cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimization of controller parameters to minimize residual variance in adaptive optics systems

Specialized control structures can be used to reduce the computational burden of determining the control at each frame. The parameters that define these controllers are chosen to maximize performance. The optimization of the parameters is more efficient if gradient information is available. This paper presents the gradient calculation for an arbitrarily parameterized controller of an adaptive optics system. The gradients are then specialized to modal gain and proportional-plus-integral controllers.
Development of a Low-Power Digital Inertial Reference Assembly

Current and projected system requirements for inertial reference assemblies emphasize high accuracy, long life, and low power. An inertial reference assembly ( IRA) which embodies the aforementioned characteristics was developed recently. Pulse rebalanced gas-bearing gyroscopes were used to attain high accuracy and long life. Temperature compensation of gyroscope parameters (in lieu of temperature control) and dual voltage spinmotor operation helped achieve low-power operation. The latter two items represent an advancement in the state of the art and form the subject of this paper. These techniques were used in the construction of a three-axis IRA with an operating power less than 50 watts. It has achieved 0.1 percent scale factor accuracy over a 60°F range.
The paradoxical thermodynamic basis for the interaction of ethylene glycol, glycine, and sarcosine chains with bovine carbonic anhydrase II: an unexpected manifestation of enthalpy/entropy compensation.

This paper describes a systematic study of the thermodynamics of association of bovine carbonic anhydrase II (BCA) and para-substituted benzenesulfonamides with chains of oligoglycine, oligosarcosine, and oligoethylene glycol of lengths of one to five residues. For all three of these series of ligands, the enthalpy of binding became less favorable, and the entropy less unfavorable, as the chain length of the ligands increased. The dependence on chain length of the enthalpy was almost perfectly compensated by that of the entropy; this compensation resulted in dissociation constants that were independent of chain length for the three series of ligands. Changes in heat capacity were independent of chain length for the three series and revealed that the amount of molecular surface area buried upon protein−ligand complexation did not increase with increasing chain length. Taken together, these data refute a model in which the chains of the ligands interact hydrophobically with the surface of BCA. To explain th...
DAMAGE DIAGNOSIS USING EXPERIMENTAL RITZ VECTORS

This paper describes an experimental study on the use of Ritz vectors for damage detection of a grid-type bridge model. A new procedure to extract Ritz vectors from experimental modal analysis is proposed and demonstrated using the test structure. The extracted Ritz vectors are then used for the damage detection of the test structure using a Bayesian probabilistic approach. Using appropriate load patterns, Ritz vectors can be made more sensitive to damage than modal vectors. The results indicate that the use of load-dependent Ritz vectors produce better damage diagnoses than the modal vectors. The Bayesian probabilistic approach is shown to give better diagnostic results than commonly used deterministic methods.
Highly ordered nanowire arrays on plastic substrates for ultrasensitive flexible chemical sensors

The development of a robust method for integrating high-performance semiconductors on flexible plastics could enable exciting avenues in fundamental research and novel applications. One area of vital relevance is chemical and biological sensing, which if implemented on biocompatible substrates, could yield breakthroughs in implantable or wearable monitoring systems. Semiconducting nanowires (and nanotubes) are particularly sensitive chemical sensors because of their high surface-to-volume ratios. Here, we present a scalable and parallel process for transferring hundreds of pre-aligned silicon nanowires onto plastic to yield highly ordered films for low-power sensor chips. The nanowires are excellent field-effect transistors, and, as sensors, exhibit parts-per-billion sensitivity to NO2, a hazardous pollutant. We also use SiO2 surface chemistries to construct a ‘nano-electronic nose’ library, which can distinguish acetone and hexane vapours via distributed responses. The excellent sensing performance coupled with bendable plastic could open up opportunities in portable, wearable or even implantable sensors.
Iatrogenic arterial injury is an increasingly important cause of arterial trauma

Abstract Background Iatrogenic arterial injuries (IAI) may result from any invasive diagnostic or therapeutic procedure. The relative occurrence and severity of IAI compared with those of penetrating and blunt vascular trauma is unknown. A review of arterial trauma at a university hospital level 1 trauma center, with a focus on iatrogenic injury, forms the basis of this report. Methods Patients treated for arterial trauma from January 1994 through October 2002 were identified from prospectively maintained registries. Record review included injury etiology, type of repair, 30-day all-cause mortality, and permanent morbidity. Permanent morbidity was defined as amputation or loss of extremity function. Results In all, 252 patients required treatment, 85 (33.7%) from IAI, 86 (34.1 %) from penetrating trauma, and 81 (32.1%) from blunt trauma. During the study period, the number of IAIs per year increased. Femoral artery injury from percutaneous intervention (50, 58.8%) was the most frequent IAI; intraoperative injury (including 14 tumor resections and 5 orthopedic procedures) was next most frequent (23, 27.1%). Three patients (3.5%) with IAI had permanent morbidity. The 30-day all-cause mortality was 7.1% (6) for patients with IAI. Conclusions Iatrogenic arterial injury is increasingly frequent and caused one third of the arterial trauma at our level 1 trauma center. These data suggest education and training regarding IAI deserves equal priority with the study of penetrating vascular trauma.
Seven-Year Survival of Perennial Herbaceous Transplants in Temperate Woodland Restoration

Little is known about restoring the perennial herbaceous understory of Midwestern deciduous woodlands, despite the significant and widespread degradation of remnants due to human activities. Because many woodland understory species have reproductive characters that make reestablishment from seed slow or difficult, we investigated transplanting as a strategy for introducing 24 species to a degraded early-successional woodland in central Iowa, U.S.A. Plants were planted in single-species groups of generally four individuals, and then monitored for survival five times over a 7-year period, and for flowering during the first year. After 7 years, persistence of these groups was 57% averaged across species. Survival in years 5–7 does not reflect individuals that spread beyond the original planting units by self-sowing or vegetative spread and is therefore a minimum estimate of the abundance of many species at the site. Mean percent flowering was 72% across single-species groups for 15 species monitored. We consider these survival and flowering rates acceptable indicators of establishment success, especially given drought conditions at our site in the first few years and lack of weed control beyond the first year, and evidence that transplanted species were establishing outside the original planting locations. Additional work is needed to investigate regional differences in transplant success, and methods for sustainable production of species are not suitable for introduction by seed. We caution that our results do not necessarily apply to the restoration of rare species.
A Streetcar to Subduction: Excerpted from a field guide to plate tectonic trips by public transport in San Francisco

The Franciscan formation, the bedrock beneath most of San Francisco, is now recognized as an ocean floor assemblage that was probably scraped off the Farallon Plate and its ancestors as these plates were subducted beneath North America. During subduction, the ocean floor, together with slabs of ultramafic material from deeper sources, now serpentinized, was fragmented and stacked against the western continental margin. Excavations throughout San Francisco and in southern Marin County, and sea cliffs along the Golden Gate, provide superb exposures which exemplify much that marine geologists have learned of modern ocean floor processes, both sedimentary and volcanic. Geophysicists studying the physical properties of small specimens of serpentine in the laboratory should contemplate the homogeneity of serpentine en masse and in situ in the outcroppings on Duboce Street or near Fort Point.
Household economic strategies and nutritional anthropometry of women in American Samoa and highland Bolivia

This study compares findings from research projects involving different genetic, environmental, and cultural contexts: a study of lifestyle and health from American Samoa (ASLS) and the Bolivian project. Reproduction and Ecology in Provincia Aroma (REPA). This paper presents analyses of varying economic strategies and their association with nutritional status indicators in each population. The ASLS sample includes 66 Samoan women and the REPA sample includes 210 Aymara women. Principle components analysis of household economic resources within each sample extracted two significant factors: one represents modernizing influences including education and occupational status, and the other represents ethnographically salient traditional economic behavior. The traditional pattern includes adding household members in Samoa and selling agricultural products in Bolivia. This analysis places each woman along two continua, traditional and modern, based on her household mobilization of economic resources, permitting an understanding of the patterns underlying household economic behavior that is not possible in univariate analyses of socioeconomic variables. For the Bolivian women the strategy involving more education and higher occupational status was associated with higher measures of several nutritional status indicators, including body mass index, arm muscle area, and peripheral skinfolds. But among the Samoan women, where substantial obesity was the norm, there were no significant differences in anthropometric measurements based on economic strategies. These data argue for the importance of directly measuring the potential consequences of variation in household economic strategies rather than merely inferring such, and of assessing ethnographically relevant aspects of household economic production rather than limiting analyses to non-context-specific economic indicators such as income. This focus on household strategy is likely to be fruitful especially where economic and nutritional conditions are marginal. The findings from Bolivia also support efforts in developing countries to improve girls' education, and thereby occupational prospects, as a means to improve their health status as women.
Holographic 3D Photography Under Ambient Light

We achieve three-dimensional photography of continuous objects and scenery under ambient (sunlight) illumination based on self-interference of two beam-split copies of the object's optical field with differential curvatures. The apparatus consists of a beam-splitter, a few mirrors and lenses, a piezo-actuator, and a CCD camera. No lasers or other special illumination is used for recording or reconstruction. Holographic images of daylight-illuminated outdoor scenes are obtained using a telephoto lens configuration. From the recorded hologram, images are reconstructed and numerically propagated to desired focal planes for viewing.
Quantifying Mountain Regions of China——A Case Study in Sichuan

Mountain region (MR) is a more confusion and uncertainty terminology than mountains. It is defined by not only the physical characteristics (i.e. topography),but also some social-economic factors. A MR is a more continuous and integrative area than mountains at landscape scale. At the basis of the quantitative areas of the mountains in China,an edge growing model (EGM) was developed in this work to quantifying the MRs. The model utilized the spatial analysis functions in geographical information system (GIS),and the cluster analysis and logistic regression. The social-economic factors,which have high correlation with the mountains,were included in the EGM model (i.e. population,land use,GDP,and road). The EGM model was applied to quantify the MRs in Sichuan province. It was found there are 374 901 km2 MRs in Sichuan which increased 3.21% compare to mountains (i.e. from 73.56% to 76.77%). The MRs are mainly concentrated in western Sichuan; some are located in Northeastern and Southeastern Sichuan. There are much less isolated small areas in the map of mountain and non-mountain regions,comparing to the map of mountain and non-mountains. The EGM model is an effective and efficient method to delineate the mountain regions in a province or country. Furthermore,it is also portable and easy to be applied in other provinces or countries.
Network English Instruction Based on Constructive Learning Theory in Classroom——A Study Case about Network

Based on the characteristics and demands of network instruction and constructive learning theory,this paper introduces how to combine network instruction with the traditional teaching mode.So we can make use of the existed conditions to it's utmost potential to enhance the level of English teaching.
Is retinol binding protein 4 a link between adiposity and cancer

Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) is synthesized in the liver where it binds vitamin A, retinol, and transports it to tissues throughout the body. It has been shown in some studies that the level of circulating RBP4 increases with body mass, and the protein has been implicated as a mediator in the development of insulin resistance and the metabolic disease. Adipose tissue serves as another site of RBP4 synthesis, accounting for its designation as an adipokine. In addition to its function as a transport protein, RBP4 serves as a signaling molecule which, by binding to the membrane receptor STRA6, triggers downstream activation of pro-oncogenic pathways including JAK2/STAT3/5. Taken together, available information suggests the possibility that RBP4 may be a link between obesity and cancer.
Increased expression of the multidrug resistance-associated protein gene in relapsed acute leukemia.

Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to determine relative levels of transcripts for MDR1 and the recently described multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) in normal lymphohematopoietic cells and in 62 bone marrow aspirates of newly diagnosed and recurrent acute leukemia. Levels of MRP expression in newly diagnosed AML samples were similar to those observed in normal bone marrow cells (CD34-negative and CD34-positive) and in unselected HL60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells, which were used as an internal control throughout this study. In contrast, samples of AML obtained at the time of relapse contained approximately twofold higher levels of MRP RNA (P < .01). Analysis of paired samples, the first obtained at diagnosis and the second at relapse, from 13 acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and four acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) patients showed that MRP expression was increased at the time of relapse in greater than 80% of patients. In contrast, no consistent changes of MDR1 expression at relapse were observed. These results raise the possibility that increased MRP expression might contribute to leukemic relapse.
Introduction to Cytopathology and Histopathology

Cytopathology and histopathology supplement and complement each other. Cytologic evaluation should identify altered cells and from these cells one may be able to recognize a disease process. In fact, from this evaluation one may be able to synthesize the histopathologic picture.
Germplasm Release: Three Potato Clones Incorporating Combined Resistances to Early Blight from S. palustre and Late Blight from S. bulbocastanum into a S. tuberosum Background

Three clones in a segregating population derived from a cross between the disease resistant parents +297 and K41 are being released as germplasm with resistance to both early blight, caused by Alternaria solani, and late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans. The source of resistance to early blight in +297 is the wild species S. palustre and late blight resistance in K41 is conferred by the RB gene from S. bulbocastanum. These clones, named BR3, BR5, and BR85 (BR for Blight Resistant), yield well at a temperate zone latitude. In addition to containing heritable resistance to both early and late blights, these clones possess multiple other desirable agronomic traits, are fertile, and readily cross to cultivars.
A model for Ke5 decay

The rate for Ke5 decay is computed using a pion-pole model. A large enhancement is found over previous estimates based on direct-interaction and η-pole models.
Morality and Freedom

One of the most characteristic things about human beings is that they are purposive creatures. They have plans and projects (Kant would call these maxims) and, if they are at all rational, they will consider which of these they ought or ought not to translate into action. And thus it is characteristic and important that people consider the kinds of justification to which their plans are susceptible. In so far as a man is rational, he will not act in the absence of a sufficient justification. There are all sorts of good reasons or justifications for acting, and the kind of man I am is often revealed in the kind of reasons I take most seriously. If the justification which most moves me to perform an action is that it is in my own interest, I am a man of prudence. If the reasons are in terms of the cultivation of certain subjective states, I may be an aesthete or a voluptuary. Relevant reasons define alternative points of view from which the world may be perceived and acted upon.
The Effect of Molecular Diagnostics on the Treatment of Glioma

This review summarizes the use of molecular diagnostics in glioma and its effect on the development of novel therapeutics and management decisions. Genomic and proteomic profiling of brain tumors has provided significant expansion of our understanding of oncogenesis, characterization, and prognostication of brain tumors. Molecular markers such as MGMT, EGFR, IDH, 1p19q, ATRX, TERT, FGFR-TACC, and BRAF are now being used to classify brain tumors as well as influence management decisions. Several of these markers are also being used as therapeutic targets. We review the use of several molecular diagnostics in gliomas and discuss their impact on drug development and clinical trial design. In the future, molecular characterization based on a specific genomic, proteomic as well as transcriptomes for bioformatics analysis will provide clinicians the ability to rationally select drugs with actionable targets for each patient.
A second-generation DNA-binding pyrrole-imidazole polyamide with antitumor activity.

e13588 Background: Pyrrole-imidazole polyamides are synthetic minor groove binders with programmable sequence recognition. A polyamide that targets the DNA sequence 5’-WGWWCW-3’ (W=A/T) found in th...
In pursuit of waves.

Passion for science and technology can be a powerful motivator to overcome hurdles, as Nader Engheta explains, recounting his own experience as an immigrant.
Bridging Language and Content for English Language Learners in the Science Classroom

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers 2010) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (NGSS Lead States 2013) are shifting how we teach science to English Language Learners (ELLs). The focus is now towards creating a symbiotic relationship between the teaching and learning of science content and the use of language to demonstrate an understanding of the science content. Science content and the language of science have become interdependent upon one another, raising the academic bar for all students, including ELLs. One of the most pronounced changes found in the set of new standards (CCSS and NGSS) is the attention given to language and literacy practices within and across the disciplines. In this chapter, we present a set of language and literacy practices for teachers in the general education science classroom: a)how to create curriculum that is concept-based, b)how to build bridges between the home language and the language of science, and c) how to adapt science texts for beginning-level ELLs.
Firm Productivity, Technological Heterogeneity and Endogenous Exports

Exporters tend to be more productive than non-exporting firms, and uncovering the extent of these productivity differentials as well as causes thereof has long been one of the core topics in the literature. This paper focuses on the issues pertaining to robust empirical modeling of the intricate endogenous relationship between the firm’s export behavior and its productivity. I provide a new synthesized (nonparametric) methodology for the structural control-function-based identification of unobserved firm productivity in the presence of (i) endogenous self-selection into export markets, (ii) dependence of productivity evolution on the firm’s past export experiences and (iii) potential technological heterogeneity in the production of for-export and for-domestic-sale outputs. The model offers a useful addition to the toolkit of practitioners interested in studying the nexus between firm productivity and export behavior. I showcase the proposed methodology by applying it to the firm-level data on China’s apparel industry, one of the country’s most export-oriented manufacturing sectors, during the 1999–2006 period.
From Brain to Bilayer

Contemporary studies on the molecular basis of membrane excitability spring from the pivotal conclusion reached by Hodgkin and Huxley (1952b) that the currents that generate an action potential must flow through a sparse array of voltage-sensitive conducting sites in the plasmalemma. They further showed that the squid axon membrane possessed two functionally distinct transmembrane pathways, which were selective for sodium and potassium ions, respectively (Hodgkin and Huxley, 1952a). These are the voltage-gated sodium and potassium “channels,” and they are, indeed, discrete macromolecules that form hydrophilic pores through the membrane (Hille, 1984).
Higher reliability for low-temperature curable positive-tone photo-definable dielectric materials

In this study, we have developed low-temperature curable positive-tone photo-definable dielectric materials with high elongation property for redistribution layers (RDLs). This high elongation concept introduces a flexible molecular skeleton in the base polymer backbone, which is assumed to increase the entanglement of each polymer chain. In addition, adhesion strength of dielectric materials to copper needed to be enhanced for higher reliability. Furthermore, we have obtained that very fine photo-patterns of the dielectric layer were observed by using advanced laser direct imaging (LDI) exposure tool which is useful for warped panel substrates. This material is expected to be a key material by contributing to the enhancement for the next-generation of semiconductor device packaging reliability, especially, for Fan-out Wafer Level Packages (FOWLP) and Fan-out Panel Level Packages (FOPLP).
Stress proteins in autoimmunity.

Interest in the idea that stress proteins (also called heat shock proteins) contribute to the development and persistence of autoimmunity derives from five principal observations. First, stress proteins are immunodominant antigens of all prokaryotic infectious microorganisms, many of which have been implicated as inducers of arthritis and autoimmune disease in genetically susceptible individuals. Second, the T-cell repertoire, especially that of T-cells bearing γδ TCRs, appears to be biased toward recognition of microbial stress proteins (and, possibly, host stress proteins as well) as part of an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for host defense against infection and for resolution of tissue inflammation. Third, stress proteins are highly conserved, as would be expected in view of their fundamentally important roles in cell biology. During infection, which entails “stress” for both the microorganism and the host, there is increased synthesis and altered expression of extremely similar sets of autologous and foreign stress proteins. Fourth, the inflammatory response associated with infection up-regulates HLA glycoproteins that present antigen peptides to T-cell receptors. This may amplify recognition signals for conserved stress protein peptides to a degree sufficient for stimulation of autoreactive T-cells that have escaped deletion in the thymus. The various “permissive” genetic effects that underlie autoimmune disease may allow an autoreactive immune response to stress proteins, or to other self-constituents that cross-react with stress proteins, to persist or recur in susceptible individuals. Finally, two animal models of human autoimmune disease, adjuvant arthritis in the rat and spontaneous type-1 diabetes in non-obese mice, have implicated a stress protein, hsp60, as the critical pathogenetic element.
Recent Quantum Scattering Calculations on the H + H2 Reaction and Its Isotopic Counterparts

This paper reviews recent developments in the theoretical description of the H + H2 reaction and its isotopic counterparts. Both methods and applications are considered, with an emphasis on quantum dynamics applications in three dimensional reactive collisions. Among the methods discussed are coupled channel (CC) and coupled states (CS) reactive scattering methods, reduced dimensionality exact quantum (RDEQ) methods, infinite order sudden (IOS) methods, coupled channel distorted wave (CCDW) methods and approximations thereto, and one dimensional reaction path methods used in variational transition state theory (VTST). Applications discussed center on four topics: (1) integral cross sections and rate constants for H + H2,D + H2, H + HD/DH and Mu (muonium) + H2; (2) vibrationally excited cross sections and rate constants for H + H2 and D + H2; (3) product state distributions in H + D2, and (4) reactive scattering resonances in H + H2. These applications generally indicate a high level of agreement between accurate theory and experiment, with several of the more approximate methods exhibiting nearly quantitative accuracy compared to CC or CS, and at a fraction of the computational effort. Some disagreement between theory and experiment still remains, however, with the rate constant for D + H2 (v=l) being the worst example in this regard. One of the most exciting new results in our review is that H + H2 posses es an apparently rich spectrum of resonance states associated with excitation of the bend mode simultaneously with the symmetric stretch.
Spectral Sequences and Applications

This chapter begins with the abstract properties of spectral sequences and their relation to the double complexes encountered earlier. Then in Section 15 comes the crucial transition to integer coefficients. Many, but not all, of the constructions for the de Rham theory carry over to the singular theory. We point out the similarities and the differences whenever appropriate. In particular, there is a very brief discussion of the Kunneth formula and the universal coefficient theorems in this new setting. Thereafter we apply the spectral sequences to the path fibration of Serre and compute the cohomology of the loop space of a sphere. The short review of homotopy theory that follows includes a digression into Morse theory, where we sketch a proof that compact manifolds are CW complexes. In connection with the computation of π3 (S 2), we also discuss the Hopf invariant and the linking number and explore the rather subtle aspects of Poincare duality concerned with the boundary of a submanifold. Returning to the spectral sequences, we compute the cohomology of certain Eilenberg—MacLane spaces. The Eilenberg—MacLane spaces may be pieced together into a twisted product that approximates a given space. They are in this sense the basic building blocks of homotopy theory. As an application, we show that π5 (S 3) =ℤ2. We conclude with a very brief introduction to the rational homotopy theory of Dennis Sullivan. A more detailed overview of this chapter may be obtained by reading the introductions to the various sections. One word about the notation: for simplicity we often omit the coefficients from the cohomology groups. This should not cause any confusion, as H*(X)always denotes the de Rham cohomology except in Sections 15 through 18, where in the context of the singular theory it stands for the singular cohomology.
Biotinylation of Proteins

The biotinylation of proteins is the covalent coupling of biotin to an amino acid or carbohydrate moiety of the protein. Biotinylation occurs in a specific group of proteins known as carboxylases. These are enzymes that are important in several metabolic pathways, including amino acid metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, and gluconeogenesis. Each of these carboxylases is biotinylated on a single lysyl residue through the action of a biotin:protein ligase (BPL), and are found in all organisms (bacteria, plants, and animals). Biotinylation of proteins is also done by in vitro chemical synthesis, whereby biotin can be covalently coupled to any reactive functional group on the protein, and is not necessarily restricted to a single amino acid residue.
Abstract 12543: Smartphone Delivered Cardiac Rehab for Heart Failure Management: A Feasibility Study

Background: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the leading cause of hospitalization. Exercise training and self-care counseling through cardiac rehab (CR) benefits CHF patients by increasing exercis...
Programmed death receptor ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in a thymoma (T) tissue microarray (TMA).

7606 Background: Thymomas (T) contain lymphocytic infiltrates, and as they arise from an immune organ confer a unique tumor microenvironment. Tumor expression of the immune checkpoint ligand, PD-L1...
Colloidal Nanocrystals as Building Blocks for Well-Defined Heterogeneous Catalysts†

The goal of this perspective is to highlight the use of colloidal nanocrystals in the preparation of heterogeneous catalysts of well-defined structures with the objective to advance catalytic science. Colloidal nanocrystals are prepared with control over size, shape, and composition and are used as precursors to provide supported systems of interest in different areas of catalysis. Advances in the preparation of this class of catalysts are discussed, as well as their use to understand the effect of size, shape, composition, and support chemistry in catalyzed reactions. The use of these materials for microscopy and spectroscopy studies, especially in the investigation of structural changes that occur to catalytic materials, is also highlighted. Finally, challenges and opportunities in the field are discussed to underline prospects and limitations of this approach. It is expected that this area will grow in interest in the future and that these materials will help elucidate several aspects of catalytic scie...
Global analysis and Decay Associated Images (DAI) derived from Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM)

The extraction of fluorophore lifetimes in a biological sample provides useful information about the probe environment that is not readily available from fluorescence intensity alone. Cell membrane potential, pH, concentration of oxygen ([O2]), calcium ([Ca2+]), NADH and other ions and metabolites are all regularly measured by lifetime-based techniques. These measurements provide invaluable knowledge about cell homeostasis, metabolism and communication with the cell environment. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) produces spatial maps with time-correlated singlephoton counting (TCSPC) histograms collected and analyzed at each pixel, but traditional TCSPC analysis is often hampered by the low number of photons that can reasonably be collected while maintaining high spatial resolution. More important, traditional analysis fails to employ the spatial linkages within the image. Here, we present a different approach, where we work under the assumption that mixtures of a global set of lifetimes (often only 2 or 3) can describe the entire image. We determine these lifetime components by globally fitting precise decays aggregated over large spatial regions of interest, and then we perform a pixel-by-pixel calculation of decay amplitudes (via simple linear algebra applied to coarser time-windows). This yields accurate amplitude images (Decay Associate Images, DAI) that contain stoichiometric information about the underlying mixtures while retaining single pixel resolution. We collected FLIM data of dye mixtures and bacteria expressing fluorescent proteins with a two-photon microscope system equipped with a commercial single-photon counting card, and we used these data to benchmark the gDAI program.
Working to Change Systems: Repatriated U.S. Trained Japanese Physicians and the Reform of Generalist Fields in Japan

Phenomenon: Internationally, efforts to produce an adequate supply of effective generalist physicians commonly encounter resistance. Achieving reform requires changes in educational and clinical practice cultures, and clinician educators play a central role in championing change. In Japan, training in generalist fields has historically been lacking, but for decades the government has advocated alignment with Western models. Meanwhile, some Japanese physicians have pursued U.S. training in generalist fields with intention to help change the clinical education and practice systems back in Japan. This study examines the endeavors of repatriated Japanese International Medical Graduates and provides a lens to understanding national challenges with reform and insights into strategizing next steps. Approach: Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 purposively sampled Japanese IMGs who had repatriated across Japan after completing U.S. clinical residency in generalist fields. Iterative data collection and thematic analyses were performed using constant comparison. Findings: Participants identified Japanese medical universities and public sectors as steeped in traditions with systemic inertia. In turn, participants described well-informed career decision making involving connections and teammates, which commonly resulted in employment at new or smaller hospitals. Education-related efforts prioritized direct clinical work with physician trainees in the hope of building expansive lineages of educators. Main challenges were Japanese structural and cultural incongruences with Western generalist-based clinical practice. Participants described a competitive relationship with the long-standing ikyoku-based postgraduate education model and associated organ-based organization of clinical practice. Insights: Japanese IMG championing of clinical education and practice in generalist fields is largely marginalized within Japan's clinical education and practice landscape. National-level reform will require transforming or displacing the structurally and culturally rooted traditional infrastructure. Specific measures must be culturally nuanced but likely include those proven effective for similar reforms elsewhere. Based on Japan's national cultural characteristics, sustained leadership is anticipated to be particularly important.
High-Sensitive Troponin T, Natriuretic Peptide, and Cognitive Change.

OBJECTIVES Cardiac troponin T, measured using a high-sensitive assay (hs-cTnT), and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are associated with increased stroke risk and perhaps with cognitive decline. However, few well-designed prospective studies with extended follow-up have been conducted. We aimed to estimate the association of hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP with 15-year cognitive change in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Four US communities. PARTICIPANTS A total of 9114 and 9108 participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study for analyses of hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP, respectively. MEASUREMENTS We examined association of hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP with 15-year change (1996-1998 to 2011-2013) in three cognitive tests of executive function (Digit Symbol Substitution Test), verbal learning memory (Delayed Word Recall Test), and semantic fluency (Word Fluency Test), and an overall score combining the three tests using multivariable linear mixed effect models. We conducted several sensitivity analyses including multiple imputations to address bias due to missing data and attrition, and we compared associations within groups combining hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP into a three-level categorical variable. RESULTS At baseline (1996-1998), mean age was 63.4 (standard deviation [SD] = 5.7) years; 56.4% were women, and 17.5% were black. The hs-cTnT at baseline was not associated with cognitive change in any measure. Some evidence indicated accelerated decline in verbal learning and memory when comparing those in the highest with the lowest NT-proBNP quintiles; however, this association was not replicated when considering clinically relevant cutoffs or deciles of exposure in survivors. Sensitivity analyses were consistent with our primary analyses. There was little evidence to support effect modification by any considered factors. People with highest levels of both biomarkers had excessive decline in global z scores vs people with lowest levels (-.34; 95% confidence interval = -.63 to -.04). CONCLUSION Markers of myocardial injury and stretch were not associated with cognitive decline following 15 years among survivors, but when combined together they were suggestive in post hoc analysis. Whether this represents targets of intervention should be examined in the future. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2353-2361, 2019.
Comparison of Physical Activity Measures Derived From the Fitbit Flex and the ActiGraph GT3X+ in an Employee Population With Chronic Knee Symptoms.

Objective We examined the accuracy of data from an affordable personal monitor (Fitbit Flex) compared with that of data from a research-grade accelerometer worn simultaneously for 7 days; high accuracy would support substitution with this less-expensive personal activity monitor in future community-based arthritis research. Methods Subjects (N = 35) with chronic knee symptoms were recruited for a pilot intervention study using Fitbits to increase physical activity in employees with chronic knee symptoms at an urban corporation. Subjects simultaneously wore for 7 days a Fitbit Flex (wrist-worn) and ActiGraph GT3X+ (waist-worn). Fitbit Flex data were regularly stored on a research storage service (Fitabase) by participants. Bland-Altman plots were constructed to examine the agreement between the mean daily times spent in light activity and in bouted moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Comparisons were calculated by matching Fitabase data from calendar days the Fitbit was worn with data from valid monitoring days (greater than or equal to 10 hours wear time) of the ActiGraph. Results Participants at baseline were mostly female (69%) and white (57%) and had a mean age of 52 years and body mass index of 32 kg/m2 . Bland-Altman analyses indicated systematic bias overall (the Fitbit overestimated both light-intensity activity and MVPA compared with the ActiGraph). The average error varied in magnitude and direction with changing activity amounts. Conclusion The Fitbit Flex does not appear to be an adequate substitute for research-grade accelerometry (which represents the gold standard for objective research monitoring of all physical activity intensity levels) in this population of persons with chronic knee symptoms.
Student and Instructor Perspectives of ITV Instruction

This mixed-methods grounded theory study examined student and faculty perceptions of engagement in Interactive Television (ITV) courses. Survey participants from two regional higher learning instit...
Qubit unitary lattice algorithm for spin-2 Bose-Einstein condensates: II - vortex reconnection simulations and non-Abelain vortices

Using the qubit unitary algorithm developed in the previous paper, quantum reconnection of non-Abelian quantum vortices is simulated and rung-like vortices are seen during the reconnection. Vortice...
Development and application of a microstructure dependent thermal resistor model for UO2 reactor fuel with high thermal conductivity additives

Abstract High thermal conductivity additives are being explored to make next generation accident tolerant fuels for light water reactors (LWRs). The goal is to create composite fuels that will more effectively dissipate heat, thus lowering the high centerline temperatures that develop in current LWR fuel. These fuels can employ various additives and the fuel microstructures vary depending on the manufacturing process. In this work, a thermal resistor model is developed to quickly estimate the effective thermal conductivity of a composite with a high thermal conductivity additive. This model is unique in that it employs a parameter, the continuousness of the secondary constituent, to consider the composite microstructure in its predictions. A genetic algorithm was developed to measure a composite’s continuousness. The model and algorithm are validated using data from literature from four experimental composites composed of UO2 with beryllium oxide and silicon carbide additives. The model predictions have an absolute mean error across a wide temperature range of less than 0.50 W / m K in most cases. These tools are then used to create a set of guidelines for microstructure design.
Abstract 6374: Novel RAS inhibitors

The Ras oncoprotein may participate in driving half of human tumors and as such remains the single most significant therapeutic target in cancer. Attempts to develop targeted inhibitors of RAS have proved extremely challenging. We have developed a novel Ras binding molecule that blocks the ability of Ras to interact with its downstream effector components and thus down-regulates Ras signaling. We have also developed the first direct inhibitor of the RAS effector RALGDS. Both compounds suppresses the transforming activity of mutant forms of Ras as well as the wild type protein when it is over-active due to defects in the NF1 protein. The compounds have no detectable toxicity in animals and readily crosses the blood-brain barrier. They are potently active in xenograft models of Ras mediated transformation and can eradicate the ability of Ras addicted tumor cells to form tumors in animals. We propose the compounds may serve as the basis for the development of new treatments for oncogenic RAS driven tumors and for many Rasopathy symptoms. Citation Format: Geoffrey Justin Clark. Novel RAS inhibitors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6374.
The equitable basis for {\mathfrak{sl}_2}

This article contains an investigation of the equitable basis for the Lie algebra \({\mathfrak{sl}_2}\). Denoting this basis by {x, y, z}, we have $$[x,y] = 2x + 2y, \quad [y,z] = 2y + 2z, \quad [z, x] = 2z + 2x.$$ We determine the group of automorphisms G generated by exp(ad x*), exp(ad y*), exp(ad z*), where {x*, y*, z*} is the basis for \({\mathfrak{sl}_2}\) dual to {x, y, z} with respect to the trace form (u, v) = tr(uv) and study the relationship of G to the isometries of the lattices \({L={\mathbb Z}x \oplus {\mathbb Z}y\oplus {\mathbb Z}z}\) and \({L^* ={\mathbb Z}x^*\oplus {\mathbb Z}y^*\oplus {\mathbb Z}z^*}\). The matrix of the trace form is a Cartan matrix of hyperbolic type, and we identify the equitable basis with a set of simple roots of the corresponding Kac–Moody Lie algebra \({\mathfrak{g}}\), so that L is the root lattice and \({\frac{1}{2} L^*}\) is the weight lattice of \({\mathfrak g}\). The orbit G(x) of x coincides with the set of real roots of \({\mathfrak g}\). We determine the isotropic roots of \({\mathfrak g}\) and show that each isotropic root has multiplicity 1. We describe the finite-dimensional \({\mathfrak{sl}_2}\)-modules from the point of view of the equitable basis. In the final section, we establish a connection between the Weyl group orbit of the fundamental weights of \({\mathfrak{g}}\) and Pythagorean triples.
The BAD-BAX-Caspase-3 Cascade Modulates Synaptic Vesicle Pools via Autophagy.

The BAD-BAX-caspase-3 cascade is a canonical apoptosis pathway. Macroautophagy (“autophagy” hereinafter) is a process by which organelles and aggregated proteins are delivered to lysosomes for degradation. Here, we report a new function of the BAD-BAX-caspase-3 cascade and autophagy in the control of synaptic vesicle pools. We found that, in hippocampal neurons of male mice, the BAD-BAX-caspase-3 pathway regulates autophagy, which in turn limits the size of synaptic vesicle pools and influences the kinetics of activity-induced depletion and recovery of synaptic vesicle pools. Moreover, the caspase-autophagy pathway is engaged by fear conditioning to facilitate associative fear learning and memory. This work identifies a new mechanism for controlling synaptic vesicle pools, and a novel, nonapoptotic, presynaptic function of the BAD-BAX-caspase-3 cascade. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Despite the importance of synaptic vesicles for neurons, little is known about how the size of synaptic vesicle pools is maintained under basal conditions and regulated by neural activity. This study identifies a new mechanism for the control of synaptic vesicle pools, and a new, nonapoptotic function of the BAD-BAX-caspase-3 pathway in presynaptic terminals. Additionally, it indicates that autophagy is not only a homeostatic mechanism to maintain the integrity of cells and tissues, but also a process engaged by neural activity to regulate synaptic vesicle pools for optimal synaptic responses, learning, and memory.
Fit-for-Purpose Design of Nanofiltration Membranes for Simultaneous Nutrient Recovery and Micropollutant Removal

Domestic wastewater is a valuable reservoir of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. However, the presence of emerging micropollutants (EMPs) hinders its applications in resource recovery. In ...
Anterior versus posterior endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation: comparison of indications, populations, and outcomes.

To examine how indications, patient characteristics, and outcomes differ between anterior and posterior approaches of endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) in the treatment of glaucoma. This is a retrospective chart review of 9 anterior and 20 posterior ECP cases (n = 29). Posterior ECP cases were typically associated with a dramatic increase in intraocular pressure (IOP), whereas the anterior ECP was associated with chronically elevated pressures. The initial IOPs in mm Hg of posterior ECP cases (26.8 non-NVG; 35.2 NVG) were much greater than anterior ECP cases (17.8), and a greater overall reduction in IOP was observed in the posterior versus anterior ECP cases (10.3 posterior non-NVG; 21.3 posterior NVG; 3.6 anterior, P < .001). With procedural success defined as 6-month post-operative IOP falling within normal ranges and a decrease in either IOP or number of prescribed glaucoma medications, the success rate of ECP was 92% for posterior NVG, 89% for anterior and 75% for posterior non-NVG cases (P = .34), similar to the previous literature. Of the four unsuccessful cases, two resulted in a normal IOP but lacked a drop in pressure or reduction in medication burden, one resulted in a 6-point drop in IOP but remained at 23 mm Hg, and one resulted in phthisis bulbi (3%) from an initial pressure above 40 mm Hg. Endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation is an effective and safe procedure for severe glaucoma cases from both an anterior and posterior approach. Ophthalmologists should consider this procedure as part of their glaucoma treatment arsenal.