cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transient expression of laminin in the optic nerve of the developing rat

The optic nerve of the developing rat was examined for the presence of laminin, an adhesive glycoprotein, to assess whether it might serve as a substrate for retinal axon growth in vivo. The optic stalk and nerve of developing rats were screened immunohistochemically for the presence of laminin before, during, and after the period of retinal axon growth. On embryonic day 14 (E14), laminin immunoreactivity was present in the ventral portion of the optic stalk, the same region in which the first retinal axons grow. Between E16 and postnatal day 10 (P10), cells positive for laminin were distributed throughout the cross-sectional area of the nerve. There was a progressive appearance of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity, a marker for astrocytes, from the optic nerve head towards the chiasm beginning on E20. At the advancing front of GFAP immunoreactivity, cells were positive for both laminin and GFAP. Behind the front, laminin immunoreactivity disappeared from the cells. By P12, the only laminin immunoreactivity that remained within the optic nerve surrounded the vasculature. This is a time after the last retinal axons grow through the optic nerve. Monolayer cell cultures were prepared from perinatal rat optic nerves and processed for immunohistochemistry to determine which astrocyte type was laminin-positive. Type 1 astrocytes, which primarily compose the immature nerve, are GFAP-positive, A2B5-negative, and laminin-positive. Type 2 astrocytes, a major component of the mature optic nerve, were GFAP-positive, A2B5-positive and laminin- negative. An extract of developing optic nerve was analyzed by immunoblot along with laminin purified from Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) sarcoma. Purified laminin ran with SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions as 2 bands with Mrs of 200,000 and 4000,000. Both bands reacted with antibodies to laminin. A low-salt extraction of whole optic nerve from E18 rats resulted in 2 bands with the same Mr as seen with laminin from EHS sarcoma. When only the inside of the optic nerve (which lacked the basal lamina and meninges that surround the outside) was processed, there was a dark 200,000 D band, but the 400,000 D band was virtually absent. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that laminin, or a variant form of laminin, serves as a substrate for retinal axon growth in the developing rat optic nerve.
Quantitation of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Increases during Motor Activation: A Steady-State Arterial Spin Tagging Study

Steady-state arterial spin tagging MRI approaches were used to quantitate regional cerebral blood flow increases during finger tapping tasks in seven normal subjects. Statistically significant increases in cerebral blood flow were observed in the contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex in all seven subjects and in the supplementary motor area in five subjects. The intrinsic spatial resolution of the cerebral blood flow images was approximately 4 mm. If no spatial filtering was applied, the average increase in cerebral blood flow in the activated primary sensorimotor cortex was 60 +/- 10 cc/100 g/min (91 +/- 32%). If the images were filtered to a spatial resolution of 15 mm, the average increase in cerebral blood flow in the activated primary sensorimotor cortex was 23 +/- 7 cc/100 g/min (42 +/- 15%), in agreement with previously reported 133Xe and PET results.
Conformational Changes of p97 during Nucleotide Hydrolysis Determined by Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering

Summary Valosin-containing protein (VCP)/p97 is an AAA family ATPase that has been implicated in the removal of misfolded proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum and in membrane fusion. p97 forms a homohexamer whose protomers consist of an N-terminal (N) domain responsible for binding to effector proteins, followed by two AAA ATPase domains, D 1 and D 2 . Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements of p97 in the presence of AMP-PNP (ATP state), ADP-AlF x (hydrolysis transition state), ADP, or no nucleotide reveal major changes in the positions of the N domains with respect to the hexameric ring during the ATP hydrolysis cycle. Nucleotide binding and hydrolysis experiments indicate that D 2 inhibits nucleotide exchange by D 1 . The data suggest that the conversion of the chemical energy of ATP hydrolysis into mechanical work on substrates involves transmission of conformational changes generated by D 2 through D 1 to move N.
Wallaby: a scalable semantic configuration service for grids and clouds

Job schedulers for grids and clouds can offer great generality and configurability, but they typically do so at the cost of increased administrator complexity. In this paper, we present Wallaby, an open-source, scalable configuration service for compute resources managed by the Condor high-throughput computing system. Wallaby offers several notable advantages over similar systems: it lets administrators write declarative specifications of user-visible functionality on groups of nodes instead of low-level configuration file fragments; it presents a high-level semantic model of Condor features and their interactions and dependencies; it validates configurations before pushing them to nodes; it supports version control, "undo," and configuration differencing; and it includes a networked API that enables extensions and advanced functionality. Wallaby allows administrators to extend pools to include more physical, virtual, or cloud nodes with minimal explicit configuration. Finally, it is scalable, supporting pools consisting of thousands of nodes with hundreds of configuration parameters each.
Experimental analysis of the stability of electrostatic bits for assisted nano-assembly

Abstract Scanning probe microscopy(SPM)-based nanolithography with injected charges into layered electrets, such as silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) and silicon nitride, is a promising tool with far-reaching applications, such as controlled nano-assembly of macro-molecules and data storage. Despite its potential, some practical limitations exist. This paper describes an experimental investigation of the process of charging and charge dissipation in SiO 2 using an AFM probe tip and surface potential (Kelvin probe) microscopy. The stability of charge bits on hexamethyl disilazane(HMDS)-treated SiO 2 under low dielectric constant liquids, fluorocarbon, and benzene has been demonstrated. Results from a numerical simulation of a theoretical charging model, in which the charge traps are assumed to be localized on the silicon/SiO 2 interface, are also presented. The charge transport mechanism considered is modified Fowler–Nordheim tunneling.
Fast path planning using modified A* method

An algorithm is presented for planning the path of an object (robot) through an obstacle cluttered space by using a modified A* method for searching through the free space. The A* method can be extremely slow for large numbers of cells to be searched. The alternative presented is to use trial vectors that span several cells to aid in the planning. The fine resolution of the obstacle mapping is maintained. A loose search is performed on the fine grid. The paths that are found using this method are slightly sub-optimal. The speed of the searching algorithm is significantly increased. Solution times for three-dimensional problems are typically below 100 milliseconds, while the traditional A* search for the same problem is several minutes. The trade-off is a large speed increase for a slight degradation in path length optimality. Two-dimensional problems are solved very quickly. >
Low temperature metal and polymer bonding for advanced infrared imaging sensors

Low temperature bonding is a critical process module for high density 3-D integration technology as well as wafer-level 3-D packaging. This presentation will review the use of such 3-D integration technologies in advanced infrared imaging sensors. Designs based on 3-D architectures enable infrared cameras that are characterized by high performance, low power, low weight and a small form factor. Such cameras are expected to be used widely in defense, security and commercial markets. The presentation will highlight recent 3-D integration technology demonstrations at RTI that employ low temperature metal and polymer bonding. We have demonstrated 99.99% operability in large arrays of 3-D interconnects with pitches down to 10 μm.
Partial purification and some biochemical properties of neonatal rat cutaneous glutathione S-transferases

Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of glutathione S-transferases in the skin of rodents and humans. This study represents the first attempt to purify cytosolic glutathione S-transferases from skin of 3-day-old rats. 2. A partial purification of the enzyme was achieved by a two-step procedure: affinity chromatography followed by HPLC. Two peaks, one major (P-l) and one minor (P-2), were resolved by HPLC containing about 82% and 10% of the recovered activity, respectively. 3. The major form exhibited an overall purification of about 2270-fold with a specific activity of about 73 #moles/min/mg protein towards 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. 4. The kinetic data for P-I yielded mean Km values of 2.39 mM for 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and 0.72 mM for reduced glutathione, while the respective average Vma x values were found to be 212 and 101/~moles/min/mg protein. 5. Significantly inhibition of enzyme activity was noted in the presence of 0.2 mM HgCI 2, 0.63 pM 1.2-naphthoquinone, 1.0 #M triphenyltin chloride, and 12.5 #M 17fl-estradiol-3-sulfate.
Cross-phase modulation in dispersive fibers: theoretical and experimental investigation of the impact of modulation frequency

We investigated, theoretically and experimentally, the impact of modulation frequency on cross-phase modulation (XPM) in dispersive fibers. A simple expression for the XPM index has been derived and verified by experiment. The XPM index is found to depend on fiber length, fiber chromatic dispersion, wavelength separation between the signal and the pump, and the intensity modulation frequency. At high modulation frequencies, the XPM index is inversely proportional to the product of the modulation frequency and wavelength separation. >
Reducing PE/memory traffic in multiprocessors by the difference coding of memory addresses

A method of reducing the volume of data flowing through the network in a shared memory parallel computer (multiprocessor) is described. The reduction is achieved by difference coding the memory addresses in messages sent between processing elements (PE's) and memories. In an implementation, each PE would store the last address sent to each memory, and vice versa. Messages that would normally contain an address instead contain the difference between the address associated with the current and most recent messages. Trace-driven simulation shows that only 70% or less of traffic volume (including data and overhead) is necessary, even in systems using coherent caches. The reduction in traffic could result in a lower cost or lower latency network. The cost of the hardware to achieve this is small, and the delay added is insignificant compared to network latency. >
Geometric Measure Theory and Elliptic Variational Problems

“During the last three decades the subject of geometric measure theory has developed from a collection of isolated special results into a cohesive body of basic knowledge with an ample natural structure of its own, and with strong ties to many other parts of mathematics. These advances have given us deeper perception of the analytic and topological foundations of geometry, and have provided new directions to the calculus of variations. Recently the methods of geometric measure theory have led to very substantial progress in the study of quite general elliptic variational problems, including the multidimensional problem of least area.” [FHl Preface].
Sorghum: Production and Improvement Practices

Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is an important grain, forage, and bioenergy crop grown throughout the world. Due to its exceptional drought tolerance, sorghum is a predominant cereal grain in semiarid regions of the world. As a grain, sorghum is used as a both a food and feed crop primarily based on its historical use in each production region. Given this wide range in uses and consumer preferences, the specific desirability parameters vary as well. Within this context, overall grain quality is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.
Humour effect on memory and attitude: moderating role of product involvement

This study examined the moderating effects of product involvement on the effects of humour on memory and attitude towards the advertisement by using multi-year survey (1992 to 1997) of responses to...
Study of conductor surface roughness impact on package insertion loss

This paper investigates and discusses the impact of surface roughness on package insertion loss performance for high-speed applications up-to 50GHz. 3D electrical package with Hurray surface roughness modeling was established and simulated. The insertion loss performance of package interconnects are discussed and compared against laboratory measurement results. The magnitude of electrical insertion loss due to surface roughness on the horizontal metal routing and vertical interconnects for instance plated through hole structure is also evaluated. Sensitivity of dielectric thickness in mitigating insertion loss performance degradation due to surface roughness is also presented in this paper.
Left atrial flutter accelerates during ablation of atrial fibrillation: a paradoxical effect of electrical remodelling.

Aims Atrial fibrillation (AF)-induced electrical remodelling causes shortening of refractory period and slowing of conduction velocity. During the course of catheter ablation of AF, there are often transitions from AF to left atrial flutter (AFL) and from faster to slower AFL. The purpose of this study was to characterize the time course of change in AFL rate during AF ablation. Methods and results Fourier transformation was performed on 16 s segments of coronary sinus and ablation catheter bipolar electrograms. Ablation-induced AF-to-AFL and AFL-to-AFL transitions were defined as a sudden drop in the dominant frequency (DF) of at least 10 bpm, followed by a regular rhythm. Forty-five transitions were detected in 24 ablation procedures. The mean DF in AF was 5.31 ± 0.79 Hz, which was significantly faster than AFL, 4.52 ± 0.62 Hz ( P < 0.05). The mean ΔDF at transitions was −51 ± 16 bpm in AF and −40 ± 14 bpm in AFL. Dominant frequency slope was positive (rate increased) after all the transitions during AF ( P < 0.0001) and in 11 of 14 transitions in AFL ( P = 0.033). The time constant of the DF recovery curve was 161 ± 105 s. Conclusions After ablation-induced transition from AF to AFL, or faster to slower AFL, there is a progressive increase in AFL rate over time. The mechanism of this acceleration is uncertain, but the time constant of this rate increase is consistent with the recovery of the slow/ultraslow sodium current in the setting of established electrical remodelling.
Systems Biology Approach Reveals the Importance of SHC1-GRB2 Interactions in EGFR Phosphorylation Kinetics

The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in both physiological and cancer-related processes. Ligand-binding to EGFR leads to phosphorylation of several tyrosine residues in the cytoplasmic tail of the receptor. Once phosphorylated, each of those residues will serve as docking sites for particular signaling proteins, such as Shc1 and Grb2, that propagate the signal and ultimately lead to different cellular responses. Upon ligand binding, phosphorylation of EGFR increases rapidly, but is followed by a significant decrease after 30 seconds. This response has been difficult to explain. While groups have incorporated mechanisms such as endocytosis or negative feedback loops into their mathematical models to explain this behavior, these predictions have not completely recapitulated the behavior and/or remain to be experimentally tested. We have built a computational model of EGFR signaling to allow us assess the contribution of the different proposed mechanisms on the observed behavior. To test the model, we used Single-Molecule Pull-down (SiMPull) to determine the phosphorylation state of thousands of individual receptors. This unique data reveals the fraction of receptors phosphorylated at specific tyrosine residues as a function of time after activation. To fit the data, we needed to include a novel mechanism to explain the overshoot in EGFR phosphorylation in which increased Shc1-Grb2 interaction reduces Grb2 availability to bind to the phospho-sites in the receptor, consequently leaving those sites more accessible to phosphatases. Our results indicate that the ligand-induced interaction between Shc1 and Grb2 is primarily responsible for the early overshoot observed in EGFR phosphorylation. The increased association of phosphorylated Shc1 with Grb2 has been demonstrated in vitro. Experiments to test this prediction in cells are underway.
CORRECTION CURVE FOR GROUNDING RESISTANCE VALUE OF GROUND MESH BURIED IN TWO-LAYER SOILS MEASURED BY COMPENSATING METHOD

The correction method for grounding resistance of grounding mesh is complemented and improved. Here the grounding mesh is buried in two-layer soil and the grounding resistances are measured by compensating method under different distances between the main grounding mesh and the backflow pole of current. Several groups of correction curves of grounding resistance errors and those of the position of voltage poles are obtained. These correction curves can be available for reference in engineering measurements.
Regulation of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist by Th1 and Th2 cytokines

Airway inflammation is an important aspect of asthma. Recent studies of airway inflammation in asthma have focused attention on cytokines released by T helper lymphocyte type 1 (Th1)- and Th2-like ...
Street stops and police legitimacy in New York

Police-initiated citizen encounters in American cities often are non-neutral events. Encounters range from routine traffic stops to police interdiction of pedestrians during their everyday movements through both residential and commercial areas to aggressive enforcement of social disorder offenses. As a crime detection and control strategy central to the “new policing,” these encounters often are unproductive and inefficient. They rarely result in arrest or seizure of contraband, and often provoke ill will between citizens and legal authorities that discourages citizen cooperation with police and compliance with law. In this chapter, we describe the range of potentially adverse reactions or harms that SQF or ‘street’ policing may produce. We next link those harms to a broader set of normative concerns that connect dignity, harm and police legitimacy. In the third section we review the evidence that connects citizen views of police – as well as their experience with police – to their perceptions of the legitimacy of the police and criminal legal institutions generally. We also review the evidence that links those perceptions to how citizens behave with respect to law, and identify the consequences of adverse reactions of citizens to harsh forms of street policing. We discuss alternative frameworks for regulation and democratic control of the new policing to link police legitimacy with guardianship of communities.
Approaches to Organizational Structure and Financing

This chapter provides an overview of the diverse approaches utilized on organizing and sustaining care farms in Europe and therapeutic farms in the United States. The legal structure of a care or therapeutic farm and its approach to financing often depend upon the options that are available within the legal system that governs its existence and the extent to which government funding is or is not available for mental health services generally and for care on such farms specifically.
Not Just Commandos: Anti-Fascism, 1945–51

The growth of fascism in Britain after 1945 meant that a whole number of different organisations were obliged to take sides. Political parties, community organisations and individual anti-fascists all took a stand. The vast majority of the non-fascist groups considered themselves to be anti-fascist, but the fact that they thought they were anti-fascist does not mean that they deserved the name. In this way, a large number of Conservative Party members found the ideas of fascism objectionable, but most Conservatives did nothing to oppose fascism. In practical terms there was a spectrum. At one end were the owners of the Conservative newspaper Truth, who gave an editorial post to the fascist, A. K. Chesterton. Nearer the middle was Winston Churchill, who had spent the early 1930s expressing his admiration for both Mussolini and Hitler. After 1945, he peppered his history of the Second World War with references suggesting that Communists, not Mosley, should have been interned in 1940.1 At the other end of the spectrum was Quentin Hogg, who maintained that Conservatives would find Mosley’s ideas disgusting, but would not believe in using the law to stop them.2 Of course, the Conservative Party was not fascist; its members were neither semi-fascists nor partial fascists, but nor were they antifascists. They did not act to stop fascism, but argued instead against those anti-fascists that aimed to stop Mosley from below, through demonstrations and campaigns at the street level. They even opposed those anti-fascists aiming to stop Mosley from above, through parliamentary delegations and changes to the law.
AB0121 Differentially Expressed Micrornas as Candidate Biomarkers for Disease Activity in Ankylosing Spondylitis

Background Research on miRNAs as regulators of immune system has fast emerged. miRNA expression profile is believed to be reflective of specific physiologic and pathologic processes and can serve as potential biomarkers of disease activity. Objectives In the present study, we proposed to test the hypothesis that, “patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have an altered miRNA expression profile compared to control subjects.” We also proposed to test whether the expression profile of selected miRNAs identified in the study correlates with disease activity as measured by BASDAI and ASDAS and markers of inflammation:ESR and CRP. Methods Fifty-one patients ≥18 years of age with AS based on modified New York classification criteria and 23 healthy controls were prospectively recruited. Subjects with malignancy in last 5 years, RA, SLE, evidence of HIV or chronic hepatitis B or C infection were excluded. Patients and controls were screened, consented and peripheral blood samples (5 ml) were obtained. ESR and CRP were measured using routine laboratory methods. Validated Questionnaires to assess disease, and functional activity in AS were administered to patients. Sixty-eight circulating miRNAs in the plasma of all the study subjects were profiled by Firefly Multiplex Circulating miRNA Assay (Abcam, Cambridge, MA) using the Immunology Panel. Forty microliters of plasma samples were first digested using supplied enzyme mix and then the assay was performed following the instructions provided by manufacturer. The assay beads were scanned on BD Accuri C6 flow cytometer. Data were analyzed using Firefly Analyis Workbench (Abcam). Descriptive analyses included continuous variables (the mean ± SD) and the categorical variables percentage. Linear regression analysis was performed to assess the association between BASDAI, BASMI, ASDAS, Rapid 3, ESR, CRP and differentially dysregulated miRNAs in AS patients. Results There were 34 males/51 with mean age of 49.8± 12.2; 30.6% African-Americans, 47.0% were HLA-B27 positive, 29.4% were negative and 23% indeterminate, and 45% on anti-TNF alpha inhibitors. Mean (±SD) values were: BASDAI score 5.23 (±2.5); BASFI score 4.7 (±2.8); PGA, 5.1 (±2.4); ASDAS-CRP score 3.4 (±1.13); RAPID 3 score 13.76 (±7.21); ESR, 22.4 mm/hr (±22.0) and CRP levels, 1.3 mg/dl (±1.9). Six microRNAs (miR-181b-5p, miR-181a-5p, let-7i-5p, miR-34a-5p, miR-30b-5p and miR-146a-5p) were found to be differentially expressed in AS patients compared to healthy controls (p Conclusions Patients with AS as compared to controls, have dysregulated expression of selected miRNAs in the plasma; and levels of miR-181b-5p were significantly higher in patients with active disease and showed significant correlation with BASDAI and ASDAS scores. miR-181b-5p is predicted to target genes regulating inflammatory processes and may be proposed as a potential biomarker for disease activity in AS. Acknowledgement The study is funded by National Institute of Allergy and Musculoskeletal diseases Disclosure of Interest None declared
The impact of co‐existing immune‐mediated diseases on phenotype and outcomes in inflammatory bowel diseases

SummaryBackground Inflammatory bowel diseases lead to progressive bowel damage and need for surgery. While the increase in prevalence of other immune-mediated diseases in IBD is well recognised, the impact of this on the natural history of IBD is unknown. Aim To determine the impact of concomitant immune-mediate disease on phenotypes and outcomes in IBD. Methods Patients with IBD enrolled in a prospective registry were queried about the presence of other immune-mediated diseases, defined as those where immune dysregulation plays a role in pathogenesis. Demographics and disease-related information were obtained. Subjects also completed measures of quality of life. Multivariable regression models compared disease phenotype and outcomes of IBD patients with and without other immune-mediated diseases. Results The cohort included 2145 IBD patients among whom 458 (21%) had another immune-mediated disease. There was no difference in CD phenotype between the two groups. UC patients were more likely to have pancolitis in the presence of another immune-mediated disease (62%) compared to those without (52%, P = 0.02). IBD patients with another immune-mediated disease had higher rates of needing anti-TNF biologics [Odds ratio (OR) 1.31, 95% CI 1.05–1.63] and surgery (OR 1.26, 95% CI 0.99–1.61). The presence of another immune-mediated disease was also associated with lower disease-specific and general physical quality of life. Conclusions The presence of another immune-mediated disease in IBD patients was associated with higher likelihood of pancolonic involvement in UC, and a modest increase in need for IBD-related surgery and anti-TNF biological therapy. Such patients also experienced worse quality of life.
M Cells in Antigen Sampling in Mucosal Tissues

The mucosal surfaces of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts are lined by epithelial barriers composed of cells joined by tight junctions. These gasket-like junctional structures are generally effective in excluding peptides and macromolecules with antigenic potential (Madara et al. 1990). Mucosal surfaces are also provided with other defenses such as local secretions containing mucins and secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies that tend to prevent antigens and pathogens from contacting the epithelium (Neutra et al. 1994). Nevertheless, to obtain samples from the external environment across this barrier, the mucosal immune system depends on a close collaboration between epithelial cells and antigen-presenting and lymphoid cells. These “lympho-epithelial complexes” allow transport of antigen samples across the mucosal barrier without compromising the integrity and protective functions of the epithelium.
Big Data Ethics

We are on the cusp of a “Big Data” Revolution, in which increasingly large datasets are mined for important predictions and often surprising insights. The predictions and decisions this revolution will enable will transform our society in ways comparable to the Industrial Revolution. We are now at a critical moment; big data uses today will be sticky and will settle both default norms and public notions of what is “no big deal” regarding big data predictions for years to come.In this paper, we argue that big data, broadly defined, is producing increased powers of institutional awareness and power that require the development of a Big Data Ethics. We are building a new digital society, and the values we build or fail to build into our new digital structures will define us. Critically, if we fail to balance the human values that we care about, like privacy, confidentiality, transparency, identity and free choice with the compelling uses of big data, our Big Data Society risks abandoning these values for the sake of innovation and expediency. In Part I, we trace the origins and rapid growth of the Information Revolution. In Part II, we call for the development of a “Big Data Ethics,” a set of four related principles that should govern data flows in our information society, and inform the establishment of big data norms. First, we must recognize “privacy” as an inevitable system of information rules rather than merely secrecy. Second, we must recognize that shared private information can remain “confidential.” Third, we must recognize that big data requires transparency. Fourth, we must recognize that big data can compromise identity. In Part III, we suggest how we might integrate big data ethics into our society. Law will be an important part of Big Data Ethics, but so too must the establishment of ethical principles and best practices that guide government, corporations, and users. We must all be part of the conversation, and part of the solution. Big Data Ethics are for everyone.
Measurement Error Correction of Genome-Wide Polygenic Scores in Prediction Samples

DiPrete, Burik, & Koellinger (2017; http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/134197) propose using an instrumental variable (IV) framework to correct genome-wide polygenic scores (GPSs) for error, thereby producing disattenuated estimates of SNP heritability in predictions samples. They demonstrate their approach by producing two independent GPSs for Educational Attainment ("multiple indicators") in a prediction sample (Health and Retirement Study; HRS) from independent sets of SNP regression weights, each computed from a different half of the discovery sample (EA2; Okbay et al. 2016), i.e. "by randomly splitting the GWAS sample that was used for [the GPS] construction." Here, I elucidate how a structural equation modeling (SEM) framework that specifies true score variance in GPSs as a latent variable can be used to derive an equivalent correction to the IV approach proposed by DiPrete et al. (2017). This approach, which is rooted in a psychometric modeling tradition, has a number of advantages: (1) it formalizes the assumed data-generating model, (2) it estimates all parameters of interest in a single step, (3) is can be flexibly incorporated into a larger multivariate analysis (such as the "Genetic Instrumental Variable" approach proposed by DiPrete et al., 2017), (4) it can easily be adapted to relax assumptions (e.g. that the GPS indicators equally represent the true genetic factor score), and (5) it can easily be extended to include more than two GPS indicators. After describing how the multiple indicator approach to GPS correction can specified as a structural equation model, I demonstrate how a structural equation modeling approach can be used to correct GPSs for error using SNP heritability obtained using GREML or LD score regression to produce a correction that is equivalent to an approach recently proposed by Daniel Benjamin and colleagues. Finally, I briefly discuss what I view as some conceptual limitations surrounding the error correction approaches described, regardless of the estimation method implemented.
Location privacy preserving protocols in database-enabled cognitive radio networks

The exponential growth in the number of mobile devices, combined with the rapid demand for wireless services, has steadily stressed the wireless spectrum, calling for new techniques to improve spectrum utilization. A geo-location database has been proposed as a viable solution for wireless users to determine spectrum availability in cognitive radio networks. The protocol used by secondary users (SU) to request spectral availability for a specific location, time and duration, may reveal confidential information about these users. In this paper, we focus on SUs' location privacy in database-enabled wireless networks and propose a framework to address this threat. The basic tenet of the framework is obfuscation, whereby channel requests for valid locations are interwoven with requests for fake locations. Traffic redirection is also used to deliberately confuse potential query monitors from inferring users' location information. Within this framework, we propose two privacy-preserving schemes. The Master Device Enabled Location Privacy Preserving scheme utilizes trusted master devices to prevent leaking information of SUs' locations to attackers. The Crowd Sourced Location Privacy Preserving scheme builds a guided tour of randomly selected volunteers to deliver users channel availability queries and ensure location privacy. Security analysis and computational and communication overhead of these schemes are discussed.
Abstract 3224: Cucurbitacin D inhibits prostate tumor growth via targeting glucose metabolism

Background: Emergence of hormone-refractory PrCa (HRPC) after the anti-androgen therapy, cancer metastasis and chemo-resistance are the major hurdle for the treatment of prostate cancer (PrCa) patients. Accumulative evidence suggests that altered glucose metabolism is one of the mechanisms for metastatic PrCa cell survival and chemo-resistance. Therefore, identification and generation of natural/or synthetic pharmacological agents that can limit altered glucose metabolism might be highly useful for the treatment of metastatic and chemo-resistant PrCa. Cucurbitacins have shown potent anti-cancer and glucagonostic activities along with severe liver toxicity. Thus, a focus on developing different analogues of cucurbitacin is being pursued by scientific community. Herein, we report that Cucurbitacin D, an analogue of cucurbitacin, suppresses the growth of metastatic PrCa cells in vitro and in vivo via targeting glucose metabolism and its associated molecular targets. Methods: HRPC cells (PC3 and DU145) was used as a model system. Effect of Cucurbitacin D on PrCa cell proliferation and apoptosis was performed by MTS, xCELLigence and Annexin V assays. Effect of Cucurbitacin D on clonogenic potential of PrCa cells was examined by colony formation assay. In silico analysis was performed to study if Cucurbitacin D interacts with GLUT1 receptor. Effect of Cucurbitacin D on glucose metabolism of PrCa cells was performed by metabolic shift, glucose and lactate uptake assays. Effect of Cucurbitacin D treatment on key molecules of cell survival and glucose metabolism signaling pathways in PrCa cells was analyzed by Western blot and qRT-PCR analyses. Therapeutic efficacy of Cucurbitacin D against PrCa was evaluated in an ectopic PrCa xenograft mouse model. Results: Cucurbitacin D (0.1 to 1 µM) treatment significantly (P -1 ). It has been reported that miR-132 targets the GLUT1, interestingly, Cucurbitacin D replenished the expression of miR-132 in PrCa cells. These growth inhibitory effects of Cucurbitacin D were confirmed in PrCa xenograft mouse model while administered intra-tumorally (1 mg/kg body weight thrice/week). Conclusion: Our results suggest that Cucurbitacin D is a novel modulator of glucose metabolism which could be a promising therapeutic modality alone or in combination of conventional chemotherapeutic agents for PrCa. Citation Format: Mohammed Sikander, Bilal Bin Hafeez, Shabnam Malik, Aditya Ganju, Fathi T. Halaweish, Murali Mohan Yallapu, Subhash C. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi. Cucurbitacin D inhibits prostate tumor growth via targeting glucose metabolism [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3224. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3224
Molecular cartography of mutational landscapes in melanomas.

Understanding the origins of mutations in genes and how these give rise to tumors is a central problem in biology. A new study in The EMBO Journal has produced a 3‐dimensional map of DNA damage induced by sunlight, a pervasive carcinogen, and found that genes on the periphery, located near the nuclear lamin, are more prone to damage than those in the interior of the nucleus. In addition, high levels of damage showed a remarkable correlation with driver mutations in melanoma.
Critical Care Air Transport Team Evacuation of Medical Patients Without Traumatic Injury.

ABSTRACT Background: Air Force Critical Care Air Transport Teams (CCATTs) provide fixed-wing aeromedical evacuation for combat casualties. Multiple studies have evaluated CCATT trauma patients; however, nearly 50% of patients medically evacuated from combat theaters are for nontraumatic medical illnesses to include stroke, myocardial infarctions, overdose, and pulmonary emboli. Published data are limited regarding illness types, in-flight procedures, and adverse events. Objective: The objective of our study was to characterize patients with nontraumatic medical illnesses transferred via CCATT to include a description of in-flight procedures and events. Study Design: We performed a retrospective review of CCATT medical records of patients with nontraumatic medical illnesses transported via CCATT from theater of operations to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center between January 2007 and April 2015. We abstracted data from CCATT records to include demographics, description of current illness, vital signs, labs,...
Afterword: “Her Book” and Early Modern Modes of Collaboration

This chapter considers the issues raised about the nature of collaboration as posed in the preceding chapters, including seventeenth-century definitions and descriptions of the practices. It looks at the ways in which authors, owners, readers, and collaborators described their relationship to the text, using as examples Esther Inglis, manuscript recipe volumes with multiple owners, and Elizabeth Cellier’s legal defense of her writings.
Epigenetic Applications in Adverse Outcome Pathways and Environmental Risk Evaluation.

Background: The epigenome may be an important interface between environmental chemical exposures and human health. However, the links between epigenetic modifications and health outcomes are often ...
A 1.6ps peak-INL 5.3ns range two-step digital-to-time converter in 65nm CMOS

A wide range high resolution 2-stage digital-to-time converter (DTC) is presented. It uses a counter in the first stage and a digitally controlled delay line in the second stage to decouple the range versus resolution trade-off. Background calibration is used to correct interstage gain error. Fabricated in 65nm, the prototype DTC achieves 1.65ps-peak-integral non-linearity (INL) while consuming 10.13mW at 100MHz carrier frequency. The achieved dynamic range is 15dB higher than state-of-the-art DTCs.
Towards Autonomic Science Infrastructure: Architecture, Limitations, and Open Issues

Scientific computing systems are becoming increasingly complex and indeed are close to reaching a critical limit in manageability when using current human-in-the-loop techniques. In order to address this problem, autonomic, goal-driven management actions based on machine learning must be applied end to end across the scientific computing landscape. Even though researchers proposed architectures and design choices for autonomic computing systems more than a decade ago, practical realization of such systems has been limited, especially in scientific computing environments. Growing interest and recent developments in machine learning have spurred proposals to apply machine learning for goal-based optimization of computing systems in an autonomous fashion. We review recent work that uses machine learning algorithms to improve computer system performance, identify gaps and open issues. We propose a hierarchical architecture that builds on the earlier proposals for autonomic computing systems to realize an autonomous science infrastructure.
The Changing Face of Bacterial Soft-Rot Diseases

Bacterial soft rot is a disease complex caused by multiple genera of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, with Dickeya and Pectobacterium being the most widely studied soft-rot bacterial pathogens. In addition to soft rot, these bacteria also cause blackleg of potato, foot rot of rice, and bleeding canker of pear. Multiple Dickeya and Pectobacterium species cause the same symptoms on potato, complicating epidemiology and disease resistance studies. The primary pathogen species present in potato-growing regions differs over time and space, further complicating disease management. Genomics technologies are providing new management possibilities, including improved detection and biocontrol methods that may finally allow effective disease management. The recent development of inbred diploid potato lines is also having a major impact on studying soft-rot pathogens because it is now possible to study soft-rot disease in model plant species that produce starchy vegetative storage organs. Together, these new...
Adaptive gain in closed-loop tilt control and adaptive optics

The performance of closed-loop tilt-control and adaptive-optics systems suffers when conditions change. Examples of changing conditions are angular extent of the object, signal-to-noise ratio, and characteristics of the disturbance. A simple learning algorithm motivated by neural network theory is developed to change the closed-loop gain in real-time to adapt quickly to changing conditions. This technique finds the correct loop gain within seconds with no operator intervention, which saves several minutes for each observation. Simulation and experimental results show improvement for both tilt-control and adaptive-optics systems.
Development of Load Spectrum for Full Scale Fatigue Test of a Trainer Aircraft

PZL-130 “Orlik” is a turbo-propeller engine trainer airplane, entirely designed and build in Poland. This plane is used in Polish Air Force mainly for primary training of polish military pilots.
Linguistic Content Analysis as a Tool for Improving Adaptive Instruction

This study investigates methods to automatically assess the features of content texts within an intelligent tutoring system (ITS). Coh-Metrix was used to calculate linguistic indices for texts (n = 66) within the reading strategy ITS, iSTART. Coh-Metrix indices for the system texts were compared to students’ (n = 126) self-explanation scores to examine the degree to which linguistic indices predicted students’ self-explanation quality. Initial analyses indicated no relation between self-explanation scores on a given text and its linguistic properties. However, subsequent analyses indicated the presence of robust text effects when analyses were separated for high and low reading ability students.
Distributional Effects of Raising the Social Security Taxable Maximum

As of 2009, Social Security's Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program limits the amount of annual earnings subject to taxation at $106,800, and this value generally increases annually based on changes in the national average wage index. This brief uses Modeling Income in the Near Term (MINT) projections to compare the distributional effects of four options for raising the maximum taxable earnings amount beyond its scheduled levels. Two of the options would raise this value so that it covers 90 percent of all covered earnings and two would remove the maximum completely. Within each set of options, the proposals are differentiated by whether the new taxable amounts are used in computing benefits. Most workers would not be affected by these proposals, but some higher earners would experience a substantial increase in taxes. Correspondingly, benefit increases are largely isolated to higher earners, although the return in benefits for taxes paid would also decline. Because the proposals are targeted toward high earners, Social Security's progressivity would increase.
Smooth Interpolation of Covariance Matrices and Brain Network Estimation: Part II

We propose an approach to use the state covariance of autonomous linear systems to track time-varying covariance matrices of nonstationary time series. Following concepts from the Riemannian geometry, we investigate three types of covariance paths obtained by using different quadratic regularizations of system matrices. The first quadratic form induces the geodesics based on the Hellinger–Bures metric related to optimal mass transport (OMT) theory and quantum mechanics. The second type of quadratic form leads to the geodesics based on the Fisher–Rao metric from information geometry. In the process, we introduce a weighted-OMT interpretation of the Fisher–Rao metric for multivariate Gaussian distributions. A main contribution of this work is the introduction of the third type of covariance paths, which are steered by system matrices with rotating eigenspaces. The three types of covariance paths are compared using two examples with synthetic data and real data from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, respectively.
Macroscale intrinsic network architecture of the hypothalamus

Control of multiple life-critical physiological and behavioral functions requires the hypothalamus. Here, we provide a comprehensive description and rigorous analysis of mammalian intrahypothalamic network architecture. To achieve this at the gray matter region (macroscale) level, macroscale connection (macroconnection) data for the rat hypothalamus were extracted from the primary literature. The dataset indicated the existence of 7,982 (of 16,770 possible) intrahypothalamic macroconnections. Network analysis revealed that the intrahypothalamic macroconnection network (its macroscale subconnectome) is divided into two identical top-level subsystems (or subnetworks), each composed of two nested second-level subsystems. At the top-level, this suggests a deeply integrated network; however, regional grouping of the two second-level subsystems suggested a partial separation between control of physiological functions and behavioral functions. Furthermore, inclusion of four candidate hubs (dominant network nodes) in the second-level subsystem that is associated prominently with physiological control suggests network primacy with respect to this function. In addition, comparison of network analysis with expression of gene markers associated with inhibitory (GAD65) and excitatory (VGLUT2) neurotransmission revealed a significant positive correlation between measures of network centrality (dominance) and the inhibitory marker. We discuss these results in relation to previous understandings of hypothalamic organization and provide, and selectively interrogate, an updated hypothalamus structure-function network model to encourage future hypothesis-driven investigations of identified hypothalamic subsystems.
The Next Frontier in Health Geography: Context and Implications for Interventions

During an opening panel of the 2018 International Health Congress in Oxford, a question was raised as to how protection could be offered to young researchers in particular who explore new ideas [...]
Redesign in teacher education: the roles of teacher educators

ABSTRACTThis paper focuses on current issues regarding the status of teacher education in the context of policy and practice in the United States. It is intended as a ‘think piece’ to spur discussi...
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction in Children With Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate: Differences Between Ipsilateral and Contralateral Ears.

Objective:To evaluate Eustachian tube dysfunction in the ipsilateral and contralateral ears, in children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP).Design:Retrospective chart review.Setting:Tertia...