-way multivariate analysis of variance. Stepwise moderated regression evaluated the association between body composition, quadriceps function, and gait kinetics with femoral cartilage outcomes in individuals with and without obesity. Medial (75.24 vs 65.84; P < .001, d = 1.02) and lateral (58.81 vs 52.22; P < .001, d = 0.78) femoral cartilage echo intensity were higher in individuals with compared with those without obesity. A higher body fat percentage was associated with higher medial and lateral cartilage echo intensity (ΔR2 = 0.09-0.12) in individuals with obesity. A higher knee adduction moment was associated with a larger medial:lateral thickness ratio (ΔR2 = 0.09) in individuals without obesity. No associations were found between quadriceps function and cartilage outcomes. These findings suggest that high body fat in adults with obesity is associated with cartilage echo intensity. The obese body mass index was also associated with a lack of a positive relationship between cartilage thickness and joint loading during walking.
Perineural invasion predicts for locoregional failure in patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy

Aim The prognostic significance of perineural invasion (PNI) in oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is unclear. We examined the association of PNI with clinical outcomes in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and surgery. Methods We performed a single institutional retrospective study. We evaluated the association of PNI with locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival using log-rank and Cox proportional hazard modelling. Results 29 out of 73 patients (40%) had PNI at the time of surgery. The median follow-up was 20.1 months. The median DFS was 18.4 months for patients with PNI vs 41.3 months for patients without PNI (p Conclusions For patients with EAC treated with nCRT, PNI found at the time of surgery is significantly associated with worse LRFS. Our data support attempts to validate this finding and perhaps testing the role of adjuvant therapy in patients with PNI.
Does bank opacity affect lending

Abstract Examining a sample of bank holding companies in the United States, we find that opacity has a negative effect on bank loan growth. This effect is more pronounced for banks that are more reliant on wholesale funds. A further analysis of the relationship between opacity and wholesale funds confirms our hypothesis that opacity negatively affects lending via a wholesale funding channel. Moreover, our results suggest that the negative effect of opacity on lending is less pronounced for banks with stronger capitalization. We also show that this effect was stronger during the 2007–2009 financial crisis and is mitigated by a high GDP growth rate, indicating that a strong (weak) macroeconomic condition tends to mitigate (aggravate) such an effect.
A Defense Mechanism Against Replay Attack in Remote Keyless Entry Systems Using Timestamping and XOR Logic

Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) systems are essential in modern lifestyle with applications including vehicle and garage entry. However, the convenience such systems facilitate comes at the expense of their vulnerability to different attacks such as jamming, replay, jamming-and-replay, and cryptanalysis. These attacks, if lightly taken, may lead to catastrophic consequences to the general public, such as property theft and human casualties. To this end, an improved RKE system using timestamping and XOR encoding is proposed to countermeasure the aforementioned attacks. In addition, the integrated defense mechanism protects the authentication code in scenarios where the encrypted transmitter–receiver communications are compromised. The defense mechanism in the proposed RKE is demonstrated and tested in realistic setups, and is found to outperform the conventional RKE.
Covid-19 pandemic highlights need for us policies that increase supply chain resilience

Shortages of masks, personal protective equipment (PPE), and ventilators characterized the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in the United States. As supply deficiencies strained healthcare systems across the country, national attention focused on the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), overseen by the US Department of Health & Human Services-specifically, its inability to significantly alleviate rapidly deteriorating conditions in hospitals. While nominally a "stockpile," the SNS does not possess, operate, or restock a vast system of federally owned warehouses filled with enough medical equipment to weather a crisis. Instead, as summarized in a June 2020 RAND Corporation report and testimony to the US Congress, the program is primarily a logistics service that coordinates the flow of materials between state and local entities, and its own small stockpile was quickly overwhelmed by the demands of the pandemic.