cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accurate communication models for task scheduling in multicomputers

Models for computations and message-passing communications are very important for scheduling applications onto multicomputer systems and estimating the parallel execution time. This paper presents new models for communication, scheduling and estimating the execution time. In the proposed models, it is assumed that each processor in the multicomputer system has a router. The processor can only receive data from and send data to the router sequentially while the router can receive data from and send data to the routers of other processors in parallel. The execution time of a given application on a given machine can be then accurately estimated by using the proposed models. The input parameters to the proposed models are determined by measuring some parameters experimentally. Experimental results on the nCUBE2 machine are given to show the correctness of the proposed models.
Probabilistic Approach to Conditional Probability of Release of Hazardous Materials From Railroad Tank Cars During Accidents

This paper describes a probabilistic approach to estimate the conditional probability of release of hazardous materials from railroad tank cars during train accidents. Monte Carlo methods are used in developing a probabilistic model to simulate head impacts. The model is based on the physics of impact in conjunction with assumptions regarding the probability distribution functions of the various factors that affect the loss of lading. These factors include impact velocity, indenter size, tank material, tank diameter, effective collision mass, and tank thickness. Moreover, each factor is treated as a random variable characterized by its assumed distribution function, mean value, and standard deviation (or variance). Reverse engineering is performed to back-calculate the mean values and standard deviations of these random variables that reproduce trends observed in available accident data. The calibrated model is then used to conduct a probabilistic sensitivity analysis to examine the relative effect of these factors on the conditional probability of release. Results from the probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicate that the most significant factors that affect conditional probability of release are impact velocity, effective collision mass, and indenter size.
Lingual Infarction: A Review of the Literature

Lingual infarction, although a very rare entity has been reported in 16 cases since 1961. The goal of this article is to alert the physician to the symptoms of tongue claudication to prevent the morbid effects of tongue infarction and blindness due to cranial arteritis. A discussion of the disease and the differential diagnosis is included.
Optimal Channel Shortening Equalization for MIMO ISI Channels

We consider the problem of channel shortening equalization to perform reduced complexity detection for MIMO channels with intersymbol interference and additive Gaussian noise, the problem is to find a MIMO equalizer and a partial response MIMO target filter such that the combination produces the best detection performance. We show the existence of an infinite family of optimal equalizers and targets that satisfy the a posteriori equivalence condition. Furthermore, these solutions are intimately related to MIMO decision feedback equalizers designed with the "monk determinant" constraint on the feedback filter. These results generalize some recent results on channel shortening based on a posteriori equivalence to the MIMO setting.
“I Guess What He Said Wasn’t That Bad” Dissonance in Nonconfronting Targets of Prejudice

Although confrontations can be an effective means of reducing prejudicial responding, individuals often do not confront others due to the interpersonal costs. In the present research, we examined the intrapersonal implications of not confronting prejudice. In three studies, female participants were exposed to a confederate who made a sexist remark. Consistent with self-justification theories, in Study 1, participants who valued confronting and were given the opportunity to confront-but did not-subsequently made more positive evaluations of the confederate. Study 2 found that when participants were given a chance to affirm an important aspect of the self prior to evaluating the confederate, these inflated evaluations of the confederate did not occur. Finally, in Study 3, participants who initially valued confronting but did not confront a sexist partner reduced the amount of importance they placed on confronting. These data reveal that there are important intrapersonal consequences of not confronting prejudice.
Strength of porcelain fused to titanium beams

The purposes of this study were to measure strengths of layered porcelain fused to titanium beams, determine failure modes, and investigate the porcelain-titanium interface. A three-point flexural test and formulas derived especially for this purpose were used. The strength of layered porcelain-ceramic beams was limited by the cohesive tensile or compressive strengths of the porcelain, not by the porcelain-titanium interfacial bond, namely, the porcelain failure occurred at lower loads than did failure of the porcelain-titanium interface. The porcelain-titanium bond strength was at least 26 MPa. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy demonstrated that the bond was limited by delamination of a thin titanium-titanium oxide interface. Theoretic curves that describe effects of relative layer and total thickness on the force-bearing capacity of model beams were plotted. These curves indicated that porcelain-titanium prostheses should be made as thick as is practical, but the relative thickness of the porcelain and titanium layers would be less important.
Study of continuous ID3 and radial basis function algorithms for the recognition of glass defects

Two neural network algorithms were applied to the recognition of defects found in manufactured glass and compared with the standard backpropagation algorithm. They were the continuous ID3 (CID3) algorithm and radial basis function (RBF) networks. Backpropagation achieved a recognition rate comparable to that of CID3, but required a comparatively long training time. For classification into two categories, the CID3 algorithm required less time to train. RBF networks can be trained in less time than both backpropagation and CID3, but the accuracy is reduced. In terms of architecture complexity, backpropagation requires that the number of layers and nodes be specified, whereas the architecture of a radial basis function network is implied. Similarly, CID3 creates its own network architecture during training. >
Beyond fixing bugs: case studies of creative collaboration in open source software bug fixing processes

Bug fixing is an important collaborative practice of open source software development. Creative collaborative bug fixing---collectively generating new and useful solutions to improve software quality---is important especially when bugs are difficult to fix. We find bug fixing practices are unavoidably creative by studying Mozilla and Python. We characterize their bug fixing process as four common subprocesses, problem identification, preparation, solution generation, and solution evaluation. We discuss the key challenges of creative collaboration during each subprocess, and recommend design implications to enhance creative collaborative bug fixing processes, including support for establishment of common ground, externalization of social networks, awareness of resolving progress, and articulation of design rationale.
Designing for energy efficient mobile platforms

In this presentation we overview the multi-discipline low power platform architecture and where improvements were made, we will show examples of low power innovations in process technology, microprocessor design, IO signaling and IO power delivery subsystems. We will show these innovations and techniques resulted in energy efficient mobile computing to the end user. We will end the presentation with industry trends and future challenges for low power designs.
Mechanisms of Derived Unitegmy among Impatiens Species

Morphological transitions associated with ovule diversification provide unique opportunities for studies of developmental evolution. Here, we investigate the underlying mechanisms of one such transition, reduction in integument number, which has occurred several times among diverse angiosperms. In particular, reduction in integument number occurred early in the history of the asterids, a large clade comprising approximately one-third of all flowering plants. Unlike the vast majority of other eudicots, nearly all asterids have a single integument, with the only exceptions in the Ericales, a sister group to the other asterids. Impatiens, a genus of the Ericales, includes species with one integument, two integuments, or an apparently intermediate bifid integument. A comparison of the development of representative Impatiens species and analysis of the expression patterns of putative orthologs of the Arabidopsis thaliana ovule development gene INNER NO OUTER (INO) has enabled us to propose a mechanism responsible for morphological transitions between integument types in this group. We attribute transitions between each of the three integument morphologies to congenital fusion via a combination of variation in the location of subdermal growth beneath primordia and the merging of primordia. Evidence of multiple transitions in integument morphology among Impatiens species suggests that control of underlying developmental programs is relatively plastic and that changes in a small number of genes may have been responsible for the transitions. Our expression data also indicate that the role of INO in the outgrowth and abaxial-adaxial polarity of the outer integument has been conserved between two divergent angiosperms, the rosid Arabidopsis and the asterid Impatiens.
Usefulness of diffusion-weighted imaging in the evaluation of renal masses.

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to assess the value of diffusion-weighted imaging in differentiating among the various subgroups of renal masses.MATERIALS AND METHODS. This retrospective study measured the apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) of renal masses. Malignant lesions were confirmed with surgical pathology results. Benign cystic lesions were stable without treatment for a minimum follow-up of 24 months.RESULTS. There were 20 and 22 patients, respectively, with benign lesions (three abscess, 31 cysts) and malignant lesions (17 clear cell, five papillary, one chromophobe, and two transitional cell cancers). The malignant lesions were larger than the benign lesions (mean diameter, 4.2 vs 2.6 cm, respectively; p = 0.01, Student's t test). The ADC values of the benign lesions were significantly higher than those of the malignant lesions (mean, 2.72 vs 1.88 × 10–3 mm2/s; p < 0.0001). The ADCs of the 31 benign cysts were significantly higher than those of the seven cystic renal cancers (2.77...
Cross-fostering as a means to study kin recognition

Cross-fostering techniques in which infants are taken from their genetic parents and reared by unrelated foster parents have been widely used in behavioural research to investigate several developmental questions. Here we address some of the central issues involved in using cross-fostering to study kin recognition where it has been applied frequently. We do so by first outlining
Discretization methods for battery systems modeling

First principles battery models, consisting of nonlinear coupled partial differential equations, are often difficult to discretize and reduce in order so that they can be used by systems engineers for design, estimation, prediction, and management. In this paper, six methods are used to discretize a benchmark electrolyte diffusion problem and their time and frequency response accuracy is determined as a function of discretization order. The Analytical Method (AM), Integral Method Approximation (IMA), Pade Approximation Method (PAM), Finite Element Method (FEM), Finite Difference Method (FDM) and Ritz Method (RM) are formulated for the benchmark problem and convergence speed and accuracy calculated. The PAM is the most efficient, producing 99.5% accurate results with only a 3rd order approximation. IMA, Ritz, AM, FEM, and FDM required 4, 6, 9, 14, and 27th order approximations, respectively, to achieve the same error.
An improved technique to determine the controlling unstable equilibrium point in a power system

The accuracy of stability assessment provided by the transient energy function (TEF) method depends on the determination of the controlling unstable equilibrium point (UEP). The technique that currently determines the controlling UEP in the TEF method is based on the so-called exit point method and has also been recently labeled the BCU method. The exit point method consists of two basic steps. First, the exit point is approximated by the point /spl theta//sup egsa/, where the first maximum of the potential energy along the fault-on trajectory is encountered. Second, the minimum gradient point /spl theta//sup mgp/ along the trajectory from /spl theta//sup egsa/ is computed. The controlling UEP is then obtained by solving a system of nonlinear algebraic equations with /spl theta//sup mgp/ as an initial guess. It has been observed that this method lacks robustness in the sense that the following two problems may occur: (1) there may be no detection of the minimum gradient point /spl theta//sup mgp/ and hence, no determination of the controlling UEP, (2) if /spl theta//sup mgp/ is found, then based on the definition of the controlling UEP, it may not be in the domain of convergence of the controlling UEP for the particular solving algorithm used. Hence, another equilibrium point, possibly a stable equilibrium point, not the controlling UEP will be located. This results in a flawed transient stability assessment. The result of this research has been the development of a new numerical technique for determining the controlling UEP. With an initial starting point that is close to the exit point this technique efficiently produces a sequence of points. An analytical foundation for this method is given which shows that under certain assumptions this sequence will converge to the controlling UEP. Hence this new technique exhibits a substantial improvement over the exit point method because of the following reasons: (1) the technique does not attempt to detect the point /spl theta//sup mgp/, (2) the technique can produce a point that is close to the controlling UEP thus avoiding a domain of convergence problem. The analytical foundation is provided for the unloaded gradient system, but an application of the technique to the IEEE 50-generator system shows that satisfactory stability assessment is also obtained for more general systems, for which the exit point method fails.
Family history of heart disease: the re-emergence of a traditional risk factor.

The familial aggregation of coronary artery disease (CAD) was first noted in several relatively small epidemiological studies performed in the 1950s and early 1960s ([1][1]). Some of these early reports actually predated the identification of the major “traditional” risk factors of CAD by
IMPLEMENTING ALTERNATE ENERGY PROJECTS IN DEVELOPING NATIONS THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE USE OF INTERNATIONAL AID

ABSTRACT Although development aid is a major component of many developing nation's energy budgets, the money is often spent in a less than optimum manner. The reasons for this poor utilisation of a major monetary resource are: (1) -aid is often provided for the end benefit of the donor country rather than the recipient country; (2) long time delays are common between budgeting aid expenditures and initiation of projects; (3) poor matching of donor sponsored projects and management/technical capability available in the recipient country; (4) projects are often designed by the donor country for the perceived rather than actual needs of the recipient. Development aid should make possible many capital intensive alternative energy projects which contribute to the development of the recipient nation but to date the success rate has been low. It is recommended that aid donor organizations examine their structure and organize toward: (1) projects proposed by the recipient country rather than the donor; (2) reduced time delays and reduced bureaucratic requirements; (3) buildinf follow up assistance into all projects to insure that adequate operation and maintenance capability is created along with the installation of hardware.
The Lives, Times, and Contributions of Al and Betty Lee:

This paper is based on a plenary presentation at the 1995 annual meetings of the Association for Humanist Sociology in Columbus, Ohio, on October 27, 1995 and on Marginality and Dissent in 20th Cen...
Instantons in the Schwinger model

The known calculations of the fermion condensate $〈\overline{\ensuremath{\psi}}\ensuremath{\psi}〉$ and the correlator $〈\overline{\ensuremath{\psi}}\ensuremath{\psi}(x) \overline{\ensuremath{\psi}}\ensuremath{\psi}(0)〉$ have been interpreted in terms of localized instanton solutions presenting the minima of path integrals with quantum corrections being taken into account. Their size is of the order of the massive photon Compton wavelength ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. At high temperature, these instantons become quasistatic and present the two-dimensional analog of the "walls" found recently in four-dimensional gauge theories. In spite of the static nature of these solutions, they should not be interpreted as "thermal solitons" living in Minkowski space: the mass of these would-be solitons does not display itself in the physical correlators. At small but nonzero fermion mass, the high-$T$ partition function of two-dimensional QED is saturated by the rarified gas of instantons and antiinstantons with density $\ensuremath{\propto}m \mathrm{exp}{{\ensuremath{-}S}^{\mathrm{inst}}}=m \mathrm{exp}{\frac{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\pi}T}{\ensuremath{\mu}}}$ to be confronted with the dense strongly correlated instanton-antiinstanton liquid saturating the partition function at $T=0$.
Variable selection and prediction with incomplete high-dimensional data

We propose a Multiple Imputation Random Lasso (mirl) method to select important variables and to predict the outcome for an epidemiological study of Eating and Activity in Teens. In this study 80% of individuals have at least one variable missing. Therefore, using variable selection methods developed for complete data after listwise deletion substantially reduces prediction power. Recent work on prediction models in the presence of incomplete data cannot adequately account for large numbers of variables with arbitrary missing patterns. We propose MIRL to combine penalized regression techniques with multiple imputation and stability selection. Extensive simulation studies are conducted to compare MIRL with several alternatives. MIRL outperforms other methods in high-dimensional scenarios in terms of both reduced prediction error and improved variable selection performance, and it has greater advantage when the correlation among variables is high and missing proportion is high. MIRL is shown to have improved performance when comparing with other applicable methods when applied to the study of Eating and Activity in Teens for the boys and girls separately, and to a subgroup of low social economic status (ses) Asian boys who are at high risk of developing obesity.
Analyzing clinical outcomes in laparoscopic right vs. left colectomy in colon cancer patients using the NSQIP database.

Abstract Introduction Optimization of surgical outcomes after colectomy continues to be actively studied, but most studies group right-sided and left-sided colectomies together. The aim of our study was to determine whether the complication rate differs between right-sided and left-sided colectomies for cancer. Methods We identified patients who underwent laparoscopic colectomy for colon cancer between 2005 and 2010 in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database and stratified cases by right and left side. The two groups were matched using propensity score matching for demographics, previous abdominal surgery, pre-operative chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and pre-operative laboratory data. Outcome measures were: 30-day mortality and morbidity. Results We identified 2512 patients who underwent elective laparoscopic colectomy for right-sided or left-sided colon cancer. The two groups were similar in demographics, and pre-operative characteristics. There was no difference in overall morbidity (15% vs. 17.7%; p value p value p value p value p value p value Conclusion Our study highlights the difference in complications between right-sided and left-sided colectomies for cancer. Further research on outcomes after colectomy should incorporate right vs. left side colon resection as a potential pre-operative risk factor.
Ergodic capacity in D2D underlay networks with varying user distribution

This paper provides a tractable framework to understand the performance of Device-to-device (D2D) underlay cellular networks. D2D communication can improve range, data rates and energy efficiency of cellular networks. However, analyzing performance of D2D techniques is non-trivial. In this paper, ergodic capacity of D2D underlay cellular networks is investigated using Poisson point process (PPP) models. Line-of-sight (LoS) components in D2D direct links are characterized via a Rician fading model. In addition, locations of D2D receiving users (DRUs) are assumed to be random with varying distribution. Specifically, we investigate two different cases of DRUs: (1) distance between a D2D user (DU) pair follows a uniform distribution and (2) a DRU is distributed uniformly in the circular area around its serving D2D transmit user (DTU). We derive, for the first time, closed-form results for ergodic capacity of D2D communications for a practical case with path loss exponent of 4. We demonstrate that our new analytical results better approximate the actual capacity relative to prior approaches.
Analyzing TCGA Lung Cancer Genomic and Expression Data Using SVM With Embedded Parameter Tuning

High-throughput, next-generation sequencing revolutionized genomic sequencing techniques and changed biomedical research in a profound way. The big genomic data generated from next-generation sequencing presents unique scientific challenges and opportunities. One of these challenges is to understand and characterize the patterns of genomic mutation and gene expression in cancer. In this study, we explored these patterns in lung cancer using support vector machines (SVMs) with embedded parameter tuning. Two data sets were derived from exome sequencing mutation data and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) gene expression profiles. The embedded parameter tuning is based on data mining the data set using validation techniques and concepts of the committee voting approach. We show that the SVMs with tuning have significantly improved classification robustness and accuracy. The results reveal that somatic mutation and gene expression patterns show pronounced difference between the subtypes of lung cancer, illuminating that cancer tissues of different subtypes are differentiable at both DNA mutation and gene expression levels. Further gene ontology enrichment analysis of the differentially mutated and expressed genes revealed several reported molecular function groups associated with lung cancer. We conclude that SVMs with embedded parameter tuning are an effective tool for analyzing somatic mutation and RNA-seq gene expression data.
Occupational Health Status of Coal Mine Enterprises in Yong-chuan District of Chongqing City

[Objective]To understand the occupational health status of coal mine enterprises in Yong-chuan District,and identify the focus of health supervision and technical services.[Methods]Through random sampling,the investigations of occupational disease prevention and management institutions and personnel,management systems and operating procedures,control plans and implementation programs,occupational health files,occupational health funds,occupational protective equipment and personal protective equipment and so on were carried out.[Results]Of the 45 surveyed coal mining enterprises,77.2% did not set up occupational health management institutions and personnel,4.4% established occupational health files,26.7% had occupational hazards informing,60% had not conducted workplace testing and evaluation of occupational hazards,over 66.7% of enterprises has been equipped with occupational protective equipment,44.4% of which had established the ledger,26.7% had equipped with personal protective equipment.[Conclusion]The situation of occupational health in coal mine is far away from the requirement of "the law on prevention and cure of occupational disease of the People's Republic of China". The Government should strengthen the occupational health management and multisectoral collaboration,enhance occupational disease prevention publicizing,raise the awareness of occupational disease prevention to control occupational diseases from the source.
TU‐H‐CAMPUS‐JeP2‐05: Can Automatic Delineation of Cardiac Substructures On Noncontrast CT Be Used for Cardiac Toxicity Analysis?

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of using an automatic segmentation tool to delineate cardiac substructures from computed tomography (CT) images for cardiac toxicity analysis for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients after radiotherapy. Methods: A multi-atlas segmentation tool developed in-house was used to delineate eleven cardiac substructures including the whole heart, four heart chambers, and six greater vessels automatically from the averaged 4DCT planning images for 49 NSCLC patients. The automatic segmented contours were edited appropriately by two experienced radiation oncologists. The modified contours were compared with the auto-segmented contours using Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and mean surface distance (MSD) to evaluate how much modification was needed. In addition, the dose volume histogram (DVH) of the modified contours were compared with that of the auto-segmented contours to evaluate the dosimetric difference between modified and auto-segmented contours. Results: Of the eleven structures, the averaged DSC values ranged from 0.73 ± 0.08 to 0.95 ± 0.04 and the averaged MSD values ranged from 1.3 ± 0.6 mm to 2.9 ± 5.1mm for the 49 patients. Overall, the modification is small. The pulmonary vein (PV) and the inferior vena cava required the most modifications. The V30 (volume receiving 30 Gy or above) for the whole heart and the mean dose to the whole heart and four heart chambers did not show statistically significant difference between modified and auto-segmented contours. The maximum dose to the greater vessels did not show statistically significant difference except for the PV. Conclusion: The automatic segmentation of the cardiac substructures did not require substantial modification. The dosimetric evaluation showed no statistically significant difference between auto-segmented and modified contours except for the PV, which suggests that auto-segmented contours for the cardiac dose response study are feasible in the clinical practice with a minor modification to the PV vessel.
VITAMIN K-DEPENDENT CALCIUM BINDING PROTEINS OF THE EXTRACELLULAR BONE MATRIX

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the structure and the possible functions of vitamin K-dependent bone proteins. Bone Gla Protein (BGP) was the first noncollagenous bone protein to be sequenced, and Matrix Gla Protein (MGP) is the second. The role of Gla residues in BGP has been explored by comparing the properties of native BGP with BGP in which the Gla residues have been thermally decarboxylated to Glu residues by a highly specific chemical modification. BGP is also the first noncollagenous bone protein for which a complete cDNA structure has been established. BGP was named as such because it is a Gla-containing protein associated with the mineral component of bone. MGP was so named because a substantial fraction of MGP in bone does not emerge during demineraiization but emerges only on the subsequent extraction of the demineralized matrix with denaturants, such as guanidine HCl and urea. Developmental studies indicate that MGP and BGP may be expressed at different stages in the calcification of bone. The main evidence on the function of vitamin K-dependent proteins in bone and cartilage metabolism has come from the analysis of rats treated with the vitamin K-antagonist Warfarin.
Preliminary Assessment of a Previously Unknown Fault Zone beneath the Daytona Beach Sand Blow Cluster near Marianna, Arkansas

ABSTRACT We collected new high‐resolution P ‐wave seismic‐reflection data to explore for possible faults beneath a roughly linear cluster of early to mid‐Holocene earthquake‐induced sand blows to the south of Marianna, Arkansas. The Daytona Beach sand blow deposits are located in east‐central Arkansas about 75 km southwest of Memphis, Tennessee, and about 80 km south of the southwestern end of the New Madrid seismic zone (NMSZ). Previous studies of these sand blows indicate that they were produced between 10,500 and 5350 yr B.P. (before A.D. 1950). The sand blows are large and similar in size to those in the heart of the NMSZ produced by the 1811–1812 earthquakes. The seismic‐reflection profiles reveal a previously unknown zone of near‐vertical faults imaged in the 100–1100‐m depth range that are approximately coincident with a cluster of earthquake‐induced sand blows and a near‐linear surface lineament composed of air photo tonal anomalies. These interpreted faults are expressed as vertical discontinuities with the largest displacement fault showing about 40 m of west‐side‐up displacement at the top of the Paleozoic section at about 1100 m depth. There are about 20 m of folding on reflections within the Eocene strata at 400 m depth. Increasing fault displacement with depth suggests long‐term recurrent faulting. The imaged faults within the vicinity of the numerous sand blow features could be a causative earthquake source, although it does not rule out the possibility of other seismic sources nearby. These newly located faults add to a growing list of potentially active Pleistocene–Holocene faults discovered over the last two decades that are within the Mississippi embayment region but outside of the historical NMSZ.
Next generation predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibition

With the advent of targeted therapies, there has been a revolution in the treatment of cancer across multiple histologies. Immune checkpoint blockade has made it possible to take advantage of receptor-ligand interactions between immune and tumor cells in a wide spectrum of malignancies. Toxicity in healthy tissue, however, can limit our use of these agents. Immune checkpoint blockade has been approved in advanced melanoma, renal cell cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, relapsed refractory Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and urothelial cancer. Though FDA-approved indications for use of some of these novel agents depend on current protein-based programmed death 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) assays, detection methods come with several caveats. Additional predictive tools must be interrogated to discern responders from non-responders. Some of these include measurement of microsatellite instability, PD-L1 amplification, cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8) infiltrate density, and tumor mutational burden. This review serves to synthesize biomarker detection at the DNA, RNA, and protein level to more accurately forecast benefit from these novel agents.
Cellular functions of LRRK2 implicate vesicular trafficking pathways in Parkinson's disease.

Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene, associated with Parkinson9s disease, have been shown to affect intracellular trafficking pathways in a variety of cells and organisms. An emerging theme is that LRRK2 can bind to multiple membranous structures in cells, and several recent studies have suggested that the Rab family of small GTPases might be important in controlling the recruitment of LRRK2 to specific cellular compartments. Once localized to membranes, LRRK2 then influences downstream events, evidenced by changes in the autophagy–lysosome pathway. Here, I will discuss available evidence that supports or challenges this outline, with a specific emphasis on those aspects of LRRK2 function that have been controversial or remain to be fully clarified.
99mTc-labeled inhibitors of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) for imaging prostate cancer

293 Objectives PSMA is an attractive target for imaging and therapy of prostate cancer. Previously, we demonstrated successful 99mTc-based SPECT imaging of prostate cancer using urea-based PSMA inhibitors in mice. In those inhibitors ([99mTc]L1-6) a linker moiety was introduced between the amino functionalized PSMA urea and the technetium chelators utilizing a {99mTc(CO)3}+ moiety. Here we synthesized 14 new inhibitors ([99mTc]L7-20) to investigate the effect of different metal chelators on tumor uptake and pharmacokinetics in SCID mice bearing PC-3 PIP (PSMA+) and PC-3 flu (PSMA-) xenografts. This new series of inhibitors includes additional ligands for radiolabeling with {99mTc(CO)3}+ (L7-9), a hydrazino nicotinic acid (Hynic) chelator (L10) and traditional NxSy-based chelators for 99mTc-oxo labeling (L11-20). Methods Multi-step syntheses were employed in preparing L7-20 and selected rhenium analogs (ReL). Labeling with 99mTc was achieved either by using the Isolink kit (L7-9) or by standard SnCl2 reduction (L10-20). PSMA inhibitory capacities (L7-20, selected ReL) were evaluated by a competitive PSMA binding assay. In vivo characterization was performed by SPECT-CT (L7-20) and biodistribution studies ([99mTc]L8, [99mTc]L11, [99mTc]L18). Results Imaging demonstrated PSMA selective tumor uptake for all 99mTc-labeled compounds. The highest PSMA+ PC-3 PIP tumor uptake was achieved for [99mTc]L11 (42.5 ± 4 % ID/g) at 1 h, [99mTc]L8 (28.3 ± 4% ID/g) at 0.5 h and for [99mTc]L18 (28 ± 6 % ID/g) at 5 h. All compounds exhibited rapid blood clearance with high initial spleen and kidney uptake. Clearance of [99mTc]L8 from non-target organs, including kidney, was faster than for [99mTc]L11 or [99mTc]L18, resulting in increasing tumor/organ ratios at 5 h. [99mTc]L11 and [99mTc]L18 demonstrated higher tumor retention over time than did [99mTc]L8 at 16 h. Conclusions [99mTc]L8, [99mTc]L11 and [99mTc]L18 are promising candidates for imaging prostate cancer. Altering the chelator had significant impact on tumor uptake and pharmacokinetics
Deep eutectic solvent approach towards nickel/nickel nitride nanocomposites

Abstract Nickel nitride is an attractive material for a broad range of applications including catalysis. However preparations and especially those targeting nanoscale particles remain a major challenge. Herein, we report a wet-chemical approach to produce nickel/nickel nitride nanocomposites using deep eutectic solvents. A choline chloride/urea deep eutectic solvent was used as a reaction medium to form gels containing nickel acetate tetrahydrate. Heat treatment of the gel in inert atmosphere forms nanoparticles embedded within a nitrogen-doped carbon matrix. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) were used to understand the decomposition profile of the precursors and to select pyrolysis temperatures located in regions of thermal stability. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the presence of metallic nickel, whereas X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) suggested the existence of a nickel nitride surface layer. According to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis these mixed phase, possibly core-shell type nanoparticles, have very defined facets. These materials represent a unique opportunity to tune catalytic properties of nickel-based catalysts through control of their composition, surface structure, and morphology; in addition to employing potential benefits of a nitrogen-doped carbon support.
American Express: Bank 2.0

In June 2011, American Express announced the formation of a new group, Enterprise Growth (EG). EG was designed to challenge existing credit and charge business models and extend American Express's leadership into the world of digital and mobile forms of payment through the use of software platforms and mobile apps. Alpesh Chokshi, president of EG, and Wesley Wright, product development leader, were well aware of the magnitude of the potential market that was currently underserved by traditional banking services. They saw an opportunity to do something bigger—to move American Express into debit and checking spending. EG called the initiative Bank 2.0, indicating the application of technology to usher in a “next iteration” of banking. Excerpt UVA-S-0242 Rev. Jul. 13, 2020 American Express: Bank 2.0 A New Mission in Enterprise Growth In June 2011, Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express (AXP), announced the formation of a new group within the company, Enterprise Growth (EG), to drive expansion into digital and mobile payments. “New technologies are redefining the payments business and creating opportunities that go beyond our existing businesses,” said Chenault in a press release. “The Enterprise Growth group is designed to extend our leadership into the world of alternative payments and create new fee-based revenue streams for the post-recession environment.” To lead the group, AXP hired Dan Schulman from Sprint Corporation (where he had headed the Prepaid Group after previously serving as founding CEO of Virgin Mobile USA, as president and CEO of Priceline.com Incorporated, and in other leadership positions). “Technology [is] fundamentally going to change the way you might think about financial services,” Schulman said during one of his first meetings with EG, “just as the Internet has redefined one industry after another.” EG, he continued, was designed “to challenge existing business models” and “to think about the intersection between software, software platforms, mobile apps, mobile technology in general, and financial services.” For Alpesh Chokshi and Wesley Wright, this was the moment they had been waiting for. Both of them had been at AXP since 2001 and had worked in its prepaid business since 2005. When EG was formed, their group had moved into EG with a mandate to drive expansion beyond AXP's traditional credit and charge business on a global basis. Chokshi was the president and Wright led product development. Before moving into EG, together with their team they had driven the expansion of AXP's prepaid business into gift cards and reloadable cards. Now, with the support of Chenault and Schulman, they saw an opportunity to do something bigger—to move AXP into debit and checking spending, a large sector of payments in which it did not currently play (see Exhibit 1 for AXP consolidated financial performance and Exhibits 2 through 4 for performance metrics of the US cards business). Their team had begun calling the initiative Bank 2.0, indicating the application of technology to usher in a “next iteration” of banking. . . .
Predicting population viability of a monocarpic perennial dune thistle using individual-based models

Plants inhabit spatially and temporally heterogeneous habitat with various landscape characteristics influencing growth, survival and reproduction. Utilizing microhabitat variables such as slope, elevation and aspect can allow for a spatially explicit approach to understand the important ecological drivers of population persistence. By applying knowledge about individual plant demographics and their response to microhabitat variables, inferences into how the entire population responds over time are made possible. We used a spatially-explicit individual based modeling (SEIBM) approach to model the population demographics and distribution of a restored population of Cirsium pitcheri in Illinois. Using regression analysis, we estimated model parameters for survival, growth and reproduction which were subsequently chosen by comparing observed and projected abundances. Projected population abundances followed the same trajectory as the observed abundances for our chosen model. Using that model, 100-year projections revealed that this Illinois Beach population has a median time to extinction (MTE) of 16 years, presenting a comparable outlook for C. pitcheri as compared to traditional matrix modeling approaches. We then analyzed how landscape characteristics influenced plant occupancy via hotspot analysis to determine optimum locations. Optimum plant habitat include those on low slopes and higher elevations. This approach presents a formal modeling exercise for using spatially explicit, individual-based models to conduct population viability analysis. By comparing this SEIBM approach to matrix modeling methods, we affirm that SEIBM are a valid tool for population viability analysis while also having the ability to include information that is spatially explicit to the habitat upon which C. pitcheri occupies.
Tissue engineering potential of human dermis-isolated adult stem cells from multiple anatomical locations

Abundance and accessibility render skin-derived stem cells an attractive cell source for tissue engineering applications. Toward assessing their utility, the variability of constructs engineered from human dermis-isolated adult stem (hDIAS) cells was examined with respect to different anatomical locations (foreskin, breast, and abdominal skin), both in vitro and in a subcutaneous, athymic mouse model. All anatomical locations yielded hDIAS cells with multi-lineage differentiation potentials, though adipogenesis was not seen for foreskin-derived hDIAS cells. Using engineered cartilage as a model, tissue engineered constructs from hDIAS cells were compared. Construct morphology differed by location. The mechanical properties of human foreskin- and abdominal skin-derived constructs were similar at implantation, remaining comparable after 4 additional weeks of culture in vivo. Breast skin-derived constructs were not mechanically testable. For all groups, no signs of abnormality were observed in the host. Addition of aggregate redifferentiation culture prior to construct formation improved chondrogenic differentiation of foreskin-derived hDIAS cells, as evident by increases in glycosaminoglycan and collagen contents. More robust Alcian blue staining and homogeneous cell populations were also observed compared to controls. Human DIAS cells elicited no adverse host responses, reacted positively to chondrogenic regimens, and possessed multi-lineage differentiation potential with the caveat that efficacy may differ by anatomical origin of the skin. Taken together, these results suggest that hDIAS cells hold promise as a potential cell source for a number of tissue engineering applications.
Seaforth World Naval Review 2017

According to its dust jacket, the Seaforth World Naval Review 2017 aims to provide a ‘dedicated annual survey of naval developments’ and to be ‘valuable for enthusiasts and defence professionals al...
Associations Between ADHD Symptoms and Occupational, Interpersonal, and Daily Life Impairments Among Pregnant Women.

Objective: Past research links symptoms of depression and anxiety with functional impairments among pregnant women. However, no prior research has examined the impact of ADHD symptoms among this po...
Opportunism and Internal Affairs

The internal affairs doctrine is the sine qua non of modern corporate law. It assigns to a corporation’s chartering state sole authority to govern relations among constituents “inside” the firm — its stockholders, directors, and officers — while leaving to territorial law the relations between “outside” constituents and the firm. But why law should cleave an enterprise in this way is a puzzle. Economic theories of the firm can’t explain it, and the academic literature is short on answers. This article offers an account of the internal affairs doctrine that simultaneously explains the doctrine’s contours, accords with its historical emergence, and defends its status as one of the economy’s central organizing principles. It argues that the internal affairs rule is best understood as the law’s adaptive response to a collective-action problem distinctive (historically) to stockholders. Because selling shares across state borders is cheap, shares would, absent the rule, tend to flow into jurisdictions that provide stockholders with robust capital withdrawal and control rights, even where such rights, in the aggregate, would undermine the corporate form’s signal virtues. The internal affairs doctrine forestalls opportunistic trading and so facilitates capital formation. Moreover, as this article shows, the doctrine in fact emerged in the years following economic and legal changes that made such trading a threat for the first time. The prospect of opportunism, then, rather than anything inherent in the idea of the firm, defines the corporate boundary.
Variations in Foreign Direct Investment in Authoritarian Regimes

Scholars have shown how foreign investors prefer low risk environments. Foreign investors want strong property rights and policies that protect their assets. Furthermore, it has been shown that democracies have stronger property rights protections and less political risks than nondemocracies. However, what is unusual is that some nondemocratic countries are drawing greater inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI). Some nondemocratic regimes have attracted tremendous levels of foreign investment, while others have not: there exists great variation in FDI inflows among the nondemocracies. So, how do some authoritarian regimes establish credibility to foreign investors? What explains the variation in foreign direct investment among nondemocracies? The findings suggest that nondemocratic nations signal credibility through international institutions. Specifically, the presence of a bilateral investment treaty (BIT) is attractive to foreign investors investing in risky environments. The BIT creates a contractual framework for investment and provides an international audience. As a result, BITs reduce political risk by constraining the dictator.
Single-Cell Recording of Vesicle Release From Human Neuroblastoma Cells Using 1024-ch Monolithic CMOS Bioelectronics

Human neuroblastoma cells, SH-SY5Y, are often used as a neuronal model to study Parkinson's disease and dopamine release in the substantia nigra, a midbrain region that plays an important role in motor control. Using amperometric single-cell recordings of single vesicle release events, we can study molecular manipulations of dopamine release and gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of neurological diseases. However, single-cell analysis of neurotransmitter release using traditional techniques yields results with very low throughput. In this paper, we will discuss a monolithically-integrated CMOS sensor array that has the low-noise performance, fine temporal resolution, and 1024 parallel channels to observe dopamine release from many single cells with single-vesicle resolution. The measured noise levels of our transimpedance amplifier are 415, 622, and 1083 ${\text{fA}}_{{\text{RMS}}}$ , at sampling rates of 10, 20, and 30 kS/s, respectively, without additional filtering. Post-CMOS processing is used to monolithically integrate 1024 on-chip gold electrodes, with an individual electrode size of 15 μm × 15 μm, directly on 1024 transimpedance amplifiers in the CMOS device. SU-8 traps are fabricated on individual electrodes to allow single cells to be interrogated and to reject multicellular clumps. Dopamine secretions from 76 cells are simultaneously recorded by loading the CMOS device with SH-SY5Y cells. In the 42-s measurement, a total of 7147 single vesicle release events are monitored. The study shows the CMOS device's capability of recording vesicle secretion at a single-cell level, with 1024 parallel channels, to provide detailed information on the dynamics of dopamine release at a single-vesicle resolution.