cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reconsidering complete search algorithms for protein backbone NMR assignment

Motivation: Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is widely used to determine and analyze protein structures. An essential step in NMR studies is determining the backbone resonance assignment, which maps individual atoms to experimentally measured resonance frequencies. Performing assignment is challenging owing to the noise and ambiguity in NMR spectra. Although automated procedures have been investigated, by-and-large they are still struggling to gain acceptance because of inherent limits in scalability and/or unacceptable levels of assignment error. To have confidence in the results, an algorithm should be complete, i.e. able to identify all solutions consistent with the data, including all arbitrary configurations of extra and missing peaks. The ensuing combinatorial explosion in the space of possible assignments has led to the perception that complete search is hopelessly inefficient and cannot scale to realistic datasets. Results: This paper presents a complete branch-contract-and-bound search algorithm for backbone resonance assignment. The algorithm controls the search space by hierarchically agglomerating partial assignments and employing statistically sound pruning criteria. It considers all solutions consistent with the data, and uniformly treats all combinations of extra and missing data. We demonstrate our approach on experimental data from five proteins ranging in size from 70 to 154 residues. The algorithm assigns >95% of the positions with >98% accuracy. We also present results on simulated data from 259 proteins from the RefDB database, ranging in size from 25 to 257 residues. The median computation time for these cases is 1 min, and the assignment accuracy is >99%. These results demonstrate that complete search not only has the advantage of guaranteeing fair treatment of all feasible solutions, but is efficient enough to be employed effectively inpractice. Availability: The MBA2 software package is made available under an open-source software license. The datasets featured in the Results section can also be obtained from the contact author. Contact: ovitek@stat.purdue.edu
Energy-balancing cooperative strategies for sensor deployment

This paper proposes power-aware coverage algorithms for mobile sensor networks. In order to balance the energy expenditure across the network and make nodes with high power compensate for those with low power, we propose two modified Lloyd-like algorithms. The first limits the velocity at which each node can travel, while the second incorporates a new definition of region of dominance depending on energy content. We introduce a power aware aggregate cost function and analyze the algorithms performance with regards to it. Various simulations illustrate this performance and compare both algorithms.
Intracardiac echocardiography-guided percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty

Percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty (PMBV) was initially described by Inoue in 1984 as a novel percutaneous technique for the management of mitral stenosis. Intracardiac echocardiography was initially used in the 1980s but was not universally accepted due to its high-frequency transducers and problems with steerability and manipulation. In the 1990s technical improvements led to more generalized use in various structural interventional procedures. We present the case of a successful PMBV guided exclusively by ICE.
Integrative Review of Effects on Children of Witnessing Domestic Violence

The purpose of this study was to conduct an integrative review of research studies concerning the effects on children of witnessing domestic violence. Databases were selected from MEDLINE, CINAHL, Health, and Psychlnfo. Inclusion criteria required primary research in refereed journals during the last two decades that focused on children who had witnessed domestic violence (n = 14 studies). A total of 912 children and their parents comprised the subjects of this review. General agreement existed in this literature that children from families with domestic violence tended to have more difficulties than children from nonviolent families. Multidisciplinary findings revealed that the effects of witnessing violence were serious, varied, and generally framed in emotional and behavioral manifestations. Implications of these effects for clinical nursing research are considerable and merit further study.
REGION, POVERTY, SIBSHIP, AND GENDER INEQUALITY IN MEXICAN EDUCATION Will Targeted Welfare Policy Make a Difference for Girls?

Why did gender inequality in secondary school access persist after Mexico made attendance compulsory in 1993? This research reveals an interaction between geography, poverty, and sibship structure in contributing to the underrepresentation of girls in Mexico's poorer southern states. Using regional and contextual information about enrollments and development, a multinomial logistic regression model is estimated. The results show that in addition to family and regional poverty, the position of girls within the sibship contributes to their remaining in or dropping out of school following the primary level and their likelihood of employment or domestic work as an alternative to schooling. The results have implications for Mexico's targeted approach to eliminating the effects of poverty on educational opportunity.
Linking smallholder land use and fire activity: examining biomass burning in the Brazilian Lower Amazon

Abstract Landscape forest flammability and regional biomass burning are critical environmental issues associated to fire use practices in the Brazilian Amazon. To better understand the gamut of these issues, all land use pathways that lead to fire use and culminate in different fire types must be investigated. An estimated 400,000 smallholders use fire in their land use practices, but most research has investigated connections between land use decisions and subsequent fire on large-scale cattle ranches only. This study presents research on smallholder fire use practices in the agricultural frontier south of Santarem, Para. Vegetation vulnerable to smallholder fires is largely secondary succession, while only ∼8% is logged or mature forest cover. Fire efficiency in smallholder fire use practices is slightly higher than in previous studies used to estimate regional biomass burning, averaging 46.7–57.5%. In slashed succession areas, average efficiency also increases as biomass fuel load increases, but range increases as well, suggesting that smallholders may have more control over efficiency outcome in younger slashed succession areas than older slashed succession, logged areas or mature forests.
Learning from Prose Text: Effects of Readability Level, Inserted Question Difficulty, and Individual Differences.

Studied immediate and 2-wk retention as a function of 3 levels of text readability and 2 levels of inserted postquestion difficulty. 28 undergraduates served as Ss. The inserted postquestion treatment was modified to permit review of text after question answering. A traditional control group was req
Free-space measurement of complex permittivity and complex permeability of magnetic materials at microwave frequencies

A free-space measurement system operating in the 8.2-40-GHz frequency range is used to measure the reflection and transmission coefficients, S/sub 11/ and S/sub 21/, of planar samples. The complex electric permittivity and the magnetic permeability are calculated from the measured values of S/sub 11/ and S/sub 21/. The measurement system consists of transmit and receive horn lens antennas, a network analyzer, mode transitions, and a computer. Diffraction effects at the edges of the sample are minimized by using spot-focusing lens antennas. Errors due to multiple reflections between antennas via the surface of the sample are corrected by using a free-space TRL (thru, reflect, line) calibration technique. For thin, flexible samples, the sample had to be sandwiched between two half-wavelength (at mid-band) quartz plates to eliminate sagging. Results are reported in the frequency range of 8.6-13.4 GHz for materials such as Teflon, sodium borosilicate glass, and microwave-absorbing materials. >
GPU-based simulation of spiking neural networks with real-time performance & high accuracy

A novel GPU-based simulation of spiking neural networks is implemented as a hybrid system using Parker-Sochacki numerical integration method with adaptive order. Full single-precision floating-point accuracy for all model variables is achieved. The implementation is validated with exact matching of all neuron potential traces from GPU-based simulation versus those of a reference CPU-based simulation. A network of 4096 Izhikevich neurons simulated on an NVIDIA GTX260 device achieves real-time performance with a speedup of 9 compared to simulation executed on Opteron 285, 2.6-GHz device.
Enhanced Risk Stratification With Noninvasive Measurement of Coronary Flow Reserve Using Positron Emission Tomography

Major progress has been made in the development and clinical application of dynamic imaging and tracer kinetic models to accurately measure absolute blood flow and coronary flow reserve (CFR) using quantitative positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).1–6 Assessing CFR provides significantly greater separation of low- and high-risk subsets of patients compared with conventional single photon emission tomography or PET, imaging in which only relative tracer uptake is evaluated after exercise or pharmacological stress. Certainly, the traditional semiquantitative techniques used for many years for conventional single photon emission tomography and PET MPI have provided valuable diagnostic and prognostic information, particularly when extensive focal defects are identified on poststress images, which normalize on resting studies. In addition, the annual cardiac death or infarction rate is reported to be quite low ( 1 coronary supply region. Another indication that multivessel or left main CAD may …
The Supreme Court's Treatment of Sovereigns as Amici Curiae

This article traces the history of current Supreme Court Rule 37.4, which exempts the federal government, state governments, and local governments from rules that otherwise require consent of the parties to file an amicus brief and that require disclosure of information regarding whether any person or entity other than the named amicus contributed financially or otherwise to the amicus brief. The article surveys the Supreme Court’s historical practices regarding amici filings by government entities, and locates the first rule of the Court addressing amicus filings, then traces the rule’s evolution forward to the current day. In particular, the article considers the treatment of both Indian Tribes and foreign nations as sovereign amici in the Supreme Court, and comments upon their exclusion from current Rule 37.4.
Distribution of fitness effects caused by random insertion mutations in Escherichia coli

Very little is known about the distribution of mutational effects on organismal fitness, despite the fundamental importance of this information for the study of evolution. This lack of information reflects the fact that it is generally difficult to quantify the dynamic effects of mutation and natural selection using only static distributions of allele frequencies. In this study, we took a direct approach to measuring the effects of mutations on fitness. We used transposon-mutagenesis to create 226 mutant clones of Escherichia coli. Each mutant clone carried a single random insertion of a derivative of Tn10. All 226 mutants were independently derived from the same progenitor clone, which was obtained from a population that had evolved in a constant laboratory environment for 10,000 generations. We then performed competition experiments to measure the effect of each mutation on fitness relative to a common competitor. At least 80% of the mutations had a significant negative effect on fitness, whereas none of the mutations had a significant positive effect. The mutations reduced fitness by about 3%, on average, but the distribution of fitness effects was highly skewed and had a long, flat tail. A compound distribution, which includes both gamma and uniform components, provided an excellent fit to the observed fitness values.
High-Fidelity Viscous Simulations of Airfoil Noise Radiation in Non-Uniform Unsteady Flow

The current work conducts high-accuracy 2D and 3D Navier-Stokes simulations of the unsteady interaction of upstream non-uniform flow with unloaded, symmetrical, stationary Joukowski airfoil in the transitional flow regimes with M=0.5 and Re= 10, 5x10 and 10. An Implicit Large Eddy Simulations (ILES) procedure employs a high order low-pass filter operator which selectively damps the poorly resolved high-frequency solution content to retain numerical accuracy and stability over a wide range of flow regimes. The upstream flow non-uniformity is modeled by means of an efficient analytical model introducing an unsteady, incompressible, time-harmonic 2D vortical flow perturbation (gust) inside the computational domain through a source term in the momentum equations. Unsteady aerodynamic and aeroacoustic airfoil responses are examined with focus on interaction of the airfoil leading and trailing edge noise radiation sources.
Can a community health worker and a trained traditional birth attendant work as a team to deliver child health interventions in rural Zambia

Teaming is an accepted approach in health care settings but rarely practiced at the community level in developing countries. Save the Children trained and deployed teams of volunteer community health workers (CHWs) and trained traditional birth attendants (TBAs) to provide essential newborn and curative care for children aged 0-59 months in rural Zambia. This paper assessed whether CHWs and trained TBAs can work as teams to deliver interventions and ensure a continuum of care for all children under-five, including newborns. We trained CHW-TBA teams in teaming concepts and assessed their level of teaming prospectively every six months for two years. The overall score was a function of both teamwork and taskwork. We also assessed personal, community and service factors likely to influence the level of teaming. We created forty-seven teams of predominantly younger, male CHWs and older, female trained TBAs. After two years of deployment, twenty-one teams scored ‘high’, twelve scored ‘low,’ and fourteen were inactive. Teamwork was high for mutual trust, team cohesion, comprehension of team goals and objectives, and communication, but not for decision making/planning. Taskwork was high for joint behavior change communication and outreach services with local health workers, but not for intra-team referral. Teams with members residing within one hour’s walking distance were more likely to score high. It is feasible for a CHW and a trained TBA to work as a team. This may be an approach to provide a continuum of care for children under-five including newborns.
Water Purification by Membranes: The Role of Polymer Science

Two of the greatest challenges facing the 21st century involve providing sustainable supplies of clean water and energy, two highly interrelated resources, at affordable costs. Membrane technology is expected to continue to dominate the water purifica- tion technologies owing to its energy efficiency. However, there is a need for improved membranes that have higher flux, are more selective, are less prone to various types of fouling, and are more resistant to the chemical environment, especially chlorine, of these processes. This article summarizes the nature of the global water problem and reviews the state of the art of membrane technology. Existing deficiencies of current membranes and the opportunities to resolve them with innovative polymer chemistry and physics are identified. Extensive background is provided to help the reader understand the fundamental issues involved. V C 2010 Wiley Periodi- cals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1685-1718, 2010
Constructing and Maintaining Appropriate Boundaries within Clinical Supervision Relationships

Abstract Considerable literature on the relationship between supervisor and supervisee has emerged in the last decade. Much of this literature, however, has examined the relationship that occurs be...
Book Review: Sungook Hong, Wireless: From Marconi's Black-Box to the Audion (2010)

In this 2010 paperback reprint of his 2001 book Wireless: From Marconi's Black-Box to the Audion, Sungook Hong pens a comprehensive history of wireless communication technologies, from the invention of wireless telegraphy in the mid-1890s to that of the audion, a device which opened a new era of radio broadcasting in 1906.
Improved Undrained Strength Interpolation Scheme for Rapid Drawdown

AbstractLinear interpolation between isotropically consolidated undrained strength envelopes and fully drained (effective stress) strength envelopes is commonly used to calculate undrained strengths for slope stability analyses of rapid drawdown. However, the current linear interpolation method presents numerical problems at low effective normal stresses with soils that possess an effective stress cohesion intercept. The resulting undrained shear strength envelopes are unrealistic at low normal stresses. An improved interpolation method has been developed that interpolates a single undrained strength envelope for the entire slip surface. The improved interpolation method produces identical results to the current method for cases where c′ equals zero.
Tumor suppressor role of microRNA-1296 in triple-negative breast cancer.

// Binh Phan 1 , Shahana Majid 2 , Sarah Ursu 1 , David de Semir 1 , Mehdi Nosrati 1 , Vladimir Bezrookove 1 , Mohammed Kashani-Sabet 1 and Altaf A. Dar 1 1 California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA 2 Department of Urology, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA Correspondence to: Altaf A. Dar, email: // Keywords : microRNA-1296, triple negative breast cancer, tumor suppressor, cyclin D1, apoptosis Received : October 19, 2015 Accepted : January 14, 2016 Published : January 20, 2016 Abstract Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis, which lacks effective targeted therapies. There is an urgent need to better understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of TNBC aggressiveness and identify novel, efficient targets for therapeutic intervention. Methods: miRNA qRT-PCR was used to determine the expression of miR-1296 in cell lines. The miR-1296 overexpression effects in TNBC cell lines were investigated using assays of colony formation, cell cycle and apoptosis. Immunoblotting was performed to determine the expression of the miR-1296 target protein, and luciferase assays were performed to confirm the target of miR-1296 action. Results: miR-1296 expression was significantly suppressed in TNBC cell lines and tissues samples. Overexpression of miR-1296 significantly suppressed cell proliferation of two TNBC cell lines when compared to control miRNA-expressing cells. A significant decrease in the S-phase of the cell cycle was observed following miR-1296 overexpression, accompanied by induction of apoptosis in TNBC cells. Cyclin D1 (CCND1) was identified as a target of miR-1296 action. miR-1296 overexpression significantly suppressed the luciferase activity of reporter plasmid containing the 3’UTR of CCND1 and protein expression levels of CCND1 in TNBC cells. The effects of miR-1296 overexpression on TNBC cell growth were reversed by CCND1 overexpression. miR-1296 expression sensitized TNBC cells to cisplatin treatment. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate a novel tumor suppressor role for miR-1296 in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines, identify CCND1 as its target of action, and demonstrate a potential role for miR-1296 in sensitizing breast cancer cells to cisplatin.
Maximizing the Life Cycle Primary Energy Savings of an Integrated Solar Absorption Cooling and Heating System for a Medium-Sized Office Building in Los Angeles, California

Buildings are responsible for 41% of the primary energy use in the United States. Due to the negative environmental impact from fossil fuel, people are trying to use renewable energy resources to provide energy to the buildings. Integrated solar absorption cooling and heating (SACH) technology can be one of the promising solutions to this issue. Due to the nature of solar energy, integrated SACH has many drawbacks, such as discontinuity of generation, thus backup system driven by fossil fuel should be included to the system configuration as well. Therefore, optimization is highly required during the design stage. This paper presents the development of a method to optimize an integrated SACH system. Regression analysis is used to identify the relationship between the life cycle primary energy savings (PES) and the system factors according to the data provided by experiments. In order to obtain an accurate model to estimate the problem using small number of experimental trials, the method of central composite design (CCD) from design of experiments (DE) is used as a key technique. The experimental trials are conducted in TRaNsient SYstems Simulation (TRNSYS). Finally, the optimization problem is formulated and solved by including the model as the objective function and the physical constraints of the system factors. A case study was conducted to apply this optimization method to the design of an integrated SACH system installed in a medium-sized office building in Los Angeles.© 2011 ASME
Analysis methods for performance & availability in critical care medicine

Operations of critical care departments in health systems are increasingly reliant on the availability of interoperable medical devices. Many large health care systems have fully transitioned in recent years to uniform electronic health record platforms, introducing the need for a computing infrastructure at each point of care. As demand on national health infrastructures increases, the management of finite resources such as capacity to treat in a ward requires thorough consideration. We produce a model for evaluating technology-reliant intensive care units (ICU) using the extensive Stochastic Reward Net formalisms. The technology-reliant model evaluates ICU performance in the context of reliance on fallible computer systems and medical devices. Technical enhancements to the model specification are discussed in relation to the problem context. The final structured model is contrasted to the currently employed queuing models, and solved using discrete event simulation. We then demonstrate the model's ability to quantify several planning decision trade-offs in capacity, the probability of meeting varying service demands, and estimating the utilization of medical devices. These results motivate continued development of the outlined approach, as well as discussion of the technical feasibility of SRN solution in relatively large systems of practical interest.
Mincrowave Digestion-Double Line AFS Simultaneous Determination of Arsenic and Mercury in Cosmetics

Objective To establish a method for the simultaneous determination of arsenic and mercury in cosmetics by atomic fluorescence spectrometry.Methods Microwave heating of sample digestion was applied to the simultaneous detection determination of arsenic and mercury in cosmetics samples.Results The limits of detection were 0.073ug/L for arsenic and 0.012ug/L for mercury.The linear ranges were 0~32 ug/L for arsenic with the correlation coefficient of 0.9999 and 0~3.2 ug/L for mercury with the correlation coefficient of 0.9996.The RSD for arsenic was 2.01%~1.28% and 3.27%~1.44% for mercury.The recoveries were 96.4% for arsenic and 94.9% for mercury.Conclusion The method had advantages of simple operation,fast determination,low limit of detection,high sensitivity as well as accurate results,and therefore was suitable for the simultaneous determination of arsenic and mercury in cosmetics samples.
The Framework of Population Balance

This chapter provides an overview of the framework of population balance. Continuous variables may be encountered more frequently in population balance analysis. They often arise as a natural solution to dealing with indefinite or variable discreteness. The choice of the particle state variables depends on the application; for example, chemical engineers concerned with the modeling of crystallizers are interested in predicting and controlling the size distribution of crystals in the product. The particles in this application are of course crystals, and the size of the crystal is the main particle state. The particle population may be regarded as being randomly distributed in the particle state space that includes both physical space and the space of internal coordinates. The continuous phase variables, which affect the behavior of each particle, may be collated into a finite c -dimensional vector field. In some applications, a continuous phase balance may not be necessary because interaction between the population and the continuous phase may not bring about any change in the continuous phase. In such cases, analysis of the population involves only the population balance equation.
Food Safety Engineering

Abstract This chapter provides a review of the current status of various novel intervention and detection technologies, and highlights the importance of applying engineering principles to solve food safety problems. As a result of the multidisciplinary nature of food safety engineering and space constraints of the chapter, the intervention technologies and detection methods discussed here should be considered as illustrative examples for food safety engineering and not necessarily a comprehensive review of the subject.
The Impact of Teachers’ Commenting Strategies on Children’s Vocabulary Growth

ABSTRACTWe examined the relations between teachers’ use of comments during book reading sessions in preschool classrooms and the vocabulary growth of children with low and moderately low language ability. Using data from a larger randomized controlled trial, we analyzed comments defined as utterances that give, explain, expand, or define. Comments were coded for strategies, which were distinguished by the amount of cognitive distancing required for understanding. Strategies were divided into three levels: low, medium, and high. Videos of whole-class book reading sessions conducted in the fall were transcribed and analyzed for 489 children attending the classrooms of 52 Head Start preschool teachers. Descriptive analyses revealed that teachers largely used medium-level strategies, but relatively small amounts of low- and high-level comments. Logistic regressions revealed relationships between curriculum condition and teachers’ use of instructional strategies, such that those assigned to the intervention cu...
Many challenges of conducting clinical trials in CJD

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is a fatal, rapidly progressive, neurodegenerative condition caused by prions that has an average survival time of 4–6 months. Unfortunately, clinical treatment trials in sCJD have not been successful including a recent study that evaluated doxycycline.1 In their JNNP paper, Varges et al 2 present data on a small randomised double-blind trial as well as an observational study examining the use of doxycycline in patients with sCJD. Compared with the doxycycline study conducted by Haik and colleagues, this most recent study examined the use of doxycycline in a relatively earlier stage of sCJD by …
Targeted Prostate Biopsy Using 68Gallium PSMA-PET/CT for Image Guidance

Prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) scanning is a sensitive method of prostate cancer detection. In a 71 y.o. man with a PSA of 49 (6%F), 4 negative MRI studies and 6 negative biopsies over an 8 year interval, a 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT scan showed a PSMA-avid spot in the prostate. Using image fusion technology, the lesion was target-biopsied and Gleason 3 + 4 = 7 (cancer core length of 12 mm) was identified. This case may herald a new application for PSMA scanning and prostate cancer imaging.
Emotion shapes the diffusion of moralized content in social networks

Political debate concerning moralized issues is increasingly common in online social networks. However, moral psychology has yet to incorporate the study of social networks to investigate processes by which some moral ideas spread more rapidly or broadly than others. Here, we show that the expression of moral emotion is key for the spread of moral and political ideas in online social networks, a process we call "moral contagion." Using a large sample of social media communications about three polarizing moral/political issues (n = 563,312), we observed that the presence of moral-emotional words in messages increased their diffusion by a factor of 20% for each additional word. Furthermore, we found that moral contagion was bounded by group membership; moral-emotional language increased diffusion more strongly within liberal and conservative networks, and less between them. Our results highlight the importance of emotion in the social transmission of moral ideas and also demonstrate the utility of social network methods for studying morality. These findings offer insights into how people are exposed to moral and political ideas through social networks, thus expanding models of social influence and group polarization as people become increasingly immersed in social media networks.
Peptide Composition of Stroke Causing Emboli Correlate with Serum Markers of Atherosclerosis and Inflammation.

Introduction: The specific protein composition of stroke-causing emboli is unknown. Because ischemic stroke has a varied etiology, it is possible that the composition of the thrombus from which an embolus originated will have distinctive molecular characteristics reflective of the underlying pathophysiology. We used mass spectrometry to evaluate the protein composition of retrieved emboli from patients with differing stroke etiologies and correlated the protein levels to serum predictors of atherosclerosis. Methods: Emboli from 20 consecutive acute stroke patients were retrieved by thrombectomy during routine stroke care. Thrombus proteins were extracted, digested and multidimentional fractionation of peptides was performed. Fractionated peptides underwent nano-liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Spectra were searched using Mascot software in which results with p<0.05 (95% confidence interval) were considered significant and indicating identity. The results were correlated to A1C, LDL, and ESR taken on admission. Results: 11 patients had atrial fibrillation, 4 had significant proximal vessel atherosclerosis, 2 were cryptogenic, and three had other identified stroke risk factors (left ventricular thrombus, dissection, endocarditis). Eighty-one common proteins (eg hemoglobin, fibrin, actin) were found in all 20 emboli. Serum LDL levels correlated with Septin-2 (rs=0.78, p=0.028), Phosphoglycerate Kinase 1 (rs =0.75, p=0.036), Integrin Alpha-M (rs=0.68, p=0.033) and Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (rs =0.63, p=0.05). Septin-7 levels inversely correlated to ESR (rs = -0.84, p=0.01). No significant protein correlations to A1C or tPA use were found. Conclusion: Our exploratory study presents mass spectrometry analysis of thrombi retrieved from acute stroke patients and correlates the thrombus proteome to clinical features of the patient. Notably, we found proteins associated with inflammation (eg Integrin Alpha–M) in emboli from patients with high LDL. Although these findings are tempered by a small sample size, we provide preliminary support for the feasibility of utilizing proteomic analysis of emboli to discover proteins that may be used as markers for stroke etiology.
Cytoskeletal Networks and Osmotic Pressure in Relation to Cell Structure and Motility

The motility of many cell types proceeds sporadically, by a sequence of propulsive and contractile movements. These movements appear to be controlled by proteins acting upon the actin cytoskeletal network which induce gel-sol transformations in specific regions of the cytoplasm. However, the forces that actually drive these cytoplasmic motions remain obscure; indeed there may be several force generating systems which dominate different types of motile events. For example, directed locomotion may involve the same direct mechanochemical coupling as occurs within muscles, in conjunction with other forces such as membrane bending, gel swelling and elasticity, or osmotic and hydrostatic pressures. In this chapter we will review the elastic properties of cytoskeletal protein networks. It is these networks that provide elastic resistance to cell deformation, and whose rearrangement may allow directed motion in response to externally or internally generated forces.
Bayesian inference using spintronic technology: A proposal for an MRAM-based stochastic logic gate

Bayesian inference forms the basis for many models of human cognition as well as in the development of autonomous systems that must rapidly make decisions based upon ambiguous or incomplete sensory data. Recent research has shown that a simple Muller C-element can implement Bayes' rule directly using stochastic computation. In this work, the design of a stochastic Muller C-element that uses spin-based magnetic tunnel junction devices is described. These nanodevices allow the compact implementation of the memory buffers, which are required to reshuffle the output bitstream in order to minimize the problem of autocorrelation inherent to the Muller C gate. A simple rotating buffer is shown to be effective in mitigating the impact of autocorrelation when used with a multi-input C element. Improved area efficiency is expected compared to previous designs as the control signals for the memory buffer can be shared across several C-elements. Circuit simulations and numerical analyses are presented to demonstrate the operation of this gate.
The Simulation and Analysis of Quantum Radar Cross Section for Three-Dimensional Convex Targets

Quantum radar offers the prospect of detecting, identifying, and resolving RF stealth platforms and weapons systems, but the corresponding quantum radar cross section (QRCS) simulation is restricted—almost all existing methods can only be used for the two-dimensional (2-D) targets, not the 3-D targets even for convex targets. We propose a novel method that can deal with the calculation of the orthogonal projected area ( $A_{\perp}$ ) of the target in each incidence, which is the key part of QRCS simulation for the arbitrary 3-D convex target. To the best of our knowledge, this has not been reported before. In this paper, we introduce a three-step computation process of ( $A_{\perp}$ ), and verified the method for typical 2-D targets. Finally, we show some results for typical 3-D convex targets and compared the QRCS with classical radar cross section (CRCS). Meanwhile, we analyze the superposition of quantum effect of side lobes for 3-D convex targets. The proposed method provides a key improvement for realizing the universalization and utilization of QRCS calculation.
Estuarine sediments: successional model

Estuarine sediments are discussed with emphasis given to the sulfur cycle. Human activities alter estuarine sediments and adverse impacts can result. Toxic levels of free sulfide can build up within estuarine sediments and hydrogen sulfide can be released to the atmosphere. A conceptual model is presented that can serve as a practical basis for monitoring estuarine sediments and interpreting results. Methods for classifying estuarine sediments with a minimal amount of field effort are discussed. The model and methods presented allows description of changes in sediment characteristics in response to different natural and human imposed conditions. Experimental results are presented and discussed.
The concurrence of granulomatous inflammation in intrathoracic lymph nodes with regional metastasis from primary lung cancer in surgically resected specimens.

Introduction: Granulomatous inflammation has been associated with malignancies such as breast, testicular, renal cell, and lymphoma. The coexistence of granulomatous inflammation in mediastinal/hilar lymph node with primary lung malignancy has been described in case reports. Our goal was to examine the frequency of granulomatous reaction in mediastinal/hilar lymph node in the patients who had undergone surgical resection of lung cancer. Material and methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 40 patients (1) aged ≥ 18 years and (2) who underwent lobectomy or pneumonectomy from August 1, 2012 to October 31, 2016 at Saint Louis University Hospital and (3) had pathology suggestive of cancer. Results: Of those 40 patients, 3 (7.5%) had granulomatous inflammation in the lymph nodes. None of these 3 individuals had evidence of metastasis in the particular lymph nodes with granulomatous inflammation. Conclusion: Our small cohort revealed that the presence of granulomatous inflammation in a lymph node can be safely taken as an evidence of the absence of metastasis to the lymph node. This finding can obviate the need for further sampling for the particular lymph node with granulomatous inflammation and can decrease the sampling time.
Endograft Exclusion of the False Lumen Restores Local Hemodynamics in a Model of Type B Aortic Dissection

Abstract Objective Endovascular intervention in uncomplicated type B dissection has not been shown conclusively to confer benefit on patients. The hemodynamic effect of primary entry tear coverage is not known. Endovascular stent grafts were deployed in a model of aortic dissection with multiple fenestrations to study these effects. It is hypothesized that endograft deployment will lead to restoration of parabolic true lumen flow as well as elimination of false lumen flow and transluminal jets and vortices locally while maintaining distal false lumen canalization. Methods Thoracic stent grafts were placed in silicone models of aortic dissection with a compliant and mobile intimal flap and installed in a flow loop. Pulsatile fluid flow was established with a custom positive displacement pump, and the models were imaged by four-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging. Full flow fields were acquired in the models, and velocities were extracted to calculate flow rates, reverse flow indices, and oscillatory shear index, the last two of which are measures of stagnant and disturbed flows. Results Complete obliteration of the false lumen was achieved in grafted aorta, with normal parabolic flow profiles in the true lumen (maximal velocity, 30.4 ± 8.4 cm/s). A blind false lumen pouch was created distal to this with low-velocity (5.8 ± 2.7 cm/s) and highly reversed (27.9% ± 13.9% reverse flow index) flows. In distal free false lumen segments, flows were comparable to ungrafted conditions with maximal velocities on the order of 7.0 ± 2.1 cm/s. Visualization studies revealed forward flow in these regions with left-handed vortices from true to false lumen. Shear calculations in free false lumen regions demonstrated reduced oscillatory shear index. Conclusions Per the initial hypothesis, endovascular grafting improved true lumen hemodynamics in the grafted region. Just distally, a prothrombotic flow regimen was noted in the false lumen, yet free false lumen distal to this remained canalized. Clinically, this suggests a need for advancing endovascular intervention beyond sole entry tear coverage to prevent further false lumen canalization through uncovered fenestrations.
The Role of Recreational Media Use in Youth Socialization: Extending the Citizen Communication Mediation Model

By analyzing data from a national panel survey of adolescents (age 12-17) conducted around the 2008 general election, this study explores the varied roles of television, online gaming, the Internet, and interpersonal communication in youth socialization. In particular, this study proposes and tests an advanced citizen communication mediation model by adding recreational media use, soap opera viewing and playing (social) online game. The conceptualized model of this study is composed of a set of media use types such as informational and recreational media use, interpersonal communication on social issues offline and online. The findings of this study indicate that informational media use such as television news and online news consumption as well as interpersonal communication regarding social issues play a crucial role in youth socialization. In addition, this study found mixed roles by use of recreational media in the outcome, through interpersonal communication activities both offline and online.
The social meaning of financial wealth: Relational accounting in the context of 401(k) retirement accounts

Behavioral economics has become a dominant set of theories in explaining economic behavior, yet such behavior remains under the limited purview of psychological, cognitive, or neural approaches. This article draws on and extends Viviana Zelizer’s social meaning of money framework in conjunction with new work in ‘relational accounting’ to suggest a sociological counterpoint, focusing in particular on the social and symbolic meaning attached to individual 401(k) retirement accounts. Following a market downturn, neoclassical and behavioral economics predict various types of behavioral responses, in particular loss aversion – where investors seek to increase risk-taking rather than locking in a sure loss (a loss is more painful to bear than an equivalent gain). A sociological theory that understands the shared meaning of retirement saving would predict something different, a behavior I call durable conservatism. In this article, I show how this concept better explains observed risk behavior in Americans’ 401(k) accounts following the 2002 and 2008 bear markets in stocks, and how that response differed from the behavior documented in non-retirement brokerage accounts.
Multi-Voltage Domain Power Distribution Network for Optimized Ultra-Low Voltage Clock Delivery

In this paper, the co-design of the clock and power delivery networks is proposed for ultra-low power IoT applications operating in sub-threshold. A distributed, multi-voltage domain and hierarchical power distribution network is proposed to deliver current to the clock buffers, registers, and combinational circuits in local clock distribution networks. The variation of the clock skew, setup time, hold time, and clock-to-q delay are analyzed under process and supply voltage variation. The effect on timing due to supply and process variation is analyzed for a target operating voltage and frequency of, respectively, 250 mV and 2 MHz in a 130 nm CMOS technology. The minimum clock period, skew, and insertion delay are reduced to, respectively, 0.74×, 0.52×, and 0.79× when optimized sub-threshold buffers are implemented, as compared and normalized to a clock network that includes non-optimized buffers. In addition, the co-designed clock and power networks were resilient to as much as 10% variation in the supply voltage when the proposed multi-voltage domain and distributed power distribution network is used with the optimized clock buffers.
Isolation and Structure of an Antibody that Fully Neutralizes Isolate SIVmac239 Reveals Functional Similarity of SIV and HIV Glycan Shields

Summary HIV- and SIV-envelope (Env) trimers are both extensively glycosylated, and antibodies identified to date have been unable to fully neutralize SIVmac239. Here, we report the isolation, structure, and glycan interactions of antibody ITS90.03, a monoclonal antibody that completely neutralized the highly neutralization-resistant isolate, SIVmac239. The co-crystal structure of a fully glycosylated SIVmac239-gp120 core in complex with rhesus CD4 and the antigen-binding fragment of ITS90.03 at 2.5-A resolution revealed that ITS90 recognized an epitope comprised of 45% glycan. SIV-gp120 core, rhesus CD4, and their complex could each be aligned structurally to their human counterparts. The structure revealed that glycans masked most of the SIV Env protein surface, with ITS90 targeting a glycan hole, which is occupied in ∼83% of SIV strains by glycan N238. Overall, the SIV glycan shield appears to functionally resemble its HIV counterpart in coverage of spike, shielding from antibody, and modulation of receptor accessibility.
Between Dog and Wolf: A Continuous Transition from Fuzzy to Probabilistic Estimates

Often, we use original expert estimates to compute estimates of related quantities. In many practical situations, it is desirable to know how accurate is the resulting estimate. There are many techniques for computing this accuracy: we can use simple probabilistic ideas and we can use simple fuzzy ideas. Strangely enough, these two reasonable techniques lead to drastically different results. Which of them is correct? Our practical tests show that none of these two methods is perfect: probabilistic approach usually underestimates uncertainty, while the fuzzy approach overestimates it. This looks similar to many cases that motivated Zadeh to promote the idea of soft computing – a combination of different uncertainty techniques. To get a more adequate combination technique, we analyzed the general problem of combining accuracy estimates and came up with a 1-parametric family of techniques that contains probabilistic and fuzzy as particular cases – and that indeed works better on several practical examples that each of the original two techniques.
The Centrality of Processes in IT-Enabled Decisions

We use detailed data from individuals in multiple organizations to examine the role of information systems (IS) use for decision support, formal processes and social interactions on individual decision making. We found, contrary to our expectations, that the extent of IS use for decision making alone did not significantly influence individual decision making efficacy. However, the extent to which a decision process is defined and operationalized has a significant positive effect on decision making efficacy. In addition, social interactions also influence decision making positively. The joint effect of decision process and social interactions offers a clue to how decision support systems (DSS) can be designed and operationalized. These results not only extend our theoretical understanding of the role of DSSs, they offer insights on how structural improvements can be made to leverage decision making capabilities of individuals in organizations.
Challenges to Advancing Evidence-Based Management in Organizations: Lessons From Moneyball:

Moneyball, the popular film adaptation of Michael Lewis’s book on baseball, provides an engaging vehicle for teaching evidence-based management and decision-making bias, two topics that students wi...