cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An integrated experimental and modeling approach to propose biotinylated PLGA microparticles as versatile targeting vehicles for drug delivery

Polymeric microparticles with covalently attached biotin are proposed as versatile targeting vehicles for drug delivery. The proposed microparticles made of 85/15 poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) will have biotin available on the outside of the particle for the further attachment with an avidin group. Taking advantage of biotin’s high affinity for avidin, and avidin’s well-known chemistry, the particle has the potential to be easily coated with a variety of targeting moieties. This paper focuses on the design and resulting effect of adding biotin to PLGA microparticles using an integrated experimental and modeling approach. A fluorescent-tagged avidin (488-streptavidin) was used to confirm the presence and bioavailability of biotin on the outside of the particles. For the purpose of this study, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a model therapeutic drug. Microparticles were created using two different types of polyvinyl alcohol 88 and 98 mol% hydrolyzed, which were then analyzed for their size, morphology, and encapsulation capacity of BSA. Release studies performed in vitro confirmed the slow release of the BSA over a 28-day period. Based on these release profiles, a release kinetics model was used to further quantify the effect of biotinylation of PLGA microparticles on their release characteristics by quantitatively extracting the effective drug diffusivity and drug desorption rate from the release profiles. It was found that the biotinylation of the PLGA microparticles slowed down both the drug desorption and drug diffusion process, which confirmed that biotinylated PLGA microparticles can be used for controlled drug release. The presented technology, as well as the proposed integrated experimental and modeling approach, forms a solid foundation for future studies using a cell-specific ligand that can be attached to avidin and incorporated onto the microparticles for targeted delivery.
Distance functions and skeletal representations of rigid and non-rigid planar shapes

Shape skeletons are fundamental concepts for describing the shape of geometric objects, and have found a variety of applications in a number of areas where geometry plays an important role. Two types of skeletons commonly used in geometric computations are the straight skeleton of a (linear) polygon, and the medial axis of a bounded set of points in the k-dimensional Euclidean space. However, exact computation of these skeletons of even fairly simple planar shapes remains an open problem. In this paper we propose a novel approach to construct exact or approximate (continuous) distance functions and the associated skeletal representations (a skeleton and the corresponding radius function) for solid 2D semi-analytic sets that can be either rigid or undergoing topological deformations. Our approach relies on computing constructive representations of shapes with R-functions that operate on real-valued halfspaces as logic operations. We use our approximate distance functions to define a new type of skeleton, i.e, the C-skeleton, which is piecewise linear for polygonal domains, generalizes naturally to planar and spatial domains with curved boundaries, and has attractive properties. We also show that the exact distance functions allow us to compute the medial axis of any closed, bounded and regular planar domain. Importantly, our approach can generate the medial axis, the straight skeleton, and the C-skeleton of possibly deformable shapes within the same formulation, extends naturally to 3D, and can be used in a variety of applications such as skeleton-based shape editing and adaptive motion planning.
An iterative method for the design of symmetrical Joukowski airfoils of specified chord and maximum thickness

An iterative method is developed for designing symmetrical Joukowski airfoils of specified chord and maximum thickness. The method has been programmed for a digital computer and results for a particular airfoil design are given.
American Economic Relations with Asia

2East-West Center The USA and Asia have an enormous stake in each others’ continuing prosperity. This outcome is linked to the preservation of the open international economic order, which in turn faces challenges at both the interstate diplomatic level and at the domestic political level. The global financial crisis is probably the worst since the Great Depression and the domestic politics makes it increasingly difficult to formulate a constructive trade policy. In the absence of adequate reform at the global level, the alternative could be further fragmentation into competing regional blocs. Asia holds the key, combining both dissatisfaction with existing global arrangements with the resources to reconstitute, at least at the regional level, an alternative set of institutions and practices. How Asia responds, acting to strengthen reformed global institutions or undermine them in favor of regional alternatives, will partly depend on the policies of the dominant global power, the USA.
Acceleration, smoke and consequences. A disorder of orders

In this paper, I argue that if you want a sustainable future, you must deal with the roots of global-scale acceleration: acceleration in human numbers and acceleration in per capita consumption. Sustainability implies balance; acceleration demands imbalance. Globally speaking, if you want one, you can't have the other. To get at the roots, I suggest the tool of viewing acceleration as an imbalance resulting from a disorder of orders.
Combustion and Conversion Efficiency of Nanoaluminum-Water Mixtures

An experimental investigation on the combustion behavior and conversion efficiency of nanoaluminum and liquid water mixtures was conducted. Burning rates and chemical efficiency of aluminum-water and aluminum-water-poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) mixtures were quantified as a function of pressure (from 0.12 to 15 MPa), nominal aluminum particle size (for diameters of 38, 50, 80, and 130 nm), and overall equivalence ratios (0.67 < φ < 1.0) under well-controlled conditions. Chemical efficiencies were found to range from 27 to 99% depending upon particle size and sample preparation. Burning rates increased significantly with decreased particle size attaining rates as high as 8 cm/s for the 38 nm diameter particles above approximately 4 MPa. Burning rate pressure exponents of 0.47, 0.27, and 0.31 were determined for the 38, 80, and 130 nm diameter particle mixtures, respectively. Also, mixture packing density varied with particle size due to interstitial spacing, and was determined to affect the burning rate...
77 Post-hospitalisation caring contacts for suicide prevention provide active crisis intervention benefit at VA PALO ALTO

Purpose ‘Caring Letters’ is a suicide prevention intervention that involves sending brief messages of care and concern to high-risk patients following psychiatric hospitalisation. This is the only intervention that has been previously shown to reduce suicide mortality rates in a civilian population. A multi-site randomised controlled trial is now underway at US military and VA hospitals. This presentation provides an in-progress report on how the caring contacts trial is providing an active crisis intervention benefit. Methods and approach This in-progress multi-site study enrolls active duty military personnel and veterans who receive inpatient treatment at six psychiatric facilities. Comprehensive interviews are conducted to assess predictors of treatment effect. Patients are randomised into either ‘usual care’ or ‘Caring Letters’ intervention group. The latter receives 13 scheduled caring emails for two years. Both groups are contacted at end of the study to evaluate the intervention’s effectiveness. Primary outcomes include suicide mortality rates and self-directed violence. Results VA Palo Alto has enrolled 311 participants and 147 have been randomised to the Caring Emails group. The site has received 44 reply emails from patients. The majority expressed appreciation while 12 patients indicated acute distress due to overwhelming stressors, worsening symptoms, substance abuse relapse, homicidal and suicidal ideation. The research team followed established safety protocol to resolve potential crisis and reconnect patients to care. Conclusions Caring Letters provide a means to reconnect patients in crisis to care. By following established safety protocols, patients can be reconnected to care who may have otherwise may not have received additional intervention. Significance These in-process findings provide an essential step to validating a low-cost, high-impact intervention. A standardised Caring Letters program at US military and VA hospitals could provide an effective crisis management process as part of posthospitalisation safety planning.
Majoritarianism, Majoritarian Tension, and the Reed Revolution

What fundamental forces account for procedural change in majoritarian voting institutions? I address this question by defining majoritarianism as a variable with two attributes: a numeric component that sets a threshold of assent among decision-makers, and a contextual component that defines the objects and stages of choice to which a given majority or supermajority threshold applies. Conceptualized as such, majoritarianism may be studied as a manipulable phenomenon that, in large part, defines the degree of consensus that a voting organization demands of itself in making decisions about rules, amendments, and law. Majoritarianism is often a central concern in institutional reforms that reallocate individual procedural rights to members. Majoritarian tension inevitably arises among decision-makers due to their simultaneous and conflicting desires for consensus (widespread endorsement of a decision), timeliness (rapid action), and wisdom (prudent, informed decision-making). Two broad empirical expectations based on the majoritarian-tension framework are assessed by revisiting of the extensively studied, so-called Reed Revolution in the late 19th Century House of Representatives. I suggest that this ostensibly critical event was both less significant and more bipartisan than any extant account suggests, and that my alternative interpretation is consistent with the fundamental forces of majoritarian tension.
Radar speckle reduction and derived texture measures for land cover/use classification: a case study

AbstractThis study examined the appropriateness of radar speckle reduction for deriving texture measures for land cover/use classifications. Radarsat-2 C-band quad-polarised data were obtained for Washington, DC, USA. Polarisation signatures were extracted for multiple image components, classified with a maximum-likelihood decision rule and thematic accuracies determined. Initial classifications using original and despeckled scenes showed despeckled radar to have better overall thematic accuracies. However, when variance texture measures were extracted for several window sizes from the original and despeckled imagery and classified, the accuracy for the radar data was decreased when despeckled prior to texture extraction. The highest classification accuracy obtained for the extracted variance texture measure from the original radar was 72%, which was reduced to 69% when this measure was extracted from a 5 × 5 despeckled image. These results suggest that it may be better to use despeckled radar as original...
Mixing Analysis of Like Doublet Injectors in High Pressure Environments for Gelled Propellant Simulants

Effect of ambient pressure on the mixing efficiency of impinging doublets is experimentally investigated for similar and dissimilar orifice diameter impinging jets with non-gelled and gelled propellant simulants. For similar orifice diameter impingement, the ambient pressure increase above atmospheric pressure enhances mixing for both gelled and non-gelled fluid. However, the mixing efficiencies stop increasing at and remain constant above a certain ambient pressure. Gelled simulant generally results in poorer mixing than the non-gelled simulant, suggesting the momentum carried by jets and pre-impingement jet conditions are the determining factor in mixing efficiency. For dissimilar orifice-diameter impingement cases, the mixing is generally constant over all ambient pressures. The equal jet velocity cases (momentum ratio = 0.5) produce better mixing than equal momentum ratio cases (momentum ratio = 1.0) or equal jet volumetric flow rate cases (momentum ratio = 2.0). The equal jet volumetric flow rate cases (momentum ratio = 2.0) results in worst mixing, regardless of ambient pressure and jet velocity for the range of pressures and velocities tested. For some optimized operating conditions, the dissimilar orifice-diameter impingement case can produce better mixing than the similar orifice diameter impingement case.
Enhanced Sensitivity in Parity-Time-Symmetric Microcavity Sensors

The sensitivity of microcavities used for particle detection is at best proportional to the perturbation (ϵ). Here we propose a novel microresonator sensor using exceptional points in PT-symmetric arrangements showing an enhanced sensitivity (ϵ1/2).
Evaluation of the FIAX test for the detection of antibodies to herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus.

Laboratory Branch Complement Fixation and FIAX® (fluorescence immunoassay) were compared for the detection of antibodies to herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus in human sera. Of 68 sera with no antibodies to herpes simplex virus by complement fixation, one specimen was positive by FIAX (specificity, 98.6%). Of 75 sera with complement fixation antibodies, five specimens were negative by the FIAX procedure (sensitivity, 93.8%). Comparable results were obtained with the cytomegalovirus antigen, in that only three of 76 sera with complement fixation antibodies gave positive FIAX results (specificity, 96.2%). Only three of 74 sera with complement fixation antibodies to cytomegalovirus were not detected by FIAX (sensitivity, 96.1%). FIAX titers increased with complement fixation levels in 39 of 42 serum pairs (93%) with herpes simplex virus antibody and in 44 of 47 sera (94%) containing antibodies to cytomegalovirus, but the increments were not necessarily linear. The FIAX test for measuring antibody to herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus antigens is specific, sensitive, rapid (three to four hours per 100 specimens), and reproducible.
Intestinal transport of a tetrapeptide, L-leucylglycylglycylglycine, in rat small intestine in vivo.

1. The intestinal transport mechanism for the tetrapeptide l-leucylglycylglycylglycine, Leu-Gly-Gly-Gly, and its relation to the transport of free Leu, Leu-Gly and Leu-Gly-Gly were investigated in vivo by means of jejunal perfusion in rats. 2. The rates of net Leu absorption from peptides (Leu-Gly and Leu-Gly-Gly-Gly) were significantly greater than those from the free amino acid mixtures when the test solutions were perfused at a concentration of 15 mmol/l. 3. Net Leu absorption rates from Leu-Gly (10 μmol/ml) and Leu-Gly-Gly (10 μmol/ml) were extensively inhibited (84% and 68% respectively) by Gly-Pro at 100 mmol/l, whereas Gly-Pro had no effect on Leu absorption from Leu-Gly-Gly-Gly. l-Alanine (Ala, 100 μmol/ml), on the other hand, which completely inhibited Leu absorption during perfusion of free Leu, inhibited Leu uptake from Leu-Gly-Gly-Gly only about 50% at all concentrations studied. Ala had no effect on Leu absorption from Leu-Gly and Leu-Gly-Gly (10 μmol/ml). 4. Neither Ala at 100 μmol/ml nor Gly-Pro at 100 μmol/ml had any effect on brush-border aminopeptidase activity in vitro , suggesting that the hydrolytic capacity of the intestinal mucosal brush border was unaltered when Ala or Gly-Pro was included in the perfusion mixture. l-Alanyl-β-naphthylamide (20 μmol/ml), which inhibited brush-border aminopeptidase activity by 85% in vitro , failed to block substantially net Leu absorption from Leu-Gly and Leu-Gly-Gly-Gly. 5. The data presented suggest that, although some of the Leu from the tetrapeptide, Leu-Gly-Gly-Gly, may be hydrolysed before transport, nearly 50% of the tetrapeptide appears to be transported intact. Although Leu-Gly, Leu-Gly-Gly and Gly-Pro seem to share a common transport mechanism, the system used for intact Leu-Gly-Gly-Gly absorption seems to be distinct. However, the present study does not exclude the possibility that binding of the tetrapeptide to the brush-border aminopeptidase alters the affinity of Leu for the amino acid carrier, and therefore further studies are necessary before firm conclusions can be made on the general mechanism of tetrapeptide transport.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of the information management system for vaccination records of children in Weifang City

OBJECTIVE Management of the information on vaccination of children in Weifang City was assessed to provide a scientific reference for the management of immunization records.METHODS The Golden Vaccine Immunization Assistant System software was used to establish a database on vaccination records of children,which could be accessed via a magnetic card recognition system.RESULTS By 2010,information on the vaccination records of 794 015 resident children and 117 192 non-resident children were registered in the system,with a percentage of registration of 99.80% and 96.11%,respectively.Significant difference existed in the percentage of registration of non-resident children before and after the implementa tion of the online information management system(χ2= 4.52,0.01﹤P﹤0.05).Significant difference was also observed in the timely immunization rate of a full-course "seven-vaccines" and the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine(χ2= 125.34,P﹤0.01,χ2= 278.16,P﹤0.01).CONCLUSION Implementation of the online information management system has improved the vaccination rate of non-resident children and the percentage of timely immunization of the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine,and has effectively solve the challenges encountered in heterochthonous vaccination of non-resident populations.With the advanced service system,parents may be timely informed of the vaccination records of their children,which effectively prevents the occurrence of missed,mistaken,and repeated vaccinations.
Cyclophosphamide: Evaluation in recurrent and progressive ovarian cancer

Abstract At the Mayo Clinic from May 1960, through December 1965, 138 patients with recurrent and metastatic ovarian cancer were treated with cancer chemotherapy. Of these, 106 patients had tumors that were considered to be unequivocally ovarian in origin. Of the 106 patients, 82 were treated with cyclophosphamide, with and without radiation; 17 of these had objective remission and 8 had arrest of progress of the tumor. Thus, 23.6 per cent obtained significant palliation. Toxicity of the compound was moderate. No cures resulted from the therapy. Continued investigation of treatment regimens and comparison with other compounds are contemplated.
Application Based on PID Controller for Water Level Control in Hydropower Station

Water level control of reservoir is a new subject in the hydropower plant automatic control field. Aimed at this issue,through establishment of mathematical model,this paper came up with an approach that PLC takes up the main role as controlling reservoir water level. In the mode of close-loop control,the approach adopts PID controller giving orders to the units,which leads to adjustment of reservoir water level achieved by regulating unit MW output,realizing the technology of joint control of water level by the unit. This approach has been proven desirable in the practical use.
Influence of operating room conduct on wound infections.

Bacteria may enter a wound from the patient himself or the operating room environment. The author emphasizes the importance of good surgical technique and the use of appropriate antibacterial methods in the prevention of wound infection.
Purification and properties of phosphoacetylglucosamine mutase.

Abstract Phosphoacetylglucosamine mutase was purified from extracts of pig submaxillary gland by ammonium sulfate fractionation, chromatography on carboxymethyl cellulose and DEAE-cellulose, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. The preparation is homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, sedimentation analysis, and immunochemical tests. The enzyme required Mg2+, a diphosphate cofactor, and a metal chelator or sulfhydryl reagents for optimal activity.
Impact of Domestic Violence on Children’s Education in Colombia Methodological Challenges

We explore the methodological challenges of estimating the effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) against the mother on the educational outcomes of her children. We tackle the problem of potential endogeneity and non-random selection of children into situations where they are exposed to IPV using non-parametric matching methods and parametric instrumental variable methods. Using Colombia's 2005 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), we find that IV and non-IV estimators produce qualitatively similar results at varying degrees of precision, for some educational outcomes. Therefore, exogeneity of IPV to various education outcomes cannot be taken for granted; appropriate methods need to be used to study its causal effects.
Impact of Pulmonary Arterial Clot Location on Pulmonary Embolism Treatment and Outcomes (90 Days)

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is common and management is based on risk stratification. The significance of clot location in submassive and massive PE is unclear. Data from a prospectively gathered database of submassive and massive PE were used for analysis. Available data included patient presentation, diagnostics, treatment, and outcome. Comparisons were made according to clot location: central or peripheral. A multivariable model was used for composite outcome of death or right ventricular (RV) strain at 90 days. Among 269 patients, there were no significant demographic differences between patients with peripheral and central PE. Peripheral PE was more likely to present with hypotension (46.4% vs 32.6%; p = 0.02), but central PE was more likely to have RV strain on echocardiography (76.7% vs 57.7%, p <0.001) and computed tomography (58.1% vs 32.0%, p <0.0001). Peripheral PE was more likely to receive anticoagulation as the only form of therapy (69.1% vs 55.8%; p = 0.03), and central PE was more likely to receive catheter-directed therapies (18.3% vs 3.3%; p <0.001). Nonetheless, peripheral PE had higher 30- and 90-day all-cause mortality (18.5% vs 9.3%; p = 0.03; 25.9% vs 13.5%; p = 0.02, respectively). In a multivariable analysis, the only independent predictor of death or RV strain at 90 days was increased age (odds radio 1.35, CI 1.06 to 1.72 per 10 years). Specifically, neither clot location nor treatment was associated with patient outcomes. In conclusion, in this cohort of patients with submassive and massive PE, clot location was associated with treatment patterns but not patient outcomes to 90 days. Reevaluation of practice is thus warranted.
Chondrocyte Attachment, Proliferation, and Differentiation on Three-Dimensional Polycaprolactone Fumarate Scaffolds

Current treatment options for cartilage injuries are limited. The goals of this study are to create a biodegradable polymer scaffold with the capabilities of sustaining chondrocyte growth and proliferation, enable cell-to-cell communication and tissue regeneration through large pores, and assess the biological augmentation of the scaffold capabilities using platelet lysate (PL). We synthesized biodegradable polycaprolactone fumarate (PCLF) scaffolds to allow cell-cell communication through large interconnected pores. Molds were printed using a three-dimensional printer and scaffolds synthesized through UV crosslinking. Culture medium included alpha modified Eagle's media with either 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) or 5% PL, a mixture of platelet release products, after being seeded onto scaffolds through a dynamic bioreactor. Assays included cellular proliferation (MTS), toxicity and viability (live/dead immunostaining), differentiation (glycosaminoglycan [GAG], alkaline phosphatase [ALP], and total collagen), and immunostaining for chondrogenic markers collagen II and Sox 9 (with collagen I as a negative control). The large interconnected pores (500 and 750 μm) enable cell-to-cell communication and cellular infiltration into the scaffolds, as the cells remained viable and proliferated for 2 weeks. Chondrocytes cultured in PL showed increased rates of proliferation when compared with FBS. The chondrogenic markers GAG and total collagen contents increased over 2 weeks at each time point, whereas the osteogenic marker ALP did not significantly change. Immunostaining at 2 and 4 weeks for the expression of chondrogenic markers Collagen II and Sox 9 was increased when compared with control human fibroblasts. These results show that the PCLF polymer scaffold enables chondrocytes to attach, proliferate, and retain their chondrogenic phenotypes, demonstrating potential in chondrocyte engineering and cartilage regeneration.
Cooperative Tasks in Mobile Manipulation Systems 1

Abstract Cooperative mobile manipulation capabilities are key to new applications of robotics in space, underwater, construction, and the service environments. This article discusses the ongoing effort at Stanford University for the development of mobile manipulation capabilities to aid humans in a variety of material handling tasks. The work presented in this paper focuses on the extension of the Augmented Object and the Virtual Linkage models for fixed base manipulation, to mobile cooperative manipulation systems. We propose a new decentralized control structure for cooperative tasks which is suitable to the more autonomous nature of mobile systems and prove its efficacy in simulation
Surviving suicide: A psychiatrist’s journey

This article is a personal narrative by Diane Roston, M.D. of the suicide of her husband, David, in 2008. It is a powerful and intimate recounting of her thoughts, emotions, and behaviors from the day of her husband's death, up to the present time, as she tries to cope with the shock, trauma, confusion, horror, and intense grief produced by this life-changing event. It also includes her thoughtful reflections on how this experience has changed her personal and her professional life and has led to a hard-won sense of meaning and acceptance of the death.
Role of Sarcomeres in Cellular Tension, Shortening, and Signaling in Cardiac Muscle

Although well known to house the molecular machines ultimately responsible for pressure development and ejection, sarcomeric proteins are now recognized to participate in the integrated control of cardiac function. We consider here not only current concepts of the mechanisms of sarcomere force and shortening, but also how processes at the level of the sarcomeric proteins are significant as rate-limiting steps in the control of cardiac dynamics. These processes also include participation of sarcomeric proteins in signaling cascades promoted by multiple receptors, most notably beta-adrenergic receptors. We also consider potential roles of sarcomeric proteins in long-term regulation of cardiac function in adaptations to cardiac stressors and in maladaptations leading to heart failure. Although not extensively considered here, mutation in nearly every sarcomeric protein is a common cause of familial hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies. These disorders are commonly due to a missense mutation in a sarcomeric protein, and may end with sudden death or deteriorate into heart failure. The pathologies due to a change in a sarcomeric protein indicate critical effects of processes at the level of the sarcomeres in homeostatic control of cardiac energetics, dynamics, and structure.
Cognitive Changes in Aging: Competence and Incompetence

The mental infirmities of old age are commonly accorded a close second in inevitability after death and taxes. What has been taken virtually as a truism, that persons deteriorate psychologically as they become older, today seems less a simple truth. This discussion will be devoted to a modest polemic, the thesis that the cognitive capabilities the elderly retain should be understood as well as the capabilities they lose.
Textile Tradition and National Identity: A Tangled Thread

Paraguayans have several textiles that they consider to be Paraguayan in essence and distinct from the textile traditions of Latin American, and especially from the neighboring countries of Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia. These include ponchos, blankets (wool and cotton), cotton fabric, fajas (girdle sash), flecos (fringes), linens, encaje ju (lacis or net darning), ao po’i (embroidered cloth), and nanduti (Tenerife, sol , or rueda lace).
Drosophila Methionine sulfoxide reductase A is not a methionine oxidase

Methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) stereospecifically catalyzes the reduction of S-methionine sulfoxide to methionine and is important in defense against oxidative stress. Recently, we reported that mammalian methionine sulfoxide reductase A stereospecifically and selectively oxidizes Met77 in calcium-bound calmodulin and can fully reduce it as well. The control mechanism that prevents futile cycling is hypothesized to be through interaction with a postulated regulatory protein. Thus, cyclic oxidation and reduction of methionines in proteins by MsrA could function as a redox-based mechanism of cellular regulation. Our aim in this study was to elucidate the physiological significance of methionine sulfoxide reductase A mediated reversible oxidation of calmodulin Met77 in Drosophila. However, we found that Drosophila MsrA, unlike its mammalian counterpart, is not a methionine oxidase. This led us to explore the mechanistic details of the enzyme. Using a double alkylation approach with HPLC-mass spectrometric sequencing, we found that the active site cysteine residue in Drosophila MsrA becomes locked in a disulfide bond with the terminal cysteine residue of the protein and thus cannot mediate oxidation. A mutant Drosophila MsrA lacking the two C-terminal cysteine residues also lacked oxidase activity, despite not being able to form a disulfide bond with the active site cysteine.
Content-Based Classification of Sensitive Tweets

Online Social Networks (OSNs), such as Facebook and Twitter, provide open platforms for users to easily share their statuses, opinions, and ideas, ranging from personal experiences/activities to br...
The role of differing probe and target strand lengths in DNA microarrays investigated via Monte Carlo molecular simulation

Abstract DNA duplexes consisting of a 25mer together with shorter complementary sequences were studied over a range of temperature and surface binding motifs using a coarse-grained two-site nucleotide model. Results were analyzed in terms of hydrogen bonding interactions and structural characteristics and indicate that hybridization is most stable when furthest from the surface binding site. Strand elongation and straightening near the bound end are found to be correlated to duplex destabilization.
A Legal Perspective on the Organization–Volunteer Relationship:

How does law view and shape the relationship between nonprofit organization and volunteer? To address this question, I draw on information from statutes, court decisions, and agency guidance from b...
The critically ill liver patient: the variceal bleeder.

Esophageal varices develop in patients with cirrhosis once portal pressure, measured by hepatic venous pressure gradient, and exceeds 10 mm Hg. At a portal pressure of 12 mm Hg, variceal bleeding may develop that is associated with a mortality of 30% to 50% per episode. In addition to an elevated portal pressure, other risk factors for the development of variceal hemorrhage include: variceal size, endoscopic features on the variceal wall (i.e., red wales), and Child-Pugh class. In patients with suspected variceal hemorrhage, the treatment of the acute episode includes intravascular volume expansion, hemostasis through the use of pharmacological agents and endoscopy, and the prevention and treatment of potential complications associated with variceal hemorrhage such as aspiration pneumonia, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and hepatic encephalopathy. Given a high rate of rebleeding, long-term prevention through secondary prophylaxis should be instituted in all patients who have survived an episode of variceal bleeding. Current prophylactic options include: non-selective beta-blockers alone (first line) or in combination with long-acting nitrates (isosorbide mononitrate) and/or endoscopic variceal obliteration achieved through sclerotherapy or preferably, band ligation.
Optimal-Coherent Network Inference (OCNI): Principles and Applications

Many network inference (NI) problems are modeled as under-determined linear inverse problems where the number of observations or measurements are less than the number of unknowns. In this paper, a new technique for solving NI problems in dynamic network environments is presented. This technique is called optimal-coherent NI (OCNI) and it is applied in two stages. In the first stage, called learning phase, the optimal observation matrix (OOM) of network measurements are computed. In the second stage, called measurement and inference phase (MIP), the OOM is used to compute the least-norm solution and estimate the unknowns of interest. The OOM can be adaptively modified to improve the estimation accuracy. In this paper, first, the principles of OCNI are explained, and its properties are mathematically proved and experimentally justified. In addition, a new framework for traffic matrix estimation in software defined networks (SDN) is developed where the OCNI is the main technique for estimating the size of network flows. This framework is called OCcASION. Under the hard resource constraint of the size of ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) in SDN switches, OCcASION mainly uses the readily and reliably available link-load measurements to estimate the size of network flows where link-loads are provided via simple network management protocol (SNMP). In the learning phase, OCcASION computes the OOM of SNMP link-loads. In the MIP, OCcASION adaptively identifies and measures the most informative flows; moreover, it modifies the original OOM and accurately estimate the unknown traffic matrix. For this purpose, OCcASION uses the flexibility provided by the SDN to adaptively re-program a set of TCAM/flow-table entries of OpenFlow switches. The performance of OCcASION framework is evaluated using synthetic and real traffic traces of three practical networks topologies. It is shown that, this framework can significantly improve the accuracy of the traffic matrix estimation. For example, on Geant network the estimation error is approximately reduced by 83%, compared to regular minimum-norm estimation. Furthermore, the principles of OCNI is applied to estimate network link-delays where, in the learning phase, the OOM is computed using the network topology information. In the MIP, a set of path-delay measurements are measured at each measurement interval, and the OOM is used to coherently estimate unknown link-delays.
Quantifying methane emissions among simulated gas wells with a dual-frequency comb spectrometer

We present the results of a single-blind field test assessing the capability of a dual-frequency comb spectrometer coupled with atmospheric inversion methods for detecting and quantifying methane emissions from natural gas production infrastructure.
Citizens’ Perspectives on E-government

This article presents the results of a survey conducted in the state of Texas to the assess issues and concerns citizens have in having government provide services over the Internet. The survey presents one vision of what people believe about network-mediated government services and how they interact with them, and it contributes ideas about the sorts of policies and considerations our government agencies might adopt as they move toward a fully realized e-government
Scale-Dependent Fractal Geometry

A generalization of fractal geometry that allows for scale-dependent behavior is described. The resulting framework, termed “scale-dependent fractal” (SDF) geometry, can be used to quantify and model various phenomena whose geometric complexity may depend on scale. Relations are derived between scale distributions and coverage dimensions in the SDF framework, for one-as well as multi-dimensional sets, and applied to level sets arising in turbulence and mixing.
The Serendipitous Effects of School Desegregation

When the Brown 1 decision was first handed down in 1954, its intent was to provide educational opportunities for Black children equal to those provided for White children. Although many observers would contend that this goal has not yet been achieved, we believe the Brown decision has resulted both directly and indirectly in significant changes both within the educational institution and in other social institutions. Although some of the changes that resulted from Brown and the myriad of desegregation cases following Brown were clearly intended, others were not. We refer to these unintended changes as the “serendipitous” effects of school desegregation. It is the intent of this chapter to explore some of the serendipitous effects that have already occurred and to speculate on some others that we believe will occur in the future.
Characteristics of State Policies Impact Health Care Delivery: An Analysis of Mammographic Dense Breast Notification and Insurance Legislation.

BACKGROUND Increased breast tissue density may mask cancer and thus decrease the diagnostic sensitivity of mammography. A patient group advocacy led to the implementation of laws to increase the awareness of breast tissue density and to improve access to supplemental imaging in many states. Given limited evidence about best practices, variation exists in several characteristics of adopted policies. OBJECTIVE To identify which characteristics of state-level policies with regard to dense breast tissue were associated with increased use of downstream breast ultrasound. RESEARCH DESIGN This was a retrospective series of monthly cross-sections of screening mammography procedures before and after implementation of laws. SUBJECTS A sample of 13,481,554 screening mammography procedures extracted from the MarketScan Research database performed between 2007 and 2014 on privately insured women aged 40-64 years that resided in a state that had implemented relevant legislation during that period. MEASURES The outcome was an indicator of whether breast ultrasound imaging followed a screening mammography procedure within 30 days. The main independent variables were policy characteristics indicators. RESULTS Notification of patients about issues surrounding increased breast density was associated with increased follow-up by ultrasound by 1.02 percentage points (P=0.016). Some policy characteristics such as the explicit suggestion of supplemental imaging or mandated coverage of supplemental imaging by health insurance augmented that effect. Other policy characteristics moderated the effect. CONCLUSIONS The heterogeneous effect of state legislation with regard to dense breast tissue on screening mammography follow-up by ultrasound may be explained by specific and unique characteristics of the approaches taken by a variety of states.
Automatic Question Generation From Passages

Prior work in automatic question generation typically creates questions from sentences in a text. In contrast, the work presented here creates questions from a text passage in a holistic approach to natural language understanding and generation. Several NLP techniques including topic modeling are combined in an ensemble approach to identify important concepts, which then are used to create questions. Evaluation of the generated questions revealed that they are of high linguistic quality and are also important, conceptual questions, compared to questions generated by sentence-level question generation systems.
High efficiency solar chemical-looping methane reforming with ceria in a fixed-bed reactor

Abstract High efficiency solar chemical-looping methane reforming is demonstrated in a prototype reactor operated in a high-flux solar simulator. The reactor includes six tube assemblies, which each comprise a fixed-bed of ceria particles and a gas-phase heat recuperator. The cycle was accomplished by alternating the flow to one tube assembly between CH4 and CO2. In the initial series of experiments, temperature, CH4 concentration, reduction flow rate, and cycle duration were varied to minimize carbon accumulation and maximize efficiency. In the second set of tests, the reactor was operated at optimized conditions for ten cycles at 1228 and 1274 K. Higher temperature favors better performance. At 1274 K, CH4 conversion is 0.36, H2 selectivity is 0.90, CO selectivity is 0.82, CO2 conversion is 0.69, and the energetic upgrade factor is 1.10. Heat recovery effectiveness is over 95%. Solar-to-fuel efficiency is 7% and the thermal efficiency is 25%. Projected solar-to-fuel and thermal efficiencies are 31 and 67% for the full-scale reactor and 56 and 85% for a commercial reactor with lower thermal losses. The demonstrated efficiencies are the highest reported to-date for this process. The projected scaled-up efficiencies suggest solar chemical-looping methane reforming could be a competitive approach for production of solar fuels.
Narração postmortem em A casa dos mastros, de Orlanda Amarílis

En 1989, la escritora de Cabo Verde Orlanda Amarilis publica A Casa dos Mastros, una coleccion de siete cuentos de los cuales dos, “A Casa dos Mastros” y “Laura”, son narrados por mujeres difuntas, ambas con finales tragicos: una se suicida saltando de un balcon, y la otra es atropellada al cruzar la calle. ?Quienes son estas mujeres? ?Por que murieron? ?Por que son importantes sus historias? Defiendo que las narradoras postumas de los cuentos de Amarilis, como figuras transcendentes, tienen la autoridad de decir la verdad pudiendo, por fin, expresarse libremente sobre sus propios traumas o los traumas que las rodean. Su posicion marginal de mujeres difuntas les da, por tanto, la agencia activa que se les habia negado en vida, tiempo en el cual fueron silenciadas por la sociedad por el hecho de ser mujeres. Las mujeres resisten desde el margen, pese a ser un margen tan insuperable como la muerte. Este articulo explora la necesidad de contar su historia postmortem, asi como las implicaciones sociales y politicas de sus acciones.
Coronin-1, King of Alloimmunity

Defining pathways that differentially regulate graft-reactive versus anti-microbial T cell responses could facilitate more precise manipulation of immune responses in the context of organ and tissue transplantation. Here, Jayachandran et al. (2019) identify a coronin-1-PDE4-cAMP axis that, when perturbed, results in the induction of transplantation tolerance while maintaining anti-microbial immunity.
Writing history: flow and blockage in the circulation of knowledge: Keynote for the Regional Assembly of the African Humanities Program, Dar es Salaam, 30 January 2019

Historical writing in Tanzania has had highly serious goals from the early days of the history department at the University of Dar es Salaam. Historians have aimed at the decolonization of intellec...
Predicting emergency department orders with multilabel machine learning techniques and simulating effects on length of stay

OBJECTIVE Emergency departments (EDs) continue to pursue optimal patient flow without sacrificing quality of care. The speed with which a healthcare provider receives pertinent information, such as results from clinical orders, can impact flow. We seek to determine if clinical ordering behavior can be predicted at triage during an ED visit. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using data available during triage, we trained multilabel machine learning classifiers to predict clinical orders placed during an ED visit. We benchmarked 4 classifiers with 2 multilabel learning frameworks that predict orders independently (binary relevance) or simultaneously (random k-labelsets). We evaluated algorithm performance, calculated variable importance, and conducted a simple simulation study to examine the effects of algorithm implementation on length of stay and cost. RESULTS Aggregate performance across orders was highest when predicting orders independently with a multilayer perceptron (median F1 score = 0.56), but prediction frameworks that simultaneously predict orders for a visit enhanced predictive performance for correlated orders. Visit acuity was the most important predictor for most orders. Simulation results indicated that direct implementation of the model would increase ordering costs (from $21 to $45 per visit) but reduce length of stay (from 158 minutes to 151 minutes) over all visits. DISCUSSION Simulated implementations of the predictive algorithm decreased length of stay but increased ordering costs. Optimal implementation of these predictions to reduce patient length of stay without incurring additional costs requires more exploration. CONCLUSIONS It is possible to predict common clinical orders placed during an ED visit with data available at triage.
Mechanical behavior of sintered submicron glass fiber mats

Abstract The mechanical behavior of sintered glass fiber mats of two different types with fiber diameters in the submicrometer range is studied experimentally and theoretically. Microscopically-entangled and macroscopically-oriented glass fibers in the mats were mutually sintered during heat treatment at different temperatures and their mechanical properties explored by tensile testing. Here, we report for the first time that the mechanical behavior of ultra-thin glass fiber mats after sintering can be maintained or even enhanced, contrary to the conventional belief derived from the experience with thick glass fiber mats. For one type of the mats explored in the present work, a more than 120% increase in the value of Young's modulus after heat treatment at the annealing temperature of 500 °C was observed. The friction forces and unique percolative skeleton structure of the present glass fiber mats after sintering are presumably enhanced, which facilitate the enhanced mechanical properties while the annealing temperature increases. The mechanical behavior is clearly affected by the detailed microstructure and architecture of each type of the glass fiber mats. The macroscopic glass fibers embedded in the mats of one type diminished the thermal expansion, which manifested itself by practically constant mechanical properties independent of heat-treatment temperature. These bundled fibers also were the sites where multiple minor fractures before the catastrophic specimen fracture originated, which enhanced brittleness and, accordingly, diminished the fracture toughness in comparison with that of the mats without such bundled fibers. Furthermore, a theoretical mode developed here to evaluate the sintering time of macro - and microscopic glass fibers, agrees well with the experimental results with the viscosity of glass fibers ranging from 1010.6 to 1011.6 Pa s.
Abstract TMP115: Common Transcriptomic and Biomarker Signatures in the Aging Brain and in Mendelian Neurovascular Disease, Cerebral Cavernous Malformation

Background: Cellular senescence is associated with gene expression dysregulation affecting endothelial barrier function as well as angiogenic and inflammatory processes. These pathological changes ...