cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of Human Gene Core Promoters in Silico

Identification of the 58-end of human genes requires identification of functional promoter elements. In silico identification of those elements is difficult because of the hierarchical and modular nature of promoter architecture. To address this problem, I propose a new stepwise strategy based on initial localization of a functional promoter into a 1- to 2-kb (extended promoter) region from within a large genomic DNA sequence of 100 kb or larger and further localization of a transcriptional start site (TSS) into a 50- to 100-bp (corepromoter) region. Using positional dependent 5-tuple measures, a quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) method has been implemented in a new program—CorePromoter. Our experiments indicate that when given a 1- to 2-kb extended promoter, CorePromoter will correctly localize the TSS to a 100-bp interval ~60% of the time. [Figure 3 can be found in its entirety as an online supplement at http://www.genome.org.] As the Human Genome Project enters its large-scale sequencing phase, methods for the identification of genes and regulatory elements in silico have become extremely important (Business Week 1996).
Role of the Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptor EDG-1 in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Migration

Abstract— Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a platelet-derived ligand for the EDG-1 family of G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs), has recently emerged as a regulator of vascular development. Although S1P has potent effects on endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), the functions of the specific S1P receptors in the latter cell type are not known. Here we show that pup-intimal VSMCs express higher levels of EDG-1 mRNA than adult-medial VSMCs. Stable transfection of EDG-1 into adult-medial VSMCs enhanced their proliferative response to S1P, concomitant with induction of p70 S6 kinase activity and expression of cyclin D1. Pertussis toxin treatment inhibited S1P-induced p70 S6 kinase activation, cyclin D1 expression and proliferation, suggesting that EDG-1–coupling to the Gi pathway is critical. Furthermore, blocking p70 S6 kinase phosphorylation with rapamycin inhibited cyclin D1 expression and proliferation, suggesting that activation of p70 S6 kinase is critical in EDG-1/Gi–mediated cell ...
Dealing with errors in interactive sequencing by hybridization

Motivation: A realistic approach to sequencing by hybridization must deal with realistic sequencing errors. The results of such a method can surely be applied to similar sequencing tasks. Results: We provide the first algorithms for interactive sequencing by hybridization which are robust in the presence of hybridization errors. Under a strong error model allowing both positive and negative hybridization errors without repeated queries, we demonstrate accurate and efficient reconstruction with error rates up to 7%. Under the weaker traditional error model of Shamir and Tsur (Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Computational Molecular Biology (RECOMB-01), pp 269‐277, 2000), we obtain accurate reconstructions with up to 20% false negative hybridization errors. Finally, we establish theoretical bounds on the performance of the sequential probing algorithm of Skiena and Sundaram (J. Comput. Biol., 2, 333‐353, 1995) under the strong error model.
Accurate testing of ADC's spectral performance using imprecise sinusoidal excitations

Analog to digital converter (ADC) is the world's largest volume mixed-signal circuit. It is also a key building block in nearly all system on chip (SoC) solutions involving analog and mixed-signal functionalities. ADC testing is also crucial for built-in-self-test (BIST) solutions of AMS testing in SoC technology which is identified by the ITRS as one of four most daunting SoC challenges. ADC spectral testing is of critical importance to a large class of integrated circuits and is particularly challenging for high speed and/or high resolutions circuits. In this paper we use spectrally related excitations (SRE) to accurately test the spectral performance of ADCs. Unlike standard approaches, the SRE approach uses low-cost imprecise sine signals as input to the ADC and uses the spectral relationship between multiple input signals to separate distortion inherent in the ADC from that in the input. Efficient DSP algorithms are used to determine the true spectral performance of the ADC. This approach works in both production test and BIST environments. Simulation results show two sine waves with < 60 dB purity can be used to accurately test spectral performance of high resolution ADCs with SFDR in excess of 100 dB. The low-cost SRE signals can be readily generated with simple RC filters with lax band edge requirements. Extensive simulation shows that the algorithm is robust to filter errors, to nonstationary in the test environment, and to measurement noise.
The Application of Two-Dimensional X-ray Hot Stage in Flip Chip Package Failure Analysis

Advancement of silicon and packaging technologies toward lower power and higher functionality requires better understanding between materials and process interactions. This paper illustrates the applications of 2-D X-ray metrology incorporated with a hot stage system for the first time in the literature, which allows one to simulate heating profiles of up to 300°C and observe the behavior of materials in situ within the packages. Three case studies are discussed: 1) segregation of metal particles in the next-generation thermal interface material, leading to corner thermal resistance (Rjc) degradation; (2) first level interconnect (FLI) solder bump bridging during chip attach of a large die server package with high substrate die area warpage in which limits of the die area substrate warpage need to be set in order to avoid FLI solder bump bridging during the chip attach solder reflow process; and 3) second level interconnect solder joint bridging at the surface mounting process of a large die package attached with an integrated heat spreader. By being able to study failures in situ at high temperatures, a new dimension to the package failure analysis is presented in this paper.
Inhibition of PYK2-induced actin cytoskeleton reorganization, PYK2 autophosphorylation and focal adhesion targeting by FAK

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2) are structurally related tyrosine kinases. They are implicated in regulating actin cytoskeleton organization, a process critical for cell migration, mitosis and tumor metastasis. In this paper, we demonstrate that, although both PYK2 and FAK were expressed and colocalized at focal adhesions in fibroblasts, microinjection of PYK2, but not FAK, in Swiss 3T3 fibroblastic cells led to reorganization of focal adhesions and cell rounding. PYK2-mediated actin cytoskeleton reorganization required the PYK2 N terminus, the focal adhesion targeting (FAT) domain, catalytic activity and autophosphorylation. Remarkably, FAK suppressed PYK2-mediated reorganization of focal adhesions and cell rounding. In addition, FAK inhibited PYK2 autophosphorylation and focal adhesion targeting, which might contribute to FAK-mediated suppression of PYK2's phenotypes. Further analyses demonstrated that the inhibition of PYK2 autophosphorylation required the FAK N terminus but not FAK tyrosine phosphorylation. The FAK FAT domain seemed to be critical for FAK-mediated suppression of PYK2 focal adhesion targeting. Taken together, these results demonstrate that FAK could inhibit PYK2 autophosphorylation, focal adhesion targeting and actin cytoskeleton reorganization, suggesting that the balance between FAK and PYK2 tyrosine kinases is important for regulating cellular morphology, cell migration and cell growth.
5 Residential Burial and the Metal Age of Thailand

Mortuary programs have great potential to provide insights into ritually-integrated social systems of house societies. Metal age house societies of prehistoric Thailand, such as the Ban Chiang Cultural Tradition, are argued to have practiced residential burial, with interment of corpses in close physical proximity to spaces occupied by the living in daily life. It is suggested that this mortuary practice contributed to sustaining long-lived socio-settlement systems that were characterized by low levels of inter-community conflict. The mortuary ceramics interred in metal age burials reveal sub-regional stylistic and technological groupings that appear to imply territorial subdivisions in these apparently acephalous and decentralized societies.
A fast and accurate RNS scaling technique for high speed signal processing

A fast and accurate magnitude scaling technique in the residue number system (RNS) is proposed. This technique obtains the residues of the scaled integer, when scaled by a product of a subset of the moduli, in approximately log n cycles, where n is the total number of moduli in the RNS. The scaled integer has an error of at most unity. The technique is based on a judicious decomposition of the Chinese remainder theorem (CRT) and the use of a redundant channel which carries (at the least) the odd-even information about the integer being scaled. >
The role of RNA folding free energy in the evolution of the polymerase genes of the influenza A virus

The influenza A virus genome is composed of eight single-stranded RNA segments of negative polarity. Although the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes are known to play a key role in host adaptation, the polymerase genes (which encode the polymerase segments PB2, PB1, PA) and the nucleoprotein gene are also important for the efficient propagation of the virus in the host and for its adaptation to new hosts. Current efforts to understand the host-specificity of the virus have largely focused on the amino acid differences between avian and human isolates. Here we show that the folding free energy of the RNA segments may play an equally important role in the evolution and host adaptation of the influenza virus. Folding free energy may affect the stability of the viral RNA and influence the rate of viral protein translation. We found that there is a clear distinction between the avian and human folding free energy distributions for the polymerase and the nucleoprotein genes, with human viruses having substantially higher folding free energy values. This difference is independent of the amino acid composition and the codon bias. Furthermore, the folding free energy values of the commonly circulating human viruses tend to shift towards higher values over the years, after they entered the human population. Finally, our results indicate that the temperature in which the cells grow affects infection efficiency. Our data suggest for the first time that RNA structure stability may play an important role in the emergence and host shift of influenza A virus. The fact that cell temperature affects virus propagation in mammalian cells could help identify those avian strains that pose a higher threat to humans.
Growth factor binding to the pericellular matrix and its importance in tissue engineering

In addition to its typical role as a scaffold, molecular filter, and cell modulator, the pericellular matrix can bind bioactive molecules and serve as a repository, while regulating their activation, synthesis, and degradation. This review focuses on interactions between bioactives, specifically growth factors and cytokines, with various components of the pericellular matrix. For example, biglycan and betaglycan, proteoglycans of the pericellular matrix, and decorin, a proteoglycan of the interstitial extracellular matrix, bind and regulate the activity and availability of transforming growth factor-beta. From evidence presented in this paper, it is obvious that the presence of growth factors in the pericellular matrix is integral to the spatiotemporal coordination of cellular activities to ensure proper tissue/organ formation during wound healing. It is believed by many researchers that the delivery of the right growth factors at the right time is instrumental to the orchestration of tissue regeneration. Thus, the interplay between the pericellular environment and bioactive molecules provides an underutilized knowledge base in the design and creation of tissue engineered constructs.
Hobbes on Barbarism and Civilization

Hobbes' political science is based on the claim that civil society hitherto has been founded improperly and is apt to dissolve into civil war. The historical evidence for this claim, however, is not presented systematically in Hobbes' political treatises; it must be reconstructed from his diverse historical writings. In these writings Hobbes analyzes the history of man from barbarism to civilization, and shows that the evolution of political authority from its original basis in natural force to its later foundation on opinion has been the ruin of civilization. This account, I argue, constitutes a genuine theory of history and reveals the problem of civilization which Hobbes' political science is designed to solve.
Gas-phase negative ion chemistry of molecular fluorine. Synthesis of distonic radical anions and related species ☆

Abstract The gas-phase negative ion chemistry of molecular fluorine is described, with an emphasis on its use in the regiospecific synthesis of distonic radical anions and related species. Sequential reaction of organic compounds containing two trimethylsilyl (TMS) substituents with F − followed by F 2 produces distonic radical anions with the negatively charged and odd-spin sites determined by the locations of the TMS groups. The mechanism of the F 2 reaction involves dissociative electron transfer from the TMS-substituted carbanion to F 2 , yielding an F − /radical complex; subsequent attack by F − on the TMS group of the radical produces the distonic radical anion product. Experimental evidence in support of the proposed mechanism is presented, including the dependence of the efficiency of radical anion formation on both the electron binding energy of the reactant carbanion and the leaving-group ability of the radical anion product. Selected applications of the F 2 method for distonic anion synthesis are described, including formation of the negative ions of trimethylene methane, the benzynes, oxyallyl and acetoxyl biradicals and α,3-dehydrotoluene. Mechanistic variations in the F 2 reactions with carbanions are described in which the transient F − ion produced by dissociative electron transfer to F 2 reacts with the organic radical in the long-lived complex by proton transfer, nucleophilic substitution at carbon, and elimination. Formation of distonic biradical anions (ionized triradicals) from neutral precursors containing three TMS groups is described, along with the rational gas-phase synthesis using F 2 of distonic carbene and nitrene anions.
An electrophysiological comparison of visual categorization and recognition memory.

Object categorization emphasizes the similarities that bind exemplars into categories, whereas recognition memory emphasizes the specific identification of previously encountered exemplars. Mathematical modeling has highlighted similarities in the computational requirements of these tasks, but neuropsychological research has suggested that categorization and recognition may depend on separate brain systems. Following training with families of novel visual shapes (blobs), event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded during both categorization and recognition tasks. ERPs related to early visual processing (N1, 156–200 msec) were sensitive to category membership. Middle latency ERPs (FN400 effects, 300–500 msec) were sensitive to both category membership and old/new differences. Later ERPs (parietal effects, 400–800 msec) were primarily affected by old/new differences. Thus, there was a temporal transition so that earlier processes were more sensitive to categorical discrimination and later processes were more sensitive to recognition-related discrimination. Aspects of these results are consistent with both mathematical modeling and neuropsychological perspectives.
Regulation of ribosomal DNA transcription by insulin

The experiments reported here used 3T6-Swiss albino mouse fibroblasts and H4-II-E-C3 rat hepatoma cells as model systems to examine the mechanism(s) through which insulin regulates rDNA transcription. Serum starvation of 3T6 cells for 72 h resulted in a marked reduction in rDNA transcription. Treatment of serum-deprived cells with insulin was sufficient to restore rDNA transcription to control values. In addition, treatment of exponentially growing H4-II-E-C3 with insulin stimulated rDNA transcription. However, for both cell types, the stimulation of rDNA transcription in response to insulin was not associated with a change in the cellular content of RNA polymerase I. Thus we conclude that insulin must cause alterations in formation of the active RNA polymerase I initiation complex and/or the activities of auxiliary rDNA transcription factors. In support of this conclusion, insulin treatment of both cell types was found to increase the nuclear content of upstream binding factor (UBF) and RNA polymerase I-associated factor 53. Both of these factors are thought to be involved in recruitment of RNA polymerase I to the rDNA promoter. Nuclear run-on experiments demonstrated that the increase in cellular content of UBF was due to elevated transcription of the UBF gene. In addition, overexpression of UBF was sufficient to directly stimulate rDNA transcription from a reporter construct. The results demonstrate that insulin is capable of stimulating rDNA transcription in both 3T6 and H4-II-E-C3 cells, at least in part by increasing the cellular content of components required for assembly of RNA polymerase I into an active complex.
Postmortem human brain genomics in neuropsychiatric disorders — how far can we go?

Large-scale collection of postmortem human brain tissue and subsequent genomic data generation has become a useful approach for better identifying etiological factors contributing to neuropsychiatric disorders. In particular, studying genetic risk variants in non-psychiatric controls can identify biological mechanisms of risk free from confounding factors related to epiphenomena of illness. While the field has begun moving towards cell type-specific analyses, homogenate brain tissue with accompanying cellular profiles, can still identify useful hypotheses for more focused experiments, particularly when the dysregulated cell types are unknown. Technological advances, larger sample sizes, and focused research questions can continue to further leverage postmortem human brain research to better identify and understand the molecular etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Going Global: an Anthropology of the Two Pluralisms

Contemporary anthropological studies confirm the core premise of Peter Berger’s “two pluralisms” hypothesis: that the most consequential feature of religion and ethics in our late-modern age is not religion’s secularizing decline, but the globalization and co-existence of powerful discourses of secularity and religiosity. Two generations of anthropological research also suggest, however, that the phenomenological psychology the two-pluralisms hypothesis uses to characterize the transition from pre-modern to modern societies is too simple. The need and ability to shift between different modes of cognitive and affective experience are not unique to our late-modern age, but characteristic of cultural psychology in most human societies. This is a simple point, but it encourages a subtle shift in understanding as to just why the experience of the two pluralisms can be ethically disquieting, and what measures might be most effective for containing movements of political and religious totalitarianism today.
Pipeline Architecture

Pipelined computer architecture has received considerable attention since the 1960s when the need for faster and more cost-effective systems became critical. The merit of pipelining is that it can help to match the speeds of various subsystems without duplicating the cost of the entire system involved. As technology evolves, faster and cheaper LSI circuits become available, and the future of pipelining, either in a simple or complex form, becomes more promising.This paper reviews the many theoretical considerations and problems behind pipelining, surveying and comparing various representative pipeline machines that operate in either sequential or vector pipeline mode, the practical solutions adopted, and the tradeoffs involved. The performance of a simple pipe, the physical speed limitation, and the control structures for penalty-incurring events are analyzed separately. The problems faced by the system designers are tackled, including buffering, busing structur, branching, and interrupt handling. Aspects of sequential and vector processing are studied. Fundamental advantages of vector processing are unveiled, and additional requirements (costs) are discussed to establish a criterion for the tradeoff between sequential and vector pipeline processing. Finally, two recent machines (the CRAY-1 and the Amdahl 470 V/6 systems) are presented to demonstrate how complex pipeline techniques can be used and how simple but advantageous pipeline concepts can be exploited.
Health care outcomes case study: Febrile neutropenia

A case study of the clinical and economic impact of filgrastim in cancer patients in the home care setting is described. The risk of febrile neutropenia is greatly reduced when filgrastim therapy is begun prophylactically after a course of antineoplastic drug therapy. Such use of filgrastim may also reduce the need for hospitalization, prevent mucositis, and enable the next course of chemotherapy to be administered on schedule. Investigators at the University of New Mexico, noting studies showing merit in early hospital discharge of pediatric cancer patients with febrile neutropenia, decided to take the approach a step further by treatment febrile neutropenia entirely at home. Patients seen in the pediatric oncology clinic at the university hospital were considered candidates for home treatment if they had stable vital signs, were already receiving filgrastim after the completion of cancer chemotherapy, and lived within one hour of the hospital. Six cancer patients 2-17 years of age were studied between August 1992 and February 1994. These patients had 16 episodes of febrile neutropenia that were treated at home. The drug regimen consisted of prophylactic filgrastim (begun the day after completion of a course of antineoplastic therapy) and ceftazidime (when febrile neutropenia developed). None of the children were readmitted to the hospital. Infections resolved within 12 days in all cases. The total charge for treating the 16 episodes at home was $22,400 (drug charge for ceftazidime, visits by nurses, infusion-pump rental, and ancillary charges). The total charge for hospital treatment of these episodes would be $112,924 (bed charge and pharmacy charge). The difference suggests a potential savings of $90,524 from home care for this small group of patients. Treating febrile neutropenia in pediatric cancer patients at home is effective and cost-efficient if the patients are clinically stable and prophylactic filgrastim therapy has been started after the completion of cancer chemotherapy.
Nondestructive Evaluation for Materials Characterization

In recent years classical nondestructive testing techniques for detecting macroscopic defects have been augmented by more sophisticated nondestructive evaluation methods for characterizing the microstructure and associated physical and chemical properties of materials. This paper will briefly describe several such nondestructive evaluation methods developed in the Center for Nondestructive Evaluation (CNDE) at The Johns Hopkins University.
Testosterone Alters Duodenal Calcium Transport and Longitudinal Bone Growth Rate in Parallel in the Male Rat

Duodenal active calcium transport and longitudinal bone growth rate have been shown previously to be regulated in parallel by alteration of gonadal hormone status in sexually maturing female rats. The present study was designed to extend these observations to the sexually maturing male rat. Male rats were orchidectomized (ORX) and given Silastic implants containing either testosterone or estradiol at 6 weeks of age. At 9 weeks of age, duodenal active calcium transport was measured by the everted gut sac method and longitudinal bone growth rate was determined by tetracycline labeling. Decreases in body weight, longitudinal bone growth rate, duodenal calcium transport, and serum Ca and P were exhibited by ORX animals as compared with age-matched control animals. Testosterone administration to ORX animals resulted in an increase in body weight, longitudinal bone growth rate, duodenal calcium transport, and serum Ca and P as compared with ORX animals to a level not significantly different from that of age-matched control animals. Estradiol administration to ORX animals resulted in an additional decrease in body weight, although no significant effect on duodenal calcium transport, serum Ca, or P was noted as compared with ORX animals. There were no statistically significant alterations in the circulating levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone, or osteocalcin in response to any of the experimental manipulations of gonadal status. These results indicate that, as in the female, gonadal hormone status affects intestinal calcium transport in sexually maturing male rats in parallel with changes in bone growth rate by mechanisms that are independent of circulating levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D.
Mountain Sheep and Coyotes: Patterns of Predator Evasion in a Mountain Ungulate

I used retrospective analyses to investigate relationships among terrain type, reactions of prey, and age and sex of prey and outcomes of encounters between mountain sheep ( Ovis canadensis ) and coyotes ( Canis latrans ). Adult females fled from coyotes more often when in open terrain and young always fled regardless of type of terrain. Young were less likely to survive encounters with coyotes than were adults, and no adult females were killed by coyotes. When types of terrain were pooled, females were more apt to flee than were males, but no difference existed in proportion of females and young that fled. When terrain type and sex of adults were pooled, no difference in survival existed between adults that fled and those that did not. When coyotes were encountered in open terrain, female mountain sheep fled more frequently than did female mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ). Ungulates less dependent on terrain for predator evasion than are mountain sheep may employ a more plastic strategy than artiodactyls inhabiting precipitous terrain.
Intravenous Administration of Bovine and Human Plasma to Man Proof of Utilization.

Conclusions1. Human plasma administered intravenously is retained and utilized. A patient to whom a daily average of 450 cc of plasma was given over a 5-day period was maintained in positive nitrogen balance. 2. Human plasma appears to be a better agent than blood to employ to maintain nitrogen equilibrium in starvation states. 3. Bovine plasma can be given intravenously to man in fairly large quantities; it is retained and apparently utilized.
The Relationship Between Self-Reported Hand Use and Movement Efficiency

Date Presented 4/17/2015This was a preliminary study of the relationship between efficiency of arm movements (smoothness and directness) and self-reported hand use. Results using regression analyses indicate that directness of movement during reaching tasks is significantly related to self-reported
Thermodynamics and kinetics of gaseous metal hydroxide formation from oxides relevant to power and propulsion applications

The thermodynamics and kinetics of gaseous metal hydroxide formation from simple oxides important for power and propulsion applications are reviewed. The transpiration technique for determining thermodynamics of gaseous metal hydroxide is highlighted. The status of thermodynamic data for CrO2(OH)2(g), Si(OH)4(g), and Al(OH)3(g) in available databases is described. A thermodynamic argument is presented for the trend that gaseous metal hydroxides with more –OH groups will have a greater pressure dependence and a lower temperature dependence of reaction from their condensed phase oxide than those gaseous metal hydroxides with few –OH groups. Finally, the need for thermodynamic data for Ti-, Mn-, Y-, and Ta-gaseous metal hydroxides is summarized.
Executive Function in Preschoolers with Primary Language Impairment

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether preschoolers with primary language impairment (PLI) show deficits in executive function (EF) compared with their peers with typical develop...
Working and nursing: navigating job and breastfeeding demands at work

ABSTRACTBreastfeeding is a sex-specific, work–family issue for women. Yet, there is relatively little sociological research on the breastfeeding-work interface. What challenges do breastfeeding women face during the workday? (How) Are some more successful than others at merging breastfeeding and work? We conducted interviews with 22 US women as part of a case study of workplace breastfeeding support. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act [PPACA] (2010) includes breastfeeding provisions, but primarily address hourly workers. Most women in our study were not covered by the PPACA but had access to a workplace Breastfeeding Support Initiative. Despite this, women faced several challenges: different degrees of schedule control, unequal access to space, and unexpected breastfeeding demands. Women also had differential access to workplace resources to cope with demands. Control over both time and space was a cross-cutting theme. Research needs to better address work conditions that are conducive to brea...
MODELLING THE FREQUENCY DEPENDENCY OF THE ACOUSTICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN LIVER

In this paper, we present an analytic way to measure the acoustical characteristics of human liver and their dependency on frequency and compare the derived model with others based on the empirical data collected in-vivo. The empirical data suggest a different and highly non-linear relation between the attenuation coefficient and backscattering coefficient with respect to frequency. Since these parameters are dependent on the tissue, we also investigate the feasibility of using these parameters for tissue differentiation. Results showed that the parameter values are closely clustered for normal subjects but widely varying and clearly distinguishable for abnormal subjects.
DEVELOPMENT OF PHOTO·SENSING BULGE DUCTILITY TESTER

The ductility of thin films is normally evaluated by conducting the bulge testing. However, the accuracy of the conventional type of mechanical bulge ductility testing unit is poor in determining the actual elongation. In this development, a photo-sensitive device is provided in the detecting portion to accurately measure the elongation. The sensitivity depends on the type of the materials tested. A Pyrex glass ball is utilized as a punching ball to provide equally distributed light. Pushing of the Pyrex glass is activated by a hydraulic media to control the punching velocity. Accuracy and reproducibility were primarily checked with copper thin foil deposited on polyimide substrates. Two types of dental articulating papers (paper-based and plastic-based) were tested. It was suggested that an appropriate selection of articulating paper to mark the occlusal interferences is essential for precise determination of occlusal harmony.
Machine Learning Modules for All Disciplines

Recognizing that the changing nature of science and its reliance on massive amounts of data has led to the integral use of machine learning approaches in just about every discipline, we present the results of a multi-year research effort entitled "Broader and Earlier Access to Machine Learning." For this project, we explored teaching strategies for introducing machine learning topics to non-technical students in discipline-relevant ways, culminating in a large collection of ready-to-use learning modules suitable for use in a wide variety of academic fields. We present a roadmap to our online repository of module materials, a detailed walk-thru of the contents of an example module, ideas and approaches for incorporating modules into a class or assisting non-technical colleagues in doing the same, and a summary of results of using these modules in course settings.
Digital Demand: Demand for digital cameras on eBay

The paper estimates the demand for new digital cameras sold in eBay auctions. EBay data seems to offer significant advantages over traditional transactions data for estimating demand for differentiated products. However, there are a number of concerns including censoring bias and the interpretation of the bidding behavior. This paper discusses these problems as well as possible solutions. The paper presents results from three different methods for estimating demand for differentiated products on eBay. The results suggest that the demand for digital cameras is highly elastic and there isn't a lot of substitution, particularly across brands.
Squamous differentiation and retinoids.

Retinoids are structural or functional analogues of vitamin A, or retinol. They exert profound effects on the growth, maturation, and differentiation of many cells types, particularly epithelial cells, both in vivo and in vitro [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Vitamin A exerts a major effect on normal differentiation of epithelial cells, including those lining the oral cavity and upper aerodigestive tract [9]. The maintenance of the mucus-secreting function of these cells depends on the continuous presence of vitamin A. In its absence, squamous metaplasia develops that can be reversed by vitamin A replenishment [8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]. s-alltrans-retinoic acid (tRA) can replace vitamin A in restoration of normal differentiation of epithelial tissues in vitamin A-deficient animals [14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19]. It is thought that squamous metaplasia in the upper aerodigestive epithelium is a precursor of certain cancers [20] and that agents like retinoids, which suppress keratinization and restore the normal nonkeratinizing phenotype to premalignant and malignant lesions, may also restore their responsiveness to normal growth control mechanisms. Consequently, such agents could suppress carcinogenesis and be useful in the prevention and treatment of squamous cell carcinomas [21, 22, 23]. This chapter describes the effects of retinoids on squamous differentiation in normal, premalignant, and malignant epithelial tissues.
Effects of savory essential oil on germination parameters of Fusarium infected-seeds of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

High use of synthetic pesticides has detrimental effects on the environment. An alternative option is application of natural pesticide compounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of replacing Vitavax with savory essential oil to inhibit physiological damages to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds caused by Fusarium oxysprum. A pot experiment was carried out on wheat seeds as factorial on the basis of completely randomized design with three replications. Factors were fungal infection (Fusarium oxysprum infection and non-infection), and fungicide (control, savory essential oil at 10 and 20 ppm and Vitavax 2 g per kg). Fusarium infection decreased seed physiological quality. Using savory essential oil could not inhibit fungal infection in seeds and seedling but Vitavax could. In addition, the savory essential oil decreased somewhat germination percentage and its inhibitory effect on germination increased with concentration. Although there are some reports about anti-fungal effects of savory essential oil under in vitro conditions, such effect was not observed under this pot experiment. This may be due to application of low concentration in this experiment; however high concentration will kill the seeds.
Low birthweight in second children after nurse home visiting.

To examine low birthweight and preterm birth of second children born to home-visited first-time mothers. Women were previously recruited for a randomized controlled trial of the home visiting model disseminated as Nurse-Family Partnership. 512 of these women had second children within 18 years of the first child’s birth, and were included in our sample. The intervention was associated with a lower likelihood of low birthweight for second children (odds ratio: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.97), an effect apparent only if the first-born had low birthweight and mediated by close birth spacing. These moderation and mediation patterns were similar in the preterm birth outcome. A home visiting program provided for first-born children reduced low birthweight for second-born children, if the first-born had low birthweight. This finding implies a broader impact than previously documented, because few studies have included these second children.
Abstract A76: Characteristics associated with racial disparities in Hepatocellular carcinoma survival: A matched cohort study

Background: Large racial/ethnic disparities exist in risk and outcomes of hepatocellular cancer (HCC). Objective: To determine to what extent the racial disparity in survival for patients with HCC is due to disparity in presentation characteristics at diagnosis or disparity in subsequent treatment. Methods: Data were from 16 U.S. Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) sites in the SEER-Medicare database. We compared 559 black patients 65 years and older diagnosed with HCC between 2004 and 2011 with 3 sets of 559 matched non-Hispanic white control patients selected from 4,039 non-Hispanic white potential controls. Similarly, we compared 494 Hispanic patients 65 years and older diagnosed with HCC between 2004 and 2011 with 3 sets of 494 matched non-Hispanic white control patients selected again from the 4,039 non-Hispanic white potential controls. All patients received follow-up through December 31, 2013, and the black and Hispanic case patients were separately matched to the 3 non-Hispanic white control populations on demographic (age, year of diagnosis, and SEER site), presentation (demographics variables plus patient comorbid conditions and tumor characteristics such as stage, size, and AFP), and treatment (presentation variables plus details of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy) characteristics. Results: The absolute difference in 5-year survival between black (4.6%) and non-Hispanic white (10.6%) patients was 6.0% (95% CI, 4.0% to 8.2%; P Conclusions: In the SEER-Medicare database, we observed significant disparities in survival of black versus non-Hispanic white patients with HCC. This persistent disparity seemed to be more related to presentation characteristics at diagnosis than to subsequent treatment differences. There were no differences in survival between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white patients with HCC. Note: This abstract was not presented at the conference. Citation Format: Aaron P. Thrift. Characteristics associated with racial disparities in Hepatocellular carcinoma survival: A matched cohort study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Tenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2017 Sep 25-28; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018;27(7 Suppl):Abstract nr A76.
Rational Choice and the Gender Gap in Crime: Establishing the Generality of Rational Choice Theory in Russia and Ukraine

Using data elicited from a random sample of 1435 adults residing in Lviv, Ukraine, and Nizhni Novgorod, Russia, this study tests rational choice theory (RCT) across gender groups. It seeks to deter...
Abstract OT1-01-05: Endocrine treatment alone as primary treatment for elderly patients with estrogen receptor positive good prognosis operable breast cancer: A single arm phase II, single institution study

Background : It is estimated that approximately 46,000 women age >75 are diagnosed annually with breast cancer. Due to competing co-morbidities, there is wide variation in treatment recommendations which can lead to over- or under-treatment. Though surgery for breast cancer is considered low-morbidity, many elderly women given a choice, choose not to have surgery. Previous randomized trials comparing surgery with tamoxifen versus endocrine therapy alone in women age >70 unselected for ER status demonstrated similar overall survival with poorer local control in the latter group. A new standard of care needs to be defined for elderly women with good prognosis ER+ tumors, since these women may benefit from endocrine therapy alone to treat their cancer without compromising local and distant control. Hypothesis : We hypothesize that endocrine therapy alone provides adequate local and systemic control of breast cancer in a subpopulation of women age 70 or older with ER+ breast cancer and good prognostic characteristics. Primary Objective To correlate response to neoadjuvant endocrine treatment at 6 months with Oncotype DX Recurrence Score ( RS ) in women with early-stage ER+ breast cancer who are age >70. Secondary Objective 1. To determine the breast cancer-specific survival of women with early-stage ER+ breast cancer, age >70, treated with endocrine therapy alone. 2. To determine the rate of overall survival of women with early-stage ER+ breast cancer, age >70 treated with endocrine therapy alone. Study Design : This is a prospective single arm phase II study. Patients with clinical stage I/II ER+ breast cancer, grade 1-2, Ki67 Results : Between February 2017 and April 2018, 11 patients were enrolled into the study. Two patients could not tolerate endocrine therapy and received standard of care treatment. For the 9 patients on study, average tumor size was 1.7cm, average Ki67 was 15%, average RS was 14. All of the patients received an aromatase inhibitor. At 6 months, 71% of the patients had a partial response, 28% had stable disease. None of the patients developed progressive disease. Conclusion : A new standard of care needs to be defined for women age >70 with good prognosis ER+ tumors, since these women may benefit from endocrine therapy alone to treat their cancer without compromising local and distant control. We continue to enroll patients to determine the optimal tumor markers for identifying women who can be treated with PET only to control their cancer. Citation Format: Aft R, Cherian M, Frith A, Suresh R, Glover-Collins K, Naughton M, Moon C, Conant L, Ma C. Endocrine treatment alone as primary treatment for elderly patients with estrogen receptor positive good prognosis operable breast cancer: A single arm phase II, single institution study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT1-01-05.
Methodology for the implementation of monitoring plans with different spatial and temporal scales of plant protection products residues in water bodies based on site-specific environmental pressures assessments

The awareness of plant protection products residues causing problems in water bodies is increasing more and more. A lot of effort is being made by countries in investigating the situation of diffus...
TCTAP C-174 Single Kidney, Is It Enough?

### Patient Initials or Identifier Number LS ### Relevant Clinical History and Physical Exam A Thai male 49-year-old Presented with sudden onset of hypertension with headache Physical examination: WNL Lab investigation </
Telomere length and socioeconomic status at neighborhood and individual levels among 80,000 adults in the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging cohort.

Background Telomere length (TL) may serve as a biologic marker of aging. We examined neighborhood and individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) in relation to TL. Methods The study included 84,996 non-Hispanic white subjects from the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA) cohort, part of the Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health. Relative TL (T/S) was log2 transformed to improve normality and standardized to have mean 0 and variance 1. Neighborhood SES was measured using the Neighborhood Deprivation Index (NDI), and individual SES was measured by self-reported education level. We fit linear regression models of TL on age, sex, smoking, body mass index, comorbidities, NDI, and education level. We tested for differences in the associations by sex and nonlinearity in the association of NDI with TL. Results Each SD increase in NDI was associated with a decrease of 0.0192 in standardized TL, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.0306, -0.0078. There was no evidence of nonlinearity in the association of NDI with TL. We further found that less than high school education was associated with a decrease of 0.1371 in standardized TL, 95% CI = -0.1919, -0.0823 as compared to a college education. There were no differences in the associations by sex. Conclusions We found evidence that both lower neighborhood SES and lower individual-level SES are associated with shorter TL among non-Hispanic whites. Our findings suggest that socioeconomic factors may influence aging by contributing to shorter TL.
On Estimating the Norm of a Gaussian Vector Under Additive White Gaussian Noise

This letter considers the task of estimating the norm of an $n$ -dimensional Gaussian random vector given a noisy/perturbed observation of it. In particular, the focus is on the case of additive Gaussian noise perturbation, which is assumed to be independent of the original vector. First, an expression for the optimal estimator is derived, and then the corresponding minimum mean square error (MMSE) is computed. The regime of large vector size is also analyzed, and it is shown that the MMSE normalized by $n$ equals zero when $n \rightarrow \infty$ .
Nanoporous anodic alumina reduces Staphylococcus biofilm formation.

Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus, two bacterial strains commonly associated with biofilm-related medical infections and food poisoning, can rapidly colonize biotic and abiotic surfaces. The present study investigates the ability of anodic alumina surfaces with nanoporous surface topography to minimize the attachment and biofilm formation mediated by these pathogenic bacterial strains. Early attachment and subsequent biofilm development were retarded on surfaces with nanopores of 15-25 nm in diameter compared to surfaces with 50-100 nm pore diameter and nanosmooth surfaces. After 30 min of incubation in nutritive media, the biomass accumulation per unit surface area was 2·93 ± 1·72 µm3 µm-2 for the 15 nm, 3·49 ± 1·97 µm3 µm-2 for the 25 nm, as compared to 14·04 ± 6·39 µm3 µm-2 for the nanosmooth, 11·88 ± 9·72 µm3 µm-2 for the 50 nm and 12·09 ± 11·84 µm3 µm-2 for the 100 nm surfaces respectively. These findings suggest that anodic alumina with small size nanoscale pores could reduce the incidence of staphylococcal biofilms and infections, and shows promise as a material for a variety of medical applications and food contact surfaces. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This paper reports on a simple, robust and scientifically sound method to reduce attachment and biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis to abiotic surfaces using a carefully designed nanoscale topography. This approach can help to reduce the incidence of staphylococcal biofilms and infections without imposing selective stresses on bacteria, thus preventing the creation of resistant strains.