cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improvement in diastolic intraventricular pressure gradients in patients with HOCM after ethanol septal reduction

We sought to validate measurement of intraventricular pressure gradients (IVPG) and analyze their change in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) after ethanol septal reduction (ESR). Quantitative analysis of color M-mode Doppler (CMM) images may be used to estimate diastolic IVPG noninvasively. Noninvasive IVPG measurement was validated in 10 patients undergoing surgical myectomy. Echocardiograms were then analyzed in 19 patients at baseline and after ESR. Pulsed Doppler data through the mitral valve and pulmonary venous flow were obtained. CMM was used to obtain the flow propagation velocity (Vp) and to calculate IVPG off-line. Left atrial pressure was estimated with the use of previously validated Doppler equations. Data were compared before and after ESR. CMM-derived IVPG correlated well with invasive measurements obtained before and after surgical myectomy [r = 0.8, P < 0.01, Delta(CMM - invasive IVPG) = 0.09 +/- 0.45 mmHg]. ESR resulted in a decrease of resting LVOT systolic gradient from 62 +/- 10 to 29 +/- 5 mmHg (P < 0.001). There was a significant increase in the Vp and IVPG (from 48 +/- 5to 74 +/- 7 cm/s and from 1.5 +/- 0.2 to 2.6 +/- 0.3 mmHg, respectively, P < 0.001 for both). Estimated left atrial pressure decreased from 16.2 +/- 1.1 to 11.5 +/- 0.9 mmHg (P < 0.001). The increase in IVPG correlated with the reduction in the LVOT gradient (r = 0.6, P < 0.01). Reduction of LVOT obstruction after ESR is associated with an improvement in diastolic suction force. Noninvasive measurements of IVPG may be used as an indicator of diastolic function improvement in HOCM.
Cerebellar lesions in tuberous sclerosis complex: neurobehavioral and neuroimaging correlates.

We assessed the structural and functional imaging features of cerebellar lesions and their neurobehavioral correlates in a large cohort of patients with tuberous sclerosis complex. A consecutive series of 78 patients with tuberous sclerosis complex underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) studies with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and α-[11C]methyl-L-tryptophan (AMT) as part of their evaluation for epilepsy surgery. Neurobehavioral assessment included the Gilliam Autism Rating Scales (GARS) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS). Twenty-one patients (27%) had cerebellar lesions (10 boys; mean age 9 ± 8 years; 9 had right-sided, 10 had left-sided, and 2 had bilateral cerebellar lesions). The lesions showed decreased glucose metabolism (0.79 ± 0.10) and increased (1.04 ± 0.10) AMT uptake compared with the normal (nonlesional) cerebellar cortex. Comparisons between patients with (n = 20) and without (n = 57) a cerebellar lesion on neurobehavioral functioning...
Cell Contents, Secretory Structures

When mentioning occurrence of crystals in woods of dicotyledons, wood anatomists usually specify degree of abundance, crystal shapes and sizes, and organo-graphic distribution. By “organographic distribution,” one means whether crystals are present in rays, axial parenchyma, or imperforate tracheary elements, whether they are in all cells or only part of them in any of those tissues, and whether crystals are equally distributed in all parts of a plant and whether crystals are equally distributed throughout a growth ring. Wood samples are often not adequate to provide all of the data one would ideally like in this respect.
Attraction domain estimates combining lyapunov functions

This article tackles the problem of estimating the domain of attraction of a Lur'e system, that is the feedback interconnection of a linear time-invariant system with a memoryless static operator. When the dimension of the system is large, numerical approaches based on simulations become prohibitive from a computational point of view. On the other hand, classical analytical techniques based on Lyapunov functions provide conservative estimates because they usually consider quadratic Lyapunov functions. Another limit is given by the fact that they deal with contractively invariant sets, which are sets where the derivative of the Lyapunov function along the trajectories is negative. Methods to reduce their conservativeness are still a challenging subject of research and desirable for many practical applications. In this paper, we try to combine the information given by more Lyapunov functions together in order to enlarge the estimate of the domain of attraction. The novelty of our approach lies in the fact that the sets we are considering are invariant but not necessarily contractively invariant. We assume that an estimate of the attraction domain is already known. In order to show that a set is part of the attraction domain, it is sufficient to prove that all the trajectories starting from it reach the current estimate in a finite time. This concept provides a method to iteratively improve the attraction domain estimate using different Lyapunov functions without limiting the analysis to contractively invariant sets. After developing a general theory, we only resort to the use of quadratic Lyapunov functions because of the computational appeal given by LMI solvers.
Community Service and Adolescents' Social Capital

In two studies of 5th–12th graders (n = 2,371; n = 999), we compare four groups based on engagement patterns in community service (CS) and/or extracurricular activities (EC). In both studies, adolescents who engaged in BOTH CS (whether mandated or voluntary) and EC had the highest reports of bonding and bridging social capital, intergenerational harmony, and social support whereas those who did NEITHER had the lowest. For most outcomes, adolescents engaged only in CS had higher reports than peers engaged only in EC. Content analyses of what adolescents learned in CS suggest its potential for broadening their awareness of fellow members of their communities, their mutual obligations, and collective capacities.
Metamorphic worm that carries its own morphing engine

Metamorphic malware changes its internal structure across generations, but its functionality remains unchanged. Well-designed metamorphic malware will evade signature detection. Recent research has revealed techniques based on hidden Markov models (HMMs) for detecting many types of metamorphic malware, as well as techniques for evading such detection. A worm is a type of malware that actively spreads across a network to other host systems. In this project we design and implement a prototype metamorphic worm that carries its own morphing engine. This is challenging, since the morphing engine itself must be morphed across replications, which imposes restrictions on the structure of the worm. Our design employs previously developed techniques to evade detection. We provide test results to confirm that this worm effectively evades signature and HMM-based detection, and we consider possible detection strategies. This worm provides a concrete example that should prove useful for additional metamorphic detection research.
Properties of β-thioglucoside hydrolases (TGG1 and TGG2) from leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Abstract Myrosinases (β-thioglucoside glucohydrolase, TGG; EC 3.2.1.147) catalyze the hydrolysis of glucosinolates, a structurally distinct group of nitrogen- and sulfur-containing secondary metabolites, to give a chemically unstable intermediate, glucose and sulfate. This catalysis initiates a chemical defense in crucifer plants as a response to the tissue-damaging activities of herbivores and pathogens. To characterize the individual and collective biochemical properties of the myrosinase enzymes found in the aerial tissues of Arabidopsis thaliana , we purified TGG1 and TGG2, which share 73% amino acid identity, individually from T-DNA insertion lines of Arabidopsis using lectin affinity and anion exchange chromatography. Electrophoresis under denaturing conditions and the mobility of nondenatured TGG1 and TGG2 protein on gel filtration chromatography indicated that the native proteins exist as dimers of 150 and 126 kDa, respectively. Despite their relatively similar kinetic parameters, both enzymes had distinct physicochemical properties such as extractability in low ionic strength buffer and electrophoretic mobility following deglycosylation treatment. Deglycosylation under nondenaturing conditions had limited effects on TGG1 and no effect on TGG2 activity. Both enzymes functioned across a broad range of temperatures (up to 60 °C) and pH values (5–10). These results demonstrate that myrosinases have the ability to function in environments like the digestive tract of insect herbivores that are significantly different from the environment in a damaged plant.
A knowledge-based scoring function for protein-RNA interactions derived from a statistical mechanics-based iterative method

Protein-RNA interactions play important roles in many biological processes. Given the high cost and technique difficulties in experimental methods, computationally predicting the binding complexes from individual protein and RNA structures is pressingly needed, in which a reliable scoring function is one of the critical components. Here, we have developed a knowledge-based scoring function, referred to as ITScore-PR, for protein-RNA binding mode prediction by using a statistical mechanics-based iterative method. The pairwise distance-dependent atomic interaction potentials of ITScore-PR were derived from experimentally determined protein–RNA complex structures. For validation, we have compared ITScore-PR with 10 other scoring methods on four diverse test sets. For bound docking, ITScore-PR achieved a success rate of up to 86% if the top prediction was considered and up to 94% if the top 10 predictions were considered, respectively. For truly unbound docking, the respective success rates of ITScore-PR were up to 24 and 46%. ITScore-PR can be used stand-alone or easily implemented in other docking programs for protein–RNA recognition.
A confidence-driven model for error-resilient computing

We propose an adaptive reliability enhancement structure for deeply-scaled CMOS and future devices that exhibit nondeterministic behavior. This structure forms the basis of a confidence-driven computing model that can be implemented in either a rollback recovery or an iterative dual modular redundancy method incorporating synchronous handshake schemes. The performance and cost of the computing model are estimated using a 45 nm CMOS technology and the functionality is verified by FPGA-based emulation. The confidence-driven computing model is demonstrated using a 16-bit, 12-stage CORDIC processor operating under random, transient errors. The confidence-driven computing model adapts to the fluctuating error rates at the device substrate level to guarantee the reliability of computation at the system level. This computing model costs 4.2 times smaller area and 2.7 times less energy overhead than triple modular redundancy to guarantee a system-level mean time to failure of two years.
Asaia bogorensis peritonitis identified by 16S ribosomal RNA sequence analysis in a patient receiving peritoneal dialysis

Here the authors report a case of refractory peritonitis leading to multiple hospitalizations and the loss of peritoneal dialysis access in a patient on automated peritoneal dialysis, caused by Asaia bogorensis, a bacterium not previously described as a human pathogen. This organism was identified by sequence analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Unusual microbial agents may cause peritonitis, and molecular microbiological techniques are important tools for identifying these agents.
Software Patents: Good News or Bad News?

Although measures and definitions of “software patents” vary, virtually all analyses (including data presented here) agree that patenting in this field has grown since the early 1980s. Controversy over the validity and economic consequences of software patents also has grown during this period. Software patents have been criticized for their poor quality, their chilling effects on innovation, and the reduction in R&D spending in the software industry. In this chapter, we review some of these controversies, emphasizing the paucity of strong evidence to support any of these contentions. Evidence also is lacking, however, in support of the argument that patents are essential to innovation and technological progress in computer software, a technological field in which innovation proceeded apace for at least thirty years before patenting began to grow rapidly. Indeed, it is difficult to understand the causes of recent growth in software patenting without a brief historical review of the development of the U.S. software industry and (of no less importance) the development of judicial decisions on the validity and coverage of patents and other legal devices for protecting software-related intellectual property. Nevertheless, the growth of software patenting highlights the difficulties faced by the U.S. patent system in dealing with new areas of patenting, especially when increased patenting flows as much from change in the legal strength of patents or industry structure as from the development of a new field of technology.
New Technology for High‐Speed and High‐Resolution Optical Coherence Tomographya

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an optical imaging technique that is capable of performing micron-scale, cross-sectional imaging of internal microstructure in biological systems. OCT is analogous to ultrasound B mode imaging except that it uses light rather than sound and performs imaging by measuring the back-scattered intensity of light from structures in tissue. We describe recent advances in OCT technology including the application of short pulse solid state lasers based on Ti: Al2O3 and Cr: Mg2SiO4 to enable high-resolution, high-speed imaging as well as the development of OCT catheter/endoscope delivery to permit imaging of internal organ systems. OCT enables the nonexcisional, in situ, real-time imaging of tissue microstructure and is thus a powerful and promising technique for optical biopsy.
Quaternary displacement on faults within the Kentucky River fault system of east-central Kentucky

The Kentucky River fault system (KRFS) is the north-bounding fault system of the Rome Trough (a Paleozoic aulacogen) in east-central Kentucky. Recurrent Paleozoic movement of the fault system has been documented by previous workers, but recognition of Mesozoic and lower Tertiary displacement has not been possible due to the absence of preserved post-Paleozoic stratigraphy. Numerous faults of the KRFS are partially overlain by Pliocene-Pleistocene terrace sediments along the Kentucky River. Preliminary drilling and electrical-resistivity surveys suggest that a number of the faults have been active since the deposition of the terraces. From these preliminary surveys, nine trenches were excavated at four sites. Of these nine trenches, four revealed faulted and/or folded terrace sediments. One trench, excavated across a N40°W-trending fault in southern Clark County, revealed a reverse fault which displaced the Paleozoic bedrock and the overlying terrace sediments by 0.7 m. A second trench across this fault revealed a monoclinal flexure, clay dikes, an asymmetric anticline, and a thrust fault which offset a soil ped interface. A third trench was excavated across a N60°E-trending fault in northern Madison County, exposing folded and faulted Lexington Limestone, overlain by terrace alluvium and colluvium. A line of charcoal fragments, a line of barite nodules, and an underlying clay horizon in the alluvial-colluvial section appear to have been locally folded with the underlying bedrock. Nearby, a fourth trench was excavated across another N60°E-trending fault, revealing terrace folding and faulting with 1.1 m of apparent reverse separation. Comparison of the nine trenches suggests that the folding and faulting of the terrace deposits is tectonic in origin and that the KRFS has been active within the past 5 m.y. and probably within the past 1 m.y.
CW microwave amplification from circuit-stabilized epitaxial GaAs transferred electron devices

Stable c.w. reflection-type amplification at C- X-band frequencies has been obtained from circuit-stabilized GaAs transferred electron devices biased as high as three times threshold. An instantaneous fractional bandwidth exceeding 50% and a small-signal linear gain near 10 dB have been realized with a single device for center frequencies from 5.0 to 9.0 GHz. A -1-dB-gain compression-power output typically above 100 mW and a total saturated power output near 1 W have been measured. A narrow-band doubly tuned amplifier response with a linear gain of 40 dB has also been measured. With a noise figure of 15 dB, these amplifiers have a dynamic range in excess of 90 dB. Highly nonlinear effects have been observed for large-signal narrow-band operation. Both gain and hysteresis effects have been observed. Large-signal effects of bias, frequency, and power level on amplifier performance have been measured.
The spatial arrangement of chromosomes during prometaphase facilitates spindle assembly

Error-free chromosome segregation requires stable attachment of sister kinetochores to the opposite spindle poles (amphitelic attachment). Exactly how amphitelic attachments are achieved during spindle assembly remains elusive. We employed photoactivatable GFP and high-resolution live-cell confocal microscopy to visualize complete 3D movements of individual kinetochores throughout mitosis in nontransformed human cells. Combined with electron microscopy, molecular perturbations, and immunofluorescence analyses, this approach reveals unexpected details of chromosome behavior. Our data demonstrate that unstable lateral interactions between kinetochores and microtubules dominate during early prometaphase. These transient interactions lead to the reproducible arrangement of chromosomes in an equatorial ring on the surface of the nascent spindle. A computational model predicts that this toroidal distribution of chromosomes exposes kinetochores to a high density of microtubules which facilitates subsequent formation of amphitelic attachments. Thus, spindle formation involves a previously overlooked stage of chromosome prepositioning which promotes formation of amphitelic attachments.
On binary similarity measures for handwritten character recognition

Similarity and dissimilarity measures play an important role in pattern classification and clustering. For a century, researchers have searched for a good measure. Here, we review, categorize, and evaluate various binary vector similarity/dissimilarity measures for character recognition. One of the most contentious disputes in the similarity measure selection problem is whether the measure includes or excludes negative matches. While inner-product based similarity measures consider only positive matches, other conventional measures credit both positive and negative matches equally. Hence, we propose an enhanced similarity measure that gives variable credits and show that it is superior to conventional measures in an offline handwritten character recognition application. Finally, the proposed similarity measure can be further boosted by applying weights and we demonstrate that it outperforms the weighted Hamming distance.
The Unintended Consequences of Federalizing the American Dream

The American Dream of homeownership has permeated our society since the New Deal. But it has also permeated our politics. This Article discusses the role of federal housing policy in exacerbating the 2008 financial crisis.
Interplay between Cation and Charge Ordering in La1/3Sr2/3FeO3 Superlattices

The electronic properties of digital superlattices are reported, which are cation-ordered analogs of the perovskite La1/3Sr2/3FeO3, a material that undergoes a charge-ordering transition. Superlattices of LaFeO3 (LFO), an antiferromagnetic insulator, and SrFeO3 (SFO), a conductor with a helical magnetic ground state, are fabricated via oxide molecular beam epitaxy. Three isocompositional superlattices with repeat structures of SSLSSL (S2), SSSLSL (S3), and SSSSLL (S4) (S = SFO, L = LFO) are studied with cation orderings along the [001] and [111] directions for experimental and computational work, respectively. The experimental superlattice structures are confirmed via synchrotron X-ray diffraction and corresponding simulations of (00L) crystal truncation rods. The S2 and S3 superlattices are found to undergo an electronic phase transition as measured by a discontinuity in the temperature-dependent resistivity similar to the random alloy, indicating that the superlattices do not behave as a simple combination of LFO and SFO. The charge-ordering transition is not observed in the S4 sample. The electronic structure calculations using density functional theory, confirming the energetic favorability of charge ordering in the S2 and S3 structures compared to the S4 structure, are consistent with experimental trends.
Artificial Neural Network Based Detection and Diagnosis of Plasma-Etch Faults

The plasma-etch process is one of many steps in the fabrication of semiconductor wafers. Currently, faultdetection/diagnosis for this process is done primarily by visual inspection of graphically displayed process data. By observing these data, experienced technicians can detect and classify many types of faults. The tediousness and intrinsic human unreliability of this method, as well as the high cost of mistakes, makes automation attractive. In this paper, five artificial neural network approaches for detecting and diagnosing four common plasma-etch fault conditions are examined. The data used for training and testing the networks were collected during a 162 day period, in which over 46,000 wafers were etched. The best accuracy achieved in this study is approximately 98.7% correct fault-detection for the four fault types, 100% correct fault classification, and a 2.3% false alarm rate. The five neural-based approaches are described in detail, and results are given for each approach.
Father and Son Operating Agreements

Recent years have seen publication of a large number of agricultural extension bulletins urging fathers to join with their sons in the joint operation of the family farm.1 As a result, there is a good deal of interest among farm people in so called “father-son agreements.” Unfortunately, inclusion of a printed form of agreement in most of these bulletins has created the impression in the minds of many, that a father-son agreement is a set, inflexible arrangement. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Finite Element Analysis of Transient Unloading and Plastic Zone Distribution in Surrounding Rock

Up to now,the tensile failure in highly stressed rock after excavation,resulted from unloading,is a common phenomenon,but not w ell theoretically explained yet. Taking the unloading as a dynamic process,a plasticity model for transient unloading w as developed to study the failure mechanism in the surrounding rock based on the theory of continuum elasto-plasticity using the finite element analysis( FEA) w ith a commercial softw are COMSOL Multiphysics. The results show that excavation can trigger strong disturbance in surrounding rock due to the transient release of in-situ stress. The stress redistribution is a dynamic process transiting from dynamic stress response to quasi-static stress condition. The transient unloading can cause tensile stress near the excavation surface. Although the duration of transient tensile stress is short,its amplitude is small and the affected domain is limited,the tensile stress may result in tensile failure because the uniaxial tensile strength of rock is far low er than its compressive strength. It is also denoted that the lateral inertia effect may be one reason for this phenomenon.
Testing and evaluation of occupational hazard factors in a cement production line in Changji State

[Objective]To understand the status of occupational hazard factors in cement production industry of Changji State,take effective control measures to reduce the incidence of occupational diseases.[Methods]An occupational health survey was conducted in a cement production enterprise in Changji state. The occupational hazards factors were detected and the results were analyzed and evaluated.[Results]In raw material systems,firing systems,made system and package system,the dust detection concentration exceeded the national occupational exposure limit in limestone crushing,coal crushing,plaster crushing and packing loading post. The noise intensity exceeded the national occupational exposure limit in limestone reservoir bottom inspection,raw mill and coal mill post. The dust,noise and high temperature in other detection point all met the national standards.[Conclusion]The critical control point of occupational hazards of cement enterprise including: dust comes from the broken work post of raw materials,noise comes from the mill work post. We should strengthen the health protective measures of dust and noise in control point,protect the workers' health.
Sleep and Cocaine

Cocaine-use disorders are associated with profound abnormalities in sleep and sleep architecture. With continued abstinence from cocaine, polysomnographically measured sleep reaches insomnia-like levels. However, chronic cocaine users experience their sleep as improving as abstinence continues. This dissociation between the self-reported sleep experience and polysomnographically measured sleep has been termed “occult insomnia.” This insomnia of abstinence and the associated abnormalities in sleep architecture may contribute to poor cognitive performance, to mood dysregulation, and to worse clinical outcomes. Treatments that address the objective sleep abnormalities associated with abstinence may help promote better outcomes.
Households: A New IT Market

Intel will outline what the future of the PC in the home looks like. There are two distinct uses in which the PC will be deployed in homes in the future: one is as a home office and the second is for family entertainment.
Effect of Insecticides on Pepper Insects, 2015

To determine the effect of insecticides on pepper insect control, seedlings were transplanted in a sandy loam type soil on 5 Jun at the University of California’s South Coast Research and Extension Center. Experimental plots were three rows wide (5-ft centers) by 20-ft long and separated by a 3-ft buffer. The pepper transplants were drip irrigated (water pH 7.2–7.5). Treatments were replicated four times in an RCB block design. A treatment list is shown in Table 1. The Radiant and Lannate plus Pounce treatments were applied as weekly foliar sprays …
Coulomb’s Law

Charles-Augustin Coulomb (1736–1806) was born in Angouleme, France. He graduated from the Royal Engineering School of Mezieres in 1761, and as a military engineer, he was stationed in numerous locations, including Martinique, West Indies. Falling ill, he returned to France where he proceeded to carry out a series of notable experiments in applied mechanics. These included studies of the frictional force acting between slipping surfaces and the torsion force exerted by a twisted metal wire attempting to unwind. Coulomb then adapted his torsion apparatus so as to perform an extremely delicate measurement of the force exerted by electrified objects upon one another. This so-called “Coulomb balance” would later be adapted by Henry Cavendish so as to measure the gravitational force of attraction between heavy lead balls. An aristocrat by birth, Coulomb later retired to his estate at Blois—at the outset of the French Revolution—where he continued his scientific work on mechanics and fluid dynamics until the time of his death. In the following reading selection, Coulomb describes how he used his torsion balance to determine the law of electrical force, now known as Coulomb’s law. Are there any flaws in his method? Are his conclusions convincing?
Taylor flow in intermediate diameter channels: Simulation and hydrodynamic models

Abstract The two-phase Taylor flow pattern has been studied extensively. However, limited information is available for flows in intermediate diameter channels ( 5 ≲ Bo ≲ 40 , or 6 mm ≲ D ≲ 27 mm for ambient gas–water flows), as found in air-lift and bubble pumps. Previous investigations have primarily evaluated Taylor flow models in terms of overall pressure drop, which incorporates hydrostatic and multiple hydrodynamic components. Thus, individual sub-models and sources of error could not be directly assessed. In this investigation, volume-of-fluid (VOF) based Taylor flow simulations are performed over a wide range of laminar and turbulent conditions in the intermediate Bond number regime (5
Long‐term effects of chronic nicotine on emotional and cognitive behaviors and hippocampus cell morphology in mice: comparisons of adult and adolescent nicotine exposure

Nicotine dependence is associated with increased risk for emotional, cognitive and neurological impairments later in life. This study investigated the long-term effects of nicotine exposure during adolescence and adulthood on measures of depression, anxiety, learning and hippocampal pyramidal cell morphology. Mice (C57BL/6J) received saline or nicotine for 12 days via pumps implanted on postnatal day 32 (adolescent) or 54 (adults). Thirty days after cessation of nicotine/saline, mice were tested for learning using contextual fear conditioning, depression-like behaviors using the forced swim test or anxiety-like behaviors with the elevated plus maze. Brains from nicotine- or saline-exposed mice were processed with Golgi stain for whole neuron reconstruction in the CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. Results demonstrate higher depression-like responses in both adolescent and adult mice when tested during acute nicotine withdrawal. Heightened depression-like behaviors persisted when tested after 30 days of nicotine abstinence in mice exposed as adolescents, but not adults. Adult, but not adolescent, exposure to nicotine resulted in increased open-arm time when tested after 30 days of abstinence. Nicotine exposure during adolescence caused deficits in contextual fear learning indicated by lower levels of freezing to the context as compared with controls when tested 30 days later. In addition, reduced dendritic length and complexity in the apical CA1 branches in adult mice exposed to nicotine during adolescence were found. These results demonstrate that nicotine exposure and withdrawal can have long-term effects on emotional and cognitive functioning, particularly when nicotine exposure occurs during the critical period of adolescence.
Reporting Clinical Molecular Genetic Laboratory Results

The accuracy and comprehensibility with which a molecular genetics test result is reported are as important as the result itself. It is from this report that a healthcare provider will present genetic information to a patient and their family and make decisions for further testing, diagnosis, and treatment. The purpose of this chapter is to outline the necessary components of a molecular genetics test report and give examples to illustrate their importance.
Cost-effectiveness of achieving clinical improvement with a dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program

Using data from an effectiveness trial delivered by college clinicians, we examined the cost-effectiveness of the dissonance-based Body Project program for reducing eating disorder symptoms in women with body dissatisfaction. The outcome of interest was individual-level change; 14.9% of Body Project participants attained clinically meaningful improvement vs. 6.7% of controls. Delivering the intervention costs approximately $70 (2012 U.S. dollars) per person. Incremental cost-effectiveness was $838 for each additional at-risk person reducing eating disorder symptomology to a clinically meaningful degree. These analyses demonstrate the economic value of the Body Project for college-age women with symptoms below the eating disorder diagnosis threshold.
The yin and yang of autophagy in AL amyloidosis.

In this issue of Blood, Oliva et al report on a series of experiments that have demonstrated that in systemic light chain (AL) plasma cells (PCs), there is a complex interaction between those PCs and the immunoglobulin light chains (LCs) they produce.1 The pathology introduced by these unstable amyloidogenic LCs occurs not only at distant organs2,3 but also in the plasma cells that produce them. This manuscript attempts to unravel the relationship of AL LCs and the PCs that produce them in the context of AL PC susceptibility to proteasome inhibitors and the role autophagy may play in that susceptibility.
Large Flexible Structure Control Technology Experiment and Facility Design 1

Abstract A new facility is being developed for experimental validation of static and dynamic control technologies associated with large flexible space structures. The test article resembles a wrap-rib antenna design, with a horizontal dish of 7.2 meter diameter consisting of 12 ribs attached to a rigid, central hub and interconnected with stretched wires under tension, and a 3.6 meter long flexible boom hanging vertically downward from its center. A complex levitation system using counterweights and low friction pulleys provides support of the structure to prevent its collapse due to gravity. Sensing instrumentation includes a two-axis hub-angle sensor, 28 rib displacement sensors, and 16 electro-optical sensor targets which can be moved about fairly easily. A two-axis torquer acts on the hub, and one speaker-coil actuator on each of the 12 ribs completes the complement of actuators. The facility is scheduled to be operational in nine months at which time experimentation in the areas of Static Shape Determination and Control, Dynamic Identification, Unified Modeling/Control Design, and Adaptive Control will commence This paper gives a system level analysis of the facility design, provides an overview of its modeling, presents initial simulation results giving open loop response to impulsive inputs, and discusses the planned technology experiments intended to be performed using the facility
Scaling the Accuracy of Recalls of Stories Under Restricted Conditions of Judgment

Two sets of twenty recalls each of a short story were collected. Both sets had the variability in length (differences in number of words) reduced; one set by selecting recalls of much the same length from a larger population of recalls, the other by instructing those giving the recalls to write a stated number of words. Without information regarding the original story, judges were able to reliably scale the first set but not the second. Additional manipulation in the content of the first set of recalls in an attempt to make them unscalable failed. The study gave support to the two-factor nature of judgments of accuracy of recall of connected meaningful material. It further illustrated the very flexible manner in which judges are able to make judgments of accuracy in this area.
Artists on the Gallery Payroll: A Case Study and a Corporate Turn

Many arts organisations rely on freelance artists to act as their public face: to deliver their education programme, to devise and manage community projects and to demonstrate to people how art can be relevant to their lives. While this type of involvement in the arts might be beneficial for the participants, what does it do for the artists involved?
Monetary Policy Uncertainty and the Market Reaction to Macroeconomic News: Evidence from the Taper Tantrum

We examine whether monetary policy uncertainty, related to tapering of the Federal Reserve’s asset purchase program, influences the reaction of the equity, Treasury security, foreign exchange and crude oil markets, as well as medium-term interest rates, to U.S macroeconomic announcements. Using intraday futures data, we show that in the presence of higher policy uncertainty the response to macroeconomic news weakens in the stock and crude oil markets and strengthens in the Treasury, interest rate and foreign exchange markets. These results provide direct evidence that conditioning monetary policy on incoming economic data influences the market reaction to macroeconomic news.
Bact-3D: A level set segmentation approach for dense multi-layered 3D bacterial biofilms

In microscopy, new super-resolution methods are emerging that produce three-dimensional images at resolutions ten times smaller than that provided by traditional light microscopy. Such technology is enabling the exploration of structure and function in living tissues such as bacterial biofilms that have mysterious interconnections and organization. Unfortunately, the standard tools used in the image analysis community to perform segmentation and other higher-level analyses cannot be applied naively to these data. This paper presents Bact-3D, a 3D method for segmenting super-resolution images of multi-leveled, living bacteria cultured in vitro. The method incorporates a novel initialization approach that exploits the geometry of the bacterial cells as well an iterative local level set evolution that is tailored to the biological application. In experiments where segmentation is used as precursor to cell detection, the Bact-3D matches or improves upon the Dice score and mean-squared error of two existing methods, while yielding a substantial improvement in cell detection accuracy. In addition to providing improvements in performance over the state-of-the-art, this report also characterizes the tradeoff between imaging resolution and segmentation quality.
Drug Companies’ Liability for the Opioid Epidemic

Even as the U.S. government, among others, pursues civil and criminal actions against physicians and pharmacies to address inappropriate prescribing and dispensing of opioids, a variety of lawsuits are being filed against opioid manufacturers and distributors.
No immediate effects of highly cushioned shoes on basic running biomechanics

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of highly cushioned shoes on running biomechanics. Sixteen recreational runners (8 males, 8 females) participated and ran at a self-selected pace across the force platform in the research laboratory wearing either the standard or highly cushioned shoes, in randomized order. Impact peak (IP), loading rate to IP (LR), active peak (AP), contact time (CT), strike index (SI), running velocity, and knee and ankle kinematics at initial contact (IC) and AP were recorded during the running trials. Overall, there was no effect of footwear on IP, LR, AP, CT and velocity (p>.05) with small effect sizes (ES .05). Our results indicate that the highly cushioned shoes did not show immediate changes in running biomechanics. Key words: kinematics, kinetics, running, footwear, extra cushion
Multiple Oppression and Tackling Stigma Through Sport

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the relationships between disability and gender, race, sexuality, class and religious beliefs in the context of Paralympic sport. These differences in the context of Paralympic sport are only beginning to be discussed and examined. In order to explore the effects of multiple oppressions, a case study will be used to examine how individuals, such as a Paralympic athlete, might deal with conflicting identities and associated stigmas.
Global Medicine Perspectives

As the field of clinical ultrasonography continues to grow, there has been a rapid expansion in new applications of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) in global and rural health. This chapter covers many of the issues associated with establishing training programs in LMIC (low- and middle-income countries) and providing clinicians with access to portable ultrasound imaging. The author also discusses finances, sustainability, and unique supply chain issues found in this setting.
LANDSCAPES OF SIBYLLINE STRANGENESS: COMPLEMENTARITY, QUANTUM MEASUREMENT AND CLASSICAL PHYSICS

Quantum mechanics has divided our description of the physical world into two distinct counterparts—classical at the macrolevel and quantum at the microlevel—and by so doing initiated a debate that has continued ever since. On the one side of this debate one finds arguments for the necessity of replacing (and attempts to replace) quantum mechanics with classical or classical-like theories—from Einstein’s initial skepticism and the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) argument to hidden variables and beyond. On the other side, one encounters attempts to account for classical and quantum physics as both necessary for our understanding of the physical world. Niels Bohr’s interpretation of quantum mechanics as complementarity follows this second approach, with radical implications for classical and quantum physics, and, as I shall suggest here, for their relationships. I shall also suggest that, contrary to a common view, Bohr’s interpretation reveals several affinities and interactions between both sides of the debate at issue.
Immunochemical and functional similarities and differences among iron-sulfur proteins involved in mammalian steroidogenesis.

In the mitochondrial fraction of steroidogenic tissues, cytochrome P-450 mediates the initial step in the biosynthesis of the steroid hormones, the oxidative cleavage of the cholesterol side-chain to form pregnenolone. In addition, cytochrome P-450 also mediates the 11β- and 18- hydroxylations of steroids which occur in adrenocortical mitochondria. While cytochrome P-450 plays a central role in these mixed-function oxidations, the ability of this hemo-protein to function as the terminal oxidase depends on the sequential transfer of two reducing equivalents from NADPH to it by means of specific electron transport sequences. The identification of the components of these electron transport sequences was greatly advanced by the studies of Omura and his colleagues in 1966. These investigators resolved the 11β-hydroxylase system of bovine adrenocortical mitochondria into three specific protein fractions: cytochrome P-450; an NADPH-dependent flavoprotein dehydrogenase; and an iron-sulfur protein, adrenodoxin. Based on the results of reconstitution experiments, it was suggested that the iron-sulfur protein serves as an electron transfer intermediate between the flavo-protein dehydrogenase and both cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome c.
Foveated stereoscopic display for the visualization of detailed virtual environments

We present a new method for the stereoscopic display of complex virtual environments using a foveated arrangement of four images. The system runs on four rendering nodes and four projectors, for the fovea and periphery in each eye view. The use of high-resolution insets in a foveated configuration is well known. However, its extension to projector-based stereoscopic displays raises a specific issue: the visible boundary between fovea and periphery present in each eye creates a stereoscopic cue that may conflict with the perceived depth of the underlying scene. A previous solution to this problem displaces the boundary in the images to ensure that it is always positioned over stereoscopically corresponding scene locations. The new method proposed here addresses the same problem, but by relaxing the stereo matching criteria and reformulating the problem as one of spatial partitioning, all computations are performed locally on each node, and require a small and fixed amount of post-rendering processing, independent of scene complexity. We discuss this solution and present an OpenGL implementation; we also discuss acceleration techniques using culling and fragments, and illustrate the use of the method on a complex 3D textured model of a Byzantine crypt built using laser range imaging and digital photography.
Prolonged Working Years: Consequences and Directions for Interventions

There are many economic, social, and psychological reasons why individuals are working longer or until later ages than in decades past. This chapter considers the potential impact—both good and bad—of working longer and proposes interventions aimed at maximizing positive outcomes and mitigating negative ones. We begin with a theoretical framework for understanding consequences of prolonged work. Second, we discuss some reasons for working longer. Third, we describe results from a nationally representative study of older adults in the U.S. Fourth, we review some of the consequences of prolonged work based on empirical research findings. Finally, we describe interventions that should be considered to promote longer work lives and to ameliorate potentially negative consequences of working longer. We conclude with a summary and recommendations for future research.
Acoustic emission Bayesian source location: Onset time challenge

Abstract Robust identification of the most accurate observed input data among a pool of observations is key in modeling and decision making. A statistically biased observed measurement deteriorates the predictive power of a model and affects decision-making ability based on the prediction of the model. When two competing methods of measurement are available, such as methods which identify arrival times in acoustic emission (AE) signals, a principal question is whether one of the two obtained datasets, or a combination of the two, should be used later on, for example, to localize an AE source. This question becomes more important when collecting not repeatable data such as AE signals created by a propagating crack. This paper considers an inverse source location problem in a concrete block to address the mentioned issue, a proposed methodology which also has wider application in competitive data selection. Elastic energy released by an AE event, such as a propagating crack, is recorded by acoustic emission data acquisition system. The onset time of AE signals is often used to locate the source of the event, and its accuracy directly affects the precision of source identification. This research proposes an innovative approach to select the most probable onset time obtained from two automatic picker methods. The proposed method selects the most probable onset times, which are observed by each picker for each sensor, in a probabilistic fashion. To validate the proposed method, the most accurate onset time observed by each picker is identified by visual inspection and is compared with the one is selected by the proposed method. Finally, the dataset is used for source location identification. Results show that picked onset times determined by the proposed method generate more accurate source identification when compared with coordinates obtained using each dataset individually.
Tunable Aminooxy-Functionalized Monolayer-Protected Gold Clusters for Nonpolar and Aqueous Oximation Reactions

Aminooxy (-ONH2) groups are well known for their chemoselective reactions with carbonyl compounds, specifically aldehydes and ketones. The versatility of aminooxy chemistry has proven to be an attractive feature that continues to stimulate new applications. This work describes application of aminooxy 'click chemistry' on the surface of gold nanoparticles. We present here a trifunctional amine-containing aminooxy alkane thiol ligand for use in the functionalization of gold monolayer protected clusters (Au MPCs). Diethanolamine is readily transformed into an organic-soluble aminooxy thiol (AOT) ligand using a short synthetic path. The synthesized AOT ligand was coated on ≤ 2 nm diameter hexanethiolate (C6S)-capped Au MPCs using a ligand exchange protocol to afford organic-soluble AOT/C6S (1:1 ratio) Au mixed monolayer protected clusters (MMPCs). This work describes the synthesis of Au(C6S)(AOT) MMPCs and representative oximation reactions with various types of aldehyde-containing molecules, highlighting the ease and versatility of the chemistry and how amine protonation can be used to switch solubility characteristics.