cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetics, genomics and gene discovery in the auditory system

The sounds of silence have forever been broken as genetics and genomics approaches in human and model organisms have provided a powerful and rapid entry into gene discovery in the auditory system. An understanding of the complexities and beauty of the biological process of hearing itself is unfolding as genes underlying hereditary hearing impairment are identified. Genes involved in modifying hearing are also being found, and will be critical to a full comprehension of genotype-phenotype relationships. Investigations in the auditory system will provide important insight into how the nervous system decodes molecular information. Deafness represents a common sensory disorder that can interfere dramatically in the acquisition of speech and language in children, and in the quality of life for a growing aged population. As newborn screening for hearing impairment is being implemented in many birth hospitals, the prospects for precise clinical diagnosis, appropriate genetic counseling and proper medical management for auditory disorders has never been at a more exciting crossroad.
On 2-Detour Subgraphs of the Hypercube

A spanning subgraph H of a graph G is a 2-detour subgraph of G if for each x, y ∈ V(G), d H (x, y) ≤ d G (x, y) + 2. We prove a conjecture of Erdős, Hamburger, Pippert, and Weakley by showing that for some positive constant c and every n, each 2-detour subgraph of the n-dimensional hypercube Q n has at least clog2 n · 2n edges.
The platelet contribution to cancer progression.

Summary. Traditionally viewed as major cellular components in hemostasis and thrombosis, the contribution of platelets to the progression of cancer is an emerging area of research interest. Complex interactions between tumor cells and circulating platelets play an important role in cancer growth and dissemination, and a growing body of evidence supports a role for physiologic platelet receptors and platelet agonists in cancer metastases and angiogenesis. Platelets provide a procoagulant surface facilitating amplification of cancer-related coagulation, and can be recruited to shroud tumor cells, thereby shielding them from immune responses, and facilitate cancer growth and dissemination. Experimental blockade of key platelet receptors, such as GP1b/IX/V, GPIIbIIIa and GPVI, has been shown to attenuate metastases. Platelets are also recognized as dynamic reservoirs of proangiogenic and anti-angiogenic proteins that can be manipulated pharmacologically. A bidirectional relationship between platelets and tumors is also seen, with evidence of ‘tumor conditioning’ of platelets. The platelet as a reporter of malignancy and a targeted delivery system for anticancer therapy has also been proposed. The development of platelet inhibitors that influence malignancy progression and clinical testing of currently available antiplatelet drugs represents a promising area of targeted cancer therapy.
Coevolution of Killer Cell Ig-Like Receptors with HLA-C To Become the Major Variable Regulators of Human NK Cells

Interactions between HLA class I and killer cell Ig-like receptors (KIRs) diversify human NK cell responses. Dominant KIR ligands are the C1 and C2 epitopes of MHC-C, a young locus restricted to humans and great apes. C1- and C1-specific KIRs evolved first, being present in orangutan and functionally like their human counterparts. Orangutans lack C2 and C2-specific KIRs, but have a unique C1+C2-specific KIR that binds equally to C1 and C2. A receptor with this specificity likely provided the mechanism by which C2–KIR interaction evolved from C1–KIR while avoiding a nonfunctional intermediate, that is, either orphan receptor or ligand. Orangutan inhibitory MHC-C–reactive KIRs pair with activating receptors of identical avidity and specificity, contrasting with the selective attenuation of human activating KIRs. The orangutan C1-specific KIR reacts or cross-reacts with all four polymorphic epitopes (C1, C2, Bw4, and A3/11) recognized by human KIRs, revealing their structural commonality. Saturation mutagenesis at specificity-determining position 44 demonstrates that KIRs are inherently restricted to binding just these four epitopes, either individually or in combination. This restriction frees most HLA-A and HLA-B variants to be dedicated TCR ligands, not subject to conflicting pressures from the NK cell and T cell arms of the immune response.
Using software engineering technology to improve the quality of medical processes

In this paper, we describe some of the key observations resulting from our work on using software engineering technologies to help detect errors in medical processes. In many ways, medical processes are similar to distributed systems in their complexity and proneness to contain errors. We have been investigating the application of a continuous process improvement approach to medical processes in which detailed and semantically rich models of the medical processes are created and then subjected to rigorous analyses. The technologies we applied helped improve understanding about the processes and led to the detection of errors and subsequent improvements to those processes. This work is still preliminary, but is suggesting new research directions for medical process improvement, software engineering technologies, and the applicability of these technologies to other domains involving human-intensive processes.
Primary hyperaldosteronism associated with hypertensive emergencies.

There is growing awareness of primary aldosteronism as a cause of secondary hypertension. Usually, it manifests as hypertension and hypokalemia, or as resistant hypertension. Much less often, primary aldosteronism may be detected after a hypertensive emergency has developed. We highlight this association by reporting on eight patients with a clinical diagnosis of primary aldosteronism whose course was complicated by a hypertensive crisis. In all patients, an elevated serum aldosterone was accompanied by a suppressed plasma renin activity despite the presence of a hypertensive crisis. A good outcome was obtained either with laparoscopic adrenalectomy (1 patient) or with an antihypertensive drug regimen that included an antialdosterone agent (7 patients). The differential diagnosis of hypertensive emergencies should include primary aldosteronism.
Comparison of Fourier, principal component and wavelet analyses for high speed flame measurements

Abstract The continuing advancement of high speed, combustion diagnostics calls for mathematical techniques that can extract key information from large datasets. This paper therefore describes a case study to compare the characterization of combustion dynamics behind a V-gutter flame holder using three mathematical methods: Fourier analysis, principal component analysis, (PCA), and wavelet analysis (WA). The comparison focuses on the analysis of the characteristic frequencies of flow–flame interactions, with a particular emphasis on the analysis of transient and unsteady combustion procedures, such as lean blow off. Experimental data obtained under a range of conditions were analyzed using all three methods, and several observations were made. When applied to the analysis of stable combustion processes, all three methods reported frequency characteristics that were similar both quantitatively and qualitatively. Under unstable and transient combustion conditions, the WA method is capable of revealing the dynamics of the frequency components in the measurements, while traditional Fourier and PCA methods encounter application restrictions. Lastly, these applications also demonstrated WA’s suitability for practical combustion measurements beyond chemiluminescence, such as its applicability to discrete signals, insensitivity to the choice of wavelet basis, and insensitivity to the target signal extracted from the raw measurements.
Expert chording text entry on the Twiddler one-handed keyboard

Previously we demonstrated that after 400 minutes of practice, ten novices averaged over 26 words per minute (wpm) for text entry on the Twiddler one-handed chording keyboard, outperforming the multitap mobile text entry standard. We present a study that examines expert chording performance. Our five participants achieved an average rate of 47 wpm after approximately 25 hours of practice in varying conditions. One subject achieved a rate of 67 wpm, equivalent to the typing rate of the last author who has been a Twiddler user for ten years. We analyze the effects of learning on various aspects of chording, provide evidence that lack of visual feedback does not hinder expert typing speed and examine the potential use of multicharacter chords (MCCs) to increase text entry speed.
Accounting For Convertible Bonds

First, various views of convertible bonds (CBs) are analyzed along with current professional standards of accounting. Present rules are found to be flawed because they do not properly: (1) measure the interest cost of the CB and the total financing cost resulting from the issuance of debt and conversion commitments inherent in the CB; (2) classify the commitments arising from the CB; and (3) account for the conversion of the CB. Based on deductive reasoning and theoretical and empirical evidence, an accounting methodology for CBs is proposed that: (1) recognizes separately the debt and conversion commitments of the CB at date of issuance; (2) recognizes the total financing expense on the CB arising from the interest cost and in the increase in the fair value of the conversion commitment; and (3) accounts for the conversion under the market value method.
Ecosystem Restoration on Santa Catalina Island: A Review of Potential Approaches and the Promise of Bottom-Up Invader Management

Restoring large, complex landscapes can be challenging, especially given that some threats to native diversity and ecological function cannot be wholly eliminated. Santa Catalina Island, California, provides a valuable case study because its challenges include a variety of ecosystem threats, legal restrictions, and cultural attachments, as well as a vocal resident human population that often does not agree with conservation actions. Catalina Island has been highly modified by numerous invasive species, fragmentation and erosion from roads, altered hydrology from dams, and increased fire frequency. In this paper, I build on a previously published review of resources and threats and discuss potential management actions for those threats. Although the island's large size, rugged topography, and pervasive human influence limit management options, several feasible actions could have an important restorative effect. In particular, “bottom-up” invader management may be a relatively noncontroversial way to produce multiple positive outcomes. Reducing fragmentation, restoring natural hydrologic regimes, and augmenting native plant cover could disadvantage invasive plant and animal species while promoting the native flora and fauna.
Octa-Coordination and the Aqueous Ba2+ Ion

The hydration structure of Ba2+ ion is important for understanding blocking mechanisms in potassium ion channels. Here, we combine statistical mechanical theory, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and electronic structure methods to calculate the hydration free energy and local hydration structure of Ba2+(aq). The predicted hydration free energy (−304 ± 1 kcal/mol) agrees with the experimental value (−303 kcal/mol) when a maximally occupied, unimodal inner solvation shell is treated. In the local environment defined by the first shell of hydrating waters, Ba2+ is directly and stably coordinated by eight (8) waters. Octa-coordination resembles the crystal structure of Ba2+ and K+ bound in potassium ion channels, but differs from the local hydration structure of K+(aq) determined earlier.
3-D Fingertip Touch Force Prediction Using Fingernail Imaging With Automated Calibration

This paper presents an automated routine for calibrating a fingernail imaging system, with the intent of predicting fingerpad forces. The system uses a magnetic levitation haptic device to apply forces to the human fingerpad while recording images of the nail and surrounding skin. A novel force controller is implemented to interact stably with the human fingerpad. The data are used to calibrate a principal component regression model relating pixel intensity to 3-D force. Using data from this automated routine, this model simultaneously predicts 3-D force with an RMS error of 0.56 $\pm$ 0.03 N (7.7% of the full range of forces).
Structural Defects In Cerium Oxide Catalytic Support Studied by Pulsed Neutron Diffraction

We studied the structure of coarse and nano-scale powders of CeO2 using pulsed neutron scattering. The diffraction data were analyzed using Rietveld refinement, and were also Fourier-transformed to obtain the pair-distribution function (PDF). The Frenkel type oxygen defects consisting of vacancies in the oxygen sublattice and oxygen ions in the octahedral interstitial sites of the fluorite structure were observed in cerium oxide for the first time. The interstitial oxygen ions were found to recombine with vacancies when the sample underwent thermal treatment at 1073 K. We suggest that these defects are directly involved in the oxygen storage mechanism of ceria used in automotive catalytic converters.
The power and pitfalls of Dirichlet-multinomial mixture models for ecological count data

The Dirichlet-multinomial mixture model (DMM) and its extensions provide powerful new tools for interpreting the ecological dynamics underlying taxon abundance data. However, like many complex models, how effectively they capture the many features of empirical data is not well understood. In this work, we expand the DMM to an infinite mixture model (iDMM) and use posterior predictive distributions (PPDs) to explore the performance in three case studies, including two amplicon metagenomic time series. We avoid concentrating on fluctuations within individual taxa and instead focus on consortial-level dynamics, using straight-forward methods for visualizing this perspective. In each study, the iDMM appears to perform well in organizing the data as a framework for biological interpretation. Using the PPDs, we also observe several exceptions where the data appear to significantly depart from the model in ways that give useful ecological insight. We summarize the conclusions as a set of considerations for field researchers: problems with samples and taxa; relevant scales of ecological fluctuation; additional niches as outgroups; and possible violations of niche neutrality.
Beyond the Hispanic/Latina/o Label: Counseling Students from Four Representative Nations

ABSTRACTClinicians working with students of Hispanic/Latina/o background may tend to categorize these students as Hispanic/Latino/a regardless of their or their ancestors’ country of origin. This article challenges the wisdom of using such broad terminology, because it masks considerable differences among Hispanic/Latina/o students, and proposes instead developing a more detailed knowledge about these students based on national differences. Due to space limitations, I will focus on four nationalities I am most familiar with: Chilean, Costa Rican, Mexican, and Spanish.
Influence of Behavioral Integration Within Top Management Teams and Board Control on Market Orientation, Innovation, and Firm Performance

Market orientation represents a fundamental theoretical domain within the marketing literature and, arguably, one of the most important contributions of marketing thought to the business discipline (Menguc and Auh 2006). This study contributes to the extant literature by developing and testing an integrated framework of the influence of an organization’s top management teams and board of directors on market orientation and the subsequent impact on innovation and firm performance. First, extending perspectives that top management influences an organization’s market orientation (e.g., Jaworski and Kohli 1993), behavioral integration within top management teams (Hambrick 2004; Simsek et al. 2005) and control exerted by board of directors (Walters et al. 2010) are examined as antecedents of market orientation. Second, shedding further light on the relationship between market orientation and innovation (e.g., Grinstein 2008; Han et al. 1998), two types of innovation, namely exploratory innovation and exploitative innovation (Jansen et al. 2006), are investigated as outcomes of market orientation.
Chemische Untersuchungen über spezifische Zellsubstanzen; Kohlehydrate; Lipoide

Als Substrat der Serumreaktionen von Bakterien wurden Proteine (s. S. 15) und Carbohydrate mit Sicherheit nachgewiesen; nach Untersuchungen, namentlich an Tuberkel- und Diphtheriebacillen, wird angenommen, das auch spezifisch reagierende Lipoide2 in Bakterien vorkommen. Durch Immunseren pracipitable Polysaccharide wurden von Heidelberger und Avery (21) und Heidelberger, Goebel und Avery (22) zuerst aus den drei Haupttypen von Pneumokokken dargestellt. Diese Kokken sind kapseltragend und enthalten reichliche Mengen der Polysaccharide, aus welchen die Kapseln zum grosen Teil aufgebaut sind. Das wirklich die Kohlehydrate selbst die spezifisch reagierenden Substanzen sind, wurde sicher bewiesen. Die Praparate sind eiweisfrei, werden durch Pepsin und Trypsin nicht angegriffen und geben um so starkere Pracipitinreaktionen, je grundlicher sie gereinigt werden; aus den spezifischen Pracipitaten lassen sich die Kohlehydrate zuruekgewinnen; die Aktivitat ist unabhangig von der Methode der Darstellung und wird bei der Behandlung mit Sauren erst dann vermindert, wenn das Auftreten von reduzierenden Zuckern in der Losung die hydrolytische Spaltung der Carbohydrate anzeigt. Ferner entspricht der Grosenordnung nach dieEmpfindlichkeit3 der Serumreaktionen der der Pracipitinreaktionen von Eiweiskorpern, und die aus den drei Typen der Pneumokokken isolierten Kohlehydrate sind nach Zusammenhang und chemischen Eigenschaften ebenso scharf unterschieden wie in ihren serologischen Reaktionen4.
Histone modification signature at myeloperoxidase and proteinase 3 in patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by destructive vascular inflammation. Two prominent ANCA autoantigens are myeloperoxidase (MPO) and proteinase 3 (PR3), and transcription of MPO and PRTN3, the genes encoding the autoantigens, is associated with disease activity. We investigated whether patients with AAV have alterations in histone modifications, particularly those associated with transcriptional activation, at MPO and PRTN3. We identified a network of genes regulating histone modifications that were differentially expressed in AAV patients compared to healthy controls. We focused on four genes (EHMT1 and EHMT2, ING4, and MSL1) and found their expression correlated with expression of MPO and PRTN3. Methylation of histone H3K9, catalyzed by EHMT1 and EHMT2 and associated with gene silencing, was most depleted at MPO and PRTN3 in patients with active disease and the highest MPO and PRTN3 expression. Acetylation of histone H4K16, modified by complexes containing ING4 and MSL1 and associated with gene activation, was most enriched at MPO and PRTN3 in patients with active disease and the highest MPO and PRTN3 expression. Methylation at H3K4, a mark of transcriptional activation, was enriched at MPO and PRTN3 in patients and healthy controls. MPO and PRTN3 in neutrophils of AAV patients with active disease have a distinct pattern of histone modifications, which implicates epigenetic mechanisms in regulating expression of autoantigen genes and suggests that the epigenome may be involved in AAV pathogenesis.
Tandem catalytic enantio- and diastereoselective synthesis of cyclopropyl alcohols using aryl aldehydes†

The prevalence of cyclopropanes in biologically active compounds has fueled many investigations into their preparation. Despite significant advances, more efficient methods for their catalytic enantioselective synthesis remain in demand. Previously, we reported a novel tandem approach to diastereo- and enantioenriched cyclopropyl alcohols. Our method involved an initial asymmetric C–C bond formation by addition of organozinc reagents to aldehydes catalyzed by a (−)-MIB-based catalyst. The resulting allylic zinc alkoxides were then subject to directed cyclopropanations. Although this approach provided cyclopropyl alcohols with very high enantio- and diastereoselectivity, it was successful with only aliphatic aldehydes. Aryl aldehyde substrates, on the other hand, exhibited low conversion and variable diastereomeric ratios. The present study is aimed at raising the stereoselectivity and yield of the aforementioned tandem reaction with aryl aldehyde substrates to make the method synthetically useful. Herein, we report the successful optimization of aryl aldehyde substrates in our one-pot tandem approach leading to cyclopropyl alcohols with high yields and enantio- and diastereoselectivities. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Almost isomorphic abelian varieties

We study abelian varieties over finitely generated fields K of characteristic zero, whose \(\ell \)-adic Tate modules are isomorphic as Galois modules for all primes \(\ell \).
AMERICAS, NORTH | California and the Sierra Nevada

California is one of the premier regions in the world for the study of hunter-gatherer social, economic, and political development. A long period of occupation, a rich and varied environment, and high population levels resulted in a degree of inter-cultural variability that is unmatched in the New World. Despite this degree of cultural diversity, several over-arching generalities are possible. Beginning with Clovis Ice Age hunters, we see in the archaeological record a steady trend toward a broadening resource base as new ecological niches were exploited; specialized techniques for improving the productivity of those niches; gradual adoption of the plentiful acorn and other tree crops as food staples; eventual reliance on a storage-based economy with concomitant inequalities in the distribution of wealth; and, in certain regions of the state, subsequent establishment of hierarchical political organization.
Quantification of polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in commercial cows' milk from California by gas chromatography±triple quadruple mass spectrometry

We determined 12 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 19 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners in eight different brands of commercial whole milk (WM) and fat free milk (FFM) produced and distributed in California. Congeners were extracted using a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) method, purified by gel permeation chromatography, and quantified using gas chromatography-triple quadruple mass spectrometry. PBDEs and PCBs were detected in all FFM and WM samples. The most prevalent PBDE congeners in WM were BDE-47 (geometric mean: 18.0 pg/mL, 0.51 ng/g lipid), BDE-99 (geometric mean: 9.9 pg/mL, 0.28 ng/g lipid), and BDE-49 (geometric mean: 6.0 pg/mL, 0.17 ng/g lipid). The dominant PCB congeners in WM were PCB-101(geometric mean: 23.6 pg/mL, 0.67 ng/g lipid), PCB-118 (geometric mean: 25.2 pg/mL, 0.72 ng/g lipid), and PCB-138 (geometric mean: 25.3 pg/mL, 0.72 ng/g lipid). The sum of all 19 PCB congeners in FFM and WM were several orders of magnitude below the U.S. FDA tolerance. The sum of PBDEs in milk samples suggest close proximity to industrial emissions, and confirm previous findings of elevated PBDE levels in California compared to other regions in the United States.
EBV-Negative Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD): A Retrospective Case-Control Study of Clinical and Pathological Characteristics, Response to Treatment and Survival

PTLD is a heterogeneous group of neoplasms arising in patients after solid-organ or allogeneic stem-cell transplantation. Although most cases of PTLD are related to Epstein - Barr virus (EBV) infection, a subset (10–20%) shows no association with EBV infection. Anecdotal uncontrolled studies have described EBV-negative PTLD as appearing late in the post-transplant period and having poor response to reduction of immunosuppression and poor outcome in general. We identified 30 patients who were diagnosed with EBV-negative PTLD in the University of Pennsylvania between November 1990 and April 2008. We compared the clinical and pathological characteristics, response to therapy and survival of these patients with 51 control patients matched by organ type who had EBVpositive PTLD. The average age at diagnosis was 53.1 in the EBV (−) group and 49.2 in the EBV (+) group (p=NS). 3/30 (10%) of the EBV (−) cases and 16/51 (31.4%) appeared within the first year after transplant (p 60 were significant predictors for poor prognosis in both groups, verifying that some of the classic risk factors for lymphoid malignancies are valid in PTLD. The strongest predictor of mortality was the type of transplanted organ, where lung transplant recipients had the worst outcome and kidney transplant recipients did well (log rank p-value=0.02 for both overall survival and disease-free survival). We conclude that in our single-center series, EBV-negative PTLD is a distinct subtype which appears later in the post-transplant period. Compared with EBV-positive PTLD, it is more likely to be monomorphic and similar to common B-cell malignancies; however it still responds well to reduction of immunosuppression and specific anti-B-cell immunotherapy without compromising allograft survival. It does not necessarily require chemotherapy and can be cured similarly to EBV-positive PTLD.
Developing a flow through chamber system for automated measurements of soil N 2 O and CO 2 emissions

Abstract Continuous flow through chamber systems are recognized for their superiority in obtaining high resolution seasonal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data. In the current study, we combine Li-Cor 8100A CO2 flux system with the infrared N2O analyzer (Teledyne API, San Diego, CA) and a laser spectroscopic analyzer (Los Gatos Research Inc, Mountain View, CA) to design a robust setup for reliable concurrent measurements of N2O and CO2 emissions from automatic chambers and to obtain flux gradient N2O data from agricultural land. Field testing revealed considerable interference of moisture and temperature with the infrared N2O analyzer data, which showed a negative drift of up to 0.5 ppm at increased humidity (R2 = 0.76). Addition of desiccant column on line in an attempt to improve infrared analyzer N2O readings due to removal of moisture affected the N2O and CO2 baselines, likely due to flow modulation by the Li-Cor 8100A air pump. High precision output from the laser spectroscopic analyzer and stability of its baseline at variable temperature and moisture were preferable for combined automatic chamber and flux tower measurements. The total N2O produced at the site fertilized with 100 kg N ha−1 was 1.8 ± 0.7 kg N2O-N ha−1, and the total CO2 emissions were 4350 ± 1173 kg CO2-C ha−1 during the measurement period in the fall and spring. The high frequency of sampling and low labor intensity of the N2O and CO2 measurement setup allows for comparison of GHG emissions from short term events and across seasons, and establishes the basis for better understanding of emissions sources in agricultural systems.
On the robustness of sampled-data control to unmodeled high frequency dynamics

In this paper robustness of sampled-data control designs to unmodeled high frequency dynamics is studied, using singular perturbation theory. It is argued that when the plant is preceded by a zero order hold, the direct transmission term of the reduced-order model should be modeled as a delay element in order to ensure robustness.
PROBLEMATIZATION IN FOUCAULT’S GENEALOGY AND DELEUZE’S SYMPTOMATOLOGY: or, how to study sexuality without invoking oppositions

The work of Michel Foucault and Gilles Deleuze frequently gave rise to a practice of philosophy as a form of critical problematization. Critical problematization both resonates between their though...
SPOTLIGHT: A gray area

This essay defines the “gray zone of politics” as the set of clandestine connections linking established political actors and perpetrators of violence. The “gray zone” defies easy distinctions between state and society.
Phase Transitions, Melting and Reactions of Stoichiometric Phases

In this chapter we deal with phase transitions, melting and reactions of stoichiometric phases, preceded by a preliminary exposition of the Gibbs Phase Rule. The section on phase transition includes a comprehensive discussion of Landau theory, first order, second order and tricritical transitions with illustrative applications to mineralogical and geophysical problems. This is followed by thermodynamic treatment of reactions among stoichiometric phases in the P-T space with applications to problems in the Earth sciences, pressure effect on melting and dehydration reactions, extrapolation of melting temperatures to very high pressure and evaluation of Gibbs free energy and fugacity at high pressure using equations of states. The chapter concludes with a concise exposition of the Schreinemakers’ principles for self-consistent organization of univariant reactions and invariant points in a multiphase system in the P-T space.
Solvent-Processed Metallic Lithium Microparticles for Lithium Metal Batteries

Foils that serve as Li metal anodes suffer from poor cycling and safety concerns due to dramatic volume changes and dendrites formation. In this work, we report a convenient solvent-processed appro...
Impact of Hemodynamic Ramp Test-Guided HVAD Speed and Medication Adjustments on Clinical Outcomes.

Background: Hemodynamic ramp (HR) tests can guide the optimization of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) speed and direct medical therapy. We investigated the effects of HR-guided LVAD managemen...
Policing the Police

The book’s remaining chapters are concerned with settings in which someone has harmed, or is about to harm, another. Because the Constitution isn’t entirely successful in taming state power, there are many occasions when state activity undermines justice and yet is not subject to judicial oversight. This chapter examines two settings in which the police have not been adequately restrained by constitutional rules. One is concerned with stop and frisk. It’s arguable that the rules governing stop and frisk are tilted excessively toward state power. Whatever the merits of this claim, an even graver concern has to be confronted, for it’s patently clear that no constitutional rules exist regulating the frequency with which police forces rely on stop and frisk. This frequency issue must be addressed, the chapter argues, for otherwise police can use their power—constitutionally legitimate power—to dominate minority communities. The other concern has to do with police surveillance of behavior in public places. This issue is also not subject to any constitutional restraint. Even if the Fourth Amendment is never interpreted to impose a limitation on the police in this context, it’s essential, the chapter contends, for government officials to acknowledge one. Otherwise, public places can be converted into giant television sets for tracking citizen behavior.
APC mutations in myeloid malignancies: Incidence and impact on leukemogenesis.

11047 Background: Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene is a tumor suppressor gene that plays an integral role in the WNT-signaling pathway. Germline mutations in APC are responsible for the autoso...
Practical Considerations in Particle and Object Tracking and Analysis

The rapid advancement of live-cell imaging technologies has enabled biologists to generate high-dimensional data to follow biological movement at the microscopic level. Yet, the "perceived" ease of use of modern microscopes has led to challenges whereby sub-optimal data are commonly generated that cannot support quantitative tracking and analysis as a result of various ill-advised decisions made during image acquisition. Even optimally acquired images often require further optimization through digital processing before they can be analyzed. In writing this article, we presume our target audience to be biologists with a foundational understanding of digital image acquisition and processing, who are seeking to understand the essential steps for particle/object tracking experiments. It is with this targeted readership in mind that we review the basic principles of image-processing techniques as well as analysis strategies commonly used for tracking experiments. We conclude this technical survey with a discussion of how movement behavior can be mathematically modeled and described. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Basal Insulin Analogs versus Neutral Protamine Hagedorn for Type 2 Diabetics

Objective To determine whether basal insulin analogs reduce the rate of composite neonatal morbidity compared with neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH) in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Study Design This was a retrospective cohort study of women with T2DM and singleton pregnancy at a single tertiary center. Primary outcome was a composite neonatal morbidity of any of the following: shoulder dystocia, large for gestational age, neonatal intensive care unit admission, neonatal hypoglycemia, or respiratory distress syndrome. Secondary outcomes were rates of maternal hypoglycemic events, hypertensive disorders, preterm birth, and primary cesarean delivery. Adjusted relative risk (aRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results Of 233 women with T2DM that met the inclusion criteria, 114 (49%) were treated with basal insulin analogs and 119 (51%) with NPH. The rate of composite neonatal morbidity was similar between groups (73 vs. 60%; aRR: 1.18; 95% CI: 0.92–1.51). There were no differences in the rates of maternal adverse outcomes between the groups. Basal insulin analog was associated with a lower rate of primary cesarean delivery as compared with NPH (21 vs. 36%; aRR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.25–0.78). Conclusion Among pregnant women with T2DM managed with either basal or NPH insulin regimen, the rates of composite neonatal morbidity and maternal complications were similar.
GNM: GridCell navigational model

Abstract It has been shown that grid cell firing patterns in the medial entorhinal cortex, can be used as a mapping reference for spatial navigation in mice and other mammalian species. In this paper, we propose a novel computational model for patterns of grid cells and combine it with a mechanism to tune the weights of cells, which we use to create a decision-making process for robot navigation. The method is used as an unsupervised method for uninformed online search with unknown goal positions and unknown environments, such as finding the exit out of a maze or help a robot to find its way in a jungle where there is no clue about the exit. The results of this approach in simulated and real environments show superior algorithmic steps over current search methods. In addition, the typical size of the memory can be reduced without compromising completeness of the method. Our results show that the number of steps is stable in terms of variations in memory allocations.
The Important Place of Indonesia in the Formation of International Culture Today

This paper begins with excerpts from Ervin Lazlo’s book, The Systems View of the World, one version of the emerging paradigm for understanding the universe, the natural world, the human psyche and human culture. The second section presents excerpts from Antonio Damasio’s book, Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow and the Feeling Brain. Damasio is a highly respected neuroscientist whose discoveries about the inner mapping of the human brain have led him to reject Enlightenment views of human psychology and replace them with another version of Lazlo’s “systems” approach. The third section presents Indonesia’s Pancasila, a five-point political ideology that serves as the foundation for their democratic republic. This ideology begins with the belief in God, but the notion of “God” is one more example of a type of “systems” thought. The fourth section includes an interview from Dr. Amad Kardimin, professor of education at Sunan Kalijaga Islamic State University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Dr. Kardimin describes the beliefs and way of living in the small village where he grew up. I will interpret what he says in light of my own scholarship about Aristotle’s model of the flourishing human life, a life of both practical and theoretical wisdom. Even though the people in this village are not formally educated, they are living much more wisely than many highly respected intellectuals today. Finally, I will quote from a number of public intellectuals in the United States who are very worried about the decline in quality of life in the United States today. This decline will lead to an increase in authoritarianism in the U.S. I conclude that too many developing nations have looked to the West, especially the United States, for guidelines about how to “move forward.” Their best and brightest young people are sent to Western universities and go back home to educate their own best and brightest to think and act like Westerners. This is a mistake. Indonesia is continually working on a model of education that unites the moral with the intellectual virtues. The West, especially the United States, has focused on higher and higher levels of education in science, math, and computer science without adequate concern for avoiding greed, pride, power hunger and other vices. Indonesia and other developing nations should recognize the importance of an education for wisdom. Leaders in all sectors should exhibit both moral and intellectual excellence. The future of international culture, politics and even of life on earth is at stake.
Payment Theory and the Last Mile Problem.

Health reform debate understandably focuses on large system design. We should not omit attention to the “last mile” problem of physician payment theory. Achieving fundamental goals of integrative, ...
Observations on Computability, Uncertainty, and Technology

Inspired by the work of Stefano Zambelli on these topics, this chapter studies the complex nature of the relation between technology and computability. This involves reconsidering the role of computational complexity in economics and then applying this to a particular formulation of the nature of technology as conceived within the Sraffian framework. A crucial element of this is to expand the concept of technique clusters. This allows for understanding that the set of possible techniques is of a higher cardinality of infinity than that of the points on a wage-profit frontier. This is associated with potentially deep discontinuities in production functions and a higher form of uncertainty involved in technological change and growth.
Trump and Trade — National Security and Technology

Data transfer, privacy, data storage, telecommunications and national security are complex and intertwined legal issues that involve technology, public policy, business, trade and legal issues. Moreover, these critical issues are growing internationally. The expanding use of the national security rationale to address these issues by the United States, leading to questionable business intervention, is a critical development becoming ever more ominous every day.
Rhinoscleroma: An uncommon cause of adult laryngotracheal stenosis

Abstract Rhinoscleroma is a rare, chronic granulomatous disease of the upper airways most commonly caused by Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis. This case report describes a 31-year-old male patient who presented with a unique case of laryngotracheal stenosis secondary to rhinoscleroma. A review of the literature was conducted to aid in characterization of the disease. The diagnosis was made following blood culture growth and several biopsies. With antibiotic treatment, the patient's condition improved before he was lost to follow up months later. Rhinoscleroma outside endemic areas is a difficult diagnosis. However, there are differentiating factors that may aid in recognition. Laryngotracheal stenosis secondary to rhinoscleroma is an uncommon presentation of a rare disease, but one otolaryngologists should be aware of, as symptoms can be devastating and even fatal. This was a complex medical and surgical case that required a multidisciplinary approach.
Evolution of Circular Mode Phasing for In-Band Full-Duplex Omnidirectional Antennas

Many in-band full-duplex (IBFD) applications require omnidirectional radiation coverage in addition to multilayered self-interference cancellation (SIC). While system-level SIC approaches often require high-isolation antennas before implementing analog and/or digital methods, maintaining the desired omnidirectional transmit/receive patterns is difficult for compact designs that utilize the same polarization. This article discusses the concept development and design progression of the circular mode phasing technique applied to omnidirectional IBFD antenna arrays. The theoretical fundamentals are presented along with simulation results and then validated through the discussion of two prototype antennas, which were measured to provide up to 60 dB of isolation over 2.4–2.5 GHz, which is the highest reported for this SIC method. Additionally, the evolution of this concept for a collection of measured prototypes is summarized and characterized with a unique figure of merit, which should help advance the application of this technique within future IBFD systems.
Evidence from radial velocity measurements of a global electric field in Saturn's inner magnetosphere

[1] The presence of a convection pattern in the Saturnian inner magnetosphere was first observed in moon signatures that were displaced from their expected locations. A noon to midnight directed electric field can account for these positional offsets, and also can explain asymmetries found in plasma temperatures between the day and night sides. By assuming magnetic field models and drift times, estimates of the electric field strength have been made. However the origin of the electric field remains a mystery. This paper, which presents new evidence for the convection pattern, uses measured in situ velocities with measured magnetic field values, at a range of radial distances without the restriction of requiring the presence of a moon. Advances in extracting plasma parameters with reduced uncertainties clearly show the convection pattern that was previously hidden when uncertainties were large. We confirm the earlier findings that there is a distinct drift velocity superposed on the corotating plasma that pushes the plasma toward ∼dawn that dominates over the general plasma outflow. We find that an electric field directed toward 01–02 h Saturnian local time best describes this drift, and that the value of the electric field strength is not constant with radial distance.
Binding interactons of collagen I, laminin and fibronectin with immobilized Escherichia coli 0157:H7 using a surface plasmon resonance biosensor

Real-time interactions of collagen I, fibronectin, laminin, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate with immobilized Escherichia coli O157:H7 cells were studied with a surface plasmon resonance biosensor. Results showed that collagen I and laminin bound to the E.coli surface but fibronectin had very low binding while hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate had no detectable interaction. Calcium ion inhibited laminin binding but enhanced collagen I binding. This research provides a model system to study the interactions of bacterial cells with extracellular matrix components. © Rapid Science Ltd. 1998
Drawing Swords: War in American Editorial Cartoons

Abstract Wartime editorial cartoons document a nation's underlying assumptions about the truth of their cause that justifies war and sustains them during the fighting. Increasingly during the past half-century in the United States, they also reflect the doubts and concerns of the opponents of a war. This study is an overview of U.S. editorial cartoons over more than two centuries of wars. Mainstream publications and reprint volumes of the work of major cartoonists were examined to seek patterns in the depiction of the enemy; to investigate the use of stereotypes; and to determine if these wartime cartoons might be considered propaganda.
The Stranger at Emmaus: Recognition, Remembrance, and Community Activism

AbstractRemembering is a crucial undertaking of modern cultural heritage studies. Preserving, restoring, respecting, recognizing — however we frame our activities, all of these infer that our major responsibility to communities both living and dead as heritage professionals is to assure that some aspect of their lives survive them to attest to their presence on the globe. In recent years this obligation has been translated into archaeological activism — a field that has only just begun to make a difference in the Middle East. I discuss one project that took place over a decade ago to commemorate the Palestinian villages at Imwas/Emmaus, from which hundreds were forcibly evacuated during the 1967 Israeli-Arab War. While the effort itself cannot be counted as a success, it was unique at the time and represents something of a ‘gray beginning’ for what has become a decade of archaeological activism in the region. This article discusses the struggle to obtain recognition for the three villages of Imwas, Yalou ...
Experiments on cage and poligon: measuring the performance of parallel blackboard systems

Abstract Some ways in which blackboard systems can be made to operate in a multiprocessor environment are described in this paper. Cage and Poligon are two concurrent problem solving systems based on the blackboard model. The factors that motivate and constrain the design of parallel systems in general and parallel problem-solving systems in particular are discussed. Experiments performed on these two software architectures are described and their results and implications enumerated and explained.
The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life, 2nd ed. by Jan Cullinane and Cathy Fitzgerald

The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life is written for anyone who is either thinking about or trying to maximize their retirement years. The ultimate goal of the book is to ...
Component-based peer-to-peer distributed processing in heterogeneous networks using JavaPorts

One of the main advantages of the Java programming language is that the source code can be executed in any type of machine or embedded system that implements a Java Virtual Machine (JVM). The JavaPorts (JP)framework adds another level of portability by extending this capability to multi-threaded distributed applications consisting of many concurrent and interacting components. In this paper we primarily, discuss the aspects of the JavaPorts framework that pertain to the generation and reuse of components. We discuss how a distributed JP application is defined, using a Task Graph abstraction, and then captured and represented internally as an AMTP tree data structure. We present a suite of tools designed to help in simplifying the application development process. We explain how the JP graphical user interface can be used to assemble distributed applications by combining new and existing reusable software components.