cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Primer on Economic Choice Automata

This paper presents a development of the transformation semigroup of economic choice automata as a subgroup of the semigroup (monoid) of partial functions defined over the states of a finite state machine. The classes of consistency behavior considered are those rationalized by linear orders, weak orders, quasi-transitive relations and non-rationalizable path independent choice functions. For each of these classes of choice behavior, a particular class of lattice is identified as the action semigroup that drives the automaton. Given these characterizations, several features of the choice behavior are considered. In particular, the simplifying interval property of path independent choice, the importance of the distributive property of quasi-transitive rational choice in reducing the complexity of dynamic choice is addressed. Based on the algebraic structure of semiautomata implementing path independent choice functions it is possible to rank these semiautomata by the mathematical power required to implement a particular class of choice functions. This provides a means for ranking these machines by their “implementation complexity”. Dually, the computational complexity of constructing a semiautomaton that implements a particular class of choice functions is investigated. It is seen that these complexities are inversely related.
A Clinical Study of Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis

Purpose : This study was done to analyze the changes in the clinical conditions and the diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. Methods :We report a retrospective clinical analysis of 39 patients with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis from Jan. 1992 to Aug. 2001. The age and sex distribution, family and birth history, clinical symptoms, the ultrasonographic and the operative sizes of pyloric canals were compared. Results : The body weight was below the 3 percentile at admission in eight cases(20.5%). “Olive like mass” in right upper quadrant was palpated during physical examination in 23 cases(59%) and gastric peristaltic wave observed in six cases(15%). The ultrasonographic measurements showed that the pyloric muscle thickness to be 4.95±0.99 mm(mean±SD), pyloric diameter 14.42±2.64 mm, and pyloric length 20.17±3.92 mm. Fredet-Ramstedt pyloromyotomy was employed in all cases. The operative measurements of the pyloric muscle thickness was 5.11±1.01 mm, pyloric diameter 15.01±2.47 mm, and pyloric length 22.32±3.43 mm. Conclusion : There was no significant difference between the ultrasonographic and operative measurements. Currently, the hypertrophic pyloric stenosis patients showed lesser clinical hallmarks of the disease. The earlier diagnosis using imaging studies before development of significant metabolic abnormalities is becoming an important factor that change the future outcomes of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. (J Korean Pediatr Soc 2002;45:1389-1396)
Metaphyseal Screw Migration After Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction in a Skeletally Immature Patient: A Case Report.

Patellar instability is a common problem in the pediatric population and has an estimated annual incidence of forty-three in 100,0001. More recently, the rate of recurrent patellar instability in the pediatric population has been reported to be as high as 70%2. It is well known that the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) is an important stabilizer of the patella and supplies between 50% and 60% of the restraining force to lateral patellar translation3-5. Localizing and recreating the anatomic femoral insertion of the MPFL is important for surgical treatment since malpositioned grafts can lead to patellofemoral overload or recurrent instability6. Locating the anatomic femoral position of the MPFL in adults has been simplified by utilizing radiographic osseous landmarks with intraoperative fluoroscopy7. In children, the exact location of the MPFL relative to the distal femoral physis remains controversial. Utilizing the principles of the perfect lateral radiograph described in a study by Schottle et al. in 20077, Shea et al.8 have suggested that the midsubstance of the MPFL origin lies just proximal to the distal femoral physis. However, a radiographic-based study by Nelitz et al.9 and a study by Ladd et al.10 based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) both concluded that the MPFL femoral insertion is located distal to the physis. Furthermore, an MRI study by Kepler et al.11 identified the MPFL insertion to be variable, with 86% attaching distal to the physis, 7% attaching on the physis, and 7% attaching proximal to the physis. These discordant results make it difficult to decide where the most appropriate “anatomic” location truly lies. This translates into some surgeons recommending femoral graft placement proximal to the physis, while other surgeons recommend placement distal to the physis. This becomes more …
Functional Equivalency of Restored and Natural Salt Marshes

Although achieving functional equivalency of restored and natural ecosystems is a desirable restoration goal, direct assessments of function are rare, as are data supporting the use of indicators of function. The issue is how structural attributes can be used to assess ecosystem functioning. A functional equivalency index mixed both structural and functional measures, and an often-cited model of ecosystem degradation and restoration depicted a straight-line relationship between the two variables. Several points need clarification, not only for tidal wetlands but for restoration ecology generally. It is unrealistic to expect linear relationships among structure, function, and time; it is also inappropriate to assume, for natural and restored ecosystems, that equivalent structure means equivalent function. For example, using plant biomass to compare primary productivity rates assumes equal biomass: productivity relationships among sites; restored and natural wetlands are less likely to be similar in grazing, decomposition, and export rates than are two natural sites. Likewise, using soil organic matter (OM) and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) to indicate nutrient availability may be less appropriate for restored and natural marsh comparisons than for two natural sites. We recommend that comparisons of structural attributes be labeled structural equivalency measures, thereby avoiding misconceptions. Useful structural measures for assessing tidal wetland restoration are: soil texture; soil OM, soil nutrients, vegetation structure (height distributions); invertebrate and fish populations (especially fish size distributions), and topographic complexity.
Case 227: Endobronchial Carcinoid Tumor with Incidental Metastatic Breast Cancer Detected with Somatostatin Receptor Scintigraphy (111In Pentreotide)

HISTORY A 30-year-old woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome who was undergoing hormone replacement therapy presented with a 6-month history of a nonproductive cough and a 1-day history of hemoptysis (approximately 20 mL). Intravenous contrast material-enhanced (100 mL of Omnipaque 350; GE Healthcare, Princeton, NJ) computed tomographic (CT) pulmonary angiography was performed to evaluate for pulmonary embolism. On the basis of the CT pulmonary angiographic findings, chromogranin A and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels were measured and were 7 nmol/L (343 µg/L) (high) and 2.9 mg per 24 hours (15.167 µmol/d) (normal), respectively. This patient underwent bronchoscopy and biopsy. After these tests, she was referred for whole-body scintigraphy, which revealed an unexpected finding that was further investigated with fluorine 18 ((18)F) flurodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and CT.
Separating Points of βℕ By Minimal Flows

We consider minimal left ideals L of the universal semigroup compactification of a topological semigroup S. We show that the enveloping semigroup of L is homeomorphically isomorphic to if and only if given q ≠ r in , there is some p in the smallest ideal of with qp ≠ rp. We derive several conditions, some involving minimal flows, which are equivalent to the ability to separate q and r in this fashion, and then specialize to the case that S = , and the compactification is . Included is the statement that some set A whose characteristic function is uniformly recurrent has .
What mix of brigade combat teams should the US Army Field

During the past decade of war, the US Army has employed its forces in roles they were not intended to fulfill. The Army could have been better prepared if it had fielded a better mixture of forces....
Traumatized Eye With Retinal Damage From Amniocentesis

Amniocentesis has been previously reported to cause damage to the anterior segment of the eye with subsequent loss of vision. We report the first case of amniocentesis in which the needle penetrated the globe and punctured the retina and the first case in which vision was retained. At four months of age the injured eye was found to have a perilimbal conjunctival bleb, a scarred retinal hole, unilateral myopia, and mild amblyopia. At evaluation under anesthesia, a scleral perforation with exposed uvea was repaired.
Tissue Contraction Caused by Radiofrequency and Microwave Ablation: A Laboratory Study in Liver and Lung

Thermal ablation with radiofrequency (RF) and microwave energies is becoming an increasingly important treatment for unresectable tumors of the liver, kidney, lung, and bone (1-5). Prior to use in patients, ablation device performance is typically predicted by computer modeling, or characterized with experiments in ex vivo and in vivo models (6-16). The expected size and shape of an ablation zone created by a given device is often based upon these experimental results and utilized to predict clinical performance during human application. Characterization data also aides in pre-procedural planning, potentially in conjunction with computer modeling and treatment planning software (17, 18). As a result, knowledge of the volume of tissue that a device can successfully ablate is important for optimal and safe clinical implementation. During both clinical and experimental assessment of ablation devices, it has been noted that ablated tissues undergo involution on immediate post-ablation images (19). Although the underlying mechanism has not been described, protein denaturation, contraction of collagen and dehydration known to occur at high temperatures almost certainly contribute (20, 21). Importantly, this observation suggests that measurements of the post-treatment ablation zone may underestimate the pre-treatment dimension of tissue that has been destroyed. Awareness of the degree of contraction associated with different thermal ablation techniques would aid in more accurately estimating actual system performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of tissue contraction during radiofrequency and microwave ablation and whether contraction was related to ablation-induced dehydration of the tissue.
United Kingdom health research analyses and the benefits of shared data

To allow research organisations to co-ordinate activity to the benefit of national and international funding strategies requires assessment of the funding landscape; this, in turn, relies on a consistent approach for comparing expenditure on research. Here, we discuss the impact and benefits of the United Kingdom’s Health Research Classification System (HRCS) in national landscaping analysis of health research and the pros and cons of performing large-scale funding analyses. The first United Kingdom health research analysis (2004/2005) brought together the 11 largest public and charity funders of health research to develop the HRCS and use this categorisation to examine United Kingdom health research. The analysis was revisited in 2009/2010 and again in 2014. The most recent quinquennial analysis in 2014 compiled data from 64 United Kingdom research organisations, accounting for 91% of all public/charitable health research funding in the United Kingdom. The three analyses summarise the United Kingdom’s health research expenditure in 2004/2005, 2009/2010 and 2014, and can be used to identify changes in research activity and disease focus over this 10 year period. The 2004/2005 analysis provided a baseline for future reporting and evidence for a United Kingdom Government review that recommended the co-ordination of United Kingdom health research should be strengthened to accelerate the translation of basic research into clinical and economic benefits. Through the second and third analyses, we observed strategic prioritisation of certain health research activities and disease areas, with a strong trend toward increased funding for more translational research, and increases in specific areas such as research on prevention. The use of HRCS in the United Kingdom to analyse the research landscape has provided benefit both to individual participatory funders and in coordinating initiatives at a national level. A modest amount of data for each project is sufficient for a nationwide assessment of health research funding, but achieving coverage of the United Kingdom portfolio relies on sourcing these details from a large number of individual funding agencies. The effort needed to compile this data could be minimised if funders routinely shared or published this information in a standard and accessible way. The United Kingdom approach to landscaping analyses could be readily adapted to suit other groups or nations, and global availability of research funding data would support better national and international coordination of health research.
A solar-powered compound system for heating and cooling

In this paper, a solar-powered compound system for heating and cooling was designed and constructed in a golf course located in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Taiwan cocates in subtropical area and has abundant solar energy resource. In summer, about one third of the electricity may be consumed for air-conditioning in buildings. The need of air-conditioning is consistent with the solar radiation of the day and the season. Therefore, it would be very meaningful to use solar energy to produce chilled water for air-conditioning with the heat-driven chiller.
Data structures and algorithms for packet forwarding: prof. A.K. Choudhury memorial lecture

Packet forwarding and classification at Internet speed is a challenging task. We review the data structures that have been proposed for the forwarding and classification of Internet packets. Data structures for both one-dimensional and multidimensional classification as well as for static and dynamic rule tables are reviewed. Sample structures include multibit one- and two-dimensional tries and hybrid shape shifting tries. Hardware assisted solutions such as Ternary Content Addressable Memories also are reviewed.
Collective action and cultural change : revisiting Eisenstadt’s evolutionary theory

Eisenstadt’s most well-known contributions come primarily from his research on “multiple modernities.” Less appreciated has been his evolutionary theory of cultural change. In this article, we revi...
The art of adaptive design

Stephen Marshall’s (2016) paper is an intriguing exploration of urban design as a form of art. This topic is prone to confusion, so attempts to achieve a measure of clarity are most welcome. Marsha...
Effect of Mechanical Stress on Spiropyran-Merocyanine Reaction Kinetics in a Thermoplastic Polymer

Mechanical force alters the potential energy surface of a mechanophore reaction by modifying the activation energy for conversion. The effects of force on the rate constants and activation energies are not well characterized for mechanophores in bulk polymers. In this work, spiropyran-linked polyurethanes are synthesized and the kinetics of the spiropyran-merocyanine transition in the bulk polymer measured under different values of a macroscopic tensile stress. Above a critical threshold stress, the forward rate constant (spiropyran to merocyanine transition) increases, while the reverse rate constant (merocyanine to spiropyran transition) decreases with applied stress. A tensile stress of 50 MPa enhances the forward rate constant by 110% and lowers the forward activation energy by 1.8 kJ/mol compared to the unstressed condition. Also, this same amount of stress reduces the reverse rate constant by 65% and increases the reverse activation energy by 2.5 kJ/mol.
Dependency on Non-myogenic Cells for Regeneration of Skeletal Muscle

Humans and other vertebrates have evolved a robust repair mechanism required to respond to overuse, trauma, and disease. In amphibians, some reptiles and fish, entire muscles can be regenerated in response to amputation. Understanding the underlying mechanisms that control these processes has therapeutic implications for individuals where the severe loss of muscle or chronic destabilization has led to the histopathological accumulation of fibrotic scars and fat. Much of the past 30 years has focused on defining the regulatory pathways that control development of skeletal muscle and the additional layers of regulation necessary for recapitulating myogenesis in adults. More recently, it has become clear that efficient skeletal muscle repair and regeneration cannot be understood solely through the lens of a single cell lineage. In this chapter, we discuss current findings on the contribution of the immune system, fibroadipogenic cells and the extracellular matrix in regulating myogenic progenitor cell activation, proliferation, and differentiation of myotubes in response to injury or amputation.
Russian Revanche: External Threats & Regime Reactions

Has the development of post-Soviet Russia in an international system dominated by a democracy-promoting United States bred an authoritarian reaction in Russia as a response to perceived threats from the West? Beginning with the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, Russian elites have increasingly seen the United States as a distinctively threatening power, one with a strategy to exploit civic organizations, ethnic groups, and other forms of domestic pluralism as “fifth columns” in an effort to overthrow unfriendly regimes. With each new crisis in U.S.-Russian relations – Ukraine 2004, Georgia 2008, Ukraine 2014 – the Russian leadership has tightened controls over society, the press, and the state. The result is that the United States’ muscular promotion of democracy abroad has produced the opposite of its intended effect on Russia, leading successive Russian governments to balance the perceived threat from the United States by pursuing greater military and intelligence capacity to intervene abroad, and by ...
Beyond 1 Tb/s free-space optical transmission in the presence of atmospheric turbulence

In this invited paper, we review the approach to achieve beyond 1 Tb/s free-space optical (FSO) transmission in the presence of atmospheric turbulence, which is enabled by wavelength division multiplexing, orbital angular momentum multiplexing, and polarization division multiplexing; in combination with higher order modulation formats.
Investigating Health Selection Within Mexico and Across the US Border

Despite acquiring lower levels of attainment and earnings, Mexican immigrants exhibit favorable health outcomes relative to their native-born counterparts. And while scholars attempt to reconcile this so-called paradoxical relationship with a variety of theoretical and empirical approaches, patterns of selective migration continue to receive considerable attention. The present study contributes to the literature on health selection by extending the healthy migrant hypothesis in a number of ways. First, we rely on a unique combination of data sets to assess whether the healthy are disproportionately more likely to migrate. We use the latest wave of the Mexican Family Life Survey and the 2013 Migrante Study, a survey that is representative of Mexican-born persons who are actively migrating through Tijuana. Pooling these data also allow us to differentiate between internal and US-bound migrants to shed light on their respective health profiles. Results provide modest support for the healthy migrant hypothesis. Although those who report better overall health are more likely to migrate, we find that the presence of certain chronic conditions increases migration risk. Our findings also suggest that internal migrants are healthier than those traveling to the US, though this is largely because those moving within Mexico reflect a younger and more educated population. This study takes an important step in uncovering variation across migrant flows and highlights the importance of the timing at which health is measured in the migration process.
Energetics of adsorbed benzene on Ni(111) and Pt(111) by calorimetry

Abstract The heat of adsorption and sticking probability of benzene were measured on Ni(111) and Pt(111) at 90 K using single crystal adsorption calorimetry (SCAC). Benzene adsorbs molecularly with a heat of 208 kJ/mol on terrace sites in the low-coverage limit on Ni(111) and has a standard enthalpy of formation (∆Hf0) of C6H6,ads of −251 kJ/mol at a coverage of 1/9 ML. These results are compared to calorimetric results on Pt(111), where the standard enthalpy of formation (∆Hf0) of C6H6,ads was found to be −244 kJ/mol at a coverage of 1/9 ML. The slightly stronger bonding to Ni is attributed to stronger C Ni covalent bonding partially compensated by weaker van der Waals (vdW) attractions to Ni compared to Pt. The measured energetics for benzene are compared to Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations from previous literature, showing that functionals that do not contain corrections for vdW interactions badly underestimate the bond energies of benzene to both Ni(111) and Pt(111), while many of those that correct for vdW interactions are much more accurate.
Acoustic vortex beam created with a continuous phase ramp lens and resulting radiation torque response of a sphere

An acoustic vortex beam was created in water using a lens with a phase ramp placed in front of a focused transducer. The lens was made from a polystyrene disk and CAD machine milled to have a continuous ramp in height about the center axis, with the ramp step height corresponding to a 2π phase difference between waves propagating in water and polystyrene at 500 kHz. This causes the transmitted beam through the lens to exit as a vortex beam with an angular phase ramp. It has been predicted [L. Zhang and P. L. Marston, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 136, 2917–2921 (2014)] that the torque exerted by a vortex beam on an impenetrable sphere in a viscous fluid is proportional to the incident intensity due to dissipation of angular momentum in the viscous boundary layer near the sphere. This should result in steady rotation of the sphere with viscous drag proportional to angular velocity. Our upward-directed vortex beam was used to trap and spin a Styrofoam (closed foam) ball floating at the water surface. The spin rate was approximately proportional to the square of the source voltage as expected. [Work supported by ONR.]An acoustic vortex beam was created in water using a lens with a phase ramp placed in front of a focused transducer. The lens was made from a polystyrene disk and CAD machine milled to have a continuous ramp in height about the center axis, with the ramp step height corresponding to a 2π phase difference between waves propagating in water and polystyrene at 500 kHz. This causes the transmitted beam through the lens to exit as a vortex beam with an angular phase ramp. It has been predicted [L. Zhang and P. L. Marston, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 136, 2917–2921 (2014)] that the torque exerted by a vortex beam on an impenetrable sphere in a viscous fluid is proportional to the incident intensity due to dissipation of angular momentum in the viscous boundary layer near the sphere. This should result in steady rotation of the sphere with viscous drag proportional to angular velocity. Our upward-directed vortex beam was used to trap and spin a Styrofoam (closed foam) ball floating at the water surface. The spin rate wa...
Review: Cool-season annual grasses or grass–clover management options for extending the fall–winter–early spring grazing season for beef cattle

ABSTRACT Cool-season annual forages may supply seasonal forage for grazing and reduce needs for stored forages and concentrate supplements for beef cattle producers in the southeastern United States. Opportunity exists to use small grains that vary in their individual growth distribution to extend grazing during the fall–winter–early spring seasons. Small grains adapted to the region include cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), oats (Avena sativa L.), and triticale (Triticosecale Wittm.). These species have a bimodal forage DM production trait during the autumn and early winter months and can be grown in monocultures or mixtures. Fall forage production potential of these species has been primarily dependent on planting method, seeding date, soil fertility or fertilization, and variety selection. Small grain varieties may also be grown in combination with annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), clovers, or both to extend the seasons of grazing for fall or winter-calving cows or stockers. Annual ryegrass and legumes in the Southeast include cold-tolerant and rust-resistant diploid and tetraploid varieties of ryegrass, and adapted true clover (Trifolium sp.) varieties. Autumn-planted ryegrass or clovers including crimson (Trifolium incarnatum L.), arrowleaf (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi), ball (Trifolium nigrescens Viv.), and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) provide minimal to nonexistent forage mass for grazing during the fall. Naturally reseeding ryegrass or clovers may provide earlier forage mass compared with small grains; however, DM is usually not adequate for stocking until late-January to mid-February, and it extends through May. Tetraploid varieties of ryegrass, when seeded into a prepared seedbed, can provide adequate forage mass for fall grazing similar to small grains. Earliness of forage mass for stocking among clovers ranges from crimson (earliest) to arrowleaf and ball (mid to late) to white and red (late to early summer). These cool-season forage systems provide suckling calf ADG that may approach or exceed 1.5 kg/d and stocker cattle ADG of more than 1 kg/d. Management strategies for sustainable cow-calf production include the strategic use of cool-season forages, assessment of fertilization demands and timing, and assessment of stocking rate to optimize forage utilization and desired animal performance.
The Nominal Price Puzzle

Nominal prices of common stocks have remained constant at around $30 per share since the Great Depression as a result of firms splitting their stocks. It is surprising that firms actively maintained constant nominal price for their shares while general prices in the economy went up more than ten fold. This is especially puzzling given that commissions paid by investors on trading ten $30 shares are about ten times those paid on a single $300 share. We estimate, for example, that had share prices of General Electric kept up with inflation, investors in that stock would have saved $100 million in commissions in 2005. We review potential explanations, including signaling and optimal trading range and find that none of the existing theories are able to explain the observed constant nominal prices. We suggest that the evidence is consistent with the idea that Norms (e.g. Akerlof, 2006) can explain the nominal price puzzle.
Prediction of a mysticete audiogram via finite element analysis of the middle ear.

The impact of anthropogenic sound on marine mammals is difficult to assess, especially for species without available audiograms. There are currently no audiograms for any species of mysticete because of their size and, in many cases, their endangerment status. Consequently, insight into the hearing range of all mysticete species comes from indirect sources such as vocalization recordings. In contrast to mysticetes, several odontocete species have published audiograms.
Functional description of the left ventricle in patients with volume overload, pressure overload, and myocardial disease using cine magnetic resonance imaging.

Cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a three-dimensional imaging technique with sufficient temporal resolution to provide quantitation of left ventricular (LV) dimensions and function. It can be used to describe the three-dimensional geometrical and functional characteristics of various cardiac disease states. Accordingly, the purpose of the study was to noninvasively characterize LV function with cine MRI using LV mass, systolic wall stress, ejection fraction, and fractional wall thickening, and to compare these functional determinants among three major cardiac disease states. Patients were selected from echocardiographic criteria and specific history of disease and divided into the following groups: compensated moderate to severe aortic regurgitation; compensated LV hypertrophy caused by systemic hypertension; and dilated congestive cardiomyopathy. Normal subjects without evidence of heart disease were studied for comparison. Cine MRI was performed at 1.5 Tesla in the short-axis plane. Wall stress was calculated from MRI, along with blood pressure recordings and carotid pulse tracings, according to the Laplacian expression. The end-diastolic volume to LV mass ratio distinguished between concentric and eccentric LV hypertrophy. Peak-systolic wall stress was increased in volume overload lesions and myocardial disease and significantly different (P less than .01) compared with pressure overload lesions and normal subjects. Ejection fraction was significantly decreased (P less than .01) in myocardial disease compared with volume and pressure overload lesions and normal subjects. Among these disease states, LV mass was not different but was significantly higher in all (P less than .01) compared with normal subjects. Fractional wall thickening was increased in pressure overload lesions. Thus, the increase in LV mass in volume overload lesions and primary myocardial disease is not adequate to prevent an increase in wall stress, whereas LV mass increased sufficiently in pressure overload lesions to normalize systolic wall stress. Cine MRI can be used to noninvasively describe the three-dimensional geometry and functional state of the heart in various pathological conditions and might be used to monitor therapeutic effects.
New infrared results for classical novae

Recent infrared studies of classical novae are described. The nucleation and growth of dust in nova ejecta was confirmed by optical/infrared photometry of several novae during the past five years including QU Vul, V842 Cen, V827 Her, and QV Vul. These novae provided evidence that dust of every astrophysical chemical and mineral composition can condense in nova ejecta.Infrared forbidden fine structure lines were identified in the recent novae V1819 Cyg, QU Vul, OS And, and V827 Her. The implication of IRAS measurements for nova energetics is discussed.
Suppression of motion artifacts in fluorescence spectroscopy of perfused hearts

Fluorescence spectroscopy of beating hearts has been used previously to measure intracellular regulators of function. Unfortunately, heart motion could introduce a spurious motion artifact (MA), influencing the measured fluorescence intensity ("signal"). To suppress MA, a ratio (or difference) has been calculated previously between the signal and an intensity reference detected at a different wavelength ("reference"). However, no studies have attempted to evaluate or optimize the efficiency of MA suppression. MA suppression was evaluated using reflected excitation light or fluorescence as reference. In addition, the MA contribution to the intensity ratio from a fluorescent dye, indo-1, was quantified. A reflected light reference resulted in poor suppression of MA. The use of a fluorescence reference resulted in suppression that was inversely related to the detection wavelength difference (delta) between the reference and signal. Therefore optimal MA suppression was obtained using a fluorescence reference at a wavelength close to the signal. For delta = 60 nm, MA was suppressed from approximately 10 to less than 2%. Finally, suppressed MA (delta = 60 nm) accounted for less than 10% of the indo-1 ratio fluctuations.
A Computational Protocol for Detecting Somatic Mutations by Integrating DNA and RNA Sequencing.

Somatic mutation detection is a fundamental component of cancer genome research and of the molecular diagnosis of patients' tumors. Traditionally, such efforts have focused on either DNA exome or whole genome sequencing; however, we recently have demonstrated that integrating multiple sequencing technologies provides increased statistical power to detect mutations, particularly in low-purity tumors upon the addition of RNA sequencing to DNA exome sequencing. The computational protocol described here enables an investigator to detect somatic mutations through integrating DNA and RNA sequencing from patient-matched tumor DNA, tumor RNA, and germline specimens via the open source software, UNCeqR.
Sustainability in Network-on-Chips by Exploring Heterogeneity in Emerging Technologies

With the scaling of technology, the computing industry is experiencing a shift from multi-core to many-core architectures. However, traditional metallic-based on-chip interconnects may not scale to support many-core architectures due to high power dissipation, and increased communication latency. Attention has recently shifted to emerging technologies such as silicon-photonics and wireless interconnects to implement future on-chip communications. Although emerging technologies show promising results for power-efficient, low-latency, and scalable on-chip interconnects, the use of single technology may not be sufficient to scale future architectures. In this paper, we extend the heterogeneous architecture Optical-Wireless Network-on-Chip (OWN [1]) to Reconfigurable Optical-Wireless Network-on-Chip (R-OWN) by introducing run-time reconfigurable wireless channels. Like OWN, R-OWN is designed such that one-hop photonic interconnect is used up to 64 cores (called a cluster) and communication beyond a cluster is one-hop wireless to limit the network diameter to a maximum of three hops. The photonic bandwidth is efficiently shared using time division multiplexing (TDM) while the wireless bandwidth is shared using frequency division multiplexing (FDM). By exploiting the heterogeneity of two emerging technologies, we reduce the energy/bit, improve performance via reconfiguration, and thereby improve the sustainability of NoCs and CMPs. We propose a preliminary assessment of implementing heterogeneous technologies with the router microarchitecture. Further, we also discuss the design of horn antenna for implementing the wireless channels. Our results indicate that R-OWN improves the performance (throughput and latency) by 15 percent when compared to OWN while consuming 7 percent more energy than OWN. Further, OWN and R-OWN improve energy-efficiency by 54-61 percent when compared to WCube and CMesh architectures, respectively. It should be noted that both OWN and R-OWN require less area than state-of-the-art wired, wireless, and optical on-chip networks.
A Theory of Collateral Requirements for Central Counterparties

This paper develops a framework for designing collateral requirements in a centrally cleared market. Clearing members post collateral—initial margins and default funds—to increase their pledgeable income, thereby committing to risk management. The two types of collateral, however, are not perfect substitutes. By achieving loss mutualization, default funds are economically more efficient than initial margins in aligning members' incentives for risk management ex ante. The optimal mix of collateral resources balances the efficiency in providing incentives with their relative opportunity costs. Our model predicts increased use of initial margins under stringent capital requirements, and of default funds under distressed market scenarios.
Toward precision public health.

Objectives The information in this article is based on a presentation given at the American Institute of Dental Public Health's 2018 Colloquium on Precision Public Health (PPH). A brief introduction to precision medicine provides context for PPH. Precision medicine tailors treatment and prevention strategies for individual patients based on variability of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. An overview of PPH with examples of pilot studies with different research approaches bridges a discussion on an initiative undertaken by the University of Florida to build infrastructure and expertise for PPH research. Methods PPH use better and more precise data to target disease prevention and control in the right population at the right time. To facilitate the identification of relevant open access data sources for PPH research a "one-stop" shop was created and tested. Case studies were conducted to validate the data portal's usefulness in identifying at-risk populations. Results Details of portal data types, research challenges, and university-wide integrated programs are included. Case studies indicated that providing a "one-stop shop" of relevant data sources is an effective tool to aid researchers in identifying at-risk populations. Conclusions Research studies undertaken by University of Florida graduate students illustrate how PPH aligns with essential public health services including community engagement to reduce disparities in health care. Assurance of a competent workforce in PPH research approaches may be improved by training new researchers graduating from health science programs with knowledge of data and tools. The move toward PPH is in early stages and much work lies ahead.
Street corner secrets: Sex, work, and migration in the city of Mumbai

Rooted in the analytic frames of political economy and urban space, Svati Shah offers a multi-layered account of migration, sexual commerce and economic survival in Mumbai. The book explores how th...
Assessing Deterrence Optinos for Cyber Weapons

With the increasing frequency of cyberattacks due to nation-states, there has been growing discussion on how they can be deterred since the U.S. has been ineffective at deterring many Russian and Chinese cyber operations. This paper examines deterrence analysis and discusses its applicability in cyberspace. It describes differences between cyber weapons and conventional weapons and outlines the implications these differences can have on the effectiveness of cyber weapons as a deterrent. Motivations and expected outcomes of the cyber operations taken by the U.S. and its adversaries, including Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, are highlighted. Possible deterrence enablers are discussed such as stockpiling cyber weapons, indicting individuals, imposing sanctions, improving defenses, demonstrating capabilities, using deceptive bait, counterattacking, and creating international agreements. The effectiveness of these actions in deterring adversaries from deploying their cyber capabilities is evaluated and recommendations are made.
Outcomes of endoscopic management of upper tract urothelial carcinoma

While radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) remains the gold-standard treatment for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), a growing volume of literature surrounding endoscopic, organ-sparing procedures has developed over the past few decades. Based on this, endoscopic management of UTUC has gained acceptance as a standard of care approach, particularly among those with low-risk disease or with imperative indications for organ preservation. As a rare disease, however, data is mostly restricted to retrospective single institution series with relatively small numbers. Therefore, comparative outcomes of endoscopic management to RNU remain incompletely defined. Furthermore, the comparative utility of endoscopic approaches (ureteroscopy versus percutaneous resection) and topical therapy following resection lacks prospective analysis. In this article we review the available literature on endoscopic management of UTUC.
Foreword: NIMHD Transdisciplinary Collaborative Centers for Health Disparities Research Focused on Precision Medicine

The NIMHD Transdisciplinary Collaborative Centers for Health Disparities Research Focused on Precision Medicine (PM TCCs) comprise regional coalitions of research institutions and consortium partners focused on priority research topics in minority health and health disparities. In April 2016, NIMHD in partnership with the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) launched the PM TCC program to fund five centers across the United States to stimulate health disparities research with an emphasis on precision medicine to address one or more documented health disparities, combining expertise in genomics and other ‘omics, physiology and medicine, population health disparities, behavioral and social sciences, and the science of translation, implementation and dissemination. The TCC program's overarching goal is to develop and disseminate effective interventions that can be implemented in real-world settings with the goal of promoting health equity and reducing health disparities. This special issue of Ethnicity & Disease is dedicated to cutting-edge research conducted by the five PM TCCs at the intersection between precision medicine and health disparities. Articles in this issue will enhance knowledge in a variety of research topics from perspectives on precision medicine among different health disparity populations to methods for reducing inequities in protocols, interventions, and health information and further to efforts to promote inclusion to all populations, especially the most vulnerable. Ethn Dis. 2020;30(Suppl 1):135-136; doi:10.18865/ed.30.S1.135.
Assessing the Impacts of Two Averaging Methods on AIRS Level 3 Monthly Products and Multiyear Monthly Means

AbstractThe Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite provides more than 16 years of data. Its monthly gridded (Level 3) product has been widely used for climate research a...
Novel 1D TiO2 nanocones for proficient charge transfer in photovoltaic thin films

Abstract Nanostructured material is one of the high profile class of materials giving rise to a wide range of applications, having remarkable structural and opto-electronic properties based on their dimensionalities. Energy exigency has resulted in the development of different nanostructured materials that contribute towards the use of renewable sources of energy. Recent bulletins propound that one-dimensional nanostructures are the most sought-after structures for photovoltaic cell fabrication. Among various metal oxides available, TiO2 is found to play a key-role owing to its wider band gap, noxious and marked down price. Based on the previous reports, it has been understood that 1D nanocones provide faster charge transport when compared to 1D nanorods due to their anti-reflective property and reduced charge recombination. With this regard, we propose to synthesize TiO2 nanocones using hydrothermal method keeping the pH value neutral and investigate their crystallographic, morphological and optical and photoconduction properties. The X-Ray diffraction patterns of the as-prepared samples are found to be consistent with the standard tetragonal system of Rutile TiO2. HR-SEM gives a clear-cut image on the morphology of the synthesized samples with better specification on the impact of modification layer on FTO. The expanse of absorption of the samples in the ultra-violet dominion of the spectrum was given by UV-DRS analysis, thereby touting the band gap decrease in synergy with better electrical conductivity. Field dependent dark and photoconductivity studies revealed enhanced carrier transport properties inaccordance to electrical conductivity thus making a mark on the calibre of nanocone structures.
Product Market Performance and Openness: The Moderating Role of Customer Heterogeneity

Increasingly, a firm’s ability to create value depends on its ability to achieve alignment with its ecosystem of suppliers and complementors. In such contexts, a firm’s strategy may encompass “open...
A II 1 Factor Approach to the Kadison–Singer Problem

We show that the Kadison–Singer problem, asking whether the pure states of the diagonal subalgebra $${\ell^\infty\mathbb{N}\subset \mathcal{B}(\ell^2\mathbb{N})}$$ have unique state extensions to $${\mathcal{B}(\ell^2\mathbb{N})}$$ , is equivalent to a similar statement in II1 factor framework, concerning the ultrapower inclusion $${D^\omega \subset R^\omega}$$ , where D is the Cartan subalgebra of the hyperfinite II1 factor R (i.e., a maximal abelian *-subalgebra of R whose normalizer generates R, e.g. $${D=L^\infty([0, 1]^{\mathbb{Z}}) \subset L^\infty([0,1]^{\mathbb{Z}} \rtimes \mathbb{Z} = R)}$$ , and ω is a free ultrafilter. Instead, we prove here that if A is any singular maximal abelian *-subalgebra of R (i.e., whose normalizer consists of the unitary group of A, e.g. $${A=L(\mathbb{Z})\subset L^\infty([0,1]^\mathbb{Z})\rtimes \mathbb{Z}=R}$$ ), then the inclusion $${A^\omega \subset R^\omega}$$ does satisfy the Kadison–Singer property.
Molecular dynamics simulations and functional studies reveal that hBD-2 binds SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD and blocks viral entry into ACE2 expressing cells

New approaches to complement vaccination are needed to combat the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and stop COVID-19 related deaths and long-term medical complications. Human beta defensin 2 (hBD-2) is a naturally occurring epithelial cell derived host defense peptide that has antiviral properties. Our comprehensive in-silico studies demonstrate that hBD-2 binds the site on the CoV-2-RBD that docks with the ACE2 receptor. Biophysical and biochemical assays confirm that hBD-2 indeed binds to the CoV-2-receptor binding domain (RBD) (K D ∼ 300 nM), preventing it from binding to ACE2 expressing cells. Importantly, hBD-2 shows specificity by blocking CoV-2/spike pseudoviral infection, but not VSV-G mediated infection, of ACE2 expressing human cells with an IC 50 of 2.4± 0.1 μM. These promising findings offer opportunities to develop hBD-2 and/or its derivatives and mimetics to safely and effectively use as novel agents to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Vitamin D analogues

The plethora of actions attributed to 1,25(OH)2D3 throughout the body have suggested potential therapeutic applications for the treatment of hyperproliferative diseases, immune dysfunction, endocrine disorders, and metabolic bone disease. However, the potent calcemic activity of the natural vitamin D hormone has precluded its use in most cases. New vitamin D analogues are under development that display greater specificity, in most cases, by retaining the therapeutic properties of 1,25(OH)2D3, but with lower calcemic activity. Two analogues have been approved for use in patients: calcipotriol (Dovonex from Leo Pharmaceuticals, Copenhagen, Denmark) for the treatment of psoriasis; and 19-nor-1,25(OH)2D2 (Zemplar from Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL) for secondary hyperparathyroidism. Many others analogues are currently being tested in preclinical and clinical trials for the treatment of various types of cancer and osteoporosis, and for immunosuppression. The selectivity of the analogues can be attributed to the combined interactions with four proteins: the vitamin D receptor (VDR), the serum vitamin D binding protein (DBP), the vitamin D-24-hydroxylase and to a newly described membrane receptor. Low DBP affinity has been shown to be responsible for the reduced calcemic actions of calcipotriol and 22-oxacalcitriol (OCT), which is being tested for secondary hyperparathyroidism. However, the low calcemic activity of other analogues, including 19-nor-1,25(OH)2D2, involves other, as yet undefined, mechanisms. Understanding of the molecular basis for the selectivity of the vitamin D analogues will allow the design of more effective and safer vitamin D compounds for the treatment of a wide range of clinical disorders.