cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Information capacity of pulse-based Wireless Nanosensor Networks

Nanotechnology is enabling the development of sensing devices just a few hundreds of nanometers in size, which are able to measure new types of events in the nanoscale by exploiting the properties of novel nanomaterials. Wireless communication among these nanosensors will boost the range of applications of nanotechnology in the biomedical, environmental and military fields, amongst others. Within the different alternatives for communication in the nanoscale, recent advancements in nanomaterials point to the Terahertz band (0.1–10.0 THz) as the frequency range of operation of future electronic nano-devices. This still unlicensed band can theoretically support very large transmission bit-rates in the short range, i.e., for distances below one meter. More importantly, the Terahertz band also enables very simple communication mechanisms suited to the very limited capabilities of nanosensors. In this paper, a new communication paradigm called TS-OOK (Time Spread On-Off Keying) for Electromagnetic Wireless Nanosensor Networks (WNSNs) is presented. This new technique is based on the transmission of femtosecond-long pulses by following an on-off keying modulation spread in time. The performance of this scheme is assessed in terms of information capacity for the single-user case as well as aggregated network capacity for the multiuser case. The results show that by exploiting the peculiarities of the Terahertz band, this scheme provides a very simple but robust communication technique for WNSNs. Moreover, it is shown that, due to the peculiar behavior of the noise in the Terahertz band, the single-user capacity and the aggregated network capacity can exceed those of the AWGN channel classical wireless networks, when the appropriate channel codes are used.
Comparative Neurochemical Effects of Repeated Methyl Parathion or Chlorpyrifos Exposures in Neonatal and Adult Rats

Several studies have reported higher sensitivity based on lethality in young animals compared to adults following acute exposure to organophosphorus insecticides (OPs). We propose that age-related differences in sensitivity to OPs may differ qualitatively and quantitatively with different OPs and varying exposure conditions (e. g., high vs. low dose, acute vs. repeated). To test this hypothesis, we treated neonatal (7 days of age) and adult (90 days of age) rats with either methyl parathion (MPS) or chlorpyrifos (CPF) daily for 14 days and measured neurochemical endpoints {cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition, total muscarinic receptor ([(3)H]quinuclidinyl benzilate, QNB) and muscarinic M2 subtype-preferential ([(3)H]AF-DX 384) binding} in frontal cortex and striatum at timepoints both during (1 day after the 7(th) and 14(th) dose) and after (8 days after the 14(th) dose) exposures. Repeated CPF exposures were associated with relatively similar degrees of ChE inhibition between the age groups during dosing but more extensive inhibition was noted in adults after termination of exposures. Relatively similar changes in muscarinic receptor binding were also noted between age groups following CPF exposures. Moreover, the degree of muscarinic receptor binding reduction relative to ChE inhibition appeared similar in both age groups following CPF exposures. In contrast, ChE activity and muscarinic receptor binding were generally more reduced in neonatal relative to adult brain regions following repeated MPS exposures. Furthermore, the relationship between the degree of ChE inhibition and the reduction in cortical muscarinic receptor binding appeared different between the age groups, i.e., more extensive reduction was noted in neonates compared to adults with a given level of ChE inhibition. We conclude that OP-selective differences in in vivo ChE sensitivity, differential rates of enzyme recovery following inhibition, and age-dependent differences in muscarinic receptor adaptations can all influence the nature of age-related susceptibility to OPs.
Can cultural capital theory be reconsidered in the light of world polity institutionalism? Evidence from Spain

Abstract According to world polity institutionalism, an emerging world culture, centered on the value of the individual as a “citizen of the world” has taken hold in most advanced industrial polities. To date, there has been no systematic study of the relationship between broader forms of subjective citizenship such as those of interest to institutional theorists, and the patterns of cultural taste and consumption of concern to sociologists of culture. In order to fill this gap, I analyze the relationship between three different forms of subjective citizenship, national (Spain), international (European community) and postnational (world community), and the propensity to display omnivorous patterns of cultural choice and to draw symbolic boundaries through the expression of cultural dislikes. If both world citizenship and the turn toward inclusive forms of cultural taste and consumption emanate from the same global cultural logic, there should be a positive relationship between patterns of geographic identification most closely connected to the world polity and cultural omnivorousness, and a negative association between world polity identification and taste exclusiveness. Regression results support this view: in relation to subnational forms of subjective citizenship, only postnational identification is positively related to both broad consumption and less exclusive taste.
Bacterial Growth and Cell Division: a Mycobacterial Perspective

The genus Mycobacterium is best known for its two major pathogenic species, M. tuberculosis and M. leprae, the causative agents of two of the world's oldest diseases, tuberculosis and leprosy, respectively. M. tuberculosis kills approximately two million people each year and is thought to latently infect one-third of the world's population. One of the most remarkable features of the nonsporulating M. tuberculosis is its ability to remain dormant within an individual for decades before reactivating into active tuberculosis. Thus, control of cell division is a critical part of the disease. The mycobacterial cell wall has unique characteristics and is impermeable to a number of compounds, a feature in part responsible for inherent resistance to numerous drugs. The complexity of the cell wall represents a challenge to the organism, requiring specialized mechanisms to allow cell division to occur. Besides these mycobacterial specializations, all bacteria face some common challenges when they divide. First, they must maintain their normal architecture during and after cell division. In the case of mycobacteria, that means synthesizing the many layers of complex cell wall and maintaining their rod shape. Second, they need to coordinate synthesis and breakdown of cell wall components to maintain integrity throughout division. Finally, they need to regulate cell division in response to environmental stimuli. Here we discuss these challenges and the mechanisms that mycobacteria employ to meet them. Because these organisms are difficult to study, in many cases we extrapolate from information known for gram-negative bacteria or more closely related GC-rich gram-positive organisms.
Phagocytosis of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, by cells from the ticks, Ixodes scapularis and Dermacentor andersoni, infected with an endosymbiont, Rickettsia peacockii

Tick cell lines were used to model the effects of endosymbiont infection on phagocytic immune responses. The lines tested for their ability to phagocytose the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae), were ISE6 and IDE12 from the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae) and DAE15 from the Rocky Mountain wood tick, Dermacentor andersoni Stiles. Rickettsia peacockii (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae), an endosymbiont of D. andersoni, was used as a representative tick endosymbiont. 70–80% of uninfected or R. peacocciz-infected IDE12 and DAE15 cells phagocytosed heat-killed borreliae and 80–90% of IDE12 and DAE15 cells phagocytosed viable spirochetes. ISE6 cells were permissive of spirochetes; less than 1% of these cells phagocytosed borreliae, and spirochetes remained adherent to the cells seven days after inoculation. Cytochalasin B blocked phagocytosis of killed and viable borreliae by IDE12 cells, and prevented phagocytosis of killed spirochetes by DAE15 cells, whereas viable spirochetes successfully invaded cytochalasin-treated DAE15. IDE12 and DAE15 cells degraded borreliae within phagolysosome-like compartments. Time-lapse microscopy showed that DAE15 cells phagocytosed borreliae more rapidly than IDE12 cells. IDE12 and DAE15 cells eliminated most adherent spirochetes within 7 days of inoculation. Thus, endosymbiont infection does not significantly interfere with the phagocytic activity of immunocompetent tick cells.
A novel metal-insulator-metal structure for field-programmable devices

A metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor structure has been developed for use in field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) as a voltage-programmable link (VPL). The structure relies on a combination of a refractory metal and aluminum as the lower electrode, and either a similar combination or aluminum alone as the top electrode. The insulator is prepared by means of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). It comprises a sandwich of nearly stoichiometric silicon dioxide interposed between two like layers of silicon-rich silicon nitride. The structure has displayed characteristics desirable for use in emerging FPGA technology, including high density, low on-resistance, reduced capacitance, and low programming voltage. >
Immunomodulatory Role of Mycobacterial PE/PPE Family of Pr oteins

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) is an adept pathogen possessing unique strategies to exploit and corrupt the very core defense systems designed to curb its own survival and multiplication. Comparative analysis of mycobacterial genomes indicate that the pathogenic mycobacterium have acquired a multitude of genes which play important roles in modulating protective host-cell signaling that are triggered in response to an infection. Therefore, defining the “set of genes” expressed by intracellular pathogens as well as understanding modulations of host-signaling pathways during infection is extremely crucial to devise successful clinical intervention against the development of disease. The unique PE/PPE proteins, which constitute about 10% of coding capacity of M.tb genome, owing to their high abundance and expansion in pathogenic mycobacterial species warrants a better understanding of their role in mycobacterial pathogenesis. The PE/PPE families have been thought to play important roles in generating antigenic variation and immune evasion. Although a comprehensive understanding of their role is yet to be fully understood, emer ging evidence supports a role of PE/PPE proteins at multiple levels of infectious process. This review delineates the importance of these proteins in the modulation of macrophage immune effector responses, as well as importance of these proteins in clinical manifestations of TB.
Multi-Stage Dantzig Selector

We consider the following sparse signal recovery (or feature selection) problem: given a design matrix X ∈ ℝn x m (m ≫ n) and a noisy observation vector y ∈ ℝn satisfying y = X β* + e where e is the noise vector following a Gaussian distribution N(0, σ2I), how to recover the signal (or parameter vector) β* when the signal is sparse? The Dantzig selector has been proposed for sparse signal recovery with strong theoretical guarantees. In this paper, we propose a multi-stage Dantzig selector method, which iteratively refines the target signal β*. We show that if X obeys a certain condition, then with a large probability the difference between the solution ^β estimated by the proposed method and the true solution β* measured in terms of the lp norm (p ≥ 1) is bounded as ‖^β - β ‖p ≤ (C(s - N)1/p √log m + Δ) σ, where C is a constant, s is the number of nonzero entries in β*, A is independent of m and is much smaller than the first term, and N is the number of entries of β* larger than a certain value in the order of O(σ/√log m). The proposed method improves the estimation bound of the standard Dantzig selector approximately from Cs1/p √log mσ to C(s - N)1/p√log mσ where the value N depends on the number of large entries in β*. When N = s, the proposed algorithm achieves the oracle solution with a high probability. In addition, with a large probability, the proposed method can select the same number of correct features under a milder condition than the Dantzig selector.
Moment-Implied Densities: Properties and Applications

Suppose one uses a parametric density function based on the first four (conditional) moments to model risk. There are quite a few densities to choose from and depending on which is selected, one implicitly assumes very different tail behavior and very different feasible skewness/kurtosis combinations. Surprisingly, there is no systematic analysis of the tradeoff one faces. It is the purpose of the article to address this. We focus on the tail behavior and the range of skewness and kurtosis as these are key for common applications such as risk management.
Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein Accelerates and Augments Escherichia coli Phagocytosis by Alveolar Macrophages

Abstract Background. The first step in bacterial clearance by leukocytes is attachment and phagocytosis. Although lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) is best known for potentiating LPS-induced cytokine production through a CD14-dependent pathway, recent studies suggest that LBP plays a critical role in clearance of gram-negative bacteria and is essential for survival after bacterial challenge. We therefore sought to examine LBP's effect on Escherichia coli phagocytosis by alveolar macrophages (AMs) and to determine if this effect is mediated through CD14. Materials and methods. Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PIPLC)-treated and untreated rat AMs were incubated in the presence of increasing doses of recombinant LBP or negative control protein (choramphenicol acetyltransferase) prior to E. coli -FITC (Ec-F) BioParticle challenge. Phagocytosed bacteria were assayed by fluorescence measurement. A time course study was also performed. Results. LBP potentiated phagocytosis of Ec-F BioParticles by AMs in a dose-dependent fashion. Kinetic studies showed that LBP augmented Ec-F phagocytosis by 76% at 30 min. Treatment of AMs with PIPLC to remove CD14 resulted in only a partial decrease in LBP-mediated enhancement of phagocytosis. Conclusion. These results clearly demonstrate that LBP plays an important role in enhancing Ec-F binding and phagocytosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner. This observed increase may not require the presence of CD14 as significant potentiation of phagocytosis still occurred after PIPLC treatment. We postulate that the LBP-mediated increase in Ec-F phagocytosis can occur in the absence of CD14 through the presence of another receptor.
Dust Storm Simulation for Accelerated Life Testing of Solar Collector Mirrors

A dust storm simulation chamber has been designed based on worst-case conditions to simulate the effects of blowing dust and sand on candidate solar concentrator materials. After evaluation with common glass mirrors, the system was used to simulate field exposure of Carolina glass mirrors in the West Texas environment in terms of loss of reflectivity. System calibration was achieved by comparing actual exposure data over a three-year period to results obtained in the simulation chamber. It was found that a twenty-year service life can be simulated by 80 hrs. exposure in the dust storm chamber. Degradation of the Carolina glass mirrors has been shown to be primarily dependent on momentum transport to and kinetic energy deposition on the mirror surface during dust storms: annual reflectivity losses of 2.4 percent and 1.4 percent may be expected, respectively, from dust storm and the sum of all other effects.
Delayed reinforcement as an indiscriminable contingency in verbal/nonverbal correspondence training.

We investigated the programming of generalization and maintenance of correspondence between verbal and nonverbal behavior in a preschool setting. Four children participated in a series of multiple-baseline designs. In Experiment 1, delayed reinforcement of verbal behavior effectively controlled maintenance of correspondence with previously trained responses and also resulted in generalization of correspondence to one untrained response. As the latter effect was limited, Experiment 2 was a further assessment of the effects of delayed reinforcement of generalization of correspondence to untrained responses, and consistent generalization was shown. Experiment 2 also showed that generalization, if lost, could be recovered through use of “booster training,” in which the original contingencies were reinstated for a brief period. Experiment 3 provided replications, with two additional children, of the effects of delayed reinforcement on maintenance of correspondence. Results are discussed in terms of using delayed reinforcement as an indiscriminable contingency.
Data sharing protocols: structure, requirements and interrelationships

Computer networks provide the basic mechanism for accessing programs and data. Effective use of networks requires appropriate protocols to preserve the meaning of data being transmitted between heterogeneous systems. Currently existing protocols were developed to support the requirements of scientists and engineers. Information processing support, for example remote database access, requires substantially more sophisticated protocols. This paper describes a spectrum of data sharing protocols, identifies the need for a Structure Transport Protocol (STP), describes the nature of an STP, and discusses its utilization in the context of remote database access.
Normal cleavage of von Willebrand factor by ADAMTS-13 in the absence of factor VIII in patients with severe hemophilia A

Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is required for hemostasis, recruiting platelets from rapidly flowing blood to sites of vessel injury and protecting factor VIII (FVIII) from degradation. The adhesive activity of VWF correlates with its size: large VWF multimers bind more avidly to platelets [1]. VWF multimer distribution is regulated by the metalloprotease ADAMTS13 in plasma [2,3]. In the absence of ADAMTS13 activity, ultra-large VWF (ULVWF) multimers accumulate and induce spontaneous platelet clumping [4] and cause the life-threatening disease thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura [5]. Recent studies by Cao et al. [6] showed that under shear stress in a system using purified proteins, exogenous FVIII enhanced the cleavage of high-molecular-weight VWF multimers by ADAMTS13. Based on this result, the authors proposed that FVIII is a cofactor for ADAMTS13, suggesting that reduced VWF processing and increased platelet adhesion could represent a form of hemostatic compensation in patients with severe hemophilia A. This finding predicts that absence of FVIII in hemophilia A patients would reduce VWF proteolysis, which would be normalized by infusion of FVIII. Here, we assessed VWF multimer distribution, VWF antigen levels, and ADAMTS13 activity in the plasmas of seven patients with severe hemophilia A before recombinant FVIII infusion. In two patients, we also examined the VWF cleavage by endogenous ADAMTS13 before and after FVIII infusion.
Identifying Survivors at Risk

A great deal of interest has been recently paid to symptoms and diagnoses that follow exposure to events that are outside of the normal range. In particular, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) entered the psychiatric nomenclature in 1980 ([APA]) and was somewhat modified with the revision of the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) in 1987 (DSM-III-R, APA, 1987). However, the earlier versions of the DSM also contained diagnoses related to stress, and such symptoms and diagnoses have long been acknowledged, particularly in association with wartime experience (Trimble, 1981). Recent work by Horowitz and his colleagues (Horowitz, 1986; Horowitz, Weiss, & Marmar, 1987) has suggested a generic category of “stressresponse syndromes” that may arise following a variety of individual and collective events including bereavement.
The Automotive Industry’s Views of the Standards for Plant Oil-Based Fuels

Plant oil methyl ester (PME), produced in Germany from rapeseed oil, has to date been the only alternative fuel produced from plant oil that has been able to acquire a certain standing on the diesel fuel market. The use of this fuel, known as Biodiesel, is associated with a number of environmental advantages. VOLKSWAGEN has consequently decided to promote the use of this alternative fuel by releasing a wide range of diesel-engined vehicles for operation with Biodiesel. Such releases necessitate not only major changes in the materials used throughout the fuel system but also the use of grades of PME which satisfy all the requirements of DIN 51 606.
The rabbit zygote. II. The fate of annulate lamellae during first cleavage.

The development of annulate lamellae (AL) in the rabbit zygote has been described previously (Gulyas, 1971). The present study is a continuation of the earlier work on the fate of AL during first cleavage. Intranuclear AL (IAL) reappear during chromosome condensation which occurs at the proximal regions of the pronuclei. Chromosomes become attached to the convoluted pronuclear envelope (PNE) and the newly forming IAL. Both the PNEs and the cytoplasmical undergo similar alterations although the PNE precedes that of the AL. The pores disappear from the PNEs prior to their breakdown, and paired cisternae of PNE origin are observed throughout the remaining phases of division. Just prior to and during breakdown of the PNE, pores disappear from AL and the lamellae coalesce into paired and multilamellar cisternae. Electron dense substance remains deposited between some partially coalesced cisternae at periodic intervals, giving them a beaded appearance. Clusters of punctate material accompany the paired and multilamellar cisternae throughout division. Paired and multilamellar cisternae, which are accompanied by punctate electron dense substance, are seen throughout division including early interphase of the daughter cells. These cisternae do not participate in the early formation of NE. Annulate lamellae are reformed from paired and multilamellar cisternae during late telophase and early interphase. New AL are also formed from vesicles of the nuclear envelope of the blastomere nucleus.
Research on status and strategy of occupational health surveillance for migrant workers

Objective:In order to investigate occupational health status of migrant workers in Jinhua city and to propose effective management and service measures.Methods: Using stratified random sampling method,500 migrant workers from 50 enterprises existing occupational hazards were invited to participate in field investigation by questionnaire.Results: Most of the migrant workers are at the young age from 20 to 45 years old with middle school education,who were generally lack of knowledge of occupational disease prevention and self-awareness of health protection.The rate of physical examination of pre-employment,on-job and departure for the laborers are 34.00%,71.00% and 6.95%.Filing rate of health file is 48.60%.Injury insurance rate is 77.00% and health insurance rate is 41.60%.Conclusion: In Jinhua city,the level of management and services for migrant workers′ occupational health is not high.There are serious occupational hazard risks.Occupational health should be included into the range of public health services and it should be listed into the field of urban community or rural public health service management,thus it is very necessary to establish a mechanism of "clear responsibilities,proper monitoring and standardized services" for the long-term management of occupational health services.
The concept of penis envy revisited. A child analyst listens to adult women.

Current psychoanalytic scholarship concerning gender development rejects recognition of the genital difference, or “penis envy,” as central to the construction of “femininity,” substituting the concept of “primary femininity.” This shift in the paradigm of gender construction has occurred in part because of contributions from child-observational research showing that “gender identity” is acquired by age three. It has also been stimulated by the observations of adult analysts that interpretations organized around the concept of penis envy appear to have little mutative value in contrast to the communications in play and action from the analyses of preschool girls, which seem to reflect intense intrapsychic conflict stimulated by the girls' recognition of the genital difference. Using clinical material, this paper contrasts fantasies of gender found in oedipal girls with those presented in the analyses of adult women. The differences reflect not only the vicissitudes of gender construction and developmental...
Identification of the lectin-like receptor for oxidized low-density lipoprotein in human macrophages and its potential role as a scavenger receptor

A new receptor for oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL), lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1), has recently been cloned from bovine endothelial cells and human lung. A limited tissue-distribution study suggested that the protein was mainly produced by the vascular endothelium. In the present study we demonstrate that LOX-1 is also expressed in macrophages, where it may function as a scavenger receptor. LOX-1 was not detected in undifferentiated THP-1 cells or in freshly isolated human blood monocytes. However, mature human monocyte-derived macrophages and differentiated THP-1 cells showed high levels of LOX-1 transcripts. Consistent with these results, immunofluorescence staining and FACS analysis demonstrated that LOX-1 protein is expressed on the plasma membrane of macrophages. Western-blot analysis of membranes from macrophages (but not those from monocytes) identified a single band, with an apparent molecular mass of about 40 kDa, that displayed oxidized LDL-binding activity. These results suggest that differentiation induces the expression of LOX-1 in macrophages, where it may play a role as a scavenger receptor and/or a receptor for oxidized LDL.
The Journey Forward

Wayfinding is more complex than generally believed suggesting the need for a multidisciplinary, cross-sector approach to achieve excellence in the scientific, practice, and policy arenas. The purpose of this concluding chapter is to consider how best to distill, share, and build upon the many sources of wayfinding knowledge for the journey forward. Reflecting on the state of wayfinding knowledge and also anticipating the future, the chapter identifies important crosscutting issues that influence the state of wayfinding knowledge and demand more emphasis in future research, practice and policy. These include, for example, personal vs. environmental wayfinding solutions, creative vs. scientific approaches and gaps in knowledge and its application that are to some extent a function of limited multidisciplinary communication and collaboration. Addressing an overarching need to strengthen the process whereby wayfinding knowledge is generated, communicated, and acted upon, a knowledge to action framework is proposed to identify crucial opportunities to enhance the expansion and thoughtful application of wayfinding knowledge. Key components include generation, synthesis, dissemination, application, and codification of knowledge. Augmented communication and collaboration within the broad wayfinding community can lead to more integrated systems thinking, sorely needed to facilitate wayfinding for the benefit of all people and the communities in which they live.
Vitamin D in Postsurgical Hypoparathyroidism

A 46-year-old Caucasian female with a 20-year history of toxic multinodular goiter presented with complaints of thyroid growth, anterior neck discomfort, intermittent dysphagia, sensation of pressure when lying supine, and intermittently scratchy voice. She had taken methimazole on and off for twenty years and had had numerous ultrasounds and fine needle aspirates over the years. Her other medical problems included severe gastroesophageal reflux disease, transient ischemic attack, and nephrolithiasis; surgeries included cholecystectomy and hysterectomy. Family history was notable for hyperthyroidism resulting in thyroidectomy in her nieces and one of her daughters as well as hyperthyroidism in her paternal grandmother. She was a 20-pack-year smoker but did not drink alcohol or use illicit drugs. The patient recently had a fine needle aspirate performed on a right thyroid nodule—2.48 cm, mixed solid-cystic (mostly solid), hypoechoic with internal calcifications and increased vascularity—which returned benign on cytology. She also had a 2.24 cm thyroid nodule that met criteria for FNA, but she did not tolerate the procedure long enough to undergo biopsy of this nodule. A thyroid uptake scan showed homogeneous increased uptake consistent with Graves’ disease and a cold nodule in the right thyroid lobe. After discussion with an endocrinologist and a general surgeon, she decided to undergo thyroidectomy to relieve the compressive symptoms as well as rule out malignancy.
Inflation targeting and financial stability in emerging markets

Abstract This paper aims at investigating whether emerging market inflation targeters are more financially vulnerable than their non-targeting counterparts. It further assesses the extent to which targeting central banks are less responsive to financial imbalances, compared to those implementing alternative policy strategies. Based on a sample of 26 emerging countries, including 13 targeters, the analysis suggests that monetary policy in targeting countries is relatively more sensitive to financial risks. However, despite stronger central banks’ responses to financial imbalances, the financial sector appears to be more fragile for targeters. Our conclusion therefore challenges the view that central banks, through their policy interest rates, can guarantee the stability of the financial system. It rather suggests that the control of inflation should remain the primary monetary policy objective, while a (macro)prudential authority would be in charge of the financial stability objective.
Identification of two novel HLA-B null alleles using next generation sequencing

Aim Typing of two patients (one of Asian and one of Hispanic descent) using SSOP and SBT resulted in the detection of two new HLA-B null alleles. Detailed analysis of the probe and sequence data showed the new null alleles to be generated by single nucleotide point mutations. To confirm these results, the DNA samples were tested by next generation sequencing (NGS). Methods DNA was extracted from whole blood using the Promega Maxwell 16 Blood DNA Purification kit and Promega Maxwell 16 IVD instrument. Low resolution HLA typing was obtained by performing DNA amplification and probe hybridization using the One Lambda LABType SSO HLA-B Locus kit. High resolution HLA typing was achieved by DNA amplification and subsequent sequencing of the amplified product using the Conexio Genomics SBT Resolver kits. Confirmation testing of the novel HLA-B null alleles was performed by amplifying the DNA samples using the Scisco Genetics NGS HLA kit. Results Results from SSOP, SBT and NGS testing confirmed the presence of two new null alleles. The first null allele from the Hispanic individual is similar to B∗35:01:01:01 with a mutation at position 295 (codon 75) in exon 2. This position appears to be a common polymorphic site for HLA Class I null alleles: A∗02:366N, A∗03:178N, A∗24:60N, B∗08:72N, B∗15:94N, B∗15:294N, B∗44:58N, B∗51:41N, C∗01:69N, C∗03:277N, C∗07:152N, C∗12:84N and C∗17:27N. The nucleotide change (GAG → TAG) results in the creation of a stop codon. The second null allele from the Asian individual is similar to B∗15:01:01:01 with a mutation at position 862 (codon 264) in exon 4. The nucleotide change (GGA → TGA) results in the creation of a stop codon. There are no documented polymorphisms at this position for any other allele. However, A∗02:43N has an insertion at codon 236 that causes a frameshift and premature stop at codon 264. Conclusions Identification of null alleles is important in determining what donors should be evaluated and selected for hematopoietic stem cell transplants. Misidentification could have an impact on graft outcome and lead to complications such as graft-versus-host disease. NGS has shown to be a valuable method for the identification of these kinds of new variants. Furthermore, the variant in exon 4 may suggest that typing outside of the HLA Class I peptide binding domains (exon 2 and 3) should be performed.
Choose a program, have a life.

As I formally accepted the offer to join my Ph.D. program, the massive weight on my chest began to dissolve, my shoulders relaxed, and my headache subsided. Choosing a program had been quite the roller coaster ride, filled with uncertainty and sleepless nights. “Phew, well that's finally over,”
Image Processing Algorithms

In this chapter, we will focus on image processing algorithms implemented in WIPP. These algorithms include image correction, stitching, segmentation, tracking, feature extraction, intensity scaling, and image pyramid building. We will provide a high-level overview of each algorithm and its relevance to microscopy image processing. The purpose of the algorithmic overview is to make the reader aware of the assumptions and trade-offs embedded in each algorithm implementation. For more in-depth knowledge about algorithms, we will refer the reader to a collection of image processing books and journal papers that could expand reader’s knowledge beyond reading the material presented in this chapter.
Microglial Immune Response to Low Concentrations of Combustion-Generated Nanoparticles: An In Vitro Model of Brain Health

The brain is the central regulator for integration and control of responses to environmental cues. Previous studies suggest that air pollution may directly impact brain health by triggering the onset of chronic neuroinflammation. We hypothesize that nanoparticle components of combustion-generated air pollution may underlie these effects. To test this association, a microglial in vitro biological sensor model was used for testing neuroinflammatory response caused by low-dose nanoparticle exposure. The model was first validated using 20 nm silver nanoparticles (AgNP). Next, neuroinflammatory response was tested after exposure to size-selected 20 nm combustion-generated nanoparticles (CGNP) collected from a modern diesel engine. We show that low concentrations of CGNPs promote low-grade inflammatory response indicated by increased pro-inflammatory cytokine release (tumor necrosis factor-α), similar to that observed after AgNP exposure. We also demonstrate increased production of reactive oxygen species and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) p65 phosphorylation in microglia after CGNP stimulation. Finally, we show conditioned media from CGNP-stimulated microglia significantly reduced hypothalamic neuronal survival in vitro. To our knowledge, this data show for the first time that exposure to AgNP and CGNP elicits microglial neuroinflammatory response through the activation of NF-κB.
Platelets and the Platelet-Derived Growth Factor in the Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of heart attack and stroke in western civilization. Although this disease process has been recognized for well over 100 years, the nature of the cellular constituents that comprise the lesions of atherosclerosis, the etiology of this disease process, and its course and progress have remained either unknown or highly controversial. The last decade or so has been most productive in providing extensive new information concerning the cellular content of the lesions of atherosclerosis, and has provided several interesting hypotheses concerning the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis that have permitted us to ask new questions, design new experiments, and develop an understanding of this disease, so that it should be possible in the not-too-distant future to provide improved diagnosis in patients at risk, and to develop means for both intervention and prevention of this disease process, and thus of both myocardial and cerebral infarction.
Effect of L-Carnitine on AZT-Induced Mitochondrial Toxicity: Studies on Human Muscle Cultures

M itochondrial myopathy in zidovudine-treated patients was initially reported in 1990 by Dalakas.1 Zidovudine (AZT) is one of the nucleotide analogs, the antiretroviral drugs, provided to patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to control the amount of virus present in those individuals and avoid the full development of the disease (AIDS).2 The first treatment consisted of a high dose of AZT for prolonged periods; in some of the HIV-patients treated with this regimen, it was observed that AZT caused a myopathic disease that was called “AZT myopathy.”1,3,4,5 Muscle biopsy studies from those patients revealed that this myopathy was histo- logically characterized by an increased number of a unique type of muscle fiber described as ragged red fibers.1,6 When the muscle biopsies were studied by electron microscopy, a proliferation of mitochondria with enlarged size and abnormal cristae was observed.1,6,7 Molecular analysis has also determined a severe reduction of the mitochondrial DNA in the muscle of HIV patients treated with AZT.6 We and others have reported on the mechanism by which AZT damages the muscle.8–11 Our studies were performed in vitro, using human muscle cultures,8,12,13 and in vivo, using rats treated with daily intraperitoneal injections of AZT.8 In an effort toward preventing this disease, our laboratory has also found that L-carnitine (3-hydroxy-4-me- thyl-ammoniobutanoate) in our model systems prevents and improves the pathological alterations caused by AZT.12,13
Facebook for recruiting Spanish- and English-speaking smokers

Abstract Background Recruitment for research is usually expensive and time consuming. Facebook (FB) recruitment has become widely utilized in recent years. The main aim of this study was to assess FB as a recruitment tool in a study for Spanish- and English-speaking smokers. Additionally, the study set out to compare performance of ads by language (Spanish vs. English), location (U.S. vs. San Francisco) and content (self-efficacy ad vs. fear appeal ad). Methods Participants of a one-condition smoking cessation webapp study were recruited utilizing FB ads and posts through two phases: a recruitment-focused phase and an experimental phase comparing language, location and content. Results During the recruitment phase 581 participants in total (U.S. = 540, San Francisco = 41) provided consent. Of the U.S. participants 275 were Spanish-speakers and 265 English-speakers. The cost-per-consent was $25.81 for Spanish-speakers, and $15.49 for English-speakers. During the experimental phase U.S. users performed better (i.e. more clicks, engagement and social reach) than San Francisco users, Spanish-speakers engaged more than English-speakers, and the self-efficacy ad performed better than the fear appeal ad. Conclusions This study showed that although there were differences in cost-per-consent for Spanish- and English-speakers, recruitment of Spanish-speakers through Facebook is feasible. Furthermore, comparing performance of ads by location, language, and ad content may contribute to developing more efficient campaigns.
Utility of Orthogonal Electrodes in Radiofrequency Ablation

The field of cardiac electrophysiology is barely thirty years old. From its inception, the understanding of cardiac arrhythmias was predicated upon the use of intracardiac electrograms recorded from the endocardial surface of the human heart with electrode catheters manipulated with the assistance of fluoroscopic equipment.1 Although catheter materials, designs and the recent addition of steerability have gradually evolved and improved, the basic design of the electrodes used for electrogram recording has remained constant. Essentially, metal bands or ′ ‘rings’ attached to the surface of cardiac catheters have been used to record bipolar electrograms either between two rings (bipolar signals) or between a ring and a remote electrode (unipolar signals).
Applying Non-Homogeneous Dose Optimization to Improve Conventionally Fractionated Radiation Plan Quality in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Abstract Purpose Nonhomogeneous dose optimization (NHDO) is exploited in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to increase dose delivery to the tumor and allow rapid dose falloff to surrounding normal tissues. We investigate changes in plan quality when NHDO is applied to inverse-planned conventionally fractionated radiation therapy (CF-RT) plans in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Methods and Materials Patients with near-central non-small cell lung cancer treated with CF-RT in 2018 at a single institution were identified. CF-RT plans were replanned using NHDO techniques, including normalizing to a lower isodose line, while maintaining clinically acceptable normal tissue constraints and target coverage. Tumor control probabilities were calculated. We compared delivered CF-RT plans using homogenous dose optimization (HDO) versus NHDO using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Median values are reported. Results Thirteen patients were replanned with NHDO techniques. Planning target volume coverage by the prescription dose was similar (NHDO = 96% vs HDO = 97%, P = .3). All normal-tissue dose constraints were met. NHDO plans were prescribed to a lower-prescription isodose line compared with HDO plans (85% vs 97%, P = .001). NHDO increased mean dose to the planning target volume (73 Gy vs 67 Gy), dose heterogeneity, and dose falloff gradient (P Conclusions In select patients, NHDO principles used in SBRT optimization can be applied to CF-RT. NHDO results in increased tumor dose, reduction in select organ-at-risk dose objectives, and better maintenance of target coverage and normal-tissue constraints compared with HDO. Our data demonstrate that principles of NHDO used in SBRT can also improve plan quality in CF-RT.
Non-contact Metrology for mm-Wave and THz Electronics

We present a novel non-contact probing approach for on-wafer metrology of high-speed devices and integrated circuits. The new method has been developed under the ONR DATE MURI and enables, for the first time, contact-free multi-port S-parameter measurements on-wafer. The main motivation to develop this new method was the inherent issues in the state-of-the-art contact probes, particularly for the millimeter wave and terahertz frequency applications. As the operation frequency increases, the pitch of contact probe tips must be kept small to avoid radiation losses. As such, the probe tips require high precision micro-manufacturing, making them prone to damage during conventional use. Moreover, probe positioning and contact resistance variability hinder measurement repeatability, which is critical for extremely high-frequency applications. The non-contact probing system developed here avoids physical contact with the test wafer by injecting the test signals via a quasi-optical link through an extended hemispherical focusing lens onto the test wafer’s coplanar waveguide environment. Optimized on-wafer butterfly antennas ensure effective radiative coupling onto and out of the test wafer, and the quasi-optical link stays fixed during calibration and measurements. Calibration standards and the test devices on wafer are aligned with the quasi-optical link to conduct the measurements on a vector network analyzer. Furthermore, the control of wafer positioning can be automated using a digital microscope, enabling unprecedented measurement repeatability. We have demonstrated our new approach for 90–750GHz band for single-ended two-port CPW environments. Using modified butterfly baluntennas, our approach also enables, for the first time, pure differential-mode characterization up to 1.1THz. This chapter summarizes the proposed system and its performance for various on-wafer test scenarios.
A Low-Loss Continuously Tunable Phase Shifter Based on a Bandpass Filter with Reconfigurable Transmission Zeros

A new class of phase shifter based on a bandpass filter with reconfigurable transmission zeros is presented in this work. By using tunable resonators that are extracted from the main signal path, a transmission phase shift is obtained with minimal effect on the insertion loss from the tuning elements. A total phase range of 120 degrees is measured with a maximum figure of merit of 80 degrees/dB. A study using the coupling matrix forms the basis of the phase shifter and the measurements and simulations agree well with the theory. Additional phase range can be obtained by adding additional transmission zeros without impacting the insertion loss.
Monetizing Bowser: A Contingent Valuation of the Statistical Value of Dog Life

Households in the USA spend about $70 billion annually on pets. Dogs, the most common pet, can be found in nearly half of American households. An important shadow price in the analysis of policies affecting human mortality is the value of statistical life (VSL), which is imputed from how people make decisions involving tradeoffs between small mortality risks and other goods. The value of statistical dog life (VSDL) is also an important, but until now unavailable, shadow price for use in regulation of such goods as pet foods and environmental toxins. Additionally, an estimate of the VSDL would have uses outside the regulatory process in valuing programs involving zooeyia, in setting tort awards for wrongful dog death, and in property divisions in divorce settlements where joint custody of dogs is not feasible. In order to estimate the VSDL, we conducted a contingent valuation of a national sample of dog owners that elicited willingness-to-pay for changes in mortality risk for pet dogs. Specifically, respondents were asked about willingness-to-pay for a vaccine that would reduce the risk of canine influenza. The design included both quantity (different magnitudes of risk reduction from the offered vaccine) and quality (differences in nature of death from the influenza) treatments as scope tests. It also included treatments involving spillover effects to other dogs and a priming question about disposable income. Based on the analysis and consideration of its assumptions, we recommend $10,000 as the VSDL.
Conflict-Free Evacuation Route Planner

Given a transportation network with node and edge capacity constraints, initial node occupancy, destination locations, and the conflict resolution parameter k, the Conflict-Free Evacuation Route Planner (CF-ERP) problem finds evacuation routes that can minimize the evacuation time and the number of movement conflicts along the routes. CF-ERP is important for many societal applications, such as evacuation management and preparation in case of natural or man-made disasters. The problem is computationally challenging due to the large size of the transportation network and the constraints. Related work has considered the evacuation routing problem either solely as a network flow optimization problem or a conflict minimization problem, but not both. In this paper, we propose novel approaches that can produce evacuation routes to minimize the evacuation time and the number of movement conflicts. Experiments and a case study on real-world datasets from Florida show the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approaches.
A Review of the First Long-term Implantable Continuous Glucose Monitoring System Available in the United States:

Background:Although real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) has been shown to improve glycemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with in...