cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metal-assisted and microwave-accelerated evaporative crystallization: an approach to rapid crystallization of biomolecules

Our laboratory has recently introduced and demonstrated the use of the metal-assisted and microwave-accelerated evaporative crystallization (MA-MAEC) technique for rapid crystallization of biomolecules (e.g., amino acids, peptides and proteins). The MA-MAEC technique utilizes metal nanoparticles (silver, gold, copper, nickel, iron oxide, indium tin oxide), which are deposited on to iCrystal plates or glass surfaces to serve as selective nucleation sites and microwave-transparent medium to generate microwave-induced temperature gradients. In this highlight article, we will chronicle the effectiveness of the MA-MAEC technique as a rapid, efficient and easy to use technique for crystallization of biomolecules in potential applications in the pharmaceutical industry.
Ideation–Execution Transition in Product Development: An Experimental Analysis

Bringing a new product to market involves both a creative ideation stage and an execution stage. When time-to-market constraints are binding, important questions are how to divide limited time between the two stages and who should make this decision. We introduce a laboratory experiment that closely resembles this setting: it features a product development task with an open design space, a downstream cost increase, and two development stages. We show that performance is significantly worse when designers choose for themselves when to transition from ideation to execution and that decision control explains a large share of performance variation even after controlling for individual differences. How the time is allocated between ideation and execution does not affect mean performance, but later transition increases risk. One driver of poor design outcomes in the designer-initiated transition regime are delays in physical construction and testing of designs. We show that such delays can be prevented by “nudg...
Replicate effects and test–retest reliability of quantitative sensory threshold testing in dogs with and without chronic pain

Abstract Objective To evaluate replicate effects and test–retest reliability of mechanical and thermal quantitative sensory testing (QST) in normal dogs and dogs with osteoarthritis (OA)-associated pain. Study design A prospective clinical study. Animals A total of 54 client owned dogs (OA, n = 31; controls, n = 23). Methods Mechanical [electronic von Frey (EVF) and blunt pressure] and thermal (hot and cold) sensory thresholds were obtained in dogs with OA-associated pain and control dogs at two visits, 7 days apart, to assess test–retest reliability. Thresholds were measured at the OA-affected joint (hip or stifle), over the tibial muscle and over the midpoint of the metatarsals. Five replicates were obtained for each modality at each site bilaterally. Results Overall, there was no significant effect of replicates on QST response. EVF thresholds were significantly lower at the second visit in OA dogs at the affected and metatarsal sites (p = 0.0017 and p = 0.0014, respectively). Similarly for control dogs, EVF thresholds were significantly lower at the second visit at the metatarsal site (p = 0.001). Significantly higher hot thermal latencies were seen in OA dogs at the affected and tibial testing sites (p = 0.014 and p = 0.012, respectively), and in control dogs at the tibial site (p = 0.004). Conclusions In QST, a replicate does not show a strong effect. However, QST results show variability over time, particularly for EVF and hot thermal stimuli. Clinical relevance If QST is to be used clinically to evaluate a sensitized state, the variability over time needs to be accounted for in the study design.
On the Ethics of Looking

Brager asserts that the selfie as a practice and product both presents itself as novel and references a long history of self-portraiture and self-representation that must be read critically, contending with race, gender, class and sexuality. Brager focuses on the ethical implications of looking, approaching the selfie via questions of visibility, celebrity, narcissism, representational politics, violence and erasure in order to ask questions about spectatorship and consumption in a cultural moment of selfie obsession.
Preclinical models to assess the immunogenicity of AAV vectors

Although gene transfer using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors has made tremendous progress in recent years, challenges remain due to vector-specific adaptive immune responses. Specifically, AAV-neutralizing antibodies reduce AAV-transduction rates, while CD8+ T cells directed to AAV capsid antigens cause rejection of AAV-transduced cells. This has been addressed clinically by excluding humans with pre-existing AAV-neutralizing antibodies from gene transfer trials or by using immunosuppression or reduced doses of vectors expressing improved transgene products to blunt or circumvent destructive T cell responses. Although these approaches have met with success for treatment of some diseases, most notably hemophilia B, they may not be suitable for others. Pre-clinical models are thus needed to test alternative options to sidestep pre-existing AAV-neutralizing antibodies, to prevent their induction following gene transfer and to block the detrimental effects of CD8+ T cells directed to AAV capsid antigens. This chapter describes some of the available, although not yet perfect, models that can assess immune responses to AAV gene transfer.
Some Notes on My Poems and Armenian Memory

I briefly describe how I came to write my poems that relate to the Armenian Genocide, in particular the pivotal role played by my collage poem “The Claim.”
Synthesis of new fluorine-containing room temperature ionic liquids and their physical and electrochemical properties

Abstract An improved synthesis of fluorine-containing room temperature ionic liquids (FRTILs) is described. Twelve FRTILs are synthesized, in which the fluorinated cations based on N-methyl pyrrolidinium (MPy), 1-methly imidazolium (MIm) and diethylsulfide (DES) are associated with anions, such as dicyanamide (DCA) or bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide (TFSI). The molecular structures of these FRTILs were confirmed by FT-IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and elemental analysis. The FRTILs have been investigated for their potential as electrolyte solvents, especially for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Thermal behaviors were also studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showing excellent thermal stability, exceeding 150 °C, for all FRTILs. Some of their physicochemical properties were determined, including density, flammability, viscosity, and miscibility with polar and nonpolar solvents. Due to the high viscosity of FRTILs, two low viscosity ILs (co-solvent thinners), [MImEt] [DCA] and [MImEt] [TFSI], have been synthesized and used to dilute the FRTILs. The resulting ternary electrolyte systems, LiTFSI in 1:1 wt.% FRTILs/thinner, were characterized by their ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability.
Effectiveness of a multidisciplinary patient care bundle for reducing surgical-site infections

BACKGROUND Surgical-site infection (SSI) is associated with significant healthcare costs. To reduce the high rate of SSI among patients undergoing colorectal surgery at a cancer centre, a comprehensive care bundle was implemented and its efficacy tested. METHODS A pragmatic study involving three phases (baseline, implementation and sustainability) was conducted on patients treated consecutively between 2013 and 2016. The intervention included 13 components related to: bowel preparation; oral and intravenous antibiotic selection and administration; skin preparation, disinfection and hygiene; maintenance of normothermia during surgery; and use of clean instruments for closure. SSI risk was evaluated by means of a preoperative calculator, and effectiveness was assessed using interrupted time-series regression. RESULTS In a population with a mean BMI of 30 kg/m2 , diabetes mellitus in 17·5 per cent, and smoking history in 49·3 per cent, SSI rates declined from 11·0 to 4·1 per cent following implementation of the intervention bundle (P = 0·001). The greatest reductions in SSI rates occurred in patients at intermediate or high risk of SSI: from 10·3 to 4·7 per cent (P = 0·006) and from 19 to 2 per cent (P < 0·001) respectively. Wound care modifications were very different in the implementation phase (43·2 versus 24·9 per cent baseline), including use of an overlying surface vacuum dressing (17·2 from 1·4 per cent baseline) or leaving wounds partially open (13·2 from 6·7 per cent baseline). As a result, the biggest difference was in wound-related rather than organ-space SSI. The median length of hospital stay decreased from 7 (i.q.r. 5-10) to 6 (5-9) days (P = 0·002). The greatest reduction in hospital stay was seen in patients at high risk of SSI: from 8 to 6 days (P < 0·001). SSI rates remained low (4·5 per cent) in the sustainability phase. CONCLUSION Meaningful reductions in SSI can be achieved by implementing a multidisciplinary care bundle at a hospital-wide level.
Modeling and Simulation in Ecotoxicology with Applications in MATLAB and Simulink

Introduction Theories Underlying Predictive Models Reasons for Modeling and Simulation What Does It Take To Be a Modeler? Why Models Fail: A Cautionary Note Principles of Modeling and Simulation Systems Modeling Simulation Introduction to Matlab and Simulink MATLAB Simulink Exercises Introduction to Stochastic Modeling Introduction to Probability Distributions Example Probability Distributions Discrete-State Markov Processes Monte Carlo Simulation Exercises Modeling Ecotoxicology of Individuals Toxic Effects on Individuals Exercises Modeling Ecotoxicology of Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems Effects of Toxicants on Aggregated Populations Effects of Toxicants on Age-Structured Populations Effects of Toxicants on Communities Effects of Toxicants on Ecosystems Exercises Parameter Estimation Linear Regression Nonlinear Regression Comparison between Linear and Nonlinear Regressions Exercises Designing Simulation Experiments Factorial Designs Response Surface Designs Exercises Analysis of Simulation Experiments Simulation Output Analysis Stability Analysis Sensitivity Analysis Response Surface Methodology Exercises Model Validation Validation and Reasons for Modeling and Simulation Testing Hypotheses Statistical Techniques Some MATLAB Methods Exercises A Model to Predict the Effects of Insecticides on Avian Populations Problem Definition Model Development Model Implementation Data Requirements Model Validation Design Simulation Experiments Analyze Results of Simulation Experiments Case Study: Predicting Health Risk to Bottlenose Dolphins from Exposure to Oil Spill Toxicants Problem Definition Model Development Model Implementation Data Requirements Model Validation Design of Simulation Experiments Analyze Results of Simulation Experiments Presentation and Implementation of Results Case Study: Simulating the Effects of Temperature Plumes on the Uptake of Mercury in Daphnia Problem Definition Model Development Model Implementation Data Requirements Model Validation Design of Simulation Experiments Analyze Results of Simulation Experiments Presentation and Implementation of Results Index.
Interaction of a permeant maleimide derivative of cysteine with the erythrocyte glucose carrier. Differential labelling of an exofacial carrier thiol group and its role in the transport mechanism.

Abstract S-(Bismaleimidomethyl ether)cysteine (Cys-Mal) was synthesized as a probe for reactive thiol groups on the erythrocyte glucose carrier. Although Cys-Mal entered cells, its reaction with intracellular GSH prevented alkylation of endofacial membrane proteins, limiting its effect to the cell surface at concentrations below 5 mM. Cys-Mal irreversibly inhibited hexose transport half-maximally at 1.5 mM by decreasing the maximal rate of transport, with no effect on the affinity of substrate for the carrier. Reaction occurred with the outward-facing form of the carrier, but did not affect the ability of the carrier to change orientation. In intact cells, several exofacial proteins were labelled by [35S]Cys-Mal, including the band-4.5 glucose carrier, the labelling of which occurred on a single site sensitive to transport inhibitors. The reactive exofacial group was a thiol group, since both transport inhibition and band-4.5 labelling by Cys-Mal were abolished by the thiol-specific and impermeant compound 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid). Selectivity for carrier labelling in cells was increased by a double differential procedure, which in turn allowed localization of the exofacial thiol group to the Mr 18,000-20,000 membrane-bound tryptic carrier fragment. In protein-depleted ghosts the exofacial thiol group was preferentially labelled at low concentrations of [35S]Cys-Mal, whereas with the reagent at 10 mM the Mr 26,000-45,000 tryptic carrier fragment was also labelled. Cys-Mal should be useful in the study of carrier thiol-group location and function.
Neurobiology. Making smooth moves.

In making any movement (say, for instance, reaching for an object) our limbs usually take a smooth trajectory. That has been taken to mean that the body's motor system minimizes jerkiness. Instead, however, smoothness may be a by-product of a more fundamental computational goal of the motor system -- that of balancing speed and accuracy when activity-dependent ‘noise' in the neural control systems is taken into account.
What Are the Land Delivery and Land Holding Mechanisms for African Informal Light Manufacturing Clusters

This paper theorizes that the impacts of land delivery and land holding mechanisms on the evolution and performance of informal light manufacturing clusters have been underexamined and need renewed evaluation for their impact on cluster performance and evolution of agglomeration effects. It examines 25 cases of African informal production clusters; 19 from existing studies, six previously unpublished to develop eight land delivery mechanism types and eight ways informal clusters hold urban land. The purpose is to provide a nuanced understanding of the mechanisms of land access for informal clusters so that future scholarship can investigate the impact of these mechanisms on informal production cluster evolution. The paper concludes with a resulting set of future research questions and implications for methods.
Why Marketing Should Consider Birth Order an Important Factor in the Study of Entrepreneurship

A number of studies have profiled the “typical” entrepreneur as being a first born child (e. g., Greenfield 1989; Neider 1987; Themen et al. 1986). To date, however, little research by marketing academicians has been performed on links between birth order and entrepreneurship. While the literatures of psychology and sociology are comparatively rich with research on birth order and its effects, the topic remains substantially under-explored by marketing researchers. This apparent oversight is doubly unfortunate given marketing’s long-standing appreciation of the usefulness of other demographic factors in the study of major areas such as advertising, consumer behavior, promotion and sales.
Fatty acid synthase downregulation contributes to acute lung injury in murine diet-induced obesity

The prevalence of obesity is rising worldwide and obese patients comprise a specific population in the intensive care unit. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) incidence is increased in obese patients. Exposure of rodents to hyperoxia mimics many of the features of ARDS. In this report, we demonstrate that high fat diet induced obesity increases the severity of hyperoxic acute lung injury in mice in part by altering fatty acid synthase (FASN) levels in the lung. Obese mice exposed to hyperoxia had significantly reduced survival and increased lung damage. Transcriptomic analysis of lung homogenates identified Fasn as one of the most significantly altered mitochondrial associated genes in mice receiving 60% compared to 10% fat diet. FASN protein levels in the lung of high fat diet mice were lower by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Depletion of FASN in type II alveolar epithelial cells resulted in altered mitochondrial bioenergetics and more severe lung injury with hyperoxic exposure, even upon the administration of a 60% fat diet. This is the first study to show that a high fat diet leads to altered FASN expression in the lung and that both a high fat diet and reduced FASN expression in alveolar epithelial cells promote lung injury.
A Framework for Increasing Equity Impact in Obesity Prevention

One of the most pressing unmet challenges for preventing and controlling epidemic obesity is ensuring that socially disadvantaged populations benefit from relevant public health interventions. Obesity levels are disproportionately high in ethnic minority, low-income, and other socially marginalized US population groups. Current policy, systems, and environmental change interventions target obesity-promoting aspects of physical, economic, social, and information environments but do not necessarily account for inequities in environmental contexts and, therefore, may perpetuate disparities.I propose a framework to guide practitioners and researchers in public health and other fields that contribute to obesity prevention in identifying ways to give greater priority to equity issues when undertaking policy, systems, and environmental change strategies. My core argument is that these approaches to improving options for healthy eating and physical activity should be linked to strategies that account for or directly address social determinants of health.I describe the framework rationale and elements and provide research and practice examples of its use in the US context. The approach may also apply to other health problems and in countries where similar inequities are observed.
A New method for computing particle collisions in Navier-Stokes flows

Abstract Particle collisions in fluids are ubiquitous, but to compute the collision dynamics in a Navier-Stokes flow remains challenging. In addition to capturing the two-way coupling between the fluid and the particles, a key difficulty is to resolve the collision dynamics mediated by the flow. The gap between particles during collision is minuscule. This introduces a small length scale which needs to be resolved simultaneously with the flow at the large scale. Our goal is to develop a numerical scheme that is accurate and efficient in computing the Navier-Stokes flow around moving particles while taking into account the effect of the lubrication forces on the collisions. Our method integrates the immersed interface method with the lubrication theory in a way that directly couples all three parts, the bulk flow, the flow in the gap, and the dynamics of the freely moving particles. We present a general algorithm for computing the collision. To test the method, we study four fundamental cases involving normal and tangential collisions, so that we can compare numerics against analytic solutions in the lubrication layer. In addition, we provide the lubrication solution needed for computing collisions between surfaces of any shapes in arbitrary relative motions, so that the method can be applied to other cases.
Direct dynamics analysis of the cationic Cp*(PMe3)Ir(CH3) methane C–H activation mechanism

For the σ-bond metathesis reaction between methane and cationic Cp*(PMe3)IrIII(CH3), previous static DFT calculations revealed a two-step oxidative addition/reductive elimination mechanism with an intervening IrV-H intermediate. We recently reported quasiclassical direct molecular dynamics simulations where starting from the vibrationally-averaged oxidative addition transition state a minor, but significant, amount of trajectories bypassed the IrV-H intermediate in a dynamical one-step mechanism. These trajectories also revealed that after the reductive coupling transition state is passed methane always dissociates and the C-H σ-complex is skipped. Here we report direct dynamics simulations using a microcanonical temperature sampling method with trajectories initialized and propagated using the Gaussian program. Sets of 30 trajectories were examined with average time steps ranging from 1.5 to 0.25 femtoseconds (fs). These results showed that a step size of ∼1.5 fs is too large and likely overestimates the amount of trajectories skipping the IrV-H intermediate. Trajectories with 0.75 and 0.25 fs time steps gave qualitatively similar profiles compared to our previous results using our program DynSuite with a 1 fs time step. Reverse trajectories with an average time step of 0.25 fs showed complete skipping of the methane σ complex. 30 trajectories were also propagated using a SMD continuum dichloromethane solvent model. These trajectories showed very similar behavior to gas-phase trajectories.
EGFR and P53 Expression in Androgen Receptor (AR)-Positive, Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)

ABSTRACT Background TNBCs are a heterogeneous group characterized by lack of ER/PR/HER2 expression. Doane et al described a subgroup of TNBC associated with AR-dependent growth. While expression of EGFR and p53 are common in TNBC, their role in AR+ TNBC is less clear. We report the rates of EGFR and p53 expression and clinicopathologic features of AR+ TNBC from a retrospective cohort at MSKCC. Methods We identified 1,032 patients (pts) with resectable, TNBC (ER/PR 1 cm) with each tumor represented by 3 cores. AR was tested with DAKO Clone AR441, dilution (dil) 1:500; ratio of DAB nuclear staining to hematoxylin signal >1 SD above mean was defined as AR+. EGFR and p53 were tested with Thermo-Scientific Clone EP38Y, dil 1:50 and DAKO Clone D07, dil 1:50 respectively. Scoring: 0-1+ negative, 2-3+ positive. Fisher's exact test used to evaluate correlation between AR with EGFR and p53. RFS and OS evaluated using Kaplan-Meier methods. Clinicopathologic variables by AR status were compared using Chi-square/t-tests. Results 166 pts had adequate cores for AR testing. 10% were AR+ (17/166). 160 pts were evaluable for EGFR and 164 pts for p53. Median (med) followup: AR + =6 years (y), AR- = 5.6y. Adjuvant chemotherapy received: AR+ 82%, AR- 87%, P = 0.40. EGFR was expressed more frequently in AR- than AR+ TNBCs (111/143 (78%) vs 9/17 (53%); P =0.04). p53 expression was similar in AR- and AR+ TNBC (82/147 (56%) vs 7/17 (41%); P =0.30). Clinicopathologic variables based on AR and EGFR status appeared similar. 3y RFS and OS data are below. Conclusion Consistent with published reports, loss of AR expression correlates with EGFR expression. In contrast, no association was observed with p53 and AR. These data are hypothesis generating regarding the mechanism of interaction of AR and EGFR in TNBC. -3 year RFS (95% CI) -3 year OS (95% CI) AR+ 76% (47-90) 88% (59-97) AR- 81% (74-87) 93% (87-96) AR+ EGFR+ (n = 9) 67% (39-98) 78% (36-94) AR+ EGFR- (n = 8) 88% (39-98) 100% AR- EGFR+ (n = 111) 82% (73-88) 91% (84-95) AR_ EGFR- (n = 32) 81% (61-92) 97% (80-100) Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Utilization of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for localized prostate cancer (PC) in the United States (US).

370Background: Randomized trials have demonstrated improved survival with the addition of ADT to conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (RT) for men with unfavorable intermediate risk (UIR) and h...
Abstract B10: Rhabdomyosarcoma requires MYC family genomic events to pathogenically subvert core-regulatory circuitry

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft-tissue sarcoma of childhood. Despite multimodality therapy and trials of molecularly targeted agents, limited improvements in overall survival have been realized for patients with high-risk disease. Thus, we aimed to determine the landscape of tumor-specific gene dependencies that underlie tumorigenesis in RMS and therefore provide a valuable group of targets for the development of novel therapeutics. Using unbiased genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 approaches, we identified a set of RMS-specific tumor dependencies involved in tumor cell growth and survival. RMS dependencies were enriched for nucleic acid binding proteins, including transcription factors (TFs). We then used genome-wide chromatin-immunoprecipitation coupled to high-throughput sequencing analysis to demonstrate that a small number of essential TFs—MYCN, MYOD1, TCF12, SOX8, ZEB2, ZNF217, and SIX1—are members of the transcriptional core regulatory circuitry (CRC) that maintains the malignant cell state of RMS. Both c-MYC and MYCN were associated with gene and enhancer copy number increases in cell lines and primary tumors and represented strong dependencies in the RMS cell lines screened. c-MYC and MYCN function to similarly invade and regulate the CRC in respectively dependent cells. To disable the CRC, we tested A485, an inhibitor of the histone acetyltransferase enzymes involved in the establishment of super-enhancer elements that are associated with high level expression of the CRC factors. A485 caused a reversible and rapid loss of CRC factor and c-MYC and/or MYCN expression, and prolonged treatment resulted in cell cycle arrest, differentiation, and apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. This phenotype is rescued by exogenous re-expression of either c-MYC or MYCN in a manner insensitive to A485, indicating a mechanism by which these genes subvert a myogenic CRC to produce an oncogenic fate. This study defines a common set of critical dependency genes in RMS and identifies key genomic events surrounding the c-MYC and MYCN loci that lead to elevated expression and tumorigenesis. Citation Format: Adam D. Durbin, Guillaume Kugener, Mark W. Zimmerman, Chuan Yan, Neekesh V. Dharia, Elizabeth S. Frank, Xiang Chen, Ken N. Ross, Brenton Paolella, Michael Krill-Burger, David E. Root, Jesse S. Boehm, Francisca Vazquez, Andrew L. Hong, Aviad Tsherniak, David M. Langenau, William C. Hahn, Todd R. Golub, Brian J. Abraham, Richard A. Young, A. Thomas Look, Kimberly Stegmaier. Rhabdomyosarcoma requires MYC family genomic events to pathogenically subvert core-regulatory circuitry [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Advances in Pediatric Cancer Research; 2019 Sep 17-20; Montreal, QC, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(14 Suppl):Abstract nr B10.
Optimal detuning for quantum filter cavities

Vacuum quantum fluctuations impose a fundamental limit on the sensitivity of gravitational-wave interferometers, which rank among the most sensitive precision measurement devices ever built. The injection of conventional squeezed vacuum reduces quantum noise in one quadrature at the expense of increasing noise in the other. While this approach improved the sensitivity of the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo interferometers during their third observing run (O3), future improvements in arm power and squeezing levels will bring radiation pressure noise to the forefront. Installation of a filter cavity for frequency-dependent squeezing provides broadband reduction of quantum noise through the mitigation of this radiation pressure noise, and it is the baseline approach planned for all of the future gravitational-wave detectors currently conceived. The design and operation of a filter cavity requires careful consideration of interferometer optomechanics as well as squeezing degradation processes. In this paper, we perform an in-depth analysis to determine the optimal operating point of a filter cavity. We use our model alongside numerical tools to study the implications for filter cavities to be installed in the upcoming ``$\mathrm{A}+$'' upgrade of the Advanced LIGO detectors.
Absolutely Continuous Spectrum for Random Schrödinger Operators on Tree-Strips of Finite Cone Type

A tree-strip of finite cone type is the product of a tree of finite cone type with a finite set. We consider random Schrodinger operators on these tree-strips, similar to the Anderson model. We prove that for small disorder, the spectrum is almost surely, purely, absolutely continuous in a certain set.
Genome-Wide Association Study of Over 427,000 Individuals Establishes Executive Functioning as a Neurocognitive Basis of Psychiatric Disorders Influenced by GABAergic Processes

Abstract Deficits in executive functions (EFs), cognitive processes that control goal-directed behaviors, are associated with psychopathology and neurological disorders. Little is known about the molecular bases of EF individual differences; existing EF genome-wide association studies (GWAS) used small sample sizes and/or focused on individual tasks that are imprecise measures of EF. We conducted a GWAS of a Common EF (cEF) factor based on multiple tasks in the UK Biobank (N=427,037 European-descent individuals), finding 129 independent genome-wide significant lead variants in 112 distinct loci. cEF was associated with fast synaptic transmission processes (synaptic, potassium channel, and GABA pathways) in gene-based analyses. cEF was genetically correlated with measures of intelligence (IQ) and cognitive processing speed, but cEF and IQ showed differential genetic associations with psychiatric disorders and educational attainment. Results suggest that cEF is a genetically distinct cognitive construct that is particularly relevant to understanding the genetic variance in psychiatric disorders.
mTOR-driven neural circuit changes initiate an epileptogenic cascade.

Abstract Mutations in genes regulating mTOR pathway signaling are now recognized as a significant cause of epilepsy. Interestingly, these mTORopathies are often caused by somatic mutations, affecting variable numbers of neurons. To better understand how this variability affects disease phenotype, we developed a mouse model in which the mTOR pathway inhibitor Pten can be deleted from 0 to 40 % of hippocampal granule cells. In vivo, low numbers of knockout cells caused focal seizures, while higher numbers led to generalized seizures. Generalized seizures coincided with the loss of local circuit interneurons. In hippocampal slices, low knockout cell loads produced abrupt reductions in population spike threshold, while spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents and circuit level recurrent activity increased gradually with rising knockout cell load. Findings demonstrate that knockout cells load is a critical variable regulating disease phenotype, progressing from subclinical circuit abnormalities to electrobehavioral seizures with secondary involvement of downstream neuronal populations.
FBG-based Kalman Filtering and Control of Tool Insertion Depth For Safe Robot-assisted Vitrectomy

Vitrectomy is that portion of retinal surgery in which the vitreous gel is removed either as a definitive treatment or to provide direct tool access to the retina. This procedure should be conducted prior to several eye surgeries in order to provide better access to the eyeball posterior. It is a relatively repeatable and straight forward procedure that lends itself to robotic assistance or potentially autonomous performance if tool contact with critical structures can be avoided. One of the detrimental incidences that can occur during the robot-assisted vitrectomy is when the robot penetrates the tool more than allowed boundaries into the eyeball toward retina. In this paper, we provide filtering and control to guide instrument insertion depth in order to avoid tool-to-retina contact. For this purpose, first the tool insertion depth measurement is improved using a Kalman filtering (KF) algorithm. This improved measurement is then used in an adaptive control strategy by which the robot reduces the tool insertion depth based on a predefined and safe trajectory for it, when safe boundaries are overstepped. The performance of the insertion depth safety control system is then compared to one in which the insertion depth is not passed through a Kalman filter prior to being fed to the control system. Our results indicate that applying KF in the adaptive control of the robot enhances procedure safety and enables the robot to always keep the tool insertion depth under the safe levels.
LiveROI: region of interest analysis for viewport prediction in live mobile virtual reality streaming

Virtual reality (VR) streaming can provide immersive video viewing experience to the end users but with huge bandwidth consumption. Recent research has adopted selective streaming to address the bandwidth challenge, which predicts and streams the user's viewport of interest with high quality and the other portions of the video with low quality. However, the existing viewport prediction mechanisms mainly target the video-on-demand (VOD) scenario relying on historical video and user trace data to build the prediction model. The community still lacks an effective viewport prediction approach to support live VR streaming, the most engaging and popular VR streaming experience. We develop a region of interest (ROI)-based viewport prediction approach, namely LiveROI, for live VR streaming. LiveROI employs an action recognition algorithm to analyze the video content and uses the analysis results as the basis of viewport prediction. To eliminate the need of historical video/user data, LiveROI employs adaptive user preference modeling and word embedding to dynamically select the video viewport at runtime based on the user head orientation. We evaluate LiveROI with 12 VR videos viewed by 48 users obtained from a public VR head movement dataset. The results show that LiveROI achieves high prediction accuracy and significant bandwidth savings with real-time processing to support live VR streaming.
Characterization of SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 stack passivation with n- and p-type poly-Si layers

In this manuscript, we characterized SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 (1nm/0.8nm) layers stacked with n-type polysilicon or p-type polysilicon. This study explores the surface passivation capabilities of these structures. In this work, we also optimized the rapid thermal annealing (RTA) in forming gas (N 2 /H 2 ) environment. Using a very thin Al 2 O 3 ( 2 (~1nm) layer prior to the Al 2 O 3 deposition, we improved the effective lifetime >500 µs. The SiO 2 layer enhances the chemical and field effect passivation by increasing hydrogen contents and negative fixed charge effect of the Al 2 O 3 . To increase further the effective lifetime, we added doped a-Si:H layers on top of the SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 . The doped a-Si:H layers are responsible to hydrogenate the stack. After depositing the n-a-Si:H, the effective lifetime was improved from 100µs to 1ms. After RTA the effective lifetime was increased to 4ms. When we deposited the p-a-Si:H, the effective lifetime was degraded from 60µs to 10µs. After RTA the effective lifetime didn’t change significantly.
Electronic Delivery of Pain Education for Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objective To examine the impact of educational materials for chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs), the feasibility of delivering materials online, and to explore its impact on self-reported self-management applications at 3-month follow-up. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Online. Subjects Individuals from a university-wide active research repository with ≥1 coded diagnostic COPC by ICD-9/10 in the medical record. Methods We determined the number of COPCs per participant as indicated by diagnostic codes in the medical record. Consenting participants completed self-report questionnaires and read educational materials. We assessed content awareness and knowledge pre- and post-exposure to education. Comprehension was assessed via embedded questions in reading materials in real time. Participants then completed assessments regarding concept retention, self-management engagement, and pain-related symptoms at 3-months. Results N = 216 individuals enrolled, with 181 (84%) completing both timepoints. Results indicated that participants understood materials. Knowledge and understanding of COPCs increased significantly after education and was retained at 3-months. Patient characteristics suggested the number of diagnosed COPCs was inversely related to age. Symptoms or self-management application did not change significantly over the 3-month period. Conclusions The educational materials facilitated teaching of key pain concepts in self-management programs, which translated easily into an electronic format. Education alone may not elicit self-management engagement or symptom reduction in this population; however, conclusions are limited by the study's uncontrolled design. Education is likely an important and meaningful first step in comprehensive COPC self-management.
Early supersymmetry discovery at the CERN LHC without missingET: The role of multileptons

Traditional searches for supersymmetry (SUSY) at hadron colliders rely heavily on the presence of large missing transverse energy (ME{sub T}) to reject background compared to signal. On the other hand, initial searches for new physics at the CERN LHC may not be able to rely on ME{sub T} due to a variety of detector calibration issues. We show that much of SUSY parameter space is accessible to discovery even without using ME{sub T}, and with rather low integrated luminosities, 0.1-1 fb{sup -1}. A key role is played by isolated lepton multiplicity which arises from gluino and squark cascade decays. Requiring {>=}3 isolated leptons plus jets yields a high rate of background rejection compared to signal. We find an LHC reach in m{sub g}-tilde of about 700-750 GeV for just 0.1 fb{sup -1} of integrated luminosity by requiring events with {>=}4 jets plus {>=}3 isolated leptons but without using ME{sub T}. If a large enough event sample is assembled, then kinematic reconstruction of sparticle mass properties should be possible just as in the case where large missing E{sub T} is required. SUSY without ME{sub T} can also be seen in opposite-sign/same flavor dilepton plus jets events when a characteristic invariant massmore » edge stands out against background.« less
NEAR EQUALITY OF THE ELECTRON AND NUCLEON ANOMALOUS MAGNETIC MOMENT.

It is pointed out that the observed anomalous magnetic moments of the electron, proton and neutron are approximately equal.
Sequential optimization and complementarity techniques for computing economic equilibria

We address two prominent methods in use today for solution of large-scale economic equilibrium problems with general demand functions and an activity analysis representation of production. The SLCP method computes an equilibrium by solving a sequence of linear complementarity problems. ‘SOPT’ methods solve a sequence of optimization problems which are typically of lower dimension than the problems solved by SLCP. We develop informative analogies between SLCP and two state-of-the-art algorithms for nonlinear optimization, specifically, projected Lagrangian and sequential quadratic programming methods. Since the convergence properties of the optimization methods are known, these analogies should contribute to our understanding of SLCP and point to improvements in the procedure. We also examine two SOPT alternatives to Lemke’s almost-complementary pivoting method for solving linearized equilibrium problems. One is a variant of the so-called PIES method; the other is a specialization of Benders’ decomposition method which does not require explicit solution of a separate sub-problem. Preliminary computational experience (for the positive semi-definite case) indicates that the SOPT alternatives are competitive with and potentially superior to Lemke’s method.
A Connectionist Approach to Word Sense Disambiguation

A new architecture for representing parsing of natural language is described which conforms to psycholinguistic, neurolinguistic and computational constraints. The parsing model uses a particular spreading activation or neural network scheme called connectionism which entails a massive number of appropriately connected computing units that communicate through weighted levels of excitation and inhibition. Such an architecture adds considerable constraints of its own which serve to explain some constraints at the functional level. The model accounts for psycholinguistic data on the access of word meanings, recent neurolinguistic data on agrammatism, and some of the apparent parsing strategies of normals.
Drive-Thru: fast, accurate evaluation of storage power management

Running traces of realistic user activity is an important step in evaluating storage power management. Unfortunately, existing methodologies that replay traces as fast as possible on a live system cannot be used to evaluate timeout-based power management policies. Other methodologies that slow down replay to preserve the recorded delays between operations are too time-consuming. We propose a hybrid approach, called Drive-Thru, that provides both accuracy and speed of evaluation by separating time-dependent and time-independent activity. We first synchronously replay file system activity on the target platform to create a base trace that captures the semantic relationship between file system activity and storage accesses. We then use the base trace as input to a simulator that can evaluate different disk, network, file cache, and file system power management policies. We use Drive-Thru to study the benefit of several recent proposals to reduce file system energy usage.
MMP-8 (neutrophil collagenase) mRNA and aggrecanase cleavage products are present in normal and osteoarthritic human articular cartilage.

Osteoarthrosis is characterized by a progressive destruction of articular cartilage resulting from an imbalance of synthesis and degradation of aggrecan and collagen, the major matrix components. The process is governed by inflammatory episodes, thus the disease is called Osteoarthritis (OA). Aggrecan is a large proteoglycan (PG) which is responsible for the biomechanical function of the cartilage to withstand compressive loading. Aggrecan consists of a core protein to which chains of chondroitin and keratan sulfate are attached (Hascall 1988; Heinegard 1992). Cleavage of the core protein between the two globular domains at the animo terminal end results in loss of aggrecan from the cartilage and impaired function. A number of potential cleavage sites have been identified within the interglobular domain for different proteases including members of the family of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), lysosomal enzymes, plasmin, elastase and urokinase (Fosang et al. 1991; 1992; 1993). The predominant proteolytic...
Exploring origins for the Hubble sequence

An analytic formalism which allows calculation of separate mass functions for disk, spheroid and dwarf galaxies is applied to the cold dark matter model. Dwarfs are assumed to form within halos with virial temperatures below a critical value T c ≃ 105.4K. Two sets of criteria are used to differentiate spheroids from disks — one based on cooling timescales and another based on initial perturbation height. The cooling timescale model fails to reproduce simple observed properties of the galaxy distribution. The model based on perturbation height is relatively successful and predicts a “natural” morphological bias which reproduces the observed morphology-density effect in clusters. This model suggests that the transition from the disk-forming to spheroid-forming regimes occurs at a critical pressure which is independent of environment.
Fatigue mechanisms in thin film potassium nitrate memory devices

The terminal fatigue characteristics of vacuum deposited phase-III potassium nitrate (KNO/sub 3/-III) ferroelectric memory devices are reported. It is concluded that the decrease in the polarization values after several million read/write cycles is probably due to the interfacial degradation at the gold/KNO/sub 3/ interface observed by Auger electron-spectroscopy techniques. >
Deorientation of highly stripped Ca ions recoiling in vacuo

The γ-decays of two isomeric states in\({}^{41}Ca(I^\pi = \tfrac{{15 + }}{2})\) and\({}^{41}K(I^\pi = \tfrac{7}{2} - )\) excited in the reactions12C(31P, pn and 2p) were observed using the recoil-into-vacuum plunger technique. At a recoil velocity ofv/c=5.1%, the perturbations of the γ-ray angular distributions were measured time differentially and interpreted in terms of the “cascade” model by Bosch and Spehl in the limit of fast electron relaxation. It is found that the ions reach stable electronic configurations with an average angular momentum ofJ≈1.7.
The Well-Being of Women Who Are Late Deafened

The main purpose of this study was to examine potential within-group differences in well-being in individuals who experienced postlingual, late deafness between the ages of 13 and 65 years old. Two related issues were also examined: (a) the psychometric qualities of 2 popular measures of well-being when used with this sample and (b) the well-being of individuals who are late deafened compared to normative data on well-being. A sample of 138 women who were late deafened completed an online survey. The results indicated internal consistency and validity (convergent and partial discriminant) of the 2 well-being measures with this sample. Well-being in this sample was significantly lower than that in samples from the general population. Investigation of within-group differences indicated that individuals from lower socioeconomic groups reported lower levels of well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
Vibrational spectroscopy of anions by stimulated Raman pumping–photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract The first demonstration of a technique for the vibrational spectroscopy of anions, stimulated Raman pumping-anion photoelectron spectroscopy is reported. It combines the high spectral resolution of stimulated Raman pumping with the high detection efficiency, mass-selectivity, and wide applicability of anion photoelectron spectroscopy. The vibrational spectrum of a test system, C2−, is recorded and the frequency of the 1←0 vibrational transition is determined to be 1757.8±0.1 cm−1. The Q-branch is partially rotationally resolved.
The particle method for the Vlasov—Poisson system using equally spaced initial data points

Abstract Some results are given on the convergence of particle methods for the Vlasov–Poisson system of equations. This system describes the time evolution of a collisionless plasma in the presence of an internally consistent electrostatic field. Particle methods are a means for numerically approximating the solutions. For initial data points that are equally spaced a proof of convergence is given in some cases not contained in previous analysis of this problem. It is shown that for once differentiable initial data the particle method converges and the rate is close to linear in the spatial small parameter. For twice differentiable initial data the rate of convergence can be better than linear, and for three times differentiable initial data the rate can be quadratic in the spatial parameter. The proof is based on some different methods than in previous papers on the subject.
Evaporation and energy balance for bare and stubble covered soil

Daily solar, reflected, and net radiation, air and dew-point temperature, wind speed, and soil heat flux were compared with daily evaporation for a bare and stubble covered soil surface for 45 days during spring 1984. Surface temperatures and radiation fluxes were monitored every 15 min from sunrise to sunset on five of these days. Daily net radiation was always greater for the bare soil surface, averaging 11 443 kJ m−2 compared to 10 483 kJ m−2 for the stubble covered soil. Temperature of the bare soil surface was always greater than the stubble covered surface except for overcast conditions with wet surfaces when they were about equal. Maximum differences were 14.5°C. Evaporation was always greater from the bare surface until it was dry (<8% water). Evaporation was then greater from the stubble covered surface because of its greater available water. There was no correlation between daily evaporation from either surface and the net or solar radiation. Daily evaporation was correlated only with the number of days after precipitation and with wind speed. Reduced evaporation from the stubble covered soil was related to reduced wind speed and lower surface temperatures in the stubble.