cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simian virus 40 large T antigen alters the phosphorylation state of the RB-related proteins p130 and p107.

p130 and p107 are nuclear phosphoproteins related to the retinoblastoma gene product (pRb). pRb, p107, and p130 each undergo cell cycle-dependent phosphorylation, form complexes with the E2F family of transcription factors, and associate with oncoproteins of DNA tumor viruses, including simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen (TAg) and adenovirus ElA protein. The results of recent studies with mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) lacking the retinoblastoma gene (Rb-1) have suggested that p130 and p107 may be important targets for SV40 large TAg-mediated transformation (J.B. Christensen and M.J. Imperiale, J. Virol. 65:3945-3948, 1995; J. Zalvide and J.A. DeCaprio, Mol. Cell. Biol. 15:5800-5810, 1995). In this report, we demonstrate that the expression of TAg affects the phosphorylation state of p130 and p107. In cells expressing wild-type TAg, only un(der)phosphorylated p130 and p107 were detected. To determine the domains within TAg that contribute to this effect on the phosphorylation of p130, we performed transient expression assays. While transiently expressed p130 was apparently phosphorylated normally, only un(der)phosphorylated p130 was detected when p130 was coexpressed with TAg. Using this assay, we found that the first 147 amino acids of TAg were sufficient to alter the phosphorylation state of p130. Within this region, the LXCXE domain of TAg, required for binding to the retinoblastoma family of proteins, was necessary but not sufficient to affect p130 phosphorylation. Residues within the first 82 amino acids of TAg were also required. TAg with mutations in the N terminus retained the ability to efficiently associate with p130 but did not affect its phosphorylation state. This demonstrates that the effect of SV40 TAg on p130 is not simply the result of binding and suggests that TAg has a novel effect on p130 and p107 that differs from its effect on pRb.
When a Cultural Prohibition is Effective: A Field Investigation1

Three conditions have been hypothesized by Allport (1934) to be necessary for normative compliance to occur: (a) the required behavior must seem to serve a purpose; (b) the required behavior must be described in a rule or law; (c) a fairly large proportion of the population must perform the required behavior. Evidence supporting each of the three hypotheses is reviewed. The presence or strength of three variables related to each of the three conditions was varied factorially in an experimental field study of conformity to a prohibition against pedestrian traffic. The three hypotheses were strongly supported: Significantly more pedestrians corriplied the greater the strength of the factors related to the conditions. No interactions were found between variables. In addition, no differences between males and females and between a campus and a suburban sample were obtained. The results are discussed in terms of the normative elements of cultural conformity and a distinction is made between true conformity and cultural conformity.
Resource Selection and Predation of North American Red Squirrels in Deciduous Forest Fragments

The North American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) typically is regarded as having strong affinities for coniferous forests throughout its geographic range. In the state of Indiana, the red squirrel has expanded its geographic range concurrent with fragmentation of deciduous forests and widespread plantings of conifers. We undertook a radiotelemetry study to assess resource selection and survival of this species in 2 woodlots dominated by deciduous trees in west-central Indiana. Squirrels selected habitats with a high proportion of black walnut (Juglans nigra), avoided other hard mast-producing species, and avoided conifers. Squirrels exhibited overlapping home ranges, consistent with other studies on eastern populations. Individuals whose core areas contained conifers experienced higher survival rates than those individuals whose core areas did not contain conifers. We conclude that the increased safety conferred by conifers, as well as the presence of black walnut in these forests, are likely to contribute strongly to this species’ persistence in Indiana.
Unfinished nursing care: An important performance measure for nursing care systems

Performance measurement is a core administrative function and an essential component of organizational quality programs. The prevalence of performance measurement initiatives increased significantly after the release of the Institute of Medicine series on quality. Nursing performance measures are limited in their scope, resulting in an underrepresentation of process measures. Development of performance indicators that reflect how effectively organizational units actually transform nursing resources into nursing services should be a high priority. Unfinished nursing care is a nursing process performance measure that reflects the complexity of the nursing care environment and can be useful in comparing process performance across systems and organizations. Unfinished nursing care is congruent with many of the National Quality Forum requirements for endorsement and warrants further refinement as an important nurse-sensitive performance measure.
Charter School Spending and Saving in California

Examining resource allocation practices, including savings, of charter schools is critical to understanding their financial viability and sustainability. Using 9 years of finance data from California, we find charter schools spend less on instruction and pupil support services than traditional public schools. The lower spending on instruction and pupil support is offset, not by administrative costs, but by higher spending on operations, consultant services, and a greater rate of savings (carry-over). Further, analysis indicates that the differences in resource allocation patterns between charter schools and traditional public schools is not completely explained by the characteristics of students served. The resource allocation practices revealed in this study, combined with findings from prior research, shed some light on how charter schools may avoid financial deficiency and ensure their sustainability.
Effect of oxygen tension on nitrogenase and on glutamine synthetases I and II in Rhizobium japonicum 61A76

Abstract When grown under aerobic conditions, Rhizobium japonicum 61A76 contains two forms of glutamine synthetase, GSI and GSII, as previously described. In contrast, cells grown under the low O 2 tensions required for nitrogenase synthesis contain only GSI. GSII activity disappears completely at O 2 levels below 0.4%. GSI activity decreases by only 50%, but the enzyme appears to become highly adenylylated under the low O 2 tensions required for nitrogenase synthesis.
Effect of intravenous infusion of isethionate on rats.

SummaryA technique was developed to infuse rats for a period of several days. The alterations in electrolytes produced by infusion with an iso-osmotic solution of isethionate salts were studied. In comparison with iso-osmotic chloride salts infused controls, the amount of Cl- decreased and that of K+ increased in the urine while both Cl- and K+ levels decreased in the serum of rats infused with iso-osmotic isethionate salts. Concentration of Cl- in liver and kidney also decreased but no change occurred in brain chloride level. Potassium levels did not change in any of these tissues. In comparison with noninfused control, increases in serum glutamic–oxalacetic transaminase and alkaline phosphatase were noted in both isethionate and chloride receiving rats, while a decrease in lactic dehydrogenase was seen in isethionate receiving rats. Except for occasional lymphoid depletion in both groups, no other histopathological changes were seen. Similarly no hematological or urinary changes of pathological signific...
Agitation in Alzheimer Disease as a Qualifying Condition for Medical Marijuana in the United States.

Objective To determine the extent to which states and localities include dementia as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana and how common this indication is. Methods The authors reviewed authorizing legislation and medical marijuana program websites and annual reports for the states and localities where medical marijuana is legal. Results Of the 24 states and localities where medical marijuana is legal, dementia is a qualifying condition in 10 (41.7%), primarily for agitation of Alzheimer disease. In the five states where information was available regarding qualifying conditions for certification, dementia was the indication for Conclusion Dementia is somewhat commonly listed as a potential qualifying condition for medical marijuana. Currently, few applicants for medical marijuana list dementia as the reason for seeking certification. However, given increasingly open attitudes toward recreational and medical marijuana use, providers should be aware that dementia is a potential indication for licensing, despite lack of evidence for its efficacy.
Inhibition of Tryptases by Heparin.

SummaryHeparin inhibits the action of trypsin and serum tryptase. The significance of this phenomenon in the blood clotting mechanism is briefly discussed.
A diferrous-dinitrosyl intermediate in the N2O-generating pathway of a deflavinated flavo-diiron protein.

Flavo-diiron proteins (FDPs) function as anaerobic nitric oxide scavengers in some microorganisms, catalyzing reduction of nitric to nitrous oxide. The FDP from Thermotoga maritima can be prepared in a deflavinated form with an intact diferric site (deflavo-FDP). Hayashi et al. [(2010) Biochemistry 49, 7040–7049] reported that reaction of NO with reduced deflavo-FDP produced substoichiometric N2O. Here we report a multispectroscopic approach to identify the iron species in the reactions of deflavo-FDP with NO. Mossbauer spectroscopy identified two distinct ferrous species after reduction of the antiferromagnetically coupled diferric site. Approximately 60% of the total ferrous iron was assigned to a diferrous species associated with the N2O-generating pathway. This pathway proceeds through successive diferrous-mononitrosyl (S = 1/2 FeII{FeNO}7) and diferrous-dinitrosyl (S = 0 [{FeNO}7]2) species that form within ∼100 ms of mixing of the reduced protein with NO. The diferrous-dinitrosyl intermediate converted to an antiferromagnetically coupled diferric species that was spectroscopically indistinguishable from that in the starting deflavinated protein. These diiron species closely resembled those reported for the flavinated FDP [Caranto et al. (2014) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 136, 7981–7992], and the time scales of their formation and decay were consistent with the steady state turnover of the flavinated protein. The remaining ∼40% of ferrous iron was inactive in N2O generation but reversibly bound NO to give an S = 3/2 {FeNO}7 species. The results demonstrate that N2O formation in FDPs can occur via conversion of S = 0 [{FeNO}7]2 to a diferric form without participation of the flavin cofactor.
Aqueous Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence of Self-Assembled Double-Walled Tubular J-Aggregates of Amphiphilic Cyanine Dyes

This study investigates superradiant organic dye J-aggregates as a potential new class of aqueous luminophores for electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL). Simultaneous cyclic voltammograms (CVs) and ECL transients are obtained from the self-assembled double-walled tubular J-aggregates formed from the amphiphilic cyanine dye 3,3′-bis(2-sulfopropyl)-5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′-dioctylbenzimidacarbocyanine (C8S3) immobilized on glassy carbon electrodes in the presence of the oxidative−reductive coreactant 2-(dibutylamino)ethanol (DBAE). ECL is produced by both the direct oxidation of DBAE at the electrode and the catalytic oxidation of DBAE by the C8S3 J-aggregates. Optimization studies of the DBAE concentration and pH of the electrolyte show the most intense ECL signal was obtained with ∼17 mM DBAE as coreactant (saturated solution in 1 M KNO3) at pH 12.85, an effect of DBAE solubility and pKa. The overlaid ECL spectrum and the fluorescence spectrum were in good agreement, confirming that the ECL emission ...
Effect of maternal smoking on weight and weight gain between pregnancies.

An investigation was undertaken of the relationship between weight and smoking in more than 6000 repeat pregnancies. It was found that the prepregnancy weight of white habitual nonsmokers was 3.4 pounds more than smokers and black nonsmokers weighed 4.1 pounds more than smokers. Nonsmokers also have higher pregnancy weights than smokers in the 1st 2nd and 3rd pregnancies followed. In addition nonsmokers gain an average of 1-2 pounds more weight between pregnancies. These findings remain valid after the effects of stature differences and differences in per capital income have been taken into account. It is probable that this additional weight is caused by fat.
STUDY ON SINGLE TERMINAL TRAVELLING WAVE FAULT LOCATION OF TRANSMISSION LINE

The main factors influencing single-terminal travelling wave fault location precision, including the generatrix structure, grounding resistance, T type line structure and fault position, are analyzed. The author points out that the most important features of travelling wave are its polarity and amplitude, and proposes a comprehensive method to judge travelling wave polarity in which current travelling wave polarity and voltage travelling wave polarity are considered. It is easy for this method to identify whether the travelling wave is reflect or refract travelling wave from the line itself or that from other lines, and comparing with other methods the reliability of the judgment can be greatly improved. It is also pointed out that the single terminal travelling wave fault location method is not suitable under certain line structure and fault conditions, besides there is dead zone in single terminal travelling wave fault location method. To implement reliable fault location by single terminal fault location method, it is necessary to conduct combined single terminal fault location in company with impedance method; when single terminal travelling wave fault location method is failed, the fault location result from impedance method must be used as the supplement of the former to make up the insufficient of both above-mentioned fault location methods and realize the accurate fault location.
Airborne multispectral identification of individual cotton plants using consumer-grade cameras

Although multispectral remote sensing using consumer-grade cameras has successfully identified fields of small cotton plants, improved detection sensitivity is needed to identify individual or small clusters of cotton plants that also can provide habitat for boll weevils. The imaging sensor of consumer-grade cameras is based on a Bayer pattern, which alternates red, green, and blue filters over individual sensor pixels. However, each pixel of the imaging sensor of consumer-grade cameras represents direct measurement of only one of the three spectral bands (red, green, and blue) and interpolation of the remaining two spectral bands. We present an analytical technique in which endmember sets were derived from bimodal histograms of each spectral band for cotton, other vegetation types and soil, and linear spectral unmixing was used to identify individual cotton plants. We achieved significant misclassification rates as low as 0.125 and 0.146 in frequently tilled plots for validation tests of remote sensing identification of volunteer okraleaf cotton plants and volunteer conventional cotton plants, respectively. Results of this study indicate that consumer-grade cameras can acquire multispectral images of sufficient quality to detect individual cotton plants at an early growth stage, which will aid boll weevil eradication programs in identifying and locating volunteer plants.
Potent μ-Opioid Receptor Agonists from Cyclic Peptides Tyr-c[d-Lys-Xxx-Tyr-Gly]: Synthesis, Biological, and Structural Evaluation

To optimize the structure of a μ-opioid receptor ligand, analogs H-Tyr-c[D-Lys-Xxx-Tyr-Gly] were synthesized and their biological activity was tested. The analog containing a Phe(3) was identified as not only exhibiting binding affinity 14-fold higher than the original hit but also producing agonist activity 3-fold more potent than morphine. NMR study suggested that a trans conformation at D-Lys(2)-Xxx(3) is crucial for these cyclic peptides to maintain high affinity, selectivity, and functional activity toward the μ-opioid receptor.
The human/robot interface.

NASA: The use of telerobotic technology in space exploration is examined. Early aspirations for anthropomorphic designs and advances in the field are reviewed. The application of human factors engineering to robotics design and the human-machine interface are examined. New strategies in design and automation are presented.
Generalizability of Document Features for Identifying Rationale

One of the challenges in using statistical machine learning for text mining is coming up with the right set of text features. We have developed a system that uses genetic algorithms (GAs) to evaluate candidate feature sets to classify sentences in a document. We have applied this tool to find design rationale (the reasons behind design decisions) in two different datasets to evaluate our approach for finding rationale and to see how features might differ for the same classification target in different types of data. We used Chrome bug reports and transcripts of design sessions. We found that we were able to get results with less overfitting by using a smaller set of features common to the set optimized for each document type.
Periprocedural management of acute variceal bleeding

Abstract Acute variceal hemorrhage is a life-threatening complication of cirrhosis and certain non-cirrhotic conditions. The incidence of esophagogastric varices ranges from 20%-80% among cirrhotic patients, establishing it as a well-known health concern. Management of variceal bleeding has advanced over the past 30 years but an overall mortality rate of 10%-20% remains. Patient death is often due to complications of hemodynamic instability, coagulopathy, infection, malnutrition, or subsequent rebleeding. Herein, we highlight the periprocedural management of variceal hemorrhage and its complications.
Reexamination of multi-component non-ideal polymer solution based on the general equation for nonequilibrium reversible-irreversible coupling

We reexamine nonequilibrium thermodynamics of multi-component fluids that undergo chemical reactions and reveal how to describe it in the context of GENERIC (general equation for the nonequilibrium reversible-irreversible coupling) framework. In the former part of this paper, we study monomer solutions. The independent variables are chosen so that the symmetry in the thermodynamic description of the mixed solution is kept, while avoiding the redundancy in the independent variables that describe the system. In the latter part of this paper, we apply this approach to polymer solutions. One of the species of the solution is the unreactive polymer chain represented by the bead-spring model. The polymer solution is neither dilute nor ideal. We construct the solution entropy so that the contributions from mixing and chain conformation are fully separated. The pressure tensor derived from such entropy with the help of the degeneracy requirement is slightly different from that derived previously for a dilute poly...
Primary care team- and clinic level factors affecting HPV vaccine uptake.

Abstract Objective This study examined patient-, care team- and clinic-level factors associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine initiation and completion. Methods HPV vaccine initiation and completion rates among adolescents aged 9–18 years were assessed using administrative data (n = 38,277) from a large federally qualified health center serving predominantly Latino patients. Four clinics with particularly high and low adolescent HPV vaccine uptake were selected for in-depth case study analyses. Semi-structured interviews with clinic leaders, providers, and support staff in these clinics (n = 36) examined multilevel factors perceived as affecting vaccine initiation and completion. Results On average, less than half (45%) of patients had initiated the HPV vaccine; of these, 52% of patients completed all recommended doses. Vaccine uptake varied significantly across clinics but was higher among patients seen by providers specializing in pediatrics. Qualitative findings confirmed the importance of provider communication strategies but indicated that other health care team structures and processes also play an important role in vaccine uptake. Care team members in higher performing clinics were more likely to describe vaccination as a team effort rather than solely the provider’s responsibility. Support staff in higher performing clinics also spent more time reviewing patient preventive care needs and preparing patients for the provider encounter. Clinic-level factors such as performance management systems and the use of immunization champions were described as important for developing an organizational climate supportive of vaccination. Tracking and reminder systems were described as important but insufficient for ensuring vaccine uptake in the absence of other supports. Conclusions Efforts to improve HPV initiation and completion could benefit from additional attention to factors at the health care team and clinic levels. Interventions that target factors at multiple levels of influence are most likely to achieve higher vaccination rates. Quality monitoring programs may influence clinic investment in improving vaccination rates.
Nondestructive determination of protein structural stability

The so called protein dynamical transition has long been associated with thermally activated excitations of the solvent adjacent to the polypeptide surface. Recently we reported the somewhat surprising result that the low temperature (<270K) terahertz absorption measurements of a series of red fluorescent protein showed an increase in the dynamical transition temperature with photobleaching, and that this increase correlated with an increase in the melting temperatures. Here we show that the frequency dependence of the absorption sharply changes with photobleaching, and this frequency dependence can be decomposed into a water vibrational part and protein vibrational part. While the temperature dependence of the water component remains unchanged with photobleaching, the protein component has a dramatic change in the temperature dependence, revealing that A) the THz absorbance can measure the protein dynamics in solution phase and B) the temperature dependence of the picosecond dynamics reflect the overall protein structural stability.
Determining the Speed of Sound and Heat Capacity Ratios of Gases by Acoustic Interferometry.

In this paper, we describe an experiment for the undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory in which students determine the speed of sound in the gases He, N2, CO2, and CF3CH2F. The experimental apparatus consists of a closed acrylic tube containing the gas under study. White audio noise is injected into one end of the tube, and the sound amplitude is recorded as a function of time at the other end. The data are recorded and Fourier transformed in real time with a spectrum analyzer application on an Apple iPad. The resulting frequency spectrum of the cavity standing waves is used to determine the speed of sound in the gas by least-squares fitting, with experimental values that fall within about 0.2% or less of the accepted values. The speed of sound is related to the heat capacity ratio in the ideal gas limit, providing students with quantitative evidence of the nonideality of the gases at ambient pressure and temperature. The experiment demonstrates the power and accuracy of interferometry and Fourier a...
Exploring the Effects of Foreground Removal Techniques and Instrumental Systematics on Observations of the 21 cm Neutral Hydrogen Signal

There is a substantial and growing interest in cosmology to study the 21 cm signal emitted or absorbed by large abundances of neutral hydrogen (HI) in the vast cosmic web of the universe. Â Such study has the potential to allow scientists to map the matter distribution of the universe over nearly its entire history. Â However, in order to unlock this rich potential, one must develop the ability to distinguish and remove large contaminating signals from ionized gas in the foregrounds of the 21 cm signal in addition to having high precision control of instrumental systematics. Â As such, we first understand and construct the associated ability to remove four common astrophysical foregrounds to 21 cm experiments. Â We then assess the degree to which three common instrumental systematics introduce systematic un-smoothing effects into the analysis of these astrophysical foregrounds. Â This study works within the framework of simulated Green Bank Telescope radio beam data.
Monoclonal Antibodies to Alphafetoprotein and Regulation of AFP Gene Expression

The modern era of tumor markers began with the discovery of alphafetoprotein (AFP) by Garri I. Abelev of the Soviet Union in 1963 (Abelev et al., 1963; Abelev, 1971). He found, by immunodiffusion, that a protein was present in fetal mouse sera and in sera from adult mice with hepatocellular carcinomas that was not detectable in normal adult mouse sera. This discovery rekindled an interest in products produced by tumors that could be useful for diagnosis. AFP has served as the prototype for a growing number of tumor markers, and has been studied extensively in animal models and in human disease. The results of previous studies have been reviewed in previous editions of this series (Sell, 1980, 1982). Important findings regarding the normal physiology and the pathologic associations for AFP are listed in Table 1, and will not be reviewed in detail here (see earlier reviews: Abelev, 1971; Ruoslahti et al., 1974; Abelev, 1975; Adinolfi et al., 1975; also Sell and Becker 1978; Sell, 1981; Sell et al., 1983).
Lessons from the Human Brain: Neuronal Activity Related to Cognition

Several special clinical settings provide opportunities for extracellular recording of neuronal activity in the human brain during measures of cognition. The limited experience with recordings obtained from human temporal and frontal cortex, medial temporal lobe, and subcortical structures in association with language, visuospatial processes, memory, learning, and music is reviewed here. The frequency of activity in a high proportion of neurons changes with a specific behavior. These neurons are widely distributed in both hemispheres. Relative inhibition of activity is prominent in cortical recordings made during language measures, particularly in the dominant hemisphere. Widespread excitation is prominent in recordings made during measures of recent explicit memory and learning. However, any individual neuron often has a narrow behavioral repertory, with activation to only one specific behavior in a range of behaviors. Some of the behaviors associated with consistent changes are not intuitively obvious. ...
Access control and query verification for untrusted databases

With the advent of Cloud Computing, data are increasingly being stored and processed by untrusted third-party servers on the Internet. Since the data owner lacks direct control over the hardware and the software running at the server, there is a need to ensure that the data are not read or modified by unauthorized entities. Even though a simple encryption of the data before transferring it to the server ensures that only authorized entities who have the private key can access the data, it has many drawbacks. Encryption alone does not ensure that the retrieved query results are trustworthy e.g., retrieved values are the latest values and not stale. A simple encryption can not enforce access control policies where each entity has access rights to only a certain part of the database. In this paper, we provide a solution to enforce access control policies while ensuring the trustworthiness of the data. Our solution ensures that a particular data item is read and modified by only those entities who have been authorized by the data owner to access that data item. It provides privacy against malicious entities that somehow get access to the data stored at the server. Our solutions allow easy change in access control policies under the lazy revocation model under which a user's access to a subset of the data can be revoked so that the user can not read any new values in that subset of the data. Our solution also provides correctness and completeness verification of query results in the presence of access control policies. We implement our solution in a prototype system built on top of Oracle with no modifications to the database internals. We also provide an empirical evaluation of the proposed solutions and establish their feasibility.
Network Resource Management for Cloud based Networked Control Systems via Adaptive Sampling

A recent advancement in computing technology, referred to as cloud computing, enables control systems to access computational and storage resources over communication networks. Motivated by the benefits of using the cloud, several research efforts are going on to incorporate cloud into the traditional control system. However, signals, including control actions, are transmitted over a communication link which is associated with bandwidth limitation that could cause delay, packet drops which ultimately affects the performance and stability of the underlying control system. In this paper, we propose a real-time network resource management strategy to manage network resources to overcome such drawbacks. The proposed fuzzy based algorithms are implemented in an experimental platform to demonstrate the effectiveness of maintaining the successful operation of the plant under limited network resources.
Prevalence of anaphylaxis among adults admitted to critical care for severe asthma exacerbation.

Background In asthmatics, making a diagnosis of anaphylaxis could be challenging as respiratory symptoms are a common feature of both conditions. Identifying anaphylaxis is important to providing appropriate care. A prior study showed that anaphylaxis is sometimes misdiagnosed as acute asthma in children. We sought to identify the percentage of adults admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with asthma exacerbations who met criteria for anaphylaxis. Methods Retrospective chart review of adults admitted with acute asthma to the ICU at Jacobi Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma centre in Bronx, New York. Study period was January 2012 to December 2014. Using the criteria outlined in the World Allergy Organization’s Anaphylaxis Guidelines, we identified patients who met criteria for anaphylaxis. Results 105 patients were identified: 17 were excluded because their main reason(s) for admission was not asthma. 7 (8%) of the 88 cases eligible for the study met diagnostic criteria for anaphylaxis while 3 (3.4%) were highly likely to have had anaphylaxis. The baseline characteristics of the seven patients were similar to that of the overall population studied. They however had shorter onset of symptoms (median (IQR): 3.5 (2–6) vs 24 hours (12–72), p Conclusion In this single-centre retrospective review, 3.4% of adults admitted to the ICU for acute severe asthma also met criteria for anaphylaxis.
Integration of Metallization Processes in Robust Interconnects Formation for 14 nm Nodes and beyond

In this communication the results of metallization processes integration to create robust Cu interconnects for advanced 14 nm and beyond nodes are presented. Conventional Dual Damascene Back End of the Line (BEOL) process flow to form 64 nm pitch on-chip Cu interconnects in low-k dielectric substrate was utilized. TaN barrier, Ta liner layers followed by Cu seed were formed by physical vapor deposition (PVD). Cu lines were fabricated by electrochemical plating (ECP) of Cu followed by Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP).
Food PackagingOpen image in new window

This chapter is in the newly named Aspects of Food Processing section of the text. The chapters covering food preservation and food additives components of the food processing section are discussed in Chaps. 16 and 17, respectively.
Effect of fabric on shear wave velocity in granular soils

The small-strain elastic shear wave velocity ($$V_S$$) is a basic mechanical property of soils and is an important parameter in geotechnical engineering. Recently, $$V_S$$ has been adopted as one of the indices for development of liquefaction charts. This implies that if a parameter affects $$V_S$$, it may also affect liquefaction resistance. Some of the parameters whose effects have been accounted for include relative density, stress state and geologic age. An important parameter that affects both liquefaction resistance and $$V_S$$ is fabric. Quantification of in situ fabric is still an open problem and hence, considerable judgement is needed in order to map laboratory test results to field conditions. In this paper, we conduct numerical simulations at the grain-scale to investigate the effect of fabric on $$V_S$$. We start by showing that two granular assemblies, with the same stress state and void ratio but different fabrics, can exhibit different trends in liquefaction behavior. Furthermore, via a numerical implementation of the bender element test, we obtain two distinct trends of $$V_S$$ anisotropy for the two granular assemblies. Finally, we consider three different fabric measures based on contact properties and explore correlations between $$V_S$$ anisotropy and fabric anisotropy. We also look at fabric tensors of the ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ network, respectively, of the granular assemblies. Our results suggest that for liquefiable soils, i.e., recent Holocene-age deposits with negligible cementation and with a stress history of seismic loading, a knowledge of $$V_S$$ anisotropy can give information about fabric anisotropy. A knowledge of in situ fabric could help in more accurately mapping laboratory test results to field conditions.
Design and Preliminary Testing of an Instrumented Exoskeleton for Walking Gait Measurement

This paper presents the design and preliminary testing of an instrumented exoskeleton system, which is targeted at collecting gait data of the human locomotion to support the controller development of lower-limb wearable robots. This compact and lightweight device features a unique two-degree-of-freedom joint to minimize the interference to the user movement and a simple yet effective adjustment mechanism to fit subjects at different heights. For the gait measurement, the device incorporates embedded joint goniometers to obtain the knee and ankle positions, and inertial measurement units to obtain three-dimensional kinematic information. Force-sensing resistors are also incorporated into the shoe insole for plantar pressure measurement. Sensor signals are routed to an onboard microcontroller system for data storage and transfer, and the system is fully self-contained with onboard battery to facilitate data collection in various environments. A prototype of the exoskeleton was fabricated, and preliminary testing was conducted on two healthy subjects in various postures and modes of movement (walking, sitting, standing, stair climbing, etc.). The evaluation of a temporal event detection test showed no more than 5.5% mean variation in the measure of step counts by the sensory system and video annotation. These results indicate that the exoskeleton can provide an accurate measurement of gait information, using measurements taken from external video recordings as the benchmark in this preliminary validation study.
Mechanoadaptive strain and functional osseointegration of dental implants in rats.

Spatiotemporal implant-bone biomechanics and mechanoadaptive strains in peri-implant tissue are poorly understood. Physical and chemical characteristics of an implant-bone complex (IBC) were correlated in three-dimensional space (along the length and around a dental implant) to gather insights into time related integration of the implant with the cortical portion of a jaw bone in a rat. Rats (N = 9) were divided into three experimental groups with three rats per time point; 3-, 11-, and 24-day. All rats were fed crumbled hard pellets mixed with water (soft-food diet) for the first 3 days followed by a hard-food diet with intact hard-food pellets (groups of 11- and 24-day only). Biomechanics of the IBCs harvested from rats at each time point was evaluated by performing mechanical testing in situ in tandem with X-ray imaging. The effect of physical association (contact area) of a loaded implant with adapting peri-implant tissue, and resulting strain within was mapped by using digital volume correlation (DVC) technique. The IBC stiffness at respective time points was correlated with mechanical strain in peri-implant tissue. Results illustrated that IBC stiffness at 11-day was lower than that observed at 3-day. However, at 24-day, IBC stiffness recovered to that which was observed at 3-day. Correlative microscopy and spectroscopy illustrated that the lower IBC stiffness was constituted by softer and less mineralized peri-implant tissue that contained varying expressions of osteoconductive elements. Lower IBC stiffness observed at 11-day was constituted by less mineralized peri-implant tissue with osteoconductive elements that included phosphorus (P) which was co-localized with higher expression of zinc (Zn), and lower expression of calcium (Ca). Higher IBC stiffness at 24-day was constituted by mineralized peri-implant tissue with higher expressions of osteoconductive elements including Ca and P, and lower expressions of Zn. These spatiotemporal correlative maps of peri-implant tissue architecture, heterogeneous distribution of mineral density, and elemental colocalization underscore mechanoadaptive physicochemical properties of peri-implant tissue that facilitate functional osseointegration of an implant. These results provided insights into 1) plausible "prescription" of mechanical loads as an osteoinductive "therapeutic dose" to encourage osteoconductive elements in the peri-implant tissue that would facilitate functional osseointegration of the implant; 2) a "critical temporal window" between 3 and 11 days, and perhaps it is this acute phase during which key candidate regenerative molecules can be harnessed to accelerate osseointegration of an implant under load.
Abstract A12: Presence of circulating tumor cells is an adverse risk factor for early-stage uveal melanoma

Introduction: Uveal melanoma (UM) is a rare melanoma; only 5% of cases at initial presentation have distant metastasis. As approximately 50% of patients will develop metastatic disease, there is a need to detect minimal residual disease (MRD). Liquid biopsy using circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has been evaluated in multiple tumors; high CTC count predicts for increased risk of metastasis. We conducted a pilot study to check feasibility of CTCs in UM and evaluate if CTCs vary with risk status in early-stage UM. Methods: We enrolled 40 UM patients ≥18 years, after obtaining informed consent in an IRB-approved protocol from 12/1/2014 to 2/1/2018. Peripheral blood was obtained to detect CTCs using CellSearch Circulating Melanoma Cell Assay. Demographic information, mutational analysis, date of diagnosis of primary UM or metastasis, and dates of CTC collection were collected. Risk stratification was done by gene expression profiling (GEP) by DecisionDX-UM assay. Landmark overall survival (OS) was calculated using “Landest” R package comparing CTC detected vs. not detected in early-stage UM. Results: 39 patients were available for analysis. Median age of whole cohort was 52 years (20-83 years), 100% were non-Hispanic Caucasians, and 44% were male and 56% female. 20 patients had early-stage vs. 19 patients had metastatic disease at enrollment. 87% (13/15) of early-stage disease had class II disease. GNAQ & GNA11 mutations were present in 36% (12/39) and 13% (5/29), respectively. At initial blood draw, 36% of the patients had detectable CTCs [30% (6/20) in early stage vs. 42% (8/19) in metastatic], which increased to 54% at median study follow-up of 16.4 months [40% (8/20) in early stage vs. 68% (13/19) in metastatic]. Mean CTCs were higher in metastatic (9) vs. early stage (1.83) (p>0.05). 5 patients in early-stage disease developed distant metastasis; 60% (3/5) had detectable CTCs before radiographic detection of metastasis. Out 5, 80% had class II disease and 20% had unknown GEP. Landmark overall survival (from study enrollment) at 24 months was statistically worse in CTC detected vs. not detected in early-stage UM (P Conclusion: CTCs are more frequently detected in metastatic compared to early-stage UM. In early-stage UM, presence of CTCs predicts for increased risk of metastatic disease and is associated with worse outcome. Citation Format: Jason Roszik, Dan Gombos, Joshua Upshaw, Vanessa Sarli, Salyna Meas, Anthony Lucci, Carolyn Hall, Sapna Patel, Kartik Anand. Presence of circulating tumor cells is an adverse risk factor for early-stage uveal melanoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Melanoma: From Biology to Target; 2019 Jan 15-18; Houston, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(19 Suppl):Abstract nr A12.
The Determinants and Informativeness of Non-GAAP Revenue Disclosures

Nearly all research on non-GAAP measures focuses on earnings or earnings per share. Disclosure of non-GAAP revenue has recently attracted SEC scrutiny because revenue, unlike earnings, is a top-line number related primarily to core (i.e., persistent) business activities so it is less clear what adjustments would provide a more useful measure of performance. We present the first archival analysis of non-GAAP revenues based on a large, hand-collected sample of disclosures from 2015-2018. Approximately one in five earnings announcements contains a non-GAAP revenue disclosure. Our evidence suggests that firms disclose non-GAAP revenue when GAAP revenue is incomparable with prior periods, and not to compensate for poor GAAP performance. Furthermore, non-GAAP revenue growth has information content for investors and predicts future revenue growth better than GAAP revenue growth. Overall, we provide evidence that, on average, non-GAAP revenue disclosures are motivated by economic fundamentals rather than opportunism and provide investors with relevant information.
Material decomposition with dual- and multi-energy computed tomography

Conventional computed tomography (CT) remains the workhorse of cross-sectional medical imaging. But dual- and multi-energy CT allows for more specific material decomposition, enabling distinct advantages in the clinical setting. In this review, we describe the basic principles behind material decomposition in dual- and multi-energy CT, outline the techniques used to acquire images, and explore how enhanced material decomposition leads to improved patient care. We also explore areas of active research and future directions, including photon-counting CT, that have the potential to revolutionize CT in clinical use.
Inference for Support Vector Regression under ℓ 1 Regularization

We provide large-sample distribution theory for support vector regression (SVR) with l1-norm along with error bars for the SVR regression coefficients. Although a classical Wald confidence interval obtains from our theory, its implementation inherently depends on the choice of a tuning parameter that scales the variance estimate and thus the width of the error bars. We address this shortcoming by further proposing an alternative large-sample inference method based on the inversion of a novel test statistic that displays competitive power properties and does not depend on the choice of a tuning parameter.
Mandibular muscle troponin of the Florida carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus: extending our insights into invertebrate Ca2+ regulation.

Ants use their mandibles for a variety of functions and behaviors. We investigated mandibular muscle structure and function from major workers of the Florida carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus: force-pCa relation and velocity of unloaded shortening of single, permeabilized fibres, primary sequences of troponin subunits (TnC, TnI and TnT) from a mandibular muscle cDNA library, and muscle fibre ultrastructure. From the mechanical measurements, we found Ca2+-sensitivity of isometric force was markedly shifted rightward compared with vertebrate striated muscle. From the troponin sequence results, we identified features that could explain the rightward shift of Ca2+-activation: the N-helix of TnC is effectively absent and three of the four EF-hands of TnC (sites I, II and III) do not adhere to canonical sequence rules for divalent cation binding; two alternatively spliced isoforms of TnI were identified with the alternatively spliced exon occurring in the region of the IT-arm α-helical coiled-coil, and the N-terminal extension of TnI may be involved in modulation of regulation, as in mammalian cardiac muscle; and TnT has a Glu-rich C-terminus. In addition, a structural homology model was built of C. floridanus troponin on the thin filament. From analysis of electron micrographs, we found thick filaments are almost as long as the 6.8 μm sarcomeres, have diameter of ~ 16 nm, and typical center-to-center spacing of ~ 46 nm. These results have implications for the mechanisms by which mandibular muscle fibres perform such a variety of functions, and how the structure of the troponin complex aids in these tasks.
Meeting Online Learners Where They Are: e-Learning during a time of pandemic

While adult and workplace training were quick to adopt the use of online learning, many of these efforts have not advanced far beyond taking presentation slides or video recordings from formerly in-person training and making them available on learning-management systems. Compared to formal education, adult and workplace training has been much slower to iterate and improve upon early digital and virtual educational methods, leaving online learning that is viewed as neither engaging for the end-user nor effective at achieving intended outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdown added urgency to this problem, with many organizations being forced to either improve upon existing virtual training methods or finally completely replace in-person training with online options. The Ohio State University?s Center on Education and Training for Employment used evidence-based practices to develop a training collection specifically aimed at trainers, learning designers, and learning and development professionals. Translating the latest e-learning research into practical solutions, making use of proven instructional strategies, center learning designers created online training materials that are well-positioned to be effective at engaging adult learners, simultaneously instructing learners and demonstrating the learning content being delivered.
Meta-Learning for Industrial System Monitoring via Multi-Objective Optimization

The complexity of data analysis systems utilizing machine learning for industrial processes necessitates going beyond model selection and learning over the entire system space. It posits learning over various algorithms considered for featurization and feature-based learning, the interplay of these algorithms, and the model space for each algorithm. This problem, often referred to as meta-learning, has not been addressed in industrial monitoring. In this paper, motivated by a real-world problem of quantifying actuations of an industrial robot, we address meta-learning. Our contribution generalizes beyond the specific application; we propose a Pareto-based, multi-objective optimization approach that can be easily generalized to system diagnostics. A detailed evaluation compares solutions of this approach and other existing approaches and shows them superior in distinguishing movements of a robot from recorded acoustic signals.