cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AFM and SMFS of Clathrin Triskelia under Fluid

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and single molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) have been used to characterize the structure and interactions of clathrin triskelia, which are principal components of the protein coats surrounding certain plasma-membrane-derived vesicles involved in receptor-mediated endocytosis. Time sequence AFM images of wet triskelia resting on mica surfaces clearly demonstrate conformational fluctuations within individual triskelia, further strengthening indirect inferences from earlier AFM and electron microscopy of dried protein samples. Related studies using SMFS reveal a series of internal energetic barriers that characterize triskelion heavy chain domain unfolding. Protein sequence and force spectrum alignment analyses suggest that these features correspond to the unfolding of numerous alpha-helix hairpins of ca. 30 amino acid residues and cooperative unraveling of several hairpin domains up to the size of the known repeating motif of ca.145 amino acid residues. The dynamic domain rupture forces range from 10s of pN to over 500 pN, increasing continuously as the stretching loading rate increases, in accordance with the Bell model. To further understand the molecular functionality of clathrin, specific clathrin-substrate and clathrin-tip attachments via antibodies are being explored in ongoing investigations.
Thermal pain perception after aerobic exercise

Abstract Ruble SB, Hoffman MD, Shepanski MA, Valic Z, Buckwalter JB, Clifford PS. Thermal pain perception after aerobic exercise. Objective To examine thermal pain perception before, 5 minutes after, and 30 minutes after 30 minutes of treadmill exercise at 75% of maximal oxygen uptake (Vo 2 max). Design Repeated-measures. Setting Sports science laboratory. Participants Convenience sample of 14 healthy male and female volunteers (mean age ± standard deviation, 32±3y). Interventions Sensory thresholds, pain thresholds, and pain ratings to hot and cold stimuli were measured before and after 30 minutes of treadmill exercise at 75% of Vo 2 max. The hot and cold stimuli were delivered by using a thermode placed on the thenar eminence of the nondominant hand. Thermal sensory and pain thresholds were determined during continuous ramps in temperature of the thermode. Main outcome measures Pain ratings were measured on a visual analog scale at 10-second intervals over 2 minutes of thermal pain stimulation. Results There were no significant changes in thermal sensitivity, pain thresholds, or pain ratings for either heat or cold after 30 minutes of exercise at 75% of Vo 2 max. Conclusions Pain perception to thermal stimuli was unaltered after 30 minutes of exercise at 75% of Vo 2 max, an intensity and duration of exercise previously shown to alter pain perception to electric and mechanical stimuli.
The In vitro Sub-cellular Localization and In vivo Efficacy of Novel Chitosan/GMO Nanostructures containing Paclitaxel

Purpose To determine the in vitro sub-cellular localization and in vivo efficacy of chitosan/GMO nanostructures containing paclitaxel (PTX) compared to a conventional PTX treatment (Taxol®).
Statistical inference for poverty measures with relative poverty lines

Relative poverty lines such as one-half median income have been increasingly used in poverty studies. This paper contributes to the literature by developing statistical inference for testing decomposable poverty measures with relative poverty lines. The poverty lines we consider are percentages of mean income and percentages of quantiles. We show that the estimates of poverty indices with relative poverty lines are asymptotically normally distributed and that the covariance structure can be consistently estimated. As a consequence, asymptotically distribution-free statistical inference can be established in a straightforward manner.
Circulating Angiogenic Factors in the Pathogenesis and Prediction of Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal, fetal, and neonatal mortality worldwide. Although the etiology of preeclampsia is still unclear, recent studies suggest that its major phenotypes, high blood pressure and proteinuria, are due in part to excess circulating soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 concentrations. Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 is an endogenous antiangiogenic protein that is made by the placenta and acts by neutralizing the proangiogenic proteins vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor. High serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 and low serum free placental growth factor and free vascular endothelial growth factor have been observed in preeclampsia. Abnormalities in these circulating angiogenic proteins are not only present during clinical preeclampsia but also antedate clinical symptoms by several weeks. Therefore, this raises the possibility of measuring circulating angiogenic proteins in the blood and the urine as a diagnostic and screening tool for preeclampsia. The availability of a test to predict preeclampsia would be a powerful tool in preventing preeclampsia-induced mortality, especially in developing nations, where high-risk specialists are limited. This review will summarize our current understanding of the role of circulating angiogenic proteins in the pathogenesis and clinical diagnosis/prediction of preeclampsia.
TGF-β and IL-10 production by HIV-specific CD8+ T cells is regulated by CTLA-4 signaling on CD4+ T cells.

Immune dysregulation in HIV-1 infection is associated with increased expression of inhibitory molecules such as CTLA-4, TGF-b, and IL-10. In this study we examined one potential mechanism for regulating TGF-b and IL-10 expression by HIVspecific suppressor CD8+ T cells. No overlap between TGF-b, IL-10, and IFN-c cytokine production by HIV-specific CD8+ T cells was observed. TGF-b positive and IL-10 positive cells were FOXP3 negative, CD25 negative, and displayed a heterogeneous surface expression of CD127. TGF-b and IL-10 positive CD8+ T cells did not express CTLA-4. Nevertheless, CTLA-4 blockade resulted in a significant decrease in HIV-specific TGF-b positive and IL-10 positive CD8+ T cell responses, and a concomitant increase in HIV-specific IFN-c positive CD8+ T cell responses. Depletion of CD4+ T cells abrogated the impact of CTLA-4 on HIV-specific TGF-b positive and IL-10 positive CD8+ T cells. Our study suggests that CTLA-4 Signaling on CD4+ T cells regulates the inhibitory functions of the HIV-specific suppressor CD8+ T cells.
Use of a static adjustable ankle-foot orthosis following tibial nerve block to reduce plantar-flexion contracture in an individual with brain injury.

Background and Purpose. Ankle plantar-flexion contractures are a common complication of brain injuries and can lead to secondary limitations in mobility. Case Description. The patient was a 44-year-old woman with left hemiplegia following a right frontal arteriovenous malformation resection. She had a left ankle plantar-flexion contracture of −31 degrees from neutral. After a tibial nerve block, an adjustable ankle-foot orthosis was applied 23 hours a day for 27 days. Adjustments of the orthosis were made as the contracture was reduced. The patient received physical therapy during the 27-day period for functional mobility activities and stretching the plantar flexors outside of the orthosis. Outcomes. The patient's dorsiflexion passive range of motion increased from −31 degrees to +10 degrees. Discussion. The application of an adjustable ankle-foot orthosis following a tibial nerve block, as an addition to a physical therapy regimen of stretching and mobility training, may reduce plantar-flexion contractures in patients with brain injury.
Toward approximate moving least squares approximation with irregularly spaced centers

Abstract By combining the well-known moving least squares approximation method and the theory of approximate approximations due to Maz’ya and Schmidt we are able to present an approximate moving least squares method which inherits the simplicity of Shepard’s method along with the accuracy of higher-order moving least squares approximations. In this paper we focus our interest on practical implementations for irregularly spaced data sites. The two schemes described here along with some first numerical experiments are to be viewed as exploratory work only. These schemes apply to centers that are obtained from gridded centers via a smooth parametrization. Further work to find a robust numerical scheme applicable to arbitrary scattered data is needed.
Components in genetic variance in milk yield.

Abstract The purpose of this research was to determine the importance of non-additive genetic effects and genetic maternal effects in the inheritance of milk production in dairy cattle. Expressing milk yield as a deviation from herdmate average eliminated most of the variation due to herds, years, seasons, and their interactions without affecting the expression of additive genetic differences between sires for milk yield. It is clearly demonstrated that expressing records as deviations does not eliminate effects of dam and herd-year-season confounding. Genetic maternal effects were found to be of little or no importance. The magnitude of the sire by maternal grandsire component estimate implies that non-additive genetic variance is near zero. An example is used to show that even should genetic maternal effects and non-additive genetic effects be sizeable, the selection index weights for records on relatives and the accuracy of the index are only slightly different from those obtained assuming strictly additive inheritance.
25-nm p-channel vertical MOSFETs with SiGeC source-drains

The scaling of vertical p-channel MOSFETs with the source and drain doped with boron during low temperature epitaxy is limited by the diffusion of boron during subsequent side wall gate oxidation. By introducing thin SiGeC layers in the source and drain regions, this diffusion has been suppressed, enabling for the first time the scaling of vertical p-channel MOSFETs to under 100 nm in channel length to be realized. Device operation with a channel length down to 25 nm has been achieved.
Secondary Structure and Folding of Amino Acid Transporter from Outer Chloroplast Membrane

Solving high-resolution structures for membrane proteins continues to be a daunting challenge in the structural biology community. OEP16 is a transmembrane amino acid selective transporter with a molecular mass of 16 kDa [1]. Here we report high-resolution NMR results for OEP16 solubilized in SDS detergent micelles. Three-dimensional NMR experiments were performed on U-15N, 13C- labeled and 80% perdeuterated protein to assign protein backbone resonances and obtain secondary structure information. To understand the protein dynamics and function 15N relaxation, amino acid titration, and 2H exchange experiments were performed. The chemical shift data for 15N, 1HN, 13CO, 13Cα and 13Cβ nuclei obtained from three-dimensional NMR experiments were used to assign 95% of the backbone amino acid residues. Chemical shift data were analyzed using the TALOS+ program to detect the secondary structure elements and to estimate 1H-15N bond orientational order parameters. Our analysis leads to three important conclusions: the tertiary structure of OEP16 involves four transmembrane helices connected by flexible loop regions, it is likely to be monomeric in SDS micelles, and the ligand binding sites could be located. The α-helix content calculated in this method (55%) fits well with previous measurements (50%) [1]. Our 15N relaxation data supports the predicted secondary structure and helps in estimating the isotropic global rotational correlation time (τm) [2]. The value of τm indicates that OEP16 is a monomer in SDS micelles. The 2H exchange data revealed solvent exposed regions in the protein that aid in understanding the tertiary structural folding of the protein. The present study provides a basis for a high resolution structural determination of this membrane protein in future NMR experiments. [1] D. Ni et al. (2011) Protein Expression Purif. 80, 157-168. [2] M. F. Brown (1982) J. Chem. Phys. 77, 1576-1599.
Heat dissipation guides activation in signaling proteins.

Life is fundamentally a nonequilibrium phenomenon. At the expense of dissipated energy, living things perform irreversible processes that allow them to propagate and reproduce. Within cells, evolution has designed nanoscale machines to do meaningful work with energy harnessed from a continuous flux of heat and particles. As dictated by the Second Law of Thermodynamics and its fluctuation theorem corollaries, irreversibility in nonequilibrium processes can be quantified in terms of how much entropy such dynamics produce. In this work, we seek to address a fundamental question linking biology and nonequilibrium physics: can the evolved dissipative pathways that facilitate biomolecular function be identified by their extent of entropy production in general relaxation processes? We here synthesize massive molecular dynamics simulations, Markov state models (MSMs), and nonequilibrium statistical mechanical theory to probe dissipation in two key classes of signaling proteins: kinases and G-protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs). Applying machinery from large deviation theory, we use MSMs constructed from protein simulations to generate dynamics conforming to positive levels of entropy production. We note the emergence of an array of peaks in the dynamical response (transient analogs of phase transitions) that draw the proteins between distinct levels of dissipation, and we see that the binding of ATP and agonist molecules modifies the observed dissipative landscapes. Overall, we find that dissipation is tightly coupled to activation in these signaling systems: dominant entropy-producing trajectories become localized near important barriers along known biological activation pathways. We go on to classify an array of equilibrium and nonequilibrium molecular switches that harmonize to promote functional dynamics.
Surfactant-Increased Glyphosate Uptake into Plasma Membrane Vesicles Isolated from Common Lambsquarters Leaves.

Plasma membrane vesicles were isolated from mature leaves of lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) to investigate whether this membrane is a barrier to glyphosate uptake and whether surfactants possess differential abilities to enhance glyphosate permeability. Amino acids representing several structural classes showed [delta]pH-dependent transport, indicating that the proteins necessary for active, proton-coupled amino acid transport were present and functional. Glyphosate uptake was very low compared to the acidic amino acid glutamate, indicating that glyphosate is not utilizing an endogenous amino acid carrier to enter the leaf cells and that the plasma membrane appears to be a significant barrier to cellular uptake. In addition, glyphosate flux was much lower than that measured for either bentazon or atrazine, both lipid-permeable herbicides that diffuse through the bilayer. Glyphosate uptake was stimulated by 0.01% (v:v) MON 0818, the cationic surfactant used in the commercial formulation of this herbicide for foliar application. This concentration of surfactant did not disrupt the integrity of the plasma membrane vesicles, as evidenced by the stability of imposed pH gradients and active amino acid transport. Nonionic surfactants that disrupt the cuticle but that do not promote glyphosate toxicity in the field also increased glyphosate transport into the membrane vesicles. Thus, no correlation was observed between whole plant toxicity and surfactant-aided uptake. Current data suggest that surfactant efficacy may be the result of charged surfactants9 ability to diffuse away from the cuticle into the subtending apoplastic space, where they act directly on the plasma membrane to increase glyphosate uptake.
Fetal and neonatal NK1.1+ Ly-49− cells can distinguish between major histocompatibility complex class Ihi and class Ilo target cells: Evidence for a Ly-49-independent negative signaling receptor

Natural killer (NK) cell function is regulated by both positive and negative signaling receptors. In adult splenic NK cells, negative signaling has been shown to be mediated by the Ly-49 family receptors. NK1.1- 2B4+ CD3- cells that are phenotypically and functionally similar to adult splenic NK cells can be derived from murine fetal liver and thymus. These cells do not express any known Ly-49 molecules on their surface nor do they contain the known Ly-49 transcripts. Surface expression of Ly-49 molecules is first detected on splenic NK1.1+ cells 4-6 days after birth. Despite the absence of these negative signaling receptors, fetal and neonatal Ly-49- NK cells lyse TAP-/- , major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I(lo) but not TAP+/+, MHC class I(hi) target cells. This suggests that fetal and neonatal NK cells express negative signaling receptors other than Ly-49 molecules.
Editorial Comment—Functional MRI: A Potential Physiologic Indicator for Stroke Rehabilitation Interventions

A patient recovering from a modest hemiparesis from stroke alternates between rest and tapping the affected index finger1 or gripping a transducer with visual feedback about the force exerted2 during functional MRI (fMRI). Do the evoked patterns of cerebral activity reveal the reorganization and rehabilitation of the motor mind? They may, if considered within the context of potentially confounding technical, statistical, anatomical, experiential, and task-dependent factors.3,4 ### What Are the General Determinants of fMRI Patterns of Activation Induced By a Movement? Maps of functional anatomy obtained using the blood-oxygen–level-dependent (BOLD) technique depend on the spatial extent of metabolic and hemodynamic changes induced by local synaptic activity and local field potentials, but do not precisely correlate with such activity.5 Localization and spatial resolution of neuronal activity may be confounded by a range of signal-dependent factors. These include BOLD-dependent capillary density and draining veins, perfusion of hemodynamically compromised tissue, links between one active population of neurons to others,6 possible differences in the BOLD signal caused by presynaptic inhibition compared with excitation, and fine differences between subjects in the location of regions of interest.7 fMRI methods are not a done deal. Some controversy and room for error accompany every aspect of data acquisition and analysis. Choices are made about the MR sequences for scans, data smoothing and correction schemes, registration of activations onto anatomical space especially when an infarct distorts morphology, modeling choices for the statistics represented by colored voxels of activity, statistical inferences, and approaches to individual subject versus group analyses. In addition, physiological factors such as sleep deprivation …
Income inequality and physical and mental health: testing associations consistent with proposed causal pathways

Objectives: To test associations between individual health outcomes and ecological variables proposed in causal models of relations between income inequality and health. Design: Regression analysis of a large, nationally representative dataset, linked to US census and other county and state level sources of data on ecological covariates. The regressions control for individual economic and demographic covariates as well as relevant potential ecological confounders. Setting: The US population in the year 2000. Participants: 4817 US adults about age 40, representative of the US population. Main outcome measures: Two outcomes were studied: self reported general health status, dichotomised as “fair” or “poor” compared with “excellent”, “very good”, or “good”, and depression as measured by a score on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies depression instrument >16. Results: State generosity was significantly associated with a reduced odds of reporting poor general health (OR 0.84, 95%CI: 0.71 to 0.99), and the county unemployment rate with reduced odds of reporting depression (OR 0.91, 95%CI: 0.84 to 0.97). The measure of income inequality is a significant risk factor for reporting poor general health (OR 1.98, CI: 1.08 to 3.62), controlling for all ecological and individual covariates. In stratified models, the index of social capital is associated with reduced odds of reporting poor general health among black people and Hispanics (OR 0.40, CI: 0.18 to 0.90), but not significant among white people. The inequality measure is significantly associated with reporting poor general health among white people (OR 2.60, CI: 1.22 to 5.56) but not black people and Hispanics. Conclusions: The effect of income inequality on health may work through the influence of invidious social comparisons (particularly among white subjects) and (among black subjects and Latinos) through a reduction in social capital. Researchers may find it fruitful to recognise the cultural specificity of any such effects.
Multiuser detection for vector multiple access channels using generalized decision feedback equalization

This paper considers the optimal multiuser detection problem for the vector Gaussian multiple access channel with multiple inputs and multiple outputs (MIMO). A practical bit-loading and multiuser decision feedback scheme based on generalized decision feedback equalization (GDFE) is proposed. This GDFE-based detection scheme, when used with an optimized transmitter, achieves the extreme points in the multiple access channel capacity region.
Finding a happy medium: explaining the negative effects of electronic communication on social life at work

The sometimes observed negative social effects of electronic communication technology are often attributed to the characteristics of the technology itself. Electronic mail, for instance, filters out personal and social cues and provides new capabilities not found in traditional media, and it has been argued that these factors have consequences such as “flaming” and depersonalization. Alternative theoretical perspectives on the impacts of information technology suggest that our ability to explain these outcomes might be enhanced by attending to users' intentional choices about how to use technology and to unpredictable technology usage patterns that emerge when users interact with the technology and each other. These alternative perspectives are examined in the context of an exploratory case study of a complex organization in which electronic mail was heavily used.Users were found to select email deliberately when they wished to avoid unwanted social interactions. At the same time, they actively took steps to avoid negative outcomes, such as depersonalization of their relationships with subordinates. However, despite their well-intentioned efforts, some negative social effects did occur that cannot entirely be attributed to the technological characteristics of electronic communication. Instead, they appear to be ironic side effects of users' thoughtful efforts to use email effectively. These results suggest the value of according a prominent role in explanations of technology impacts to users' intended and unintended technology uses. The results also imply that negative social effects from using electronic communication technology may not prove easy to eradicate, despite technological developments such as multimedia integration, and despite efforts to train users in the best email “etiquette.”
The work of economics: how a discipline makes its world

What is the work of economics? How does it operate to establish facts and make them stable? Is it sometimes able to use the world as a laboratory? If so, what measures are necessary to organize the world as a laboratory for economic experiments? To what extent do these measures rely upon the efforts of nonacademic economists, and of other social agents and arrangements including think tanks, government policies, development programs, NGOs, and social movements? A recent “natural experiment” using the social world as a laboratory, carried out in Peru, produced remarkable results, enthusiastically received by economists in the United States and by international development agencies. The paper examines the work of organizing the socio-technical world required to produce this knowledge, the curious kind of facts that were produced, the connections among those involved in this work, in particular the organized work of the neoliberal movement, and the role of the new facts in making possible further efforts at economic experimentation.
Assessment of gas exchange in lung disease: balancing accuracy against feasibility

While the principles underlying alveolar gas exchange have been well-known for over 50 years, we still struggle to assess gas exchange in hypoxemic patients. Unfortunately, simple measurements lack discrimination while complex measurements are infeasible in clinical care. The paper by Karbing et al. in this issue seeks a middle ground based on the arterial PO2 (PaO2)/inspired O2 fraction (FIO2) ratio measured at different FIO2s with the outcomes fed into proprietary software to account for both shunting and ventilation/perfusion inequality. Whether this is the optimal compromise between measurement difficulty and information available will have to be answered by those willing to test the approach in their own patients.
Cloud masking for CoastWatch satellite imagery

A cloud mask program is available for masking out all clouds present on CoastWatch satellite imagery products. CoastWatch satellite imagery are operational NOAA polar-satellite 1 km Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data that are remapped for designated U.S. coastal regions. Sea surface temperature imagery is one of the current CoastWatch products; however, the product contains cloudy pixels. A cloud mask product is necessary to determine cloud free areas for sea surface temperature identification. The Clouds from AVHRR (CLAVR) cloud detection algorithm is being tested on both day and night AVHRR imagery. An explanation of the cloud masking tests and examples of their application to the analysis of sea surface temperature imagery for the coastal U.S. on a near-real time basis are presented. >
Mobile Media Matters: Media Use and Relationship Satisfaction among Geographically Close Dating Couples

Much research has investigated the uses and effects of new communication technologies in long-distance romantic relationships. Comparatively, however, the importance of these technologies within geographically close romantic relationships has been overlooked. The present study fills in this gap by examining the prevalence of media use in this context and its association with relational well-being. A survey of heterosexual undergraduates involved in proximal dating relationships (N = 211) shows that they used mobile media (phone calls, texting) to a significant extent to connect with partners on a daily basis, and that they reported high quality of communication when using these media. Further, the quality, but not quantity, of mobile communication was associated with partner idealization which, in turn, was associated with relational satisfaction. The results support and extend the Hyperpersonal model of online communication, and contribute to elucidating user practices and media effects within the critical domain of romantic relationships.
In-Core Fuel Management Via Perturbation Theory

A two-step procedure is developed for the optimization of in-core nuclear fuel management using perturbation theory to predict the effects of various core configurations. The first procedure is a cycle cost minimization using linear programming with a zoned core and discrete burnup groups. The second program utilizes an individual fuel assembly shuffling sequence to minimize the maldistribution of power generation. This latter quantity is represented by a figure of merit or by an assembly power peaking factor. A pressurized water reactor example calculation is utilized. 24 references. (auth)
Sequencing and social structure in family conflict.

This study shows how linguistic and sequential organization display features of social structure in the domain of verbalfamily conflict. Video and audio field recordings of naturally occurring verbal conflict in families are used as data for a microsociological analysis of conversational sequencing. Through a sequential social control process, interpersonal boundary information and hostility are asymmetrically distributed among generation and gender statuses of the family. The sequential organization of verbal conflict is modeled as a Markov process. The data is used to test the model. Sequential patterns articulating generation and gender status are quantitatively described. The equilibrium state of the Markov process describes the stable, asymmetric distribution of important social commodities in generation and gender statuses. The model also accurately predicts the distribution of conflict durations in the data. The stable and asymmetric properties which emerge from the sequential process demonstrate a link between the dynamics of social interaction and the stability of social structure. The imporiance of the microsociological analysis of informal social control for understanding verbal family conflict is emphasized.
Terahertz Laser Frequency Combs

By using a carefully designed and fabricated integrated dispersion compensator, we were able to develop high-power laser frequency combs at THz, which will enable the high resolution (~kHz) and S/N ratios of laser spectroscopy, the broadband capabilities of FTIR (>1 THz), all with no mechanical moving parts. Article not available.
On semantical rules and definable predicates

AN interpretation for a scientific system is provided by so-called semantical rules. The system itself consists of certain primitives, together with various syntactical definitions or rules which specify the formulas, the axioms, and the rules of inference. Let us suppose for the present that the system is formulated to contain no primitive individual or functional constants, but only primitive predicate constants, each of specified degree. The semantical rules then lay down an interpretation for the primitive predicates. Thus, for example, if 'Blue' is a primitive, one-place predicate constant, a semantical rule may be laid down to the effect that 'Blue' designates the class of blue objects (or the property of being blue). Semantical rules (for a system such as that described) are concerned 33
Health policy: Addressing conflicts of interest of public speakers at advisory committee meetings

A study reveals that, from 2009–2014, a considerable percentage of public speakers at Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee meetings had disclosed or undisclosed financial associations with the drug company seeking product approval. Amid calls for increased public engagement in health care and health-care research, steps must be taken to minimize the conflicts of interests of those who claim to speak for patients and the public.
Equilibrium adsorption and self-assembly of patchy colloids in microchannels

A theory is developed to describe the equilibrium adsorption and self-assembly of patchy colloids in microchannels. The adsorption theory is developed in classical density functional theory, with the adsorbed phase and fluid phase chemical potentials modeled using thermodynamic perturbation theory. Adsorption of nonpatchy colloids in microchannels is typically achieved through nonequilibrium routes such as spin coating and evaporation. These methods are required due to the entropic penalty of adsorption. In this work we propose that the introduction of patches on the colloids greatly enhances the temperature dependent and reversible adsorption of colloids in microchannels. It is shown how bulk fluid density, temperature, patch size, and channel diameter can be manipulated to achieve the adsorption and self-assembly of patchy colloids in microchannels.
The Effects of Joint Cost Allocation on Intra-Firm Trade: A Comparison of Insulating and Non-Insulating Approaches

ABSTRACT: While it is generally believed that insulating cost allocations help managers focus their attention on their own actions and shield them from the actions of others, non-insulating schemes...
Theorizing the Postcolonial Self: Arabo-Islamic Modernities, Modernisms, and Modernizations

Catching up with the developed world without losing authentic cultural identity is identified by many Arab cultural theorists as the way out of the current socioeconomic and cultural crises in the Arab world. This seemingly clear-cut formula has proved to be extremely difficult to put into practice. Catching up implies resentment, admiration, and envy of the Other, against whose progress the Self's own progress is measured and whose experience both inspires and poses an annihilating threat on the Self. A fixation with an immutable indigenous tradition, which has become the bearer of cultural identity in the postcolonial Arab states, may thwart the Self's passage into modernity. The past could be a trap of narcissism, delusion, or self-pity; the West could be a trap of self-betrayal or colonial mimicry. Simplistic attempts to take what is useable from both traditions could lead to confusion and loss of authenticity. Modernity and its sibling terms modernism and modernization inherently seek to replace tradition. But postcolonial modernity, modernism, and modernization are fashioned to preserve, rework, and reinterpret tradition in order to remain products of the specificity of their own time and place. This paradoxical relationship between the Self and its indigenous tradition goes hand in hand with a paradoxical relationship with Western tradition, which is at once espoused and resisted, admired and resented. This paper investigates manifestations of alliances, tensions, and negotiations between indigenous and Western traditions in cultural theorization, literary theory, and criticism through conducting a comparative analysis between a number of Arab and Western authors of different ideological orientations. I map out four attitudes that address this problematic ranging from wholesale acceptance (or rejection) of indigenous or Western traditions and simplistic attempts at reconciling them to identifying paths to modernize indigenous tradition and indigenize Western ones.
Comparison study of LLC resonant circuit and two quasi dual active bridge circuits

This paper presents a comparison study of three isolated DC/DC circuit topologies, LLC resonant circuit, phase shift bridge circuit and phase shift quasi switched capacitor (QSC) circuit. The device stress of three circuits is compared using total switching device power (SDP) which can be used as an indicator of circuit efficiency, device cooling requirement, device packaging requirement and cost of the power electronics converter. Transformer is the main passive component in the circuit that affects significantly the converter power density. The transformer area products (AP) of three circuits are thus calculated and compared. Device loss oriented circuit design is carried out on the three circuit topologies for 1 kW, 400 V to 48 V telecomm power supply application using commercially available GaN devices. Basing on the circuit design results, the device loss of three circuits is calculated and compared at various switching frequencies and load conditions. In the end, a 1 kW, 0.5 MHz, 400–48 V GaN device based phase shift QSC converter prototype is built and tested to verify the analysis and showcase the circuit performance.
Disagreement in middle ear volume estimation between tympanometry and three-dimensional volume reconstruction in the context of tympanic membrane perforation.

Abstract Introduction Middle ear volume (MEV) is a clinically relevant parameter across middle ear diseases. MEV values between these techniques have never before been tested for agreement in ears with perforated tympanic membranes (TMs). Methods Middle ears were identified from 36 patients ranging 18–89 years of age with TM perforations who underwent tympanometry and temporal bone computed tomography (CT) between 2005 and 2015. MEVs calculated by both tympanometry and three-dimensional volume reconstruction (3DVR) were analyzed for agreement using Bland Altman plots. The differences between tympanometric and 3DVR MEV values for each given middle ear were characterized across MEV quartiles (1 = smallest; 4 = largest) and across increasing states of middle ear disease using Kruskal–Wallis and Wilcoxon testing with Bonferroni correction. Results Bland Altman plots demonstrated significant disagreement between MEV measurement techniques. Differences between tympanometric (T) and 3DVR MEV values were significantly greater with increasing average (i.e. (T+3DVR)/2)) MEV per linear regression (p Conclusion Statistically and clinically significant disagreement was demonstrated between tympanometric and 3DVR MEV values. Studies that vary in MEV estimation techniques may be expected to demonstrate significantly different results. These preliminary results suggest that clinicians should endeavor to seek further confirmation when interpreting high tympanometric MEV values.
Transcatheter Management of TAVI-Associated Paravalvular Leak

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become a widely accepted treatment for the management of patients with severe aortic stenosis who are deemed prohibitive or high risk for conventional surgical replacement [1]. As data continue to emerge on the safety and efficacy of TAVI in patients who are at intermediate or low surgical risk, the utilization of TAVI for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis patients will increase in the near future. [2–6] Over eight TAVI devices are available in Europe, but the only valves approved for use in the USA are the Edwards SAPIEN balloon-expandable valve (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA) and the Medtronic self-expanding Evolut R and classic CoreValve (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN). [7] The SAPIEN XT and the SAPIEN 3 valves are now approved for intermediate-surgical-risk patients.
Water Resources Adaptation to Climate and Demand Change in the Potomac River

AbstractThe effects of climate change are increasingly considered in conjunction with changes in water demand and reservoir sedimentation in forecasts of water supply vulnerability. Here, the relat...
Using an integrated remote sensing approach for identification of bedrock and alluvium along the Front Range mountains, Colorado

The Colorado front range (CFR) mountains have a history of significant debris flows. For instance, flash floods in September 2013 triggered over 1138 debris flows in the CFR, leading to eight fatalities and causing damage to buildings, highways, railroads, and infrastructure. Following this event, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) studied these debris flows with the intention of modeling debris flow susceptibility in this region. They identified a problem that the preliminary susceptibility map, before correction, included areas of exposed bedrock as regions that were modeled to have high susceptibility, even though those regions should have been low susceptibility. The objective of this research is to develop and execute an integrated sequential land cover classification (iSLCC) remote sensing approach to discriminate bedrock outcrop from colluvium and, hence, constrain the USGS susceptibility modeling. The approach integrates multispectral, hyperspectral, and radar methods to discriminate colluvium from bedrock outcrops over a study area of nine 7½ min quadrangles. Calibrating against six smaller field study areas that span different geologic formations and ecoregions, a map of land cover, including exposed bedrock outcrops, was produced over a study area that encompasses portions of the St. Vrain and Big Thompson watersheds. The resulting map was compared with the results from traditional land cover classification methods. The iSLCC approach yielded the best overall results and the highest observed agreement (observed accuracy).
Development of Phased Intensifier for Waterjet Cutting

The paper describes a significant advance in ultra-high pressure waterjet cutting technology through the development of the phased intensifier. In a phased intensifier, as opposed to a standard double-acting intensifier, piston-plunger assemblies in varous cylinders are independently controlled in such a way as to theoretically produce an uninterrupted, perfectly uniform pressure signal. The quality of signal does not depend on the size or location of an accumulator, as in a double- acting intensifier. The phased concept offers many other advantages: a compact, economical design with much smaller footprint and integrated packaging; much enhanced reliablity of hydraulic and high-pressure components due to slower cycling; better suction capability; easier installation. The paper explains the concept and outlines the basis of its many advantages.
The Rise and Rise of the One Percent: Considering Legal Causes of Wealth Inequality

Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-first Century, which is surely one of the very few economics treatises ever to be a best-seller, has parachuted into an intensely emotional and deeply divisive American debate: the problem of inequality in the United States. Piketty's core argument is that throughout history, the rate of return on private capital has usually exceeded the rate of economic growth, expressed by Piketty as the relation r > g. If true, this relation means that the wealthy class – who are the predominant owners of capital – will grow their wealth faster than economies grow, which means that relatively speaking, the non-wealthy will fall behind.But even if we accept Piketty's assertion that this has been an "historical fact," why is r > g most of the time? Piketty offers a few economic factors and a few legal rules, but mostly demurs as to why the "forces of [wealth] divergence" generally overwhelm the "forces of [wealth] convergence." This review argues that legal rules and institutions exhibit an inherent bias towards some forms of private capital, and serve to inflate returns to private capital – Piketty's r. Meanwhile, not only is it more difficult to make economic growth – Piketty's g – keep pace, but it is more contentious. The result is that returns to private capital have indeed commonly exceeded the rate of economic growth. This historical truism can be traceable to a capital-friendly bias that inheres in legal rules and institutions. The bias is particularly pronounced in several areas of law in which law and policy have inflated returns to private capital and driven it above the rate of economic growth, exacerbating economic inequality. This review closes by arguing for a greater attention paid to funding education, which is not only an equalizing "force of convergence," but also a predicate to economic growth.
Management of Bipolar Disease in Pregnancy and Lactation

Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric disorder that commonly affects women of reproductive age. Many women with bipolar disorder require treatment during pregnancy and the post-partum period to optimize their health. The following review examines recent evidence regarding the risks and benefits of using commonly prescribed medications for bipolar disorder in pregnancy and lactation. Current research has not found significant and consistent risks with use of atypical antipsychotics compared to other psychotropic agents, and some previously established teratogens, such as lithium, appear to carry lower risk of malformation than initially reported. Studies that examine the impact of polytherapy, however, are needed. A patient-centered approach with minimal effective dosing of necessary medications is likely to produce the best outcome for optimization and simplification of the medical regimen for mother and child.
County Line and Prime Time -- A Natural Experiment Measuring the Effect of Presidential Advertising

Despite the prodigious amounts of money spent on Presidential campaign advertising, its effects on voter behavior remain largely unknown. Political scientists have employed a range of field and laboratory experiments in this question, but their conclusions remain uncertain: laboratory experiments have limited external validity while field experiments face problems of selection bias. This paper addresses both shortcomings by studying a natural experiment in the closing stages of the 2012 Presidential campaign. Respondents clustered either side of TV marketplace boundaries are exposed to widely different quantities of advertising, but are otherwise demographically homogeneous. Comparing 7,000 respondents clustered within 500 meters of TV marketplace boundaries, I find advertising effects are generally smaller than reported in previous experimental studies, and strongly conditioned by the political familiarity of their sponsor. Ad effects can persist for up to two weeks, and grow more influential later in the campaign.
Effect of an atraumatic vulsellum versus a single-tooth tenaculum on pain perception during intrauterine device insertion: a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Introduction Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are used by only 5.6% of contraceptive users in the United States. One barrier to IUD uptake is fear of pain during insertion, particularly among nulliparous women. Many interventions to reduce pain during IUD insertion have proven unsuccessful. Comparisons of different tenaculae have not been previously reported. Methods This was a single-blinded, randomized control trial of 80 women randomized to the use of a vulsellum or a single-tooth tenaculum during IUD insertion. The primary outcome was reported pain on a 100-mm visual analog scale at the time of vulsellum placement. Secondary outcomes included pain at other intervals during IUD insertion and bleeding from the tenaculum site. Pain scores were analyzed with a Mann–Whitney test because they were not normally distributed. Results Pain scores at the time of single-tooth tenaculum (33.3 mm) and vulsellum (35.0 mm) placement were the same in both groups (p=0.58). It took longer to control bleeding in the single-tooth tenaculum versus the vulsellum group (1.1 vs. 0.4 min, p=0.001), although there was no statistically significant difference in the number of maneuvers required to control bleeding at the tenaculum site between the two groups. Preprocedure anxiety appeared to correlate with more pain during IUD insertion. Conclusion This is the first randomized trial comparing tenaculae. There was no difference in reported pain, but the vulsellum may be associated with less bleeding than a single-tooth tenaculum. Women with higher preprocedure anxiety may experience more pain during IUD insertion. Future research could investigate an anxiolytic's effect on pain during IUD insertion.
ORMDL3 and allergic asthma: From physiology to pathology

There is a strong genetic component to asthma, and numerous genome-wide association studies have identified ORM1 (yeast)–like protein 3 (ORMDL3) as a gene associated with asthma susceptibility. However, how ORMDL3 contributes to asthma pathogenesis and its physiologic functions is not well understood and a matter of great debate. This rostrum describes recent advances and new insights in understanding of the multifaceted functions of ORMDL3 in patients with allergic asthma. We also suggest a potential unifying paradigm and discuss molecular mechanisms for the pathologic functions of ORMDL3 in asthma related to its evolutionarily conserved role in regulation of sphingolipid homeostasis. Finally, we briefly survey the utility of sphingolipid metabolites as potential biomarkers for allergic asthma.
Open Source Machine Learning Libraries

In this chapter we will continue the discussion on implementation of machine learning models using free and open source alternatives. Here, we will specifically give the list of top options in the open source domain and will select one of them suitable for illustrating the process. We will then use the same IRIS data to solve the problem of multiclass classification using multiple models. Instead of using AML studio we will use python based open source library called scikit-learn and its dependencies to build the full end to end pipeline along similar lines as one built using AML studio in the previous chapter. Then we will compare and contrast the two alternatives.