cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Towards an ecology of the lung: new conceptual models of pulmonary microbiology and pneumonia pathogenesis

Pneumonia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality for which no new methods of treatment have entered clinical practice since the discovery of antibiotics. Innovations in the techniques of culture-independent microbial identification have shown that the lungs, previously deemed sterile in the absence of infection, contain diverse and dynamic communities of microbes. In this Personal View, we argue that these observations have shown the inadequacy of traditional conceptual models of lung microbiology and the pathogenesis of pneumonia, hampering progress in research and practice. We propose three new conceptual models to replace the traditional models of lung microbiology: an adapted island model of lung biogeography, the effect of environmental gradients on lung microbiota, and pneumonia as an emergent phenomenon propelled by unexplored positive feedback loops. We argue that the ecosystem of lung microbiota has all of the features of a complex adaptive system: diverse entities interacting with each other within a common space, showing interdependent actions and possessing the capacity to adapt to changes in conditions. Complex adaptive systems are fundamentally different in behaviour from the simple, linear systems typified by the traditional model of pneumonia pathogenesis, and need distinct analytical approaches.
In vivo radioligand binding to translocator protein correlates with severity of Alzheimer’s disease

Neuroinflammation is a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, but its role in cognitive impairment and its course of development during the disease are largely unknown. To address these unknowns, we used positron emission tomography with 11C-PBR28 to measure translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO), a putative biomarker for inflammation. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease, patients with mild cognitive impairment and older control subjects were also scanned with 11C-Pittsburgh Compound B to measure amyloid burden. Twenty-nine amyloid-positive patients (19 Alzheimer’s, 10 mild cognitive impairment) and 13 amyloid-negative control subjects were studied. The primary goal of this study was to determine whether TSPO binding is elevated in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and the secondary goal was to determine whether TSPO binding correlates with neuropsychological measures, grey matter volume, 11C-Pittsburgh Compound B binding, or age of onset. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease, but not those with mild cognitive impairment, had greater 11C-PBR28 binding in cortical brain regions than controls. The largest differences were seen in the parietal and temporal cortices, with no difference in subcortical regions or cerebellum. 11C-PBR28 binding inversely correlated with performance on Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination, Clinical Dementia Rating Scale Sum of Boxes, Logical Memory Immediate (Wechsler Memory Scale Third Edition), Trail Making part B and Block Design (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Third Edition) tasks, with the largest correlations observed in the inferior parietal lobule. 11C-PBR28 binding also inversely correlated with grey matter volume. Early-onset (<65 years) patients had greater 11C-PBR28 binding than late-onset patients, and in parietal cortex and striatum 11C-PBR28 binding correlated with lower age of onset. Partial volume corrected and uncorrected results were generally in agreement; however, the correlation between 11C-PBR28 and 11C-Pittsburgh Compound B binding was seen only after partial volume correction. The results suggest that neuroinflammation, indicated by increased 11C-PBR28 binding to TSPO, occurs after conversion of mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease and worsens with disease progression. Greater inflammation may contribute to the precipitous disease course typically seen in early-onset patients. 11C-PBR28 may be useful in longitudinal studies to mark the conversion from mild cognitive impairment or to assess response to experimental treatments of Alzheimer’s disease. * Abbreviations : MCI : mild cognitive impairment PIB : Pittsburgh compound B
Effect of food limitation on food consumption and reproductive allocation by adult milkweed bugs, Oncopeltus fasciatus

Abstract Male/female pairs of adult milkweed bugs, Oncopeltus faciatus were offered reduced food rations (100 mg milkweed seeds/week, 50 mg seeds/week, and 25 mg seeds/week) at 23†C, 14L : 10D photoperiod. The high rate of food consumption normally occurring during the teneral period (first 8 days posteclosion) and subsequent food consumption were reduced on both reduced rations. Initial fresh weight was lost by bugs on both reduced rations and their weekly fresh body weight tended to remain less than bugs on the 100 mg seeds/week ration. Normal onset of egg production (about 3 weeks posteclosion) was delayed 6 weeks and normal length of a female's life (13–14 weeks) was increased 7–8 weeks on the 25 mg seeds/week ration. Rate of egg production exhibited a linear decrease with decrease in food ration on both reduced rations due to an increased interclutch interval, while fresh egg weight, duration of egg stage, number of eggs/clutch and percentage of clutches containing fertile eggs were little affected. Gross egg production efficiency (efficiency of conversion of ingested food into eggs = dry mg egg production × 100/dry mg food ingested) was high on both the 100 and 50 mg seeds/week rations (27.9% and 21.1%, respectively) and low (7.7%) on the 25 mg seeds/week ration. These data are discussed in the context of the reciprocal interaction between nutrient intake and egg production.
Behaviors and Attitudes of Effective Foreign Language Teachers: Results of a Questionnaire Study

Abstract: This article reports on a study of teacher perceptions concerning teaching behaviors and attitudes that contribute to effective foreign language teaching and learning. The data were collected by means of a questionnaire to which 457 postsecondary foreign language teachers of French, German, and Spanish who are members of ACTFL responded. Based on current research on second language acquisition (SLA), various teaching behaviors and attitudes of effective foreign language teachers were identified for inclusion on the questionnaire. The results indicate an emerging professional consensus regarding a number of teacher behaviors and attitudes related to foreign language teaching. The more that is known about teacher beliefs, the more likely the profession will be to create models for foreign language teacher preparation and evaluation that reflect relevant behaviors and attitudes of foreign language teaching.
Switching Behaviors of Graphene-Boron Nitride Nanotube Heterojunctions.

High electron mobility of graphene has enabled their application in high-frequency analogue devices but their gapless nature has hindered their use in digital switches. In contrast, the structural analogous, h-BN sheets and BN nanotubes (BNNTs) are wide band gap insulators. Here we show that the growth of electrically insulating BNNTs on graphene can enable the use of graphene as effective digital switches. These graphene-BNNT heterojunctions were characterized at room temperature by four-probe scanning tunneling microscopy (4-probe STM) under real-time monitoring of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A switching ratio as high as 105 at a turn-on voltage as low as 0.5 V were recorded. Simulation by density functional theory (DFT) suggests that mismatch of the density of states (DOS) is responsible for these novel switching behaviors.
Kernel Methods and Machine Learning: Efficient kernel methods for learning and classification

Introduction Since the invention of integrated circuits in the 1950s, processing gates and memory storages on a chip have grown at an exponential rate. Major breakthroughs in wireless and internet technologies have further promoted novel information technologies (IT). New applications, such as cloud computing and green computing, will undoubtedly have profound impacts on everyone's daily life. Machine learning will play a vital part in modern information technology, especially in the era of big data analysis. For the design of kernel-based machine learning systems, it is important to find suitable kernel functions that lead to an optimal tradeoff between design freedom and computational complexity, which involves very often a choice between the intrinsic-space and empirical-space learning models. A successful deployment of a machine learning system hinges upon a well-coordinated co-design of algorithm and hardware. This chapter addresses practical design issues related to cost-effective learning or low-power prediction that are vital for green IT applications. This chapter addresses the following topics concerning cost-effective system implementations both in the learning phase and in the prediction phase. (i) In the internet-based IT era, a system designer must first decide where to process the bulk of the information: a local/private client (e.g. a mobile device) or a data center (e.g. “the cloud”). Section 13.2 addresses the pros and cons of both options. The choice of strategy depends on a delicate tradeoff between the computation and communication costs, among many other system design factors.[…]
A Resource Based View Of Quality: Managers Role In Developing Quality As A Weapon Of Competitive Advantage

Managers with requisite knowledge and skills can play crucial role in developing quality as resource for competitive advantage. Their skills, experience, and knowledge determine how quality is conceptualized. And once conceptualization is complete, their skills also determine how quality targets are achieved. Again at any point in time the level of excellence in products and processes can only be built upon what has already been achieved. This article ties together these important issues to develop a conceptual model using theories on quality, knowledge and learning.
Investigating the keylogging threat in android — User perspective (Regular research paper)

Keylogging threats have been reasonably studied in computer systems but poorly covered in the domain of mobile operating systems. Android took the lead among the other mobile operating systems in allowing developers to build custom third-party keyboards to replace the stock Android on-screen keyboard. This opened the door for malicious developers to create keyloggers for the purpose of spying and/or phishing for users' sensitive data. A malicious developer may build a keylogger from scratch or utilize an existing keyboard. Furthermore, users may unknowingly install keyloggers from the online app markets or may use a keylogger that a malicious user with physical access has installed on their devices. In this paper, we discuss users' and keyboard developers' roles in increasing/decreasing the chance of successful keylogger attacks. We developed an Android app, KBsChecker, and asked participants to install it on their devices. The app collects data from participants' devices and prompts them to complete a survey. We also asked a number of developers to answer a few questions with regard to their experiences in building third-party keyboards. Our study showed that keylogging threat is of high probability due to the current security configurations and the choices of users and developers. Moreover, the study showed that the risk can be mitigated by educating users and by adopting new development approaches.
Abstract 3801: p53 acetylation by green tea polyphenols leads to upregulation of GSTP1 activity

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Epigenetic modifications including DNA methylation and post-translational changes in histone proteins cause alteration in gene regulation. Expression of glutathione-S-transferase Pi (GSTP1), an enzyme of phase II cellular metabolism involved in detoxification of carcinogens and other cellular functions found to be silenced in 80-90% prostate cancers due to hypermethylation of its promoter. We have recently demonstrated that green tea polyphenols (GTPs) cause re-expression of GSTP1 in human prostate cancer LNCaP cells [Int J Cancer. 2009; PMID: 19856314]. However, the mechanism of GSTP1 re-expression is not fully elucidated. Similar to GSTP1 gene, p53 tumor suppressor is also involved in a number of important cellular events including cell cycle, DNA repair, and apoptosis which is reported to be mutated or has defective signaling in most human cancers including prostate cancer. Human GSTP1 gene has a p53-binding motif located in intron 4 and is highly homologous to consensus p53-binding motifs in other p53-responsive genes having the ability to transcriptionally activate GSTP1. Whether p53 participates in GTP-mediated re-expression of GSTP1 is unknown. In the present study we attempted to elucidate the role of tumor suppressor p53 in GSTP1 re-expression after treatment with GTPs. Human prostate cancer LNCaP cells which possess epigenetic signatures of GSTP1 silencing and functional p53 were treated with physiologically achievable doses of GTPs (5μg/mL) or its major constituent epigallocatechin-3-gallate (20μM) up to 7 days. Exposure of LNCaP cells to green tea polyphenols caused acetylation of p53 at its C-terminal amino acid positions K373 and K382, other than K305, which correlated with increased GSTP1 expression. Discontinuation of treatment with GTPs resulted in the loss of p53 acetylation with progressive decrease in GSTP1 expression in these cells. Furthermore, GSTP1 levels were significantly reduced after GTP treatment in cells with the knockdown of p53 expression achieved using shRNA in lentiviral vector. Taken together, our results demonstrate that expression of GSTP1, in part, could be enhanced through p53 acetylation after treatment with green tea polyphenols and thus protect the cells from undergoing epigenetic alterations which may contribute to prostate tumorigenesis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3801.
Chemoenzymatic synthesis of oligohyaluronan-lipid conjugates.

Herein, we describe an efficient and high-yielding method to synthesize hyaluronan oligosaccharide–lipid conjugates. This strategy is based on first covalently attaching diphytanoyl glycerophosphatidylethanolamine (DiPhPE) to commercially available high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HA), via the carboxylate group of the glucuronic acid using carbodiimide chemistry. The HA-lipid conjugate mixture is then digested with bovine testicular hyaluronidase to yield HA-DiPhPE conjugates that have a narrow distribution of moderately sized HA oligosaccharides. These HA-lipid conjugates can be incorporated into liposomes or micelles to selectively target CD44 that is overexpressed on many cancer or cancer initiating cells.
Introducing DDEC6 atomic population analysis: part 2. Computed results for a wide range of periodic and nonperiodic materials

Net atomic charges (NACs) are widely used throughout the chemical sciences to concisely summarize key information about charge transfer between atoms in materials. The vast majority of NAC definitions proposed to date are unsuitable for describing the wide range of material types encountered across the chemical sciences. In this article, we show the DDEC6 method reproduces important chemical, theoretical, and experimental properties across an extremely broad range of material types including small and large molecules, organometallics, nanoclusters, porous solids, nonporous solids, and solid surfaces. Some important comparisons we make are: (a) correlations between various NAC models and spectroscopically measured core-electron binding energy shifts for Ti-, Fe-, and Mo-containing solids, (b) comparisons between DDEC6 and experimentally extracted NACs for formamide and natrolite, (c) comparisons of accuracy of different NAC methods for reproducing the electrostatic potential surrounding a material across one and multiple system conformations, (d) comparisons between calculated and chemically expected electron transfer trends for atoms in numerous dense solids, solid surfaces, and molecules, (e) an assessment of NAC transferability between three crystal phases of the diisopropylammonium bromide organic ferroelectric, and (f) comparisons between DDEC6 and polarized neutron diffraction atomic spin moments for the Mn12-acetate single-molecule magnet. We find the DDEC6 NACs are ideally suited for constructing flexible force-fields and give reasonable agreement with force-fields commonly used to simulate biomolecules and water. We find the DDEC6 method is more accurate than the DDEC3 method for analyzing a broad range of materials. This broad applicability to periodic and non-periodic materials irrespective of the basis set type makes the DDEC6 method suited for use as a default atomic population analysis method in quantum chemistry programs.
Salmonella Enteritidis: Testicular Abscess in a Newborn

Abstract: Testicular abscess due to Salmonella enteritidis in a 1-month-old newborn is described. Surgical debridement and drainage, combined with antibiotic therapy, were curative and salvaged testicular tissue.
Stable Low‐Bandgap Pb–Sn Binary Perovskites for Tandem Solar Cells

A low-bandgap (1.33 eV) Sn-based MA0.5 FA0.5 Pb0.75 Sn0.25 I3 perovskite is developed via combined compositional, process, and interfacial engineering. It can deliver a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.19%. Finally, a four-terminal all-perovskite tandem solar cell is demonstrated by combining this low-bandgap cell with a semitransparent MAPbI3 cell to achieve a high efficiency of 19.08%.
Influence of the Length of Storage on Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Egg Viability

Aedes aegypti (L.) is one of the most important arboviral vectors worldwide. Vector control is targeted at immature and adult stages; however, eggs are resistant to desiccation and may repopulate treated areas long after treatment ceases. We investigated the effect of age on Ae. aegypti egg hatching rates using newly colonized populations (F2) from an arid region. We found a strongly negative association where older eggs had lower hatch rates. The capacity of eggs to survive for long periods of time has implications on mosquito control. In addition, the accumulation of eggs in containers should be accounted for in abundance modeling efforts where populations may grow rapidly early in the season.
El paisaje en animación suspendida y su valoración como dinamizador del desarrollo rural de la comuna de Maullín, Chile

La percepcion del paisaje por parte de los habitantes es expresion de identidad territorial, saberes comunitarios y la necesidad vital de preservacion relativa a una conciencia de su fragilidad. Al ser un recurso natural con demanda creciente, el estudio de las preferencias territoriales eticas y esteticas, aporta conocimiento fundamental para una gestion ambiental sustentable. Utilizando la perspectiva etnometodologica, esta investigacion analiza las percepciones y la valoracion del paisaje en Maullin, Chile. El principal hallazgo, es el deseo de mantener el paisaje en animacion suspendida, esto significa ralentizar la transformacion del paisaje, y preservar su caracteristica condicion de tranquilidad. La rururbanizacion y la inminente transformacion de estos territorios parece ir en una direccion opuesta y pone la identidad territorial y las aspiraciones de la comunidad en una tension que requiere de una mediacion. En este contexto, la consideracion del enfoque de continuum urbano-rural donde el territorio urbano y rural constituye un solo gran sistema puede ser determinante para dinamizar el desarrollo territorial.
A Comparative Oncogenomic Analysis Identifies Genetic Events Associated with Myeloma Progression and Drug Resistance

Abstract We have successfully generated the first immuno-competent transgenic mouse model of multiple myeloma (MM), Vk*MYC, in which sporadic MYC activation in the germinal center is AID dependent and mediated by the somatic hypermutation process. All of Vk*MYC mice develop monoclonal PC expansion by 50 weeks of age, that is manifested by high levels of serum IgGs and major M-spikes by SPEP. The PCs in Vk*MYC mice are fully differentiated, somatically mutated, have a very low proliferation index and are found exclusively in the BM. Associated with the long lifespan (medium survival = 661d), Vk*MYC mice develop anemia and diffuse bone disease (osteoporosis with low bone mineral density), with sporadic occurrence of lytic bone lesions and hind limb paralysis. The phenotypic fidelity of the Vk*MYC mice translates in a therapeutic fidelity, as Vk*MYC mice show response to known clinically active anti-myeloma drugs (bortezomib, melphalane, dexamethasone), but not to drugs that have shown no clinical activity as single agents (vincristine, hydroxyurea, fludarabine). Furthermore, acquired bortezomib resistance could efficiently be induced in Vk*MYC mice after only four cycles of suboptimal treatment, and studies are in progress to identify genetic events associated with bortezomib resistance. Preliminary aCGH experiments on a high resolution Agilent 244K array, using genomic DNA from six Vk*MYC CD138+ selected PCs, showed that the genomic complexity of Vk*MYC tumors is quite low, with only few unbalanced rearrangements, such as trisomy of chromosome 15 detected in two samples or trisomy 9 present in another tumor. The most common abnormalities found are small focal monoallelic deletions, six of which are present in more than one tumor. A focal homozygous deletion of several exons of a gene was identified in two tumors samples. Remarkably, a comparative analysis of the syntenic chromosomal region in human MM cell lines and primary patient samples identified similar recurrent homozygous deletion in this putative novel tumor suppressor gene. Overall, these data suggest that the genomic complexity in this inbred strain of transgenic mice is significantly less then in patients with MM, simplifying the search for critical loci involved in MM tumorigenesis and drug resistance and further validate the Vk*MYC mice as a particularly faithful model of human MM.
The Adjustment of a Level Net

Two closely related methods of obtaining a “least squares” adjustment of the closing errors in a level net are described in this paper. The first method involves the writing, by inspect...
Quantifying the shade provision of street trees in urban landscape: A case study in Boston, USA, using Google Street View

Abstract Shade provision by street trees during the hot summer months is a primary factor for the thermal comfort of people in urban areas. In this study we present a novel method to estimate the shade provision of street trees in the downtown area of Boston, Massachusetts using a quantification of the sky view factor (SVF) from street-level imagery. The SVF is an indicator to quantify the level of enclosure of street canyons. It has been widely applied and has become a standard metric employed by urban designers because it relates to the amount of direct solar radiation reaching the ground and, thus, holds direct implications on the thermal comfort of citizens. In a novel methodology, Google Street View panoramas were used to represent the street canyon unit and to compute the SVF. Street-level imagery allowed us to consider obstructions along street canyons without relying on simplifications or simulations of the environment. In turn, a building height model was used to calculate the SVF, considering only the obstruction of solar radiation by building blocks. Thus with these two quantifications of the SVF, the difference between the two SVF estimations were treated as an estimate of the shading effect of street trees. In the case of Boston, the results showed that the street trees decrease the SVF by 18.52% in the downtown areas. This study can provide an important reference for future urban greening projects for urban climate moderation.
Use of Prophylactic Antibiotics in Labor and Delivery

Bacterial infections are a common complication in obstetrics. Some infections may be life-threatening to the mother or the fetus or both. Prophylaxis, in some instances, may help prevent these infections [1].
Geometrical Relationships and Charge Linkage Between Encapsulated Molecules and Host Aluminophosphate-Based Frameworks

Aluminophosphate and aluminophosphate-based materials have been synthesized by adding organic amines and organic ammonium ions to synthesis gels. The encapsulated molecules may be uncharged, as for tetrapropylammonium hydroxide inside the neutral framework of AlPO-5, or charged. In AlPO-17, each piperidinium ion is compensated by an hydroxyl ion which bridges between a pair of Al atoms of a cancrinite cage. In aluminophosphates with substitution of divalent metal for trivalent Al (MnAPO-11; MAPO-43), each Mn or Mg atom is charge-coupled to an encapsulated organic species (di-iso-propylammonium or di-n-propylammonium ion) via hydrogen bonding between NH2+ and framework oxygens. The channels and cages of all the frameworks are approximately filled by the organic species with the C atoms and neutral N atoms at van der Waals bonding distances to framework oxygens, and N ions at shorter distances near 2.8 A corresponding to weak hydrogen bonding. For uncharged frameworks and uncharged encapsulated molecules there is considerable freedom for the packing, resulting in the synthesis of some microporous aluminophosphates from many different organic species. Disorder allows a low-symmetry molecule to occupy a channel or cage of higher symmetry. For charged components, the geometrical relationships are more specific because of the hydrogen bonding but symmetry-related disorder also occurs. These structural relations result from the synthesis conditions designed by E.M. Flanigen, S.T. Wilson and coworkers. Comparison is made with encapsulation in zeolites and clathrasils.
Neighbourhoods, local networks and the non-linear path of the expiration and preservation of federal rental subsidies:

With the increased demand for urban living by high-income households, sponsors of subsidised affordable housing face significant pressure and incentive to opt out of their subsidies and sell or red...
Coordination of W(CO)5 to DNA and RNA nucleobases: development of a possible heavy-metal labeling complex

Photolysis of W(CO)6 in acetone solvent in the presence of DNA/RNA nucleobases attached to their ribose sugars has revealed attachment of the W(CO)5 moiety at N-7, N-1 and N-3 for both guanosine (G) and adenosine (A). Cytidine (C) coordinates only at N-3. Thymidine (T) and uridine (U) do not coordinate via a pyrimidine site, but engage in attack at the C3′ ribose position to form a carbene. The isomer distribution of W(CO)5 to G and A follows a pattern recently discovered for RuII of [Ru(hedta)]− in that the softer metal centers (compared to PtII agents) favor binding at N-3 over N-7 in a ratio close to 70:30 for RuII on G, matched by a 72:28 ratio for W(CO)5 with G and 78:22 with A where the ratio represents N-3 plus N-1 coordination : N-7 coordination for the W(CO)5 series. The results indicate the possibility of developing a water-soluble L′W(CO)4 heavy atom attachment for X-ray structural uses or as a metallo-drug wherein L′ serves as a solubilizing, trans directing agent in the photolysis of W(CO)5L′.
Sepsis 2018: Definitions and Guideline Changes

Abstract Background: Sepsis is a global healthcare issue and continues to be the leading cause of death from infection. Early recognition and diagnosis of sepsis is required to prevent the transiti...
The Last Progressive: Justice Breyer, Heller, and 'Judicial Judgment'

This paper considers Justice Breyer's dissent in District of Columbia v. Heller - in which the Court established an individual right to bear arms - as a species of progressive jurisprudence. By progressive, I do not mean a political program but rather an approach to how the Supreme Court views its role and its work. Progressive jurisprudence was developed in the shadow of the relative formalism of the classical jurists and forged in the pragmatic philosophical tradition at the turn-of-the-century. Progressive judges eschewed absolutist constitutional claims; their decisions were fact-based, attentive to changing social conditions, and deferential to legislatures. That progressive attitude has been in decline for some time, for it comes from a conception of the judge that is at odds with two twentieth century jurisprudential trends. The first trend is the idea that rights should be understood as trumps, defined in opposition to the public interest. The second trend is a pervasive skepticism that legislatures or courts do or can ascertain and implement the public interest in the first place. This skepticism has generated repeated efforts to cabin judicial discretion out of a concern that judges are simply engaged in politics by another name. Justice Scalia - the author of the majority opinion in Heller - is deeply skeptical of legislative or judicial attempts to arrive at an honest assessment of the public good. Justice Breyer is less so; the "problem" of judicial power that Scalia's originalism attempts to solve is simply less of a concern for him.
Tribological Characterization of Carbide-Derived Carbon (CDC) Films in Dry and Humid Environments

The problem of good wear resistance coupled with low friction coefficient has been studied extensively. Carbide-derived carbon (CDC) films have been demonstrated to show excellent friction and wear properties in air. in the present work, we examine the effect of humidity on the tribological behavior of CDC films prepared under various experimental conditions. We produced the films by high temperature chlorination of sintered silicon carbide, characterized them by Raman microspectroscopy and nanoindentation, and carried out pin-ondisk tribological tests in air and dry nitrogen (0% humidity) using silicon nitride counterbodies. Our results indicate that CDC, unlike graphite or glassy carbon, does not fail in dry environments. Moreover, it performs better in dry nitrogen than in humid laboratory air. The CDC coating on SiC can work for hours in dry nitrogen showing the friction coefficient of less than 0.05. Chlorination conditions and the surface condition of the test piece are other important parameters in tribological performance. These coatings may be used in dynamic seals and other tribological applications.
Sensory Integrative Training for Blind Adults

Sensory integrative training of two blind women over a period 45 minutes a day, four days a week, for five months, is described. Observational changes noted were increased orientation abilities, im...
Membrane stabilization and desiccation tolerance during seed corn (Zea mays L.) drying

34 INTRODUCTION 36 MATERIALS AND METHODS 38 Plant material 38 Preconditioning of corn seed 38 ili Preparation of membrane fraction 38 Phospholipid analysis 39 Measurement of thermal properties of membrane lipids 39 RESULTS 41 DISCUSSION 48 PART III. ABA LEVELS AND DESICCATION INDUCED PROTEINS AS RELATED TO THE INDUCTION OF DESICCATION TOLERANCE 55 ABSTRACT 56 INTRODUCTION 57 MATERIALS AND METHODS 60 Plant material 60 Induction of high-temperature desiccation tolerance 60 Determination of seed germinability 60 ABA determination 60 Protein extraction and SDS-PAGE 61 RESULTS 63 DISCUSSION 68 GENERAL SUMMARY 72 LITERATURE CITED 75 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 87 APPENDIX 88
Prolactin and its Neuroendocrine Control

Prolactin (PRL) is a multifunctional hormone that is produced by pituitary lactotrophs and affects reproductive, metabolic, and behavioral functions. PRL binds to a single-span membrane receptor and exerts its action via several interacting signaling pathways. Pituitary PRL synthesis and release are tonically inhibited by hypothalamic dopamine and stimulated by several neuropeptides and neurotransmitters. In addition, peptides and growth factors produced within the pituitary gland as well as gonadal steroids participate in the regulation of PRL release and lactotroph function. Consequently, the overall secretory activity of the lactotrophs reflects a balance between distant and local releasing and inhibiting factors.
Application of random process statistics to the rate sensitivity of plane-strain fracture toughness

Correlation functions of random process theory are used to intercompare available fracture toughness (K Ic) vs loading rate $$(\dot K)$$ data of three different mild steels. The analyses confirm that large fluctuations in fracture strength are dependent in an extremely sensitive yet statistically reproducible way upon $$\dot K$$ , and apparently insensitive to temperature and neutron irradiation. The emergence of a common pattern of rate sensitivityK Ic $$K_{Ic} (\dot K)$$ in these ferritic steels provides a discriminating index of strain rate in the initiation stages of the crack growth process, helpful in aligning fracture models.
Assessment of Artificial Photosynthetic Systems for Integrated Carbon Capture and Conversion

Sustainable and continuous operation of an artificial photosynthetic (AP) system requires a constant supply of CO2 captured from the dilute sources such as the flue gas and the air to make fuels and chemicals. Although the architecture of AP systems resembles that of the natural leaves, they lack an important component like stomata to capture CO2 directly from the dilute sources. Here we design and evaluate the solar-to-fuel (STF) efficiency of the integrated AP system that captures CO2 directly from the air/flue gas and converts it to fuels using sunlight. The thermodynamic limit to the STF efficiency of such integrated AP system range from 34% to 40% for various products such as CO, HCOOH, CH4, CH3OH, C2H4, and C2H5OH using ideal multijunction light absorbers and reversible carbon capture. The performance limits of real, integrated AP systems are obtained here for two different integration schemes such as integrated cascade systems and fully integrated systems that use technology-ready materials and com...
Classifying Depression in Imbalanced Datasets Using an Autoencoder- Based Anomaly Detection Approach

Depression is the most prevalent mental health ailment in the United States, affecting 15% of the population. Untreated depression can significantly decrease quality of life, physical health, and has significant economic and societal costs. The traditional method of diagnosing depression requires the patient to respond to medical questionnaires and is subjective. Passive methods to autonomously detect depression are desirable. Prior work on smartphone sensing of depression has utilized machine learning classification of smartphone sensor data. However, as with many ailments, the percentage of afflicted users in most populations is small compared with those unaffected, leading to severe class imbalance. In this work, we explore anomaly detection methods as a method for mitigating class imbalance for depression detection. Our approach adopts a multi-stage machine learning pipeline. First, using autoen-coders, we project the mobility features of the majority class (undepressed users). Thereafter, the trained autoencoder then classifies a test set of users as either depressed (anomalous) or not depressed (inliers) using a One Class SVM algorithm. Our method, when applied to the real-world StudentLife data set shows that even with an extremely imbalanced dataset, our method is able to detect individuals with depression symptoms with an AUC-ROC of 0.92, significantly outperforming traditional machine learning classification approaches.
FPGA-based Computing in the Era of AI and Big Data

The continued rapid growth of data, along with advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to extract knowledge from such data, is reshaping the computing ecosystem landscape. With AI becoming an essential part of almost every end-user application, our current computing platforms are facing several challenges. The data-intensive nature of current AI models requires minimizing data movement. Furthermore, interactive intelligent datacenter-scale services require scalable and real-time solutions to provide a compelling user experience. Finally, algorithmic innovations in AI demand a flexible and programmable computing platform that can keep up with this rapidly changing field. We believe that these trends and their accompanying challenges present tremendous opportunities for FPGAs. FPGAs are a natural substrate to provide a programmable, near-data, real-time, and scalable platform for AI analytics. FPGAs are already embedded in several places where data flows throughout the computing ecosystem (e.g., "smart" network/storage, near image/audio sensors). Intel FPGAs are System-in-Package (SiP), scalable with 2.5D chiplets. They are also scalable at datacenter-scale as reconfigurable cloud, enabling real-time AI services. Using overlays, FPGAs can be programmed through software without needing long-running RTL synthesis. With further innovations, and leveraging their existing strengths, FPGAs can leap forward to realize their true potentials in AI analytics. In this talk, we first discuss the current trends in AI and big data. We then present trends in FPGA and opportunities for FPGAs in the era of AI and big data. Finally, we highlight selected research efforts to seize some of these opportunities: (1) 2.5D SiP integration of FPGA and AI chiplets to improve the performance and efficiency of AI workloads, and (2) AI overlay for FPGA to facilitate software-level programmability and compilation-speed.
Decreasing Radiograph Errors in Pediatric Sports Medicine Clinic.

Background Radiographs are frequently ordered for general musculoskeletal complaints in the outpatient setting. However, incorrect laterality, incorrect location, or unnecessary radiographs have been reported as errors in our clinics. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to reduce incorrect duplicate radiographs in outpatient pediatric sports medicine clinic. The overall global goal was to stop unnecessary radiation exposure in our pediatric patients. Methods Using QI methodology, we evaluated the current clinic flow, the process of ordering radiographs, and the completion of radiographs at the main sports medicine outpatient clinic. Staff communication, staff education, and patient participation were identified as the prominent gaps in our clinic process. We implemented interventions using progressive biweekly Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to promote change and to reduce our radiographic errors. Results Retrospective baseline data demonstrated baseline errors of 9% (10/106) in the main outpatient clinic. After 6 months of PDSA cycles, we found no duplicate errors. Highly successful interventions included radiograph screening survey for families, staff education, and improved staff communication. The project was expanded to a second outpatient clinic with baseline errors of 6% (4/64). After 2 months of PDSA cycles, no duplicate errors were found. Conclusion Our goal was to reduce incorrect duplicate radiographs in outpatient sports medicine clinic and limit unnecessary radiation exposure in our pediatric patients. A reduction in duplicate errors at 2 clinics occurred using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement model to facilitate change. Effective communication between physicians, clinical athletic trainers, radiology technologists, patients, and families drove the success of this quality improvement initiative.
Framework to Estimate Total Particulate Mass and Nicotine Delivered to E-cig Users from Natural Environment Monitoring Data.

A framework describing the joint effect of user topography behavior and product characteristics of one exemplar device on the total particulate mass (TPM) and aerosol constituent yield delivered to a user is presented and validated against seven user-specific ‘playback’ emissions observations. A pen-style e-cig was used to collect emissions across puff flow rates and durations spanning the range observed in the natural environment. Emissions were analyzed with GC-MS and used to construct empirical correlations for TPM concentration and nicotine mass ratio. TPM concentration was demonstrated to depend upon both puff flow rate and duration, while nicotine mass ratio was not observed to be flow-dependent under the conditions presented. The empirical model for TPM and nicotine yield demonstrated agreement with experimental observations, with Pearson correlation coefficients of r = 0.79 and r = 0.86 respectively. The mass of TPM and nicotine delivered to the mouth of an e-cig user are dependent upon the puffing behavior of the user. Product-specific empirical models of emissions may be used in conjunction with participant-specific topography observations to accurately quantify the mass of TPM and nicotine delivered to a user.
Hospitality Education: Prevalent Perceptions

The composition of hospitality curricula has been debated by educators, alumni, and industry professionals for the last 30 years. Some higher education programs have emphasized the teaching of professional courses, while others have focused primarily on management. This study recalls highlights of curriculum research conducted since the late 1970s and provides current perceptions of alumni, lodging, and restaurant professionals on core, support, and advisor-approved electives.
A novel transplantable model of lung cancer associated tissue loss and disrupted muscle regeneration

Background: Cancer-associated muscle wasting (CAW), a symptom of cancer cachexia, is associated with approximately 20% of lung cancer deaths, and remains poorly characterized on a mechanistic level. Current animal models for lung cancer-associated cachexia are limited in that they: 1) primarily employ flank transplantation methods, 2) have short survival times not reflective of the patient condition, and 3) are typically performed in young mice not representative of mean patient age. This study investigates a new model for lung cancer associated cachexia that can address these issues and also implicates muscle regeneration as a contributor to CAW. Methods: We used tail vein injection as a method to introduce tumor cells that seed primarily in the lungs of mice. Body composition of tumor bearing mice was longitudinally tracked using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These data were combined with histological and molecular assessments of skeletal muscle to provide a complete analysis of muscle wasting. Results: In this new lung CAW model we observed 1) progressive loss in whole body weight, 2) progressive loss of lean and fat mass, 3) a circulating cytokine/inflammatory profile similar to that seen in other models of CAW, 4) histological changes associated with muscle wasting, and 5) molecular changes in muscle that implicate suppression of muscle repair/regeneration. Finally, we show that survival can be extended without lessening CAW by titrating injected cell number. Conclusions: Overall, this study describes a new model of CAW that could be useful for further studies of lung cancer-associated wasting and accompanying changes in the regenerative capacity of muscle. Additionally, this model addresses many recent concerns with existing models such as immunocompetence, location of tumor, and survival time.
Humeral version and neck-shaft angle correlated with demographic parameters in a study of 1104 cadaveric humeri.

Background Baseline anatomic data of the humerus are limited by difficulties in quantifying humeral version and the neck-shaft angle (NSA). This study used a 3-dimensional digitizer to quantify normative values for these variables and to identify possible correlations with demographic categories of age, sex, race, and lateralization. Methods Measurements from 1104 cadaveric humeri were collected with a MicroScribe G2 digitizer, which produced 3-dimensional positional data of the proximal and distal humeral articular surfaces, as well as the humeral shaft. Version was measured based on the angle between the proximal and distal articular surfaces in the axial plane. The NSA was measured based on the angle between the proximal articular surface and the proximal humeral shaft in the oblique coronal plane. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze relationships between age, sex, race, and lateralization vs. version and the NSA. Results The average age was 56.0 ± 10.5 years. Of the specimens, 738 were from white cadavers and 366 were from black cadavers, and 948 were from men and 156 were from women. Average humeral retroversion was 25° ± 7°. White race and left humeri correlated with increased retroversion. The average NSA was 137° ± 6°. White race correlated with an increased NSA. Conclusions This study provides measurements of humeral retroversion and the NSA in a large data set, providing key normative values. The data suggest that version and the NSA are independent of age and sex. Significant differences exist for retroversion vs. race and laterality, as well as for the NSA vs. race. These demographic guidelines can guide future research and individualize care for patients.
Store Per: Norwegian-American "Paul Bunyan" of the Prairie

Review of: "Store Per: Norwegian-American "Paul Bunyan" of the Prairie," by Peter Tjernagel Harstad.
Caregivers' impression of epilepsy surgery in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex.

Abstract Epilepsy surgery is successful in the majority of patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), with high rates of postoperative seizure reduction and even seizure freedom. Epilepsy surgery is recommended after failing two appropriate antiseizure medication trials; however, this is rare in clinical practice. We hypothesized that following surgery, caregivers' perspectives on the path they took to epilepsy surgery would inform changes in clinical practice and future research to increase utilization and early use of surgery. A questionnaire was developed to explore caregivers' perspectives on their child's path to epilepsy surgery. All 46 caregivers that filled out the majority of the survey were glad that their child underwent epilepsy surgery. Fourteen of 34 caregivers that commented on surgery timing wished their child had undergone epilepsy surgery earlier. Epilepsy with a duration of 23.5 months [interquartile range (IQR), 11.1 to 32.2 months, N = 14] prior to surgery was associated with caregiver dissatisfaction and was twice as long compared with caregivers who were satisfied with the timing of surgery (10 months, IQR, 7 to 17.3 months, p = 0.03). Caregivers were willing to accept a lower likelihood of seizure freedom and improvement than what they felt was likely from the preoperative discussions with their physicians. Forty caregivers rated various neurology physician factors as very important in their decision to undergo surgery: neurologist's attitude toward epilepsy surgery, experience with epilepsy surgery, and discussions around the risks of having and not having epilepsy surgery. Optimizing the caregiver–physician relationship can help facilitate early surgery referral and caregiver perception of surgery, potentially preventing delays to surgery and improved caregiver satisfaction.
On-site identification of ozone damage in fruiting plants using vapor-deposited conducting polymer tattoos

Climate change is leading to increased concentrations of ground-level ozone in farms and orchards. Persistent ozone exposure causes irreversible oxidative damage to plants and reduces crop yield, threatening food supply chains. Here, we show that vapor-deposited conducting polymer tattoos on plant leaves can be used to perform on-site impedance analysis, which accurately reveals ozone damage, even at low exposure levels. Oxidative damage produces a unique change in the high-frequency (>104 Hz) impedance and phase signals of leaves, which is not replicated by other abiotic stressors, such as drought. The polymer tattoos are resilient against ozone-induced chemical degradation and persist on the leaves of fruiting plants, thus allowing for frequent and long-term monitoring of cellular ozone damage in economically important crops, such as grapes and apples.