cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Signaling through G proteins and G protein-coupled receptors during platelet activation.

Recent studies have helped to define the early events of signal transduction in platelets. The best-described of these events are those in which heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding regulatory proteins (G proteins) mediate the interaction between cell surface receptors for agonists and intracellular second messenger generating enzymes. To date nine different G proteins have been identified in platelets. The:r targets include phospholipases C and A2, and adenylyl cyclase. Efforts to clone the receptors that can couple to these G proteins have been successful for epinephrine, thrombin, TxA2 and platelet activating factor. Each of these is comprised of a single polypeptide with seven transmembrane domains and an extracellular N-terminus. In the case of the thrombin receptor, activation occurs by a novel mechanism in which thrombin cleaves its receptor, creating a new N-terminus that can serve as a tethered ligand. Shortly after activation, thrombin receptors become resistant to re-activation by thrombin. This desensitization, which appears to involve receptor phosphorylation and internalization, provides a potent mechanism for limiting the duration of thrombin-initiated events in platelets and other thrombin-responsive vascular cells.
Sunspot Seismology: The Interaction of Solar p-Modes with a Sunspot

Progress in sunspot seismology is briefly reviewed. New observations of the absorption of p -modes by a sunspot (Bogdan, Brown, Lites, and Thomas 1993) show that the absorption coefficient (averaged over frequency and azimuthal order) increases with horizontal wavenumber to a maximum near k = 0.9 Mm −1 and then decreases monotonically to zero at about k = 1.5 Mm −1 . The absorption along individual p -mode ridges shows a sinusoidal-like modulation, which may be an important feature for comparison with theory. Results for the quiet Sun show no net absorption, but do show apparent emission along p 1 over the same range of k where the sunspot shows its greatest absorption. This behavior, and the overall decrease in absorption at higher wavenumbers, can be explained as an effect of the decreasing lifetime of p -modes with increasing wavenumber k (increasing mode degree l ).
Peptidyl-Proline Isomerases (PPIases): Targets for Natural Products and Natural Product-Inspired Compounds

Peptidyl-proline isomerases (PPIases) are a chaperone superfamily comprising the FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs), cyclophilins, and parvulins. PPIases catalyze the cis/trans isomerization of proline, acting as a regulatory switch during folding, activation, and/or degradation of many proteins. These “clients” include proteins with key roles in cancer, neurodegeneration, and psychiatric disorders, suggesting that PPIase inhibitors could be important therapeutics. However, the active site of PPIases is shallow, solvent-exposed, and well conserved between family members, making selective inhibitor design challenging. Despite these hurdles, macrocyclic natural products, including FK506, rapamycin, and cyclosporin, bind PPIases with nanomolar or better affinity. De novo attempts to derive new classes of inhibitors have been somewhat less successful, often showcasing the “undruggable” features of PPIases. Interestingly, the most potent of these next-generation molecules tend to integrate features of the natural ...
The Cold War and the Creation of Institutions Promoting Private Investment

In this chapter I document the origin of efforts to promote investment in Africa through the creation of a set of new institutions. Along with initiatives to provide aid and further trade, these new institutional mechanisms to assist private investors developed out of particular historic conditions within which the United States began to assert its economic power in a region dominated by European capital.
Protecting Youth from Trafficking

Human trafficking has become one of the most lucrative, clandestine, and widespread crimes in modern history. This chapter discusses child trafficking, critiques current local and global legal responses, and suggests new methods to more effectively alleviate this crime. Effective changes include partially decriminalizing prostitution and instating a fair trade-type system for consumer products. While human trafficking can affect people in all walks of life, adolescents are particularly vulnerable. Prevention and abolishment of child trafficking as well as treatment of child victims elicit special requirements. The chapter addresses both sex trafficking and labor trafficking in turn, as they affect different populations and call for different solutions.
Modeling and measurement of wireless channels for underground mines

This paper investigates wireless channel modeling for underground mines. The ray tracing and modal methods, which have been widely used for modeling radio propagation in tunnels, are applied to model wireless channels in underground mines. In addition, propagation measurements are taken in an underground hard rock mine at three different frequencies (455 MHz, 915 MHz, and 2.45 GHz). Simulation results based on the ray tracing and modal methods are compared to measurement results and show agreement. Challenges for modeling wireless channels in mines are discussed.
Molecularly Classified High Risk Myeloma Cells with Low ROS Levels and High Nestin Expression Have High Proliferation Index and GEP80 Score

Abstract 3953 Certain tumor cells have an elevated level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to oncogenic signaling and the downregulation of mitochondrial function, known as oxidative stress. Tumor cells with elevated oxidative stress have activated ROS-scavenging systems to cope with this stress and inhibit apoptosis. Lower levels of antioxidants and elevated levels of malondialdehyde, the end-product of lipid peroxidation, an indicator of oxidative stress, were detected in multiple myeloma (MM) patients compared with healthy controls (Sharma et al., 2009). Thus, oxidative stress is increased in patients with MM and may be associated with its pathogenesis. To investigate this, ROS levels were measured by DCF staining and FACS analysis of CD138-selected plasma cells (PCs) immediately after isolation. H 2 DCFDA is a cell-permeant indicator that is converted to a polar species intracellularly and fluoresces once oxidized, thus DCF also serves as a vital stain. To verify that ROS levels are detected in viable cells, PCs were stained with DCF or AAD, an apoptosis marker, and were inversely correlated ( p NES , genes of the MF subtype (e.g. MAF , MAFB , SPP1 , CX3CR1 , SMARCA1 )) and CD1/CD2 subtype (e.g. CD20 , CCND1 , VPREB3 ). High ROS/non-HY samples overexpress LB subtype genes (e.g. CST6 ). AREG , EGFR and CCND2 were elevated in low ROS/HY whereas S100A9 , CD45 , TNFSF10 were elevated in high ROS/HY along with MGST1 , a glutathione transferase which may enhance survival of cells with elevated ROS. Several genes were also examined in individual samples to verify differential expression including CCND1 ( p ITGB7 ( p TNFSF10 ( p =0.001), CD20 ( p NES (nestin, p NES , a gene highly expressed in the LB subtype and located on chr1q which is frequently amplified in MM, is elevated 4.2-fold in Low ROS/non-HY MMPCs independent of subtype. Genes that positively correlate with NES are predominantly on chr1q and include S100A4 , GPR89A , CACYBP and a low ROS gene, CCND2 . TNFSF10 and GNG11 are expressed in the HY subtype (high ROS) and negatively correlate with NES . However, not all low ROS MMPCs have elevated NES . In fact, high NES /Low ROS cases are more likely to have Chr1 and/or 13 cytogenetic abnormalities (15/22) and higher plasma cell percentage in BM aspirates (45%±5.5%) whereas 10/29 low NES /low ROS cases have Chr1 and/or 13 abnormalities and lower percent of plasma cells in BM (25%±3.5%, p NES have a higher proliferation index, 80-gene risk score, and have a 3-fold greater level of PRDX1 compared with low NES cases. PRDX1 encodes an antioxidant which may enhance survival of these cells. Taken together these data suggest that, contrary to the paradigm of ROS in tumorigenesis, in MM low ROS samples with elevated NES may be associated with more aggressive disease and should be investigated further. Disclosures: Shaughnessy: Myeloma Health, Celgene, Genzyme, Novartis: Consultancy, Employment, Equity Ownership, Honoraria, Patents & Royalties.
Language Skills of Males with Fragile X Syndrome or Nonsyndromic Autism Spectrum Disorder

Despite the similarities observed between the fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) phenotypes, few studies have compared their behavioral profiles outside of ASD symptomatology. In the present study, we sought to compare lexical and grammatical abilities in these two conditions. Comparisons of language abilities in both of these conditions are particularly interesting because both conditions are characterized by difficulties navigating social interactions. Results suggest that although both FXS and ASD are associated with language difficulties, there are important differences between the two conditions in terms of the language profiles observed and the factors influencing language when considering children of similar developmental levels. Theoretical implications are discussed.
A Signaling Mechanism By Which Platelet Glycoprotein Ib-IX Promotes Thrombin-Induced Platelet Activation

Abstract Numerous reports indicate that the platelet glycoprotein (GP) Ib-IX complex (GPIb-IX) binds directly to the potent platelet agonist thrombin and is important for promoting thrombin-induced platelet activation. However, how GPIb-IX contributes to thrombin-induced platelet activation is unclear. It has been suggested that thrombin binding to GPIb facilitates the cleavage, and thus activation, of the protease-activated receptors (PAR). Our data indicate that GPIb-IX promotes thrombin signaling through a GPIb-IX signaling mechanism. We reconstituted GPIb-IX (GPIb) /Protease-activated receptor (PAR) cooperativity in response to thrombin in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells expressing PAR1. Thrombin-induced PAR1-dependent calcium signaling was significantly enhanced by GPIb expression, and this effect of GPIb appears to require GPIb signaling, as deletion of the cytoplasmic binding site for an intracellular signaling molecule, 14-3-3, in GPIbα abolished the stimulatory effect of GPIb. The importance of GPIb-14-3-3 interaction in promoting thrombin-induced platelet activation was also shown in human platelets, in which pretreatment with MPαC, an inhibitory peptide based on a critical 14-3-3 binding site in the C-terminus of the GPIbα, inhibited thrombin-induced platelet activation. Furthermore, 14-3-3 binding site deletion in GPIba or MPαC-pretreatment inhibited thrombin-induced activation of Rac1 and phosphorylation of LIMK1, both of which have been shown to mediate von Willebrand factor-induced GPIb signaling, and the role of GPIb in promoting thrombin signaling was abolished with a Rac-inhibitor, NSC23766 or in Rac1-/- platelets. Importantly, LIMK1-/- platelets display defective thrombin-induced platelet activation but enhanced PAR4-activating peptide induced platelet activation. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Optimizing Protein Search Engines using Particle Swarm Optimization

The results of protein search engines depend mainly upon a set of parameters that adjust the searching space. One of the most effective parameters is the peptide mass window tolerance (w). Most of the current search engines use a constant user-defined value for this parameter. As an alternative option, Comet search engine designers proposed a statistical technique to estimate the best tolerance window for an input spectra file. However, this technique sometimes fails in picking a value, may set the parameter to a value that results in a loss of many correct matches, and is available only for one type of mass; namely ppm. In this paper, we propose to use particle swarm optimization (PSO) to improve the coverage of search engines by picking the optimal value for this influential parameter to maximize PSMs. Our results show that this biologically-inspired algorithm can be utilized to find peptide mass window tolerance values that facilitate Comet to increase peptide spectra matches, resulting in improved peptide identification. We also show experimental evidence that an open search (i.e., wide tolerance window) does not always optimize spectra matching using the current search engines and that narrow tolerance windows improve the coverage of protein search engines.
Power system simulation using the multi-stage adomian decomposition method

This paper proposes a new approach for power system transient stability simulation, which is based on a semianalytical solution (SAS) of power system differential-algebraic equations. In this paper, an SAS is derived using the Adomian decomposition method as a closed-form explicit function of symbolic variables such as time, the initial state and other variables on system conditions, and hence it can directly give a power system's dynamic trajectory being accurate for a certain time window. Unlike a traditional numerical integration based simulation approach, the proposed new approach offline derives an SAS and online evaluates the SAS by plugging in values of symbolic variables for a series of time windows making up the desired simulation period. This paper further studies the maximum length of the time window for an SAS being accurate and proposes a divergence indicator for simulation using adaptive time windows. Implementation of this new approach on parallel computers is also studied. The new approach is validated through contingency simulation of the IEEE 10-generator 39-bus system with detailed generator models.
INVITED: BaseJump STL: SystemVerilog Needs a Standard Template Library for Hardware Design

We propose a Standard Template Library (STL) for synthesizeable SystemVerilog that sharply reduces the time required to design digital circuits. We overview the principles that underly the design of the open-source BaseJump STL, including light-weight latency-insensitive interfaces that yield fast microarchitectures and low bug density; thin handshaking rules; fast porting of hardened chip regions across nodes; pervasive parameterization and specialization, and static error checking. We suggest extensions to SystemVerilog that will make it a more functional design language, and discuss our validation, including with the DARPA CRAFT-sponsored 16nm TSMC Celerity SoC with 511 RISC-V cores and 385M transistors. 80% of the modules for the design were instantiated directly from BaseJump STL, reducing verification time, accelerating development, and showing the promise of the approach.
ENERGY STORAGE FOR ELECTRIC UTILITIES

The state of the art of energy storage systems used by the electric utilities for peak shaving is discussed. The underlying concepts for the operation of the most important available schemes have been described. Whenever applicable the economics of the energy storage schemes as well as the cost expressed in $/kW of electric capacity have been provided. In addition, the procedure used in modeling an energy storage system for planning purposes has been explained. The paper concludes with a prediction of the trend expected in future expansions of electric power plants.
Acceleration of polarized proton at the AGS

The unexpected importance of high energy spin effects and the success of the ZGS in correcting many intrinsic and imperfection depolarizing resonances led us to attempt to accelerate polarized protons in the AGS. A collaborative effort is underway by the groups in Argonne, Michigan, Rice, Yale and Brookhaven to improve and modify the AGS to accelerate polarized protons. With the appropriate funding the first polarized proton acceleration at the AGS should be possible by 1983.
From the Economics of Laissez Faire to the Ethics of Libertarianism

Ludwig von Mises, without a doubt one of the most rigorous defenders in the history of economic thought of a social system of laissez faire unhampered by any governmental intervention, admits to two and only two deficiencies of a pure market system. While according to Mises it is generally true that a market economy produces the highest possible standard of living, this will not happen if any firm succeeds in securing monopoly prices for its goods. And the market cannot itself produce the goods of law and order. Law and order, or the protection of the legal framework underlying the market order, are rather considered by Mises, in current terminology, as “public goods,” whose production must be undertaken by the state, which is not itself subject to the discipline of the market, but instead relies on coercion, in particular on compulsory taxation.
The Teaching of Undergraduate Ethics

Moral problems arise in every area of human concern. The decisions to punish a student for cheating on an examination, to release a faculty member because of lack of funds, to allow drinking in dormitories, or to authorize a family planning clinic, are, at least in part, moral decisions facing members of the higher education community. As citizens we all know roughly our legal responsibilities, and we usually know our responsibilities to our fellow human beings. Sometimes, though, we are asked to break the law to fulfill our moral responsibility, as the abolitionists did in order to fight the immoral institution of slavery. We can agree that we have a moral obligation to obey the law, but also that we have an obligation to resist evil. Those who practice civil disobedience have usually decided that the evil of breaking the law is less than the evil of the action that the law requires. Recent examples include reporters who go to jail rather than reveal their sources, and antinuclear and antibusing demonstrators. We may disagree with those who think that their obligation to prevent nuclear power overrides their obligation to obey the trespass law, but we understand this sort of moral reasoning. The point is one with which we are all familiar: moral beliefs lead to action. Moral disagreements lead to confrontations, and moral agreements lead to powerful and effective alliances.
Video Endoscopy and the Charge-Coupled Device

Video endoscopy has been made possible with the development of the charge-coupled device (CCD). The structure and function of the CCD is reviewed, as are the mechanisms of generation of the color video endoscopic image. Performance characteristics of video endoscopes are detailed.
Assessing utility and completeness of information transmission during emergency department transfers.

The transfer of patients from community emergency departments to tertiary care centers is a daily occurrence in the practice of emergency medicine, but the completeness of medical data in the transfer documentation is a relatively unstudied area. The goal of this study was to evaluate the completeness of information transmitted in the transfer documentation between transferring and accepting institutions and its perceived value at the receiving tertiary center on medical management. Prospective, observational, and convenience sample survey study at a tertiary referral center in Boston, MA. A total of 100 surveys were completed during the 2-month study period. The presence of the radiology report and the provider note was most important in physician assessment of utility of the transfer packet for subsequent care of patients, yet these were the most commonly missing items (31.1% and 21% respectively). Other common missing data were medication administration records, nursing notes, and laboratory results. Medical data is absent in 15–31% of patients transferred from a community ED to a tertiary center. Provider notes and radiology reports were assessed as having the most utility to the receiving physicians.
Hydrothermal Corrosion of Coatings on Silicon Carbide in Boiling Water Reactor Conditions

SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites are an attractive material for use as accident tolerant fuel cladding. However, despite its resistance to corrosion in high-temperature steam, SiC is known to diss...
Mechanistic Basis for Ribosomal Peptide Backbone Modifications.

YcaO enzymes are known to catalyze the ATP-dependent formation of azoline heterocycles, thioamides, and (macro)lactamidines on peptide substrates. These enzymes are found in multiple biosynthetic pathways, including those for several different classes of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). However, there are major knowledge gaps in the mechanistic and structural underpinnings that govern each of the known YcaO-mediated modifications. Here, we present the first structure of any YcaO enzyme bound to its peptide substrate in the active site, specifically that from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii which is involved in the thioamidation of the α-subunit of methyl-coenzyme M reductase (McrA). The structural data are leveraged to identify and test the residues involved in substrate binding and catalysis by site-directed mutagenesis. We also show that thioamide-forming YcaOs can carry out the cyclodehydration of a related peptide substrate, which underscores the mechanistic co...
Subclavian artery avulsion following blunt trauma: A case report and literature review.

Abstract Introduction Subclavian artery injuries are rare and are associated with a high morbidity and mortality. The majority of patients with blunt trauma to the subclavian artery succumb to their injury before reaching a hospital. In-hospital mortality remains high. Presentation of case We report the case of a 30-year-old male who presented with complete traumatic subclavian artery avulsion after a motorcycle collision. He presented in hemorrhagic shock. Temporary hemostatic control was achieved with endovascular balloon occlusion followed by operative intervention. Discussion Prompt diagnosis and meticulous management including early transfusion, when indicated, are necessary to salvage both the patient’s life and limb from such severe injuries. Intra-operative diagnosis of subclavian artery injury is most common due to the hemodynamic instability of most patients with such injuries; however, conventional angiography and computed tomography angiography are useful diagnostic modalities as well. Temporizing measures such as endovascular balloon occlusion to obtain vascular control may serve as a valuable adjunct to surgical repair. Conclusion Repair of a subclavian artery injury is challenging for even the most experienced of surgeons. Endovascular techniques can be therapeutic or used as an adjunct to control bleeding ad allow an open repair.
C-C chemokine receptor 4 expression in CD8+ cutaneous T-cell lymphomas and lymphoproliferative disorders, and its implications for diagnosis and treatment.

Aims Patients with aggressive CD8+ cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) progress rapidly and respond poorly to therapy. Confounding treatment planning, there is clinicopathological overlap between aggressive CD8+ CTCLs and other lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs). Hence, improved diagnostic methods and therapeutic options are needed. The aim of this study was to examine C-C chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) expression as a diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker in CD8+ CTCLs/LPDs. Methods and results Forty-nine cases (41 patients) with CD8+ CTCLs/LPDs were examined, including CD8+ mycosis fungoides (MF) (n = 14), aggressive epidermotropic CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma (AETCL) (n = 8), subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) (n = 7), CD30+ LPDs (n = 6), primary cutaneous γδ T-cell lymphoma (GDTCL) (n = 6), and others (n = 8). Immunohistochemical tissue staining was performed with a CCR4 monoclonal antibody on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections. CCR4 immunostaining was graded as percentage infiltrate, i.e. high (>25%) and low (≤25%), and the results were correlated with clinicopathological diagnoses. CCR4 expression was seen in 69% of the studied cases. Any CCR4 positivity was seen in all CD8+ MF cases, in 83% of CD30+ LPD cases, in 75% of AETCL cases, in 33% of GDTCL cases, and in none of the SPTCL cases. High CCR4 expression was seen in 79% of CD8+ MF cases versus 33% of CD30+ LPD cases, in 17% of GDTCL cases, and in 12.5% of AETCL cases. Patients with more advanced MF stage had higher CCR4 expression. Conclusions CCR4 immunohistochemistry may be an adjunct in distinguishing advanced CD8+ MF from other CD8+ CTCLs/LPDs. Although CCR4 expression may justify therapeutic targeting of this receptor in CD8+ MF, the role of such therapies in other CD8+ CTCLs/LPDs is not yet clear.
Percutaneous leverage reduction with two Kirschner wires combined with the Métaizeau technique versus open reduction plus internal fixation with a single Kirschner-wire for treating Judet IV radial neck fractures in children.

ObjectiveTo compare the clinical effectiveness of a novel approach, percutaneous leverage reduction using two Kirschner-wires (k-wires) combined with the Metaizeau technique, versus open reduction ...
Probing molecular docking problem by an improved quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization algorithm:

The main objective of molecular docking is to find a model of interaction between a protein and ligand with a minimum binding energy. This process is driven by intricate algorithms and scoring func...
THE IMPACT OF MORPHOLOGY ON SINGLE VENTRICLE FUNCTION, ATRIOVENTRICULAR VALVE COMPETENCY AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES IN OVER 1,100 FONTAN PATIENTS: A 30 YEAR, SINGLE-CENTER STUDY

The influence of ventricular morphology on Fontan outcomes is controversial. Based on our observations, we hypothesized that dysfunction of the single right ventricle (RV) and right atrioventricular valve increases over time and adversely impacts the clinical outcomes of the Fontan. To investigate
Race focusing and reimaging research: Where do we go from here?

Abstract The authors in this special issue focus on race focusing and reimaging research. In this commentary, I acknowledge the importance of their contributions to the field of educational psychology by highlighting the authors; 1) creative focus on important problems, 2) thoughtful use of research methods and methodologies with attention to rigor, and 3) acknowledgement of the importance of social historical contexts for researchers. In addition, I present my thoughts on some of the challenges moving forward for researchers who focus on race focusing and reimaging inquiry in educational psychology.
Modulation instability induced by cross-phase modulation of transient stimulated Raman scattering and self-phase modulation in calcite

Pairs of sidebands about the transient stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) 1086cm-1 vibration mode peak are observed for calcite under 517 nm 390 fs pulse excitation. These pairs of side frequency lobes arise from modulation instability (MI) from the interaction of cross-phase modulation (XPM) from self-phase modulation (SPM) and SRS. The pairs of secondary frequencies are attributed to the daughter 1086cm-1 decay product modes from the multiphonon of 3, 4, and 5 decays. The main sideband peak from 1086cm-1 phonon at 546cm-1 suggests the operation of the Orbach effect.
Gerhard Giebisch and the Gift of Mentorship

Gerhard Giebisch, one of the giants of renal physiology, died on April 6th, 2020, at 93 years of age (Figure 1). He was widely known and admired for his many groundbreaking scientific accomplishments and was beloved for his wonderful personal qualities as an academic leader, educator, advisor, friend, and mentor. Indeed, Gerhard’s life exceptionally well illustrates the enduring gift of mentorship, from the mentors who critically affected his life to his own role as a legendary mentor to dozens of trainees. As the present tribute will provide only a brief summary of his biography, it is strongly recommended to access Gerhard’s own written (1,2) and video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PiuL51OA1Q) accounts of his life to learn more about this truly remarkable man. Figure 1. Gerhard Giebisch. Gerhard was born in 1927 in Vienna, Austria, where he was raised and attended elementary and high school. His first mentors were his parents, neither of whom had a background in science or medicine. His father was a high school teacher of German and French literature who had a special interest in history, and his mother had a love of literature and music. Gerhard developed lifelong interests in history, literature, and the arts, especially music, which he attributed to his parents. His family struggled financially during the economic depression in Austria after World War I, and his high school years were during World War II, with frequent interruption by bombing raids. Nevertheless, he persisted with his studies, including learning English as his second language. Gerhard credited the unconditional love and support of his parents for allowing him to flourish academically amid the economic and wartime hardships of this period. Motivated by his respect for two uncles who were physicians, Gerhard was one of about 1800 entering medical students at the University of Vienna in 1946, from which …
A boosted outlier detection method based on the spectrum of the Laplacian matrix of a graph.

This paper explores a new outlier detection algorithm based on the spectrum of the Laplacian matrix of a graph. Taking advantage of boosting together with sparse-data based learners. The sparcity of the Laplacian matrix significantly decreases the computational burden, enabling a spectrum based outlier detection method to be applied to larger datasets compared to spectral clustering. The method is competitive on synthetic datasets with commonly used outlier detection algorithms like Isolation Forest and Local Outlier Factor.
‘Internet of Things’ Applications in Disaster Management

The present paper on the technology of ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) relates the emerging new technology of IoT to artificial intelligence and the government’s political economy of disaster management. While it’s a technology for the future and governments are rushing to invest in its expansion, it is not without challenges. Many cities across the world have slowly and on a limited scale experimented on its implantation. Overall, machine learning models can do anything as long as one feeds them the data. The author tries to answer the perplexing questions: Is it so difficult to predict every natural disaster across the globe when 66.6% According to GSMA real-time intelligence data, there are now over 5.15 Billion people with mobile devices worldwide. This means that 66.60% of the world’s population have a mobile device (cell phone-, tablet- or cellular-enabled IoT devices). https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/how-many-phones-are-in-the-world, accessed 30th October 2019) of the world’s population carries a cell phone- or tablet- or cellular-enabled IoT device? Why in spite of the availability of such sophisticated voice-controlled technical solutions do we not think of all such Alexa skills during a disaster? Let’s find answers!
AVGuardian: Detecting and Mitigating Publish-Subscribe Overprivilege for Autonomous Vehicle Systems

Autonomous vehicle (AV) software systems are emerging to enable rapidly developed self-driving functionalities. Since such systems are responsible for safety-critical decisions, it is necessary to secure them in face of cyber attacks. Through an empirical study of representative AV software systems Baidu Apollo and Autoware, we discover a common over privilege problem with the publish-subscribe communication model widely adopted by AV systems: due to the coarse-grained message design for the publish-subscribe communication, some message fields are over-granted with publish/subscribe permissions. To comply with the least-privilege principle and reduce the attack surface resulting from such problem, we argue that the publish/subscribe permissions should be defined and enforced at the granularity of message fields instead of messages. To systematically address such publish-subscribe over-privilege problems, we present AVGuardian, a system that includes (1) a static analysis tool that detects overprivilege instances in AV software and generates the corresponding access control policies at the message field granularity, and (2) a low-overhead, module-transparent, runtime pub-lish/subscribe permission policy enforcement mechanism to perform online policy violation detection and prevention. Using our detection tool, we are able to automatically detect 581 overprivilege instances in total in Baidu Apollo. To demonstrate the severity, we further constructed several concrete exploits that can lead to vehicle collision and identity theft for AV owners, which have been reported to Baidu Apollo and confirmed as valid. For defense, we prototype and evaluate the policy enforcement mechanism, and find that it has very low overhead, does not affect original AV decision logic, and also is resilient to message replay attacks.
Creature Comforts: Neoliberalism and Preparing for Disaster

This article examines the ideological trends in Silicon Valley and how that influences the way Americans prepare for climatic, political, and economic disaster. The suite of ideas called the Dark E...
Too Many Appointments: Assessing Provider and Nursing Perception of Barriers to Referral for Outpatient Palliative Care.

Background: Integration of early outpatient palliative care for patients with advanced cancer requires overcoming logistical constraints as well as attitudinal barriers of referring providers. This pilot study assessed provider perception of logistical and attitudinal barriers to outpatient palliative care referral as well as provider acceptability of an embedded onco-palliative clinic model. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey-based study of medical oncologists, palliative care physicians, advanced practice providers (APP), and oncology nurses at a large U.S. academic center. Participants were invited to participate through anonymous online survey. Participants rank ordered logistical barriers influencing referral to an outpatient palliative clinic. Respondents indicated level of agreement with attitudinal perception of palliative care and acceptability of an embedded palliative clinic model through five-item Likert-like scales. Results: There were a total of 54 study participants (28 oncology physicians/APPs, 15 palliative physicians/APPs, and 11 oncology nurses). Across the three cohorts, most survey respondents ranked "time burden to patients" as the primary logistical barrier to outpatient palliative care referral. Both oncology and palliative providers indicated comfort with primary palliative care skills although palliative providers were more comfortable with symptom management compared with oncology providers (93.3% vs. 32.2%). A majority of participants (94.9%) were willing to refer to a palliative care provider embedded within an oncology clinic. Conclusion: Additional health care time cost to patients is a major barrier to outpatient palliative care referral. Embedding a palliative care provider in an oncology clinic may be an acceptable model to increase patient access to outpatient palliative care while supporting the oncology team.
Modulation of SF3B1 in the pre-mRNA spliceosome induces a RIG-I-dependent type I IFN response.

Nucleic acid–sensing pathways play critical roles in innate immune activation through the production of type I interferon (IFN-I) and proinflammatory cytokines. These factors are required for effective antitumor immune responses. Pharmacological modulators of the pre-mRNA spliceosome splicing factor 3b subunit 1 (SF3B1) are under clinical investigation as cancer cytotoxic agents. However, potential roles of these agents in aberrant RNA generation and subsequent RNA-sensing pathway activation have not been studied. In this study, we observed that SF3B1 pharmacological modulation using pladienolide B (Plad B) induces production of aberrant RNA species and robust IFN-I responses via engagement of the dsRNA sensor retinoic acid–inducible gene I (RIG-I) and downstream interferon regulatory factor 3. We found that Plad B synergized with canonical RIG-I agonism to induce the IFN-I response. In addition, Plad B induced NF-κB responses and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Finally, we showed that cancer cells bearing the hotspot SF3B1K700E mutation, which leads to global aberrant splicing, had enhanced IFN-I response to canonical RIG-I agonism. Together, these results demonstrate that pharmacological modulation of SF3B1 in cancer cells can induce an enhanced IFN-I response dependent on RIG-I expression. The study suggests that spliceosome modulation may not only induce direct cancer cell cytotoxicity but also initiate an innate immune response via activation of RNA-sensing pathways.
Replication-defective recombinant herpes simplex virus vectors.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the design and construction of replication-defective herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) vectors for a variety of purposes. The chapter also discusses advantages and disadvantages for using HSV-1 as a vector. Recombinant HSV-1 vectors do not contain a mixed genetic population and are therefore uniform in their effects on infected cells. HSV-I has a wide target cell range and can infect nondividing cells. The HSV-1 genome can stably persist in neurons during a latent infection and produce the latency-associated transcript (LAT) RNAs. The virus can accept fairly large inserts of foreign DNA (15 kb or more), depending on the amount of nonessential viral DNA that has been deleted. It is also possible to insert multiple foreign DNA sequences into the HSV-1 genome. Three inherent disadvantages of replication-defective HSV-1 vectors are: (1) the large size of the HSV-1 genome requires more complex procedures for its manipulation than simple cloning; (2) although HSV-I can efficiently infect dividing cells, it makes little sense to use a replication-defective HSV-1 vector to infect such cells for long-term experiments, as the introduced DNA cannot be transmitted to all the daughter cells except in rare cases following recombination with the cellular genome; (3) HSV-I vectors may have the potential to cause reactivation of latent virus in vivo.
PMN Depletion Alters Ang-1:Ang-2 & Increases Tie2 Phosphorylation Following Hemorrhagic Shock Priming for the Development of iARDS in Mice

Successful therapies for acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) remain challenging. We have recently shown, in our mouse model of hemorrhage priming (Hem) for the development of ARDS following s...
Science to improve management of the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone: A collaborative approach

Management of the northern Gulf of Mexico large hypoxic zone is driven primarily by the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force (“Hypoxia Task Force”) Action Plan. Both the 2001 and revised 2008 Action Plans called for a reduction in the average areal extent of the hypoxic zone to 5000 km2 by the year 2015, less than 1/3 the current typical annual maximum area. To achieve this goal, watershed nutrient loading reductions of 45% total nitrogen and 45% total phosphorus were estimated needs. The science to inform these targets and develop hypoxia mitigation strategies was derived from predictive models based on the quantitative relationship between causative factors (e.g. nutrient loading, stratification) and extent of hypoxia, long-term monitoring, and forecast models to test the validity of predicted relationships. This science provided the foundation for an evaluation by an Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board Hypoxia Advisory Panel which served to update and synthesize research efforts on the causes and consequences of the hypoxic zone and assess progress in implementing nutrient reduction measures in the Mississippi River watershed. This information subsequently led to the adoption of the 2008 Action Plan by the Hypoxia Task Force. In addition to actions by the Hypoxia Task Force, efforts to advance the research and management capabilities needed for hypoxic zone mitigation have strengthened recently through the cooperative activities of several partnering networks (e.g. Hypoxia Task Force, Gulf of Mexico Governors' Alliance, NOAA Gulf Regional Collaboration Team, Northern Gulf Institute, Gulf Coastal Ocean Observing System). For example, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance has committed to addressing hypoxia through their recently released Action Plan II. An anticipated outcome of this commitment is a partnership with the Hypoxia Task Force to implement nutrient reduction strategies and improve monitoring. These collaborative efforts have been supported by two workshops, the Summit on Long-Term Monitoring of the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone and the Ecological Impacts of Hypoxia on Living Resources Workshop. The monitoring Summit subsequently led to a Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Monitoring Implementation Plan that seeks to establish a sustainable, operational monitoring program. We will summarize the results of these collaborative efforts to advance monitoring and modeling research on Gulf of Mexico hypoxia, and address their anticipated management benefits.
Abstract 18572: Sleep Duration is Associated with Degree of Insulin Resistance in a High Risk Population: the Baptist Employee Healthy Heart Study

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome, the clustering of multiple cardiovascular risk factors, is established as a risk factor for CVD. Shorter or longer sleep duration has been reported to be associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome (MS) and diabetes mellitus (DM) through increased insulin resistance (IR). However, it is not known if impaired sleep alters IR in a high-risk population with known MS/DM. Methods: The Baptist Employee Healthy Heart Study is an ongoing lifestyle intervention study examining the effects of web-based interventions on reducing CVD risk in individuals with MS/DM. Sleep duration was self reported by the participants. Daily sleep duration was categorized into sleep 8 hours (long). Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated from fasting insulin and fasting glucose level. Results: The population consisted of 182 participants (74% women, 49% Hispanic, mean age 52 ± 9 years). In this study the mean sleep duration was 7±5 hours and mean HOMA-IR was 5.2 ± 5.6 units. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, BMI, waist circumference, total cholesterol level and LDL cholesterol level did not apparently differ across the groups. Both short and long sleepers tended to have lower HDL cholesterol level and higher triglyceride level (p 8hrs (9.52±10.7), p Conclusions: In this study of high metabolic risk individuals, sleep duration was associated with increased insulin resistance and highlights the importance of improving sleep hygiene in the clinical management of high risk individuals with MS and DM.
The Information Behavior of a New Generation: Children and Teens in the 21st Century edited by Jamshid Beheshti and Andrew Large

Editors Beheshti and Large, along with their talented retinue of contributing authors, take on the challenging task of describing the current information behaviors of children and teens. The task p...
Markov Random Field Models

Statistical models formulated on the basis of Markov random fields (MRFs) constitute an appealing approach to the analysis of data that exhibit complex dependence structures. Such data arise commonly in problems of a spatial or spatiotemporal nature, although MRFs are a general mathematical construct that may be used in other situations such as, for example, the representation of genetic dependence among organisms. Within the context of statistical modeling, a MRF may be defined for any set of random variables defined at a discrete point.
Initial value problems for viscoelastic liquids

Cauchy problems for equations modelling non-Newtonian fluids are discussed and recent existence theorems for classical solutions, based on semigroup methods, are presented. Such existence results depend in a crucial manner on the symbol of the leading differential operator. Both “parabolic” and “hyperbolic” cases are discussed. In general, however, the leading differential operator may be of non-integral order, arising from convolution with a singular kernel. This has interesting implications concerning the propagation of singularities. In particular, there are cases where C∞-smoothing coexists with finite wave speeds.
Anti-communism, the growth machine and the remaking of cold-war-era pittsburgh.

This article develops a new perspective on urban growth machines through an analysis of the relationship between Pittsburgh's Renaissance and cold-war-era anticommunism. In order to facilitate urban (re)development, growth machines foster a shared sense of metropolitan citizenship and a corresponding ideological belief that coalitions of business, government and other elite actors can renew regions for the collective good of their residents. During the early years of the cold war, anti-communism was a key means by which growth machines could create this shared sense of metropolitan belonging. The members of Pittsburgh's widely celebrated growth coalition used anti-communism to advance their interests in four key ways: (1) by encouraging residents to see the Renaissance as part of the larger struggle against communism; (2) by eliminating a deeply rooted radical political culture; (3) by, in the process, curtailing opposition to their effort to remake the region into a post-industrial economy based on free capital mobility; and (4) by having it serve as a shared tactic and ideology that stitched together and legitimated capitalist development at all scales from the factory to the globe. Pittsburgh's Renaissance provides an important example of how growth machines not only produce space, but also citizenship and the conditions of political possibility.
Anaesthetic management and high frequency oscillatory ventilation.

In an effort to decrease morbidity and mortality, newer modes of mechanical ventilation have been introduced into the critical care arena. One such technique, high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) relies on respiratory rates greater than 150 b.min -1 , small tidal volumes, and the maintenance of a constant distending pressure thereby limiting peak inflating pressure and potentially the incidence of barotrauma. Despite the frequent application of this technique in the ICU setting, there is limited information concerning its intraoperative use. We present three infants who represent the perioperative applications of HFOV: (i) elective preoperative use to minimize lung movement and interference with surgical exposure during thoracotomy and PDA ligation; (ii) intraoperative application when progressive alterations in respiratory compliance led to ineffective intraoperative ventilation/oxygenation; and (iii) anaesthetic care for a neonate already receiving HFOV. The techniques of HFOV and previous reports of perioperative use are reviewed.