cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
243 BLOOD PRESSURE REDUCTION LESS EFFECTIVELY REDUCES PLASMA C-REACTIVE PROTEIN IN PRIMARY HYPERTENSIVES WITH REDUCED GFR.

Purpose Post hoc analysis of a 7-year prospective study to determine predictors of GFR decline in primary hypertension suggested that increased plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) predicted lower survival and showed that CRP increased in those with reduced GFR despite systolic blood pressure (SBP) reduction. The present studies prospectively reduced SBP in primary hypertensives with elevated CRP to test the hypothesis that SBP reduction decreases CRP less effectively in subjects with reduced compared with preserved GFR. Methods To recruit primary hypertensives that might have increased CRP, we identified those with macroalbuminuria [urine albumin (mg)-to-creatinine (g) ratio in a spot am specimen (alb/cr) > 200 mg/g Cr] because they have increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Primary hypertensives with preserved GFR had no clinical evidence of secondary hypertension or CVD and no diabetes and had calculated GFR (Cockcroft-Gault) > 90 mL/min. Primary hypertensives with reduced GFR additionally had no evidence of glomerulonephritis, had never received renal replacement therapy, and had GFR Summary Ten primary hypertensives (age 53.5 6 2.1 yr) with reduced GFR were compared to 8 with preserved GFR (age 54.8 6 1.9), all with macroalbuminuria. GFR was lower in the reduced compared to the preserved group (40.6 6 9 vs 101.4 6 7.5 mL/min p 90 mL/min (6.7 6 0.6 mg/L) was higher than both hypertensive groups (p Conclusions The data show that SBP reduction less effectively reduces elevated CRP in primary hypertensives with reduced compared preserved GFR. The data suggest that in primary hypertension, factors associated with reduced GFR make BP reduction a less effective CVD risk reduction intervention than in those with preserved GFR.
Determination of the Reference Values of Parameters of a Boiler By Combining the BP(back propagation) Neural Network With the Improved Thermodynamic Calculation

Through analyzing the problems of the prevailing method for determining the reference values of operating parameters of a boiler,the authors presented a method for determining the reference values of parameters of a boiler by combining the BP neural network with the improved thermodynamic calculation.During the calculation,the BP neural network model was used to predict the reference value of the carbon content of the flyash and according to the operating load of the boiler,a formulae for calculating the flue gas temperature at the outlet of the furnace was chosen.The method for determining the excess air factor in the"mountain-climbing theory"was used to determine the reference values of the key operating parameters.Finally,with a HG1025/18.2-M boiler serving as an example,the reference values of the operating parameters of the boiler were calculated at 50 % and 70% load,obtaining a conclusion that the excess air ratio at the outlet of the furnace will remarkably increase with a decrease of the boiler load and the carbon content of the flyash and the thermal loss due to the mechanical unburn-out combustion will markedly decrease.It has been proven that the method in question can reflect very well the influence of a change of the boiler load and coal quality characteristic parameters on the reference values of the operating parameters.
Characterization of a New Subset of B Cell Alloantigens

The complexity of the human class II molecules is well established. A minimum of four distinct serologically defined molecular subunits have been identified (DR, BR, DQ, DP). We report here a new serologically defined B cell specificity designated MA4. The absorption data is consistent with the interpretation that the MA4 specificity is located on a molecule or chain distinct from DR, BR, DQ, DP.
Probabilistic study of the requirement and control strategy of battery energy storage systems for reducing wind power curtailment

Application of battery energy storage systems (BESS) could help reducing wind power curtailment. Due to the uncertain nature of wind power as well as conventional generation and loads, it is more reasonable and accurate to determine the quantitative requirement for BESS probabilistically. Moreover, the effectiveness of using BESS to reduce wind power curtailment is affected by their charging and discharging control strategies. In this paper, a method based on sequential Monte Carlo simulation (SMCS) is proposed for probabilistically analyzing the requirement for BESS. Three practical charging and discharging control strategies of BESS are also proposed and compared both qualitatively and quantitatively as for their effectiveness in reducing wind power curtailment. The proposed method and control strategies are tested in a real large power system in northwest China.
617. Histologic Assessment of Geriatric Esophagus Revels Therapeutic Targets in Wild-Type and Dystrophic Mouse Models

Gastroesophageal disorders increase as a process of aging and are exacerbated in degenerative neuromuscular disease such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). DMD affects ≈1/5000 male births and is a catastrophic and ultimately fatal muscle wasting disease resulting from a mutation in the gene encoding the integral muscle protein dystrophin. Advancements in the treatment for DMD patients has increased patient lifespan and underscores a need to assess the impact of the disease in a range of organ systems, including the esophagus, likely to present new therapeutic challenges over time. Severity of esophageal pathology is varied to include reflux disease, achalasia, and megaesophagus. Defined as a pathologic enlargement of the esophagus, megaesophagus can result in a failure to complete peristalsis, impaction, severe weight loss and increased morbidity. Although poorly defined in human DMD patients, megaesophagus has been documented in canine and mouse models of DMD, however, a detailed cellular and mechanistic understanding remains unclear. We have performed a comprehensive morphologic and histologic examination of wild-type (C57/BL6) and dystrophic (mdx4cv) mouse esophagus to determine onset, pathology and changes in cellular composition accompanying megaesophagus onset. Age-associated presentation of megaesophagus was highly penetrant in both mouse models, with a four-fold increase in lumen dilation and coincident rate of impaction seen in aged dystrophic mice. In comparison, skeletal muscle area increased in both models with age, however, wild-type mice presented significantly greater hypertrophy than that observed in dystrophic mice. Interestingly, strain specific differences were not identified in esophagus mucosa strata with both strains presenting significant and similar increases in mucosa area and aging-dependent changes in mucosa composition. Further, a pronounced, aging-specific degradation of smooth musculature was observed in both mouse strains independent of dystrophin expression within wild-type mice. We demonstrate that esophageal smooth muscle is targetable via AAV-mediated gene therapy with future efforts aimed at correcting degeneration present within geriatric wild-type and dystrophic mouse models.
Methodological Issues Relating to Internet-Based Surveys

Internet surveys are widely used in marketing research, and their use continues to grow, partly because they provide a number of technological features that are designed to reduce common sources of respondent error that can impact data quality. This session deals with selected methodological issues concerning Internet surveys.
“This Port Is Killing People”: Sustainability without Justice in the Neo-Keynesian Green City

This article examines how regional policymakers in Southern California deployed a green growth strategy that cemented racial, environmental, and class precariousness into the region's ecological fa...
Principles of Morphological and Biochemical Methods for the Detection of Mycoplasma Contaminants of Cell Cultures

Following the first report of mycoplasmal contamination of cells in culture (1), informed investigators have realized their importance and have instituted routine screening procedures for the detection of mycoplasmas.
The Sun, the Moon and the Calendar

The Venerable Bede (ca. 673–735 A.D.) was a scholar and monk who was born in Northumbria. He was ordained as a priest and then spent the remainder of his days at the monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow studying the Scriptures. His writings include several lives of the saints, an Ecclesiastical History, various liturgical writings, poetry, books on grammar and rhetoric, a book referred to as On the nature of things, and two books on the subject of chronology. The longer of his books on chronology came to be known as De temporum ratione or The Reckoning of Time. It dealt with the topic of computus—the medieval name given to the technique of constructing a Christian calendar from detailed mathematical analysis of lunar and solar cycles and interpretation of Biblical texts. Such analysis relied upon centuries of astronomical observation and was instrumental in the establishment of modern Western Christian calendars.
Laryngeal and Tracheal Clefts

Laryngeal and tracheal clefts are rare congenital anomalies of the larynx and upper aerodigestive tract. The clinical presentation can include a wide spectrum of symptomatology including chronic cough, aspiration pneumonia, and potentially life-threatening respiratory distress. The management of clefts includes a multidisciplinary medical and surgical approach. Diagnostic and treatment modalities have advanced substantially over the last 50 years and continue to evolve today.
HPV: CIB1 is for EVER and EVER

In this issue, de Jong et al. (https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20170308) identify bi-allelic loss-of-expression, loss-of-function mutations of the calcium- and integrin-binding protein 1 (CIB1) gene as a new cause of epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) and demonstrate that the CIB1 interacts with the EVER1 and EVER2 proteins to form a complex involved in keratinocyte-intrinsic immune response to human β-papillomaviruses (β-HPVs).
Analysis of the Effect of Sphingomyelinase on Rubella Virus Infectivity in Two Cell Lines

Rubella is a mildly contagious disease characterized by low-grade fever and a morbilliform rash caused by the rubella virus (RuV). Viruses often use cellular phospholipids for infection. We studied the roles of cellular sphingomyelin in RuV infection. Treatment of cells with sphingomyelinase (SMase) inhibited RuV infection in rabbit kidney-derived RK13 cells and African green monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops) kidney-derived Vero cells. Our data further demonstrated that RuV used cellular sphingomyelin and cholesterol for its binding to cells and membrane fusion at the step of virus entry. Detailed protocols of our assays, which assess the effects of SMase treatment on RuV infectivity in RK13 and Vero cells, are described.
Run-Time Efficiency of Bilinear Model Predictive Control Using Variational Methods, With Applications to Hydronic Cooling

Effective real-time execution of nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) on embedded systems is significantly dependent on the controller formulation. This paper studies the effect of model structure and cost functions on the computation time of scalar bilinear NMPC using variational methods, with hydronic cooling applications. Two algebraically equivalent nonlinear model structures common in literature are primarily considered: a linear state equation with state-dependent control constraints and a bilinear state equation with time-invariant rectangular control constraints. Additionally, the effects of three cost function formulations are also considered: minimum-time, quadratic regulation, and efficient state constraints. High-fidelity computer simulations, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and experiments on a bench-scale hydronic cooling system are used to study sources of computational complexity, rates of convergence, initialization techniques, and overall effectiveness of the different models and costs. These results suggest that NMPC with bilinear state equations, minimizing pump power and a one-sided quadratic state cost, converges sufficiently fast and reliably. This presents an attractive alternative to the traditionally constrained linear quadratic regulator-based NMPC on embedded systems.
Super-mask-based object localization for auto-contouring in head and neck radiation therapy planning

We have presented a variety of methods for object recognition based on the Automatic Anatomy Recognition (AAR) framework at previous SPIE conferences, including AAR recognition via optimal threshold on intensity, AAR recognition via composite information from intensity and texture, and AAR recognition with the optimal hierarchical structure design, and via neural networks to learn object relationships. The purpose of this paper is to introduce new features for the AAR-based recognition procedure and improve the performance of object localization for autocontouring in head and neck (H&N) radiation therapy planning, specifically for some of the most challenging objects. The proposed super-mask technique first registers images used for model building among themselves optimally by using a minimal spanning tree in the complete graph formed with images as nodes to determine the order of registering images. Subsequently, we build a super-mask by combining the similarly registered binary images corresponding to each object by taking (S1) union of all binary images, (S2) intersection among all binary images, or (S3) the votingbased fuzzy mask created by adding the binary images. The super-mask is then used to confine search for optimum localization of the object in the given image. A large-scale H&N computed tomography (CT) data set with 216 subjects and over 2000 3D object samples were utilized in this study. The super-mask-based object localization approach within the AAR framework improved the recognition accuracy by 25-45% compared with the previous AAR strategy, especially for the most challenging H&N objects. On low quality images, the new method achieves recognition accuracy within 2 voxels on 50-60% of the cases.
Tailored nanocomposite energy harvesters with high piezoelectric voltage coefficient through controlled nanowire dispersion

Abstract Composites composed of piezoelectric nanomaterials dispersed in a flexible polymer have emerged as promising materials for highly durable and flexible energy harvesters and sensors. Although piezoelectric materials in their bulk form have a high electromechanical coupling coefficient and can efficiently convert mechanical energy to electrical energy, the ceramic form has low fracture toughness and thus they are limited in certain applications due to difficulty in machining and conforming to curved surfaces. Recently, additive manufacturing processes such as direct write, have been developed to incorporate piezoelectric nanowires into a polymer matrix with controlled alignment to realize printed piezoelectrics. Given the multiphase structure of a nanocomposite, it is possible to control the material structure such that the piezoelectric coupling and dielectric properties can be varied independently. In this paper, experimentally validated finite element (FE) and micromechanics models are developed for calculation and optimization of the piezoelectric voltage coefficient, g31, of a nanocomposite. It is shown that by using high aspect ratio nanowires with controlled alignment, the piezoelectric coupling can be disproportionately increased with respect to the dielectric constant which yields a g31 coefficient that can be enhanced more than seven times compared to the bulk piezoelectric material. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the use of high aspect ratio nanowires in the energy harvester resulted in significant improvement on the output electrical power of an energy harvester.
Understanding the potential environmental benefits of nanosilver enabled consumer products

Abstract Nanoscale silver is widely utilized in consumer products due to its antimicrobial nature. This widespread application has the potential to be both environmentally beneficial and detrimental, depending on how the silver is incorporated and utilized within the products. This work reviews current life cycle assessment literature of nanosilver enabled consumer products, and ultimately divides the products into three categories of potential environmental benefits, including representative products examples. These include “human behavioral benefits”, “passive benefits”, and “replacement benefits”. In the “human behavioral benefits” category, there is an additional environmental impact due to nano-enabling the products, and any reductions in environmental impact will occur as a result of changes in human behavior which is represented by textiles. Products in the “passive benefits” category will not reduce the environmental impact of the product itself, but will have other environmental benefits, such as nanosilver food storage containers reducing food losses and thus the environmental impact of food production. In products where the silver replaces another component, “replacement benefits”, such as nanosilver replacing ointment for bandages, the potential shift in environmental impacts requires comparing the impact of the silver to what it is replacing. Through the creation of different categories of nanosilver enabled products and their potential environmental impacts, guidance is provided as to where potential environmental benefits may occur in the life cycle of these products.
Measurement of Inkjet-Printing Parameters for Accurate Chipless RFID Tag EM Simulation

The use of Chipless RFID tags has been increasing for many applications, especially for structural health monitoring (SHM) applications where they are either affixed or embedded in materials and structures. The practical utility of chipless RFID is dependent upon the ability to manufacture tags in a cost-effective manner. One approach for achieving this is through the use of an inkjet printer and conductive ink. However, in order to harness the benefits of printed tags, it is necessary to know the dielectric properties of the substrates on which the tags are printed, as well as the conductivity of the printed conductors (i.e., ink) so that the tags can be properly simulated using electromagnetic (EM) models. It is also necessary to understand the performance differences that occur when tags are manufactured via inkjet-printing vs. when they are manufactured as printed circuit boards (PCBs). This work presents the dielectric property measurement results for three different paper substrates commonly used in tag printing from X-band (8.2 – 26.5 GHz) to K-band (18 - 26.5 GHz). Additionally, conductivity measurement results for silver nano-particle inkjet-printed conductors are also reported. These dielectric property and conductivity parameters are then used in tag EM simulations, and in the future when they are applied for SHM applications. PCB and printed tags are manufactured and measured to compare their performance both to each other and to simulation results.
Evaluator Agreement in Medical Student Assessment Across a Multi-Campus Medical School During a Standardized Patient Encounter

Class rank and clerkship grades impact a medical student’s residency application. The variability and inter-rater reliability in assessment across multiple clinical sites within a single university system is unknown. We aimed to determine if medical student assessment across medical school campuses is consistent when using a standardized scoring rubric. Attending physicians who participate in assignment of clerkship grades for neurology from three separate clinical campuses of the same medical school observed 10 identical standardized patient encounters completed by third year medical students during the 2017–2018 academic year. Scoring was completed using a standardized rubric. Descriptive analysis and intra-rater comparisons were completed. Evaluations as a part of this study were completed in 2018. Of 50 possible points for the patient encounter, the median score among all medical students and all evaluators was 43 (IQR 40, 45.5). Evaluator number 1 provided a statistically significant lower overall score as compared to evaluators 2 and 3 (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0006, respectively), who were consistently similar in their overall medical student assessment (p = 0.46). Overall agreement between evaluators was good (ICC = 0.805, 95% CI 0.36–0.95) and consistency was excellent (ICC = 0.91, 95% CI 0.75–0.97). Medical student evaluation across multiple clinical campus sites via observation of identical standardized patient encounters and use of a standardized scoring rubric generally demonstrated good inter-rater agreement and consistency, but the small variation seen may affect overall clerkship scores.
Legal and Political Responses to Terrorism: Comparing Democracies and Hybrid Regimes

State responses to terrorism have fostered growing concern that measures taken in the name of security disproportionately compromise rights and freedoms, including through prolonged states of emergency. This chapter explores the legal and political responses of governments in France, Tunisia, Turkey, and Russia, which vary in the extent to which they were democratic or autocratic at the time of the specific terrorist attacks examined. Comparing these democracies and hybrid-turned-authoritarian regimes, the analysis generates two hypotheses: (i) that governments’ responses to terrorist attacks may be similar across regime types in terms of the letter of the laws used to react to these events and (ii) that the ways governments actually deploy the law to respond to terrorism differ by regime type (or certain sub-types), particularly in terms of whether national security responses by the executive branch are more heavily checked by legislative and judicial powers.
Orthogonal Region Selection Network for Laryngeal Closure Detection in Laryngoscopy Videos

Vocal folds (VFs) play a critical role in breathing, swallowing, and speech production. VF dysfunctions caused by various medical conditions can significantly reduce patients’ quality of life and lead to life-threatening conditions such as aspiration pneumonia, caused by food and/or liquid "invasion" into the windpipe. Laryngeal endoscopy is routinely used in clinical practice to inspect the larynx and to assess the VF function. Unfortunately, the resulting videos are only visually inspected, leading to loss of valuable information that can be used for early diagnosis and disease or treatment monitoring. In this paper, we propose a deep learning-based image analysis solution for automated detection of laryngeal adductor reflex (LAR) events in laryngeal endoscopy videos. Laryngeal endoscopy image analysis is a challenging task because of anatomical variations and various imaging problems. Analysis of LAR events is further challenging because of data imbalance since these are rare events. In order to tackle this problem, we propose a deep learning system that consists of a two-stream network with a novel orthogonal region selection subnetwork. To our best knowledge, this is the first deep learning network that learns to directly map its input to a VF open/close state without first segmenting or tracking the VF region, which drastically reduces labor-intensive manual annotation needed for mask or track generation. The proposed two-stream network and the orthogonal region selection subnetwork allow integration of local and global information for improved performance. The experimental results show promising performance for the automated, objective, and quantitative analysis of LAR events from laryngeal endoscopy videos.Clinical relevance— This paper presents an objective, quantitative, and automatic deep learning based system for detection of laryngeal adductor reflex (LAR) events in laryngoscopy videos.
Considerations for Designing EHR-Embedded Clinical Decision Support Systems for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Pediatric Emergency Departments.

Objective This study was aimed to explore the intersection between organizational environment, workflow, and technology in pediatric emergency departments (EDs) and how these factors impact antibiotic prescribing decisions. Methods Semistructured interviews with 17 providers (1 fellow and 16 attending faculty), and observations of 21 providers (1 physician assistant, 5 residents, 3 fellows, and 12 attendings) were conducted at three EDs in the United States. We analyzed interview transcripts and observation notes using thematic analysis. Results Seven themes relating to antibiotic prescribing decisions emerged as follows: (1) professional judgement, (2) cognition as a critical individual resource, (3) decision support as a critical organizational resource, (4) patient management with imperfect information, (5) information-seeking as a primary task, (6) time management, and (7) broad process boundaries of antibiotic prescribing. Discussion The emerging interrelated themes identified in this study can be used as a blueprint to design, implement, and evaluate clinical decision support (CDS) systems that support antibiotic prescribing in EDs. The process boundaries of antibiotic prescribing are broader than the current boundaries covered by existing CDS systems. Incongruities between process boundaries and CDS can under-support clinicians and lead to suboptimal decisions. We identified two incongruities: (1) the lack of acknowledgment that the process boundaries go beyond the physical boundaries of the ED and (2) the lack of integration of information sources (e.g., accessibility to prior cultures on an individual patient outside of the organization). Conclusion Significant opportunities exist to improve appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing by considering process boundaries in the design, implementation, and evaluation of CDS systems.
Does the Global Alignment and Proportion score overestimate mechanical complications after adult spinal deformity correction

OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to validate the Global Alignment and Proportion (GAP) score in a cohort of patients undergoing adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery. The GAP score is a novel measure that uses sagittal parameters relative to each patient's lumbosacral anatomy to predict mechanical complications after ASD surgery. External validation is required. METHODS Adult ASD patients undergoing > 4 levels of posterior fusion with a minimum 2-year follow-up were included. Six-week postoperative standing radiographs were used to calculate the GAP score, classified into a spinopelvic state as proportioned (P), moderately disproportioned (MD), or severely disproportioned (SD). A chi-square analysis, receiver operating characteristic curve, and Cochran-Armitage analysis were performed to assess the relationship between the GAP score and mechanical complications. RESULTS Sixty-seven patients with a mean age of 52.5 years (range 18-75 years) and a mean follow-up of 2.04 years were included. Patients with < 2 years of follow-up were included only if they had an early mechanical complication. Twenty of 67 patients (29.8%) had a mechanical complication. The spinopelvic state breakdown was as follows: P group, 21/67 (31.3%); MD group, 23/67 (34.3%); and SD group, 23/67 (34.3%). Mechanical complication rates were not significantly different among all groups: P group, 19.0%; MD group, 30.3%; and SD group, 39.1% (χ2 = 1.70, p = 0.19). The rates of mechanical complications between the MD and SD groups (30.4% and 39.1%) were less than those observed in the original GAP study (MD group 36.4%-57.1% and SD group 72.7%-100%). Within the P group, the rates in this study were higher than in the original study (19.0% vs 4.0%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The authors found no statistically significant difference in the rate of mechanical complications between the P, MD, and SD groups. The current validation study revealed poor generalizability toward the authors' patient population.
Differences in the Predictive value of Elixhauser Comorbidity Index and the Charlson Comorbidity indices in patients with hand infections.

Abstract Purpose Hand infections are a common source of potentially debilitating morbidity, particularly in patients with comorbid disease. We hypothesize that there is a difference in predictive value between two commonly used comorbidity indices for the prognosis of hand infections, which may have clinical implications in the management of these conditions. Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2001–2013 database was queried for hand infections using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. The Elixhauser (ECI) and Charlson (CCI) comorbidity scores were calculated based on validated sets of ICD-9 codes. Primary outcomes included mortality, prolonged length of stay (LOS, defined as >95 percentile), discharge destination, and postoperative complications. Indices were compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the areas under the curve (AUC). If confidence intervals overlapped, significance was determined using the DeLong method for correlated ROC curves. This is a validated, non-parametric comparison used for the calculation of the difference between two AUCs. Results A weighted total of 1,511,057 patients were included in this study. The majority were Caucasian (57.1%) males (61.4%). Complication rates included 0.9% mortality, 5.3% prolonged length of stay, 25.3% discharges to non-home destinations, and 5.3% post-operative complications. The ECI and CCI each demonstrated good predictive value for mortality, but poor predictive value for non-routine discharge, prolonged LOS, and post-operative complications. There was a significantly increased likelihood of each complication with increasing comorbidity score for both indices, with the greatest odds ratio in the ECI ≥4 cohort. Conclusions The CCI was superior in predicting mortality while the ECI was superior in predicting non-routine discharge, prolonged length of stay, and postoperative complications, but these indices may not be clinically relevant. While both represent good predictive models, a score specifically designed for patients with hand infections may have superior prognostic value. Level of evidence Level IV.
Electrostatically driven synthetic microjet arrays as a propulsion method for micro flight: Part II: microfabrication and initial characterization

A propulsion system based on acoustic streaming generated by Helmholtz resonators is presented. High frequency (>60 kHz) electrostatically driven micromachined Helmholtz resonators constitute the basic unit of the system. Microjets produced at the exit of these resonators can be combined to form a distributed propulsion system. A high yield (>85%) fabrication process is introduced for fabrication of individual as well as arrays of resonators. The fabrication results for ten different designs are presented. About 1000 resonators of similar design cover the surface of a 4-in. wafer, effectively converting it to a distributed propulsion system. A number of characterization methods such as monitoring the harmonics of the drive current, laser interferometry, hot-wire anemometry, acoustic spectrum measurement and video particle imaging are used to determine the structural and fluidic behavior of different resonator designs. Collapse and recovery times of the diaphragm in the electrostatic actuator of the resonator are characterized and reduced to less than 10 μs by optimizing the perforation design. The occurrence of acoustic streaming in the micron-scale is verified via video particle imaging. The jet streams produced with pulse drive at low frequencies (~1 kHz) are spatially profiled and jet velocities exceeding 1 m/s are measured at the exit of the resonators. It has been verified that the resonance frequencies of the device at 50 and 175 kHz can be closely predicted by modeling.
The Association of Self-esteem With Caregiving Demands, Coping, Burden, and Health Among Caregivers of Breast Cancer Patients: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Background We investigated how caregiver self-esteem was associated with caregiving demands, coping, burden, and health. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate how caregiver self-esteem is associated with caregiving demands, coping, burden, and health. Methods Sixty-one caregivers of breast cancer patients were selected from a study conducted at a cancer clinic in the Southeastern region of the United States. Guided by the revised Stress and Coping Theory, a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data was conducted. We used structural equation modeling to analyze paths between caregiver self-esteem and caregiving demands (ie, hours spent on caregiving), coping, burden, and health. Results Caregivers who effectively coped with stressful situations through strategies such as positive thinking, seeking social support, and problem solving were more likely to have higher levels of self-esteem; in turn, higher levels of self-esteem decreased caregiver burden and improved caregiver overall health. Conclusions This study highlights the importance of self-esteem among caregivers of breast cancer patients. Additional research is needed to provide more insight into the influence of coping strategies on caregiver self-esteem, as well as the role of caregiver self-esteem on caregivers' and patients' well-being. Implication for practice Healthcare providers need to consider caregiver self-esteem and other associated caregiver characteristics to identify caregivers at risk of higher perceived levels of burden and poor overall health.
Maqasid-Al-Shari‘Ah vs. Contemporary Islamic Banking and Finance: The Case of Pakistan

One of the cardinal issues in Islamic banking and finance is how to reconcile the objectives of Islamic moral economy and observed current reality? The skeptics argue that Islamic banking and finance is not contributing towards the universal goals of Islamic economic system and the paradigm contains similar moral hazards like conventional banking system. The study documents the underlying flaws and contradictions of the present-day Islamic banking with regard to maqasid-al- shari‘ah. Further, the study also recommends reforms in few key areas of Islamic banking to align the goals of Islamic moral economy and contemporary Islamic banking in Pakistan.
Predicting Neighborhood Change Using Publicly Available Data and Machine Learning

Gentrifying and declining neighborhoods affect nearly all major cities in the United States. Although gentrification tends to increase the economic value of a neighborhood, its subsequent impact on demographics and affordability often draws criticism from the local population. Additionally, decline in living conditions create socioeconomic stress across affected neighborhoods. Current rules-based approaches for identifying these neighborhoods are backwards-looking and do not allow local policymakers to get ahead of neighborhood decline and gentrification to mitigate their effects. This paper proposes a methodology for identifying neighborhood change in near real time by using machine learning. We define four neighborhood change types – gentrifying, declining, inclusively growing, and unchanging – and leverage publicly available US Census American Community Service (ACS) data, Zillow home value and rent data, and US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) data to predict which of these categories a census tract is likely to be a part of in the coming year. We train individual models across eight different metropolitan core based statistical areas (CBSA). The average performance of our models was 74% accuracy and 74% precision, an improvement over the rules-based baseline of 61% accuracy and 61% precision. These results suggest a promising application of the data to enable community intervention to produce more inclusive urban development strategies. The approach outlined in this paper can also be expanded to other metropolitan areas, to determine whether these results hold for those areas. The methodology enables supplementing data from the study with more Metropolitan area focused data, when available, to improve the precision of the models. This can provide reliable results for the policymakers looking to mitigate adverse consequences associated with neighborhood changes.
The Low Resolution Structures of the Cooperative Hemoglobins from the Blood Clam Scapharca Inaequivalvis

The clams of the Arcid family (the blood clams), unlike most molluscs, possess intracellular hemoglobins (1–6). In Scapharca inaequivalvis these hemoglobins are formed from three distinct polypeptide chains, two of which associate to form heterotetramers (A2B2), while a third associates to form homodimers (5). Both dimers and tetramers show cooperative oxygen binding with Hill coefficients of 1.5 and 2.1, respectively (6). Amino acid sequences for dimer chains from this and related clams (7–9) and for tetramer chains from a related clam (10,11) align functionally with sequences from other hemoglobins that possess the myoglobin fold and they show additional residues at the amino termini.
Protein Aggregation in Aging and Age-Related Neurodegenerative Disorders

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a background on the effects of aging on proteolytic pathways and protein aggregation, and to discuss the contribution of altered protease function and protein aggregation to brain function. Studies will focus on the proteasome proteolytic pathway. Lastly, these studies will also discuss the relationship between aging and age-related neurodegenerative disorders
SU-E-J-245: Sensitivity of FDG PET Feature Analysis in Multi-Plane Vs. Single-Plane Extraction

Purpose: Sensitivity of PET-derived texture features to reconstruction methods has been reported for features extracted from axial planes; however, studies often utilize three dimensional techniques. This work aims to quantify the impact of multi-plane (3D) vs. single-plane (2D) feature extraction on radiomics-based analysis, including sensitivity to reconstruction parameters and potential loss of spatial information. Methods: Twenty-three patients with solid tumors underwent [18F]FDG PET/CT scans under identical protocols. PET data were reconstructed using five sets of reconstruction parameters. Tumors were segmented using an automatic, in-house algorithm robust to reconstruction variations. 50 texture features were extracted using two Methods: 2D patches along axial planes and 3D patches. For each method, sensitivity of features to reconstruction parameters was calculated as percent difference relative to the average value across reconstructions. Correlations between feature values were compared when using 2D and 3D extraction. Results: 21/50 features showed significantly different sensitivity to reconstruction parameters when extracted in 2D vs 3D (wilcoxon α 0.8 in 16% and 13% of all feature combinations, respectively. Larger sensitivity to reconstruction parameters were seen for inter-feature correlation in 2D(σ=6%) than 3D (σ<1%) extraction. Conclusion: Sensitivity and correlation of various texture features were shown to significantly differ between 2D and 3D extraction. Additionally, inter-feature correlations were more sensitive to reconstruction variation using single-plane extraction. This work highlights a need for standardized feature extraction/selection techniques in radiomics.
Compliance-Appropriate Spreadsheet Testing

Sarbanes–Oxley compliance requirements have forced firms to look at their use of spreadsheets in financial reporting. They are finding that they have many spreadsheets and that testing and other formal development disciplines are rare. The literature on spreadsheet errors has shown that without strong controls, most spreadsheets will have material errors; this means that firms that use uncontrolled spreadsheets cannot plausibly claim to be in compliance with Sarbanes–Oxley. This paper looks at a promising control discipline for bringing spreadsheets into Sarbanes–Oxley compliance, namely logic inspection testing following the traditional Fagan (1976) methodology created for software testing.
The movement of nutrients across heterogeneous landscapes

Over the past two decades, nutrient budgets have been constructed for a number of specific ecosystems ranging from croplands to forests. However, relatively few studies have focused on the transfers between and among ecosystem types. These transfers and their dynamics depend on properties of the landscape units themselves as well as various mechanisms that influence inter-ecosystem transfers driven by such as atmospheric, hydrological and biological conditions. The movements of nutrients, especially nitrogen, and phosphorous, are subject to several processes such as absorption, adsorption, transformation and immobilization. Thus, the particular pathway of transfer across the landscape and the rates of movement depend on both transfer mechanisms and ecosystem properties. This paper reviews the current understanding of nutrient flows across the landscape, suggests some generalities, and presents recommendations for future research.
Nucleic Acid Programmable Protein Arrays: Versatile Tools for Array‐Based Functional Protein Studies

Protein microarrays offer a global perspective on the function of expressed gene products. However, technical issues related to the stability and dynamic range of microarrays printed with purified protein have hampered their widespread adoption. Taking an alternate approach, the Nucleic Acid Programmable Protein Array (NAPPA) is constructed by spotting protein-encoding plasmid DNA at high density, in addressable fashion, on an array surface. Proteins are subsequently generated in situ just prior to experimentation using cell-free expression systems. As such, the NAPPA platform offers a unique and viable alternative that circumvents many of the inherent limitations of spotted protein arrays, enabling diverse functional protein studies including protein-small molecule, protein-protein, antigen-antibody, and protein-nucleic acid interactions. It further offers a versatile and adaptable platform amenable to a variety of capture modalities and expression systems, and, most importantly, construction of the array is accessible to any lab with an array printer and laser slide scanner. This unit is intended to provide a reference for investigators wishing to generate arrays based on this platform, and details (1) the basic construction of cDNA-based protein microarrays from DNA isolation to printing and development, (2) quality-control efforts taken to ensure the usefulness and integrity of microarray data, and (3) a particular example of the application of self-assembling protein arrays to screen for blood-borne antibody biomarkers.
Traffic management of a satellite communication network using mean field annealing

The performance of non-hierarchical circuit switched networks at moderate load conditions is improved when alternate routes are made available. However, alternate routes introduce instability under heavy and overloaded conditions, and under these load conditions network performance is found to deteriorate. To alleviate this problem, a control mechanism that reserves a traction of the capacity of each link for direct routed calls is used. In this paper, a traffic management scheme is developed to enhance the performance of a mesh-connected, circuit-switched satellite communication network. The network load is measured and the network is continually adapted by reconfiguring the map to suit the current traffic conditions. The reconfiguration of the network is done by properly allocating the capacity of each link and placing an optimal reservation on each link. The optimization is done by using a neural network-based optimization technique called mean field annealing. The simulation results show that this method of traffic management performs better than pure dynamic routing with a fixed configuration. >
Finding Osama Bin Laden: An Application of Biogeographic Theories and Satellite Imagery

One of the most important political questions of our time is: Where is Osama bin Laden? He is alleged to be responsible for inspiring and financing, if not exactly organizing, the September 11, 2001 attacks on the New York Trade Center and the Pentagon that resulted in the deaths of over 3,000 people. We use biogeographic theories associated with the distribution of life and extinction (distance-decay theory, island biogeography theory, and life history characteristics) and remote sensing data (Landsat ETM+, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program-Operational Linescan System, QuickBird) over three spatial scales (global, regional, local) to identify where bin Laden is most probably currently located. There is a 98% probability that he is in Kurram within the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Northwest Pakistan based on distance-decay theory. Island biogeography theory based on “city islands” further predicts that he is in the largest and least isolated city of that area, Parachinar. A systematic search across 1-kilometer grids within Parachinar identified three buildings (N 33.901944° E 70.093746°, N 33.911694° E 70.0959°, N 33.888207° E 70.113308°) that match all six of bin Laden’s life history characteristics (for example, security, privacy, resources, and quality of life needs). We believe that our work involves the first scientific approach to establishing his current location. The methods are repeatable and could easily be updated with new information obtained from the US intelligence community.
Differential staining of bone tissue elements by silver nitrate staining of blocks of decalcified bone

Bone can be differentially stained en bloc by fixing in 10% formalin, decalcifying in dilute nitric acid, and placing in an ammoniacal silver nitrate solution. The block is then infiltrated and embedded in gelatin for serial sectioning while frozen. Structures range from colorless to yellow, through different shades of brown or reddish brown, to black. This range is seen among different osteones, and even within a single osteone. Color changes within the same structure can be observed easily in serial sections. Collagen fibers, Sharpey's fibers, and assorted cell nuclei are also stained, but cement lines are not. Canaliculi usually do not stain, but occasionally stain vividly. Very darkly stained areas show little histological detail. Some of the characteristics of bone stained by this technique suggest that a relationship exists between the extent of mineralization and degree of staining. Similar features of x-ray photomicrographs of undecalcified bone sections support such a relationship.
Recent developments in NAND flash scaling

NAND Flash cell has scaled by ≫l000X in area since its inception over 2 decades ago. There are, however, several scaling challenges that need to be overcome to continue scaling below the 3X node. Many evolutionary and revolutionary approaches, such as high-K inter-poly-dielectric (IPD), engineered tunnel barriers, trap based charge storage devices, as well as 3-D structures are being pursued to overcome these scaling challenges. The paper will discuss some of these challenges and related developments.