cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AUTOGENOUS IMMUNITY TO ENDOGENOUS RNA TUMOR VIRUS : RADIOIMMUNE PRECIPITATION ASSAY OF MOUSE SERUM ANTIBODY LEVELS

The radioimmune precipitation assay using 3H-labeled AKR leukemia virus was applied to the detection and quantitation of natural serum antibodies directed against endogenous murine leukemia virus (MuLV) envelope antigens B6C3F1 and BALB/c mice, which have low natural incidences of leukemia and lymphoma, and AKR mice, which have a high incidence, were used in this study. Sera from mice of various age groups were assayed. A marked difference in age-associated levels of the autogenous immune response to endogenous murine leukemia virus was detected, and the quantitative differences among these strains were inversely related to the incidence of lymphoma. The radioimmune precipitation test as applied was 500 times more sensitive than virus neutralization. That the reactions we have observed are specific is suggested by several lines of evidence, including the nonreactivity of normal hamster and absorbed rat serum, the positive reaction of absorbed rat anti-AKR serum, the inhibition of precipitation of labeled virus by purified unlabeled virus, and isopycnic gradient analysis of the reactive products.
Bilateral spontaneous flexor digitorum profundus tendon rupture of the fifth digit: case report and literature review

Spontaneous rupture of the digital flexor tendons is almost always associated with rheumatoid arthritis or other diseases of the skeleton. Rarely does it occur in otherwise healthy individuals, with less than 30 such reported cases in the literature [4]. To date, only one case of bilateral spontaneous rupture of flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendons has been reported with rupture of tendons of different digits [10]. Here, we report a case of bilateral spontaneous FDP tendon rupture of the small fingers.
Homogenization of linear and nonlinear transport equations

We study the homogenization of the linear and nonlinear transport equations with oscillatory velocity fields. Two types of homogenized equations are derived. For general n-dimensional linear and nonlinear problems, we derive homogenized equations by introducing additional independent variables to represent the small scales. For the two-dimensional linear transport equations, we derive effective equations for the averaged quantities. Such equations take the form of either a degenerate non-local diffusion equation with memory or a higher order hyperbolic equation. To study the nonlinear transport equations we introduce the concept of two-scale Young measure and extend DiPerna's method to prove that it reduces to a family of Dirac measures.
Socioeconomic status moderates genetic and environmental effects on the amount of alcohol use.

BACKGROUND: Much is unknown about the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and alcohol use, including the means by which SES may influence risk for alcohol use. METHODS: Using a sample of 672 twin pairs (aged 25 to 74) derived from the MacArthur Foundation Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, this study examined whether SES, measured by household income and educational attainment, moderates genetic and environmental influences on 3 indices of alcohol use: amount used, frequency of use, and problem use. RESULTS: We found significant moderation for amount of alcohol used. Specifically, genetic effects were greater in low-SES conditions, shared environmental effects (i.e., environmental effects that enhance the similarity of twins from the same families) tended to increase in high-SES conditions, and nonshared environmental effects (i.e., environmental effects that distinguish twins) tended to decrease with SES. This pattern of results was found for both income and education, and it largely replicated at a second wave of assessment spaced 9 years after the first. There was virtually no evidence of moderation for either frequency of alcohol use or alcohol problems. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that genetic and environmental influences on drinking amount vary as a function of the broader SES context, whereas the etiologies of other drinking phenomena are less affected by this context. Efforts to find the causes underlying the amount of alcohol used are likely to be more successful if such contextual information is taken into account. Language: en
Visible-Light Inactivation of Escherichia Coli on N-Doped Titanium Oxide Thin Films

Antimicrobial behavior of nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (TiON) thin films was examined by cell viability assays under visible light illumination, using Escherichia coli as the indicator. The nitrogen doping was found to enable visible-light inactivation of Escherichia coli on titanium oxide films. At a light intensity of 1.6 mW/cm2, TiON films reached a bacterial killing rate of about 50in half an hour, comparable to those reported for ultraviolet light irradiated TiO2. In the range of nitrogen concentrations from 0.2 to 0.9, the bacterial killing rates showed no clear correlation with the nitrogen concentration for the TiON films.
Heavy fermions and heavy atoms

The heavy fermion state is a recently discovered ground state for the electrons in some cerium and light actinide compounds at low temperatures. Their properties are briefly reviewed and the calculational problems they present are discussed.
Application Of Hierarchical Networks In Analog Pattern Categorization

A neural network architecture is presented in which the strengths of interconnection pathways in one part of the network are modulated by activities in another part of the network. The network is arranged in a series of stages forming a hierarchy. The lower level stages produce output codes that are abstractions of the desired categorization task. Multiple levels of abstraction combine to provide categorization and generalization capabilities that appear to exceed those of standard backpropagation. Empirical results on two-dimensional continuous-valued (analog) simulated feature data are presented.
A Compute-and-Forward Scheme for Gaussian Bi-Directional Relaying with Inter-Symbol Interference

We provide inner and outer bounds on the capacity region for the Gaussian bi-directional relaying over inter-symbol interference channels. The outer bound is obtained by the conventional cut-set argument. For the inner bound, we propose a compute-and-forward coding scheme based on lattice partition chains and study its achievable rate. The coding scheme is a time-domain coding scheme which uses a novel precoding scheme at the transmitter in combination with lattice precoding and a minimum mean squared error receiver to recover linear combinations of lattice codewords. The proposed compute-and-forward coding scheme substantially outperforms decode-and-forward schemes. While it is well known that for the point-to-point communication case, both independent coding along sub-channels and time-domain coding can approach the capacity limit, as a byproduct of the proposed scheme, we show that for the bi-directional relay case, independent coding along sub-channels is not optimal in general and joint coding across sub-channels can improve the capacity for some channel realizations.
A multi-beach study of Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, and enterococci in seawater and beach sand.

Incidences of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) have risen worldwide prompting a need to better understand routes of human exposure and whether standard bacterial water quality monitoring practices adequately account for this potential threat. Beach water and sand samples were analyzed during summer months for S. aureus, enterococci, and MRSA at three southern California beaches (Avalon, Doheny, Malibu Surfrider). S. aureus frequently was detected in samples of seawater (59%, n ¼ 328) and beach sand (53%, n ¼ 358). MRSA sometimes was detected in seawater (1.6%, n ¼ 366) and sand (2.7%, n ¼ 366) at relatively low concentrations. Site specific differences were observed, with Avalon Beach presenting the highest concentrations of S. aureus and Malibu Surfrider the lowest in both seawater and sand. S. aureus concentrations in seawater and sand were correlated to each other and to a variety of other parameters. Multiple linear regression on the combined beach data indicated that significant explanatory variables for S. aureus in seawater were S. aureus in sand, water temperature, enterococci in seawater, and the number of swimmers. In sand, S. aureus concentrations were related to S. aureus in seawater, water temperature, enterococci in seawater, and inversely to surf height classification. Only the correlation to water temperature held for individually analyzed beaches and for S. aureus concentrations in both seawater and sand. To provide context for these results, the prevalence of S. aureus in sand was compared to published fomite studies, and results suggested that beach prevalence was similar to that in homes.
Approach to acute or subacute myelopathy

Improved understanding of the differential diagnosis and improved investigative techniques, particularly neuroimaging and serologic testing, have facilitated the diagnosis of patients with acute and subacute myelopathy and reduced the proportion of patients who are labeled as having “idiopathic transverse myelitis.” Additionally, these advances have identified subgroups of patients in whom progression of deficit or future relapses are anticipated, allowing intervention and prophylaxis as appropriate. However, early management remains empiric and consists of high-dose corticosteroids for most patients. In the event of an inadequate response to corticosteroids or a subsequent atypical course, further investigations to detect diagnoses other than “transverse myelitis” should be considered and additional treatments, such as plasmapheresis, may be appropriate. Individualized diagnosis and treatment is more feasible now than in the past. Localizing an acute neurologic process to the spinal cord is often, but not always, straightforward (table 1). The ascending sensory symptoms of acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP) may confuse the diagnosis, as this complaint is also highly associated with acute myelopathy. Unequivocal upper motor neuron signs exclude AIDP, but are often not apparent in the early stages of a spinal cord insult. Although not invariably present, an unequivocal sensory level on the torso, sensory loss indicating involvement of spinal tracts (e.g., spinothalamic modality impairment contralateral to motor findings), or urinary retention localize to the spinal cord. Myopathy or neuromuscular junction disorders may be mistaken for myelopathy, particularly if the lower limbs are predominantly affected, but the absence of any sensory abnormality should suggest the correct localization. Bilateral mesial frontal lobe lesions (e.g., bilateral anterior cerebral artery distribution infarcts) could mimic a myelopathy, although abulia or other signs of frontal lobe dysfunction typically coexist. Autoimmune or paraneoplastic muscle stiffness syndromes, such as stiff-person syndrome associated with glutamic acid decarboxylase or amphiphysin autoantibodies, may be confused with spasticity …
The Continuously Recombinant Genetic, Neural Fiber Network

The underlying issues and challenges posed by the introduction of Artificial Intelligence into system designs are not new. Information processing and dissemination systems are an expensive infrastructure to operate and moreoften-than-not these systems fail to provide analysts with tangible and useful situational information, typically overwhelming information analysts with system messages and other low-level data. Real-time human decision making processes must be supported by information derived from the fusion process and must operate in a uniform and cooperative model, fusing data into information and knowledge, so information analysts can make informed decisions. What is described here is a modular architecture based on a mixture of neural structures that add flexibility and diversity to the overall system capabilities. Presented here is the object architecture for a flexible, continually adaptable neural processing system capable of dynamically adding and pruning basic building blocks of the neural system as the real-time requirements of the system change. This defines the object architecture for the Evolving, Life-like Yielding Symbiotic Environment (ELYSE) system (Crowder, 2001_002). This modular architecture is based on a “mixture of experts” methodology. The difference here is that in our architecture, an expert is defined as a particular fuzzy, genetic perceptron object which has been created for a particular algorithm, and thus is an expert at processing a particular type of data in a particular manner. The algorithm for which the perceptron is generated may be predetermined or may have been evolved by the neural system itself and provides a continuously evolutionary system architecture based on genetic learning within the recombinant neural structure.
Mortality reduction by implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in high-risk patients with heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and new-onset ventricular arrhythmia: an effectiveness study.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the generalizability of the reduction in mortality posed by implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, we examined the effectiveness of defibrillators as applied in routine medical practice. BACKGROUND Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators have been shown to be efficacious in the primary and secondary prevention of overall and cardiovascular mortality in clinical trials. METHODS Using the National Veterans Administration database, we identified a cohort of 6,996 patients from 1995 to 1999 with new-onset ventricular arrhythmia and pre-existing ischemic heart disease and congestive heart failure, of which 1,442 received a defibrillator, and followed them for three years to determine rates of mortality. With multivariate logistic regression analyses that adjusted for demographics, illness severity, and comorbidity, we assessed overall, cardiovascular, and noncardiovascular rates of mortality. To further address potential confounding, we also stratified the cohort by quintiles using a multivariable propensity score for each patient and determined mortality rates. RESULTS For the overall cohort, multivariate regression showed that those who received defibrillators had significantly lower all-cause (odds ratio [OR] 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.45 to 0.60) and cardiovascular (OR 0.56; 95% CI 0.49 to 0.65)] rates of mortality at three years. No significant differences were noted between groups in their rates of noncardiovascular mortality (OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.77 to 1.10). Propensity score analysis demonstrated similar mortality reduction benefits at three years: risk ratio (RR) 0.72 (95% CI 0.69 to 0.79) for all-cause; RR 0.70 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.78) for cardiovascular; and RR 0.95 (95% CI 0.83 to 1.08) for noncardiovascular rates of mortality. These results suggest that one death is prevented in this patient population for every four to five patients receiving a defibrillator for three years. CONCLUSIONS Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in routine medical practice significantly reduce cardiovascular and all-cause rates of mortality at levels similar to secondary prevention trials.
Evaluating the musician with dystonia of the upper limb: a practical approach with video demonstration

Focal task-specific dystonia is an unusual movement disorder that may affect musicians specifically when they perform on their instruments. Muscles of the lower face, lower limb and upper limb may be involved depending on the nature of the instrument. We illustrate the rich phenomenology of focal task-specific dystonia affecting the upper limb in musicians, and present a practical approach for evaluating patients in the office.
Short communication: Measuring feed volume and weight by machine vision

Individual dairy cow feed intake is closely related to the health and productive output of each cow, with healthy cows generally eating more feed than unhealthy cows. Incorporating the use of an automated system to monitor feed consumption for each cow may be beneficial for dairy farm management. This study examined the use of an inexpensive 3-dimensional video camera to measure feed volume, from which we derived feed weight. Proof-of-concept testing was conducted to determine the effectiveness and capability of the machine vision feed-scanning system and its possible use in feed intake monitoring. Such systems are ideal because they do not impede the workflow of the farm or interrupt feeding behavior. This is an improvement over existing systems that are labor and cost intensive. Our conducted experiments involve measuring feed volume at known weights, up to 22.68 kg, with the resulting volume and weight values analyzed by means of linear and quadratic least squares t-test regression analysis. The effects of feed positioning in the bin and near-range sensor limitations were also examined. The results showed that an estimation of feed weight from 3-dimensional scan of volume measurements could be made to within 0.5 kg of the physically measured feed weight using a digital scale. Future efforts will focus on extending this work to active bunks with multiple cows eating throughout the day and testing total mixed rations of varied composition.
Aquatic management survey to identify factors related to injuries, accidents, and deaths at aquatic facilities.

The purpose of the study was to identify factors related to serious injuries and deaths sustained at senior colleges’ and universities’ aquatic facilities with respect to the aquatic management oversight of the facility. Surveys were mailed to senior colleges and universities that are listed with aquatic departments, and there was a 32.7% return rate. The study sample group consisted of 446 aquatic management professionals. The sample group consisted of senior colleges and universities (N = 446, responses = 146) listed in the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Recreational Sports Directory (RSD), 1997 issue. This sample group was determined by each school’s listing of aquatic departments or aquatic positions in the RSD. Participants were voluntary respondents located in the United States. Because senior colleges and universities are often the places that professional training and education originate, they are also an excellent source for analysis. If factors can be identified from aquatic management professionals to help reduce serious injuries and deaths at aquatic facilities, education about these factors can be provided to all aquatic facilities to help administrators and patrons reduce serious injuries and deaths.
Structural acid-base chemistry in the metallic state: how μ3-neutralization drives interfaces and helices in Ti21Mn25.

Intermetallic phases remain a large class of compounds whose vast structural diversity is unaccounted for by chemical theory. A recent resurgence of interest in intermetallics, due to their potential in such applications as catalysis and thermoelectricity, has intensified the need for models connecting their compositions to their structures and stability. In this Article, we illustrate how the μ3-acidity model, an extension of the acid/base concept based on the Method of Moments, offers intuitive explanations for puzzling structural progressions occurring in intermetallics formed between transition metals. Simple CsCl-type structures are frequently observed for phases with near 1:1 ratios of transition metals. However, in two compounds, TiCu and Ti21Mn25, structures are adopted which deviate from this norm. μ3-Acidity analysis shows that the formation of CsCl-type phases in these exceptional systems would yield an imbalance in the acid/base strength pairing, resulting in overneutralization of the weaker p...
Basic Dimensions of the Corporate Image

Studies of corporate image often proceed on the assumption that “expert” judges know which dimensions of a corporation's image the respondents consider when they think about the corporation. This a...
PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS: DON’T THROW FLOW UNDER THE BUS

Uncorrected patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) can cause irreversible pulmonary hypertension (PH) with development of Eisenmenger syndrome. Balloon occlusion establishes reversible PH. If balloon occlusion is impractical, vasodilator challenge with inhaled nitric oxide (INO) can demonstrate reversible
A review of targeted observations

AbstractIt has long been conceived that numerical weather forecasts will benefit from the assimilation of supplementary observations that augment the conventional observational network. In particular, the concept of “targeting” observations in selected regions to improve a forecast of a high-impact weather event had been promoted and tested prior to and during the World Meteorological Organization/World Weather Research Programme’s The Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment (THORPEX) era (2005–14), through field campaigns and assimilation experiments. The end of the THORPEX era provided an appropriate opportunity to review the outcomes and, in particular, the evaluations of the influence of assimilating targeted observations on numerical weather predictions. The main outcome in the extratropics was that the influence of the targeted observations was positive though small (typically an average forecast error reduction of less than 10%). In the tropics, the targeted observations usually imp...
Behavior and affect in Alzheimer's disease.

This article summarizes the growing body of literature concerning behavioral and mood components of AD. Behavioral and mood symptoms merit separate attention ana investigation tor several reasons. First, the emergence of maladaptive behavioral and mood symptoms in an individual with no signs of cognitive impairment may indicate a high risk for the eventual development of the disease. Abrupt changes in personality, such as indifference, egocentricity, or disinhibition, also may be early symptoms of the disease.
Characteristics of Hospitalizations for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Abstract Background Hospitalizations for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are increasing. There are limited data examining national trends in patients hospitalized with HFpEF. Methods Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we examined 5,046,879 hospitalizations with a diagnosis of acute heart failure in 2003-2012, stratifying hospitalizations by HFpEF and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Patient and hospital characteristics, in-hospital mortality, and length of stay were examined. Results Compared with HFrEF, those with HFpEF were older, more commonly female, and more likely to have hypertension, atrial fibrillation, chronic lung disease, chronic renal failure, and anemia. Over time, HFpEF comprised increasing proportions of men and patients aged ≥75 years. In-hospital mortality rate for HFpEF decreased by 13%, largely due to improved survival in those aged ≥65 years. Multivariable regression analyses showed that pulmonary circulation disorders, liver disease, and chronic renal failure were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality, whereas treatable diseases including hypertension, coronary artery disease, and diabetes were inversely associated. Conclusions This study represents the largest cohort of patients hospitalized with HFpEF to date, yielding the following observations: number of hospitalizations for HFpEF was comparable with that of HFrEF; patients with HFpEF were most often women and elderly, with a high burden of comorbidities; outcomes appeared improved among a subset of patients; pulmonary hypertension, liver disease, and chronic renal failure were strongly associated with poor outcomes.
Axially Symmetric Harmonic Maps

Here we discuss recent results of [HLP] on the class of axially symmetric harmonic maps from B3 to S2. We find some new classes of non-minimizing harmonic maps exhibiting unusual singular behavior. Optimal partial regularity estimates are obtained for mappings which minimize, among axially symmetric maps, various relaxed energies [BBC].
My language limits my thoughts

There's no denying that speaking and thinking are closely related. We use words to convey ideas to other people, and to organize our own thoughts. We're so accustomed to giving verbal expression to our thoughts that it's easy to believe that we ‘think in words’. If language is so central to our thinking, then it seems only logical that the particular form of our language – the words that it has, the aspects of the world that it encodes grammatically, and so on – should have a powerful effect on how we think. The suggestion that language influences thought has a long history, both inside and outside the field of linguistics. The idea is a compelling one; it's intriguing to contemplate the possibility that our minds are shaped in important ways by accidents of our native language. And not only is it a theoretically interesting idea, but if language really does affect thought, then the real-world consequences could be quite serious. Many people are concerned that politicians, advertisers, and others use language in manipulative and misleading ways. It's also been claimed that particular languages are well suited to certain purposes because of the kinds of thought they permit or encourage – or, on a more sinister note, that some languages prevent certain kinds of desirable thought, and therefore confine their speakers to a kind of mental straitjacket. If this is true, then maybe there are languages that deserve to be forgotten. Unfortunately, the true nature of the relationship between language and thought turns out to be very difficult to study, and the history of thinking about this question is littered with questionable assertions, inaccurate claims, and just plain wild speculation presented as fact. But the good news is that a substantial body of rigorous experimental work on the topic has appeared in the last few decades. In this chapter, we'll look at popular ideas about the relationship between language and thought; then we will examine some relevant experiments, asking what the evidence says about whether, and to what degree, thought is shaped by language. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis The idea that language influences thought is closely associated with Benjamin Lee Whorf, a linguist who worked in the first half of the twentieth century.
“Re-leyendo Performance, Praxis y Política”

How to have an empirical social science based on data, when the practices that produce data are under assault. The skeptics will not be silenced. Criticism comes from all sides (Koro-Ljungberg, 2016). The argument is straightforward: things, words, “become data only when theory acknowledges them as data” (St. Pierre, 2011, p. 621). In a single gesture, doubt replaces certainty, no theory, method, form of data analysis, discourse, genre or tradition has “ a universal and general claim as the ‘right’ or privileged form of authoritative knowledge (Richardson, 2000, p. 928). More is at play .
The role of sedation in endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration: Systematic review.

Background: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a minimally invasive procedure that has become an important tool in diagnosis and staging of mediastinal lymph node (LN) lesions in lung cancer. Adequate sedation is an important part of the procedure since it provides patient's comfort and potentially increases diagnostic yield. We aimed to compare deep sedation (DS) versus moderate sedation (MS) in patients undergoing EBUS-TBNA procedure. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library were searched for English studies of clinical trials comparing the two different methods of sedations in EBUS-TBNA until December 2015. The overall diagnostic yield, LN size sampling, procedural time, complication, and safety were evaluated. Results: Six studies with 3000 patients which compared two different modalities of sedation in patients performing EBUS-TBNA were included in the study. The overall diagnostic yield of DS method was 52.3%-100% and MS method was 46.1%-85.7%. The overall sensitivity of EBUS-TBNA of DS method was 98.15%-100% as compared with 80%-98.08% in MS method. The overall procedural times were 27.2-50.9 min and 20.6-44.1 min in DS and MS groups, respectively. The numbers of LN sampled were between 1.33-3.20 nodes and 1.36-2.80 nodes in DS and MS groups, respectively. The numbers of passes per LN were 3.21-3.70 passes in DS group as compared to 2.73-3.00 passes in MS group. The mean of LN size was indifferent between two groups. None of the studies included reported serious adverse events. Conclusions: Using MS in EBUS-TBNA has comparable diagnostic yield and safety profile to DS. The decision on the method of sedation for EBUS-TBNA should be individually selected based on operator experience, patient preference, as well as duration of the anticipated procedure.
The Internal Senses in Nemesius, Plotinus and Galen: the Beginning of an Idea

This study traces the notion of the internal senses in three ancient authors, namely Nemesius, Plotinus and Galen. It begins with Nemesius, and then by going backward ends with Galen. The textual evidence investigated in this study shows clearly that Galen, after acknowledging the Platonic tripartite soul, locates the various dunameis of the soul in the brain. The “localization” theory of Galen plays a crucial role in paving the way for the foundation of the internal senses, which both Plotinus and Nemesius adapted. Just as with the external senses one can locate various sense-organs in different parts of the body, viz., touch, smell, sight etc., so too with the internal senses, thanks to Galen, one is able to locate them in various organs of the body. Thus philosophers are able to explain the role of all these different (internal) senses in their account of sense-perception.
The Theory of the Firm as Governance Structure: From Choice to Contract

The propositions that organization matters and that it is susceptible to analysis were long greeted by skepticism by economists. One reason why this message took a long time to register is that it is much easier to say that organization matters than it is to show how and why. The prevalence of the science of choice approach to economics has also been an obstacle. As developed herein, the lessons of organization theory for economics are both different and more consequential when examined through the lens of contract. This paper examines economic organization from a science of contract perspective, with special emphasis on the theory of the firm.
Hydrodeoxygenation upgrading of pine sawdust bio-oil using zinc metal with zero valency

Abstract Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is an effective method for bio-oil upgrading. However, the high hydrogen consumption resulted in high bio-oil upgrading cost. In this study, an novel method of hydrogen generation from water for bio-oil HDO was reported. Zinc metal with zero valency was used to generate hydrogen through zinc hydrolysis reaction in the bio-oil HDO process. The effects of different temperatures (20 °C, 250 °C, 300 °C, 350 °C, 400 °C) on in situ bio-oil HDO was investigated. The results showed that high temperatures resulted in high hydrogen yield that led to promoted HDO activity over zinc metal-based materials. Although 20 °C bio-oil HDO process generated the highest oil phase yield at 14.07%, 400 °C bio-oil upgrading process produced upgraded bio-oil with highest hydrocarbons content at 68.95%. Physicochemical properties of raw bio-oil improved significantly after bio-oil HDO upgrading at higher temperatures (250 °C, 300 °C, 350 °C and 400 °C). The pH of upgraded bio-oils (5.70–6.49) increased significantly compared to raw bio-oil (3.24). The higher heating value of upgraded bio-oils (28.67–33.43 MJ/kg) increased significantly compared to raw bio-oil (15.54 MJ/kg), and valuable hydrocarbons content improved significantly from 16.94% in raw bio-oil to 37.86%–68.95% in upgraded bio-oils.
Remote sensing estimation of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in optically shallow waters

Abstract It is not well understood how bottom reflectance of optically shallow waters affects the algorithm performance of colored dissolved organic matters (CDOM) retrieval. This study proposes a new algorithm that considers bottom reflectance in estimating CDOM absorption from optically shallow inland or coastal waters. The field sampling was conducted during four research cruises within the Saginaw River, Kawkawlin River and Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron. A stratified field sampling campaign collected water samples, determined the depth at each sampling location and measured optical properties. The sampled CDOM absorption at 440 nm broadly ranged from 0.12 to 8.46 m−1. Field sample analysis revealed that bottom reflectance does significantly change water apparent optical properties. We developed a CDOM retrieval algorithm (Shallow water Bio-Optical Properties algorithm, SBOP) that effectively reduces uncertainty by considering bottom reflectance in shallow waters. By incorporating the bottom contribution in upwelling radiances, the SBOP algorithm was able to explain 74% of the variance of CDOM values (RMSE = 0.22 and R2 = 0.74). The bottom effect index (BEI) was introduced to efficiently separate optically shallow and optically deep waters. Based on the BEI, an adaptive approach was proposed that references the amount of bottom effect in order to identify the most suitable algorithm (optically shallow water algorithm [SBOP] or optically deep water algorithm [QAA-CDOM]) to improve CDOM estimation (RMSE = 0.22 and R2 = 0.81). Our results potentially help to advance the capability of remote sensing in monitoring carbon pools at the land-water interface.
The Laboratory for Making Things: Developing Multiple Representations of Knowledge

Writing in the context of a book on reflective practice and visualizations encourages reflection on reflection, itself. And this, in turn suggests a paradox: In actual practice, “reflecting” is at best an on-the-spot action, a knowing response to an immediate situation; but more often than not, the knowing along with the moment of reflecting disappear, transparent to and absorbed into their effective result. How then do we learn to recognize, even to see “reflective practice?” And if we do, how do we learn to reflect on these moments that have disappeared without introducing the distortions of hind-sight and “historical revisionism?” These questions or versions of them, will form a continuing and puzzling theme through all that follows.
Fourier Transform Methods in the Study of Limit Theorems in a Hilbert Space

Key words and phrases : Fourier transform of a probability measure, weak convergence, positive definite functions, Hilbert space valued random variables, S operator, Gaussian measure, infinitely divisible measures, Levy-Khintchine representation, self-decomposable, stable and semistable probability measures, domain of attraction and domain of partial attraction.
Powder Packing Density and Its Impact on SLM-Based Additive Manufacturing

Packing density of metal powders is an important aspect of additive as it directly impacts the physical and mechanical properties of printed products. In order to achieve the most efficient packing of a powder, different grades of that powder must be mixed together in such a way that we minimize the voids. Research has shown that packing the coarser grains first not only yields higher density powders but also decreases balling defects in the finished printed product. In this study, we developed a simple model that adequately predicts the volumetric fractions of different powder grades that can yield the highest powder density. The model accounts for the disparities between theoretical assumptions and experimental outcome, such as volume reduction. The model equations, based solely on void ratios and true specific gravity, will be validated experimentally and compared to other modeling efforts in literature to further prove the potency of the model.
233 Autoantibody-positive healthy individuals constrain T cell pathways to regulate autoimmune disease

Background Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity is a principal feature of individuals with an autoimmune disease, yet up to one in five healthy individuals are ANA-positive (ANA+) and will never develop overt disease. Understanding differences in immune cell physiology between ANA+healthy individuals and individuals with clinical SLE remains a critical goal in the understanding of SLE pathogenesis across ethnicities. Methods Blood specimens and information on disease activity were collected from European (EA) and African American (AA) individuals classified and matched in groups as ANA- healthy controls (n=24), ANA +healthy (n=24) or SLE patients (n=24). Single-cell analysis of cell surface markers was completed by mass cytometry on PBMCs and cellular heterogeneity was visualized using tSNE (figure 1A–B) and manual gating. Further, phospho-specific flow cytometry was used to measure basal levels of pERK, pPLCg2 and p38 and expression following CD3/CD28 (TCR) and anti-IgG and IgM (BCR) stimulation. Whole genome RNA-sequencing was performed on flow cytometry sorted T cells, B cells and monocytes from 35 matched ANA-, ANA +and SLE patients followed by weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) and pathway enrichment analyses. Results Both European and African American SLE patients were distinguished from healthy individuals by T cell proliferation (p=0.002) (figure 1C), plasmacytoid dendritic cell activation (p=0.021) and elevated stem cell factor (p=0.0003). EA ANA+healthy individuals exhibited greater immune regulation with reduced T cell numbers (p=0.002) (figure 1C), decreased activation of dendritic cells (p=0.039) and transitional B cells (0.033), and elevated expression of the inhibitory receptor CD85j (p=0.042) on specific immune cell subsets compared to ANA- healthy subjects. Further, a module associated with hematopoiesis, T cell activation and intrinsic apoptosis signaling pathways is expressed at a higher level in T cells of EA ANA+individuals. In contrast, AA ANA+healthy individuals had elevated plasma levels of IL-6 (p=0.018) and reduced inhibitory receptor expression (p=0.0089) compared to ANA- healthy controls. Gene expression modules associated with viral responses and type I IFN pathway activation were identified in AA SLE patient B cells, while similar expression modules were only found in the monocytes of European American SLE patients. Conclusions These results highlight the importance of stem cell factor and T cell expansion in SLE pathogenesis, and suggest that mechanisms of SLE pathogenesis differ by ethnicity. ANA +European Americans may have more effective regulatory mechanisms in place to prevent transition to classified autoimmune disease. Funding Source(s): This work was supported by the NIH under award numbers U54GM104938, U01AI101934, U19AI082714, and P30AR053483.
Error Rate Analysis of Physical Layer Security for Sub-6 GHz 5G Network Planning

1, This paper investigates the application of Key-based Physical Layer Security to future 5G and IoT network dimensioning, not previously considered in other works. Results indicate a Key bit Error Rate of 1% at a cell separation of 500m with a reuse of 7. A derivation for a closed form expression of the Key bit Error Rate as a function of radio network parameters is presented for a specific Precoder Matrix Index (PMI) based Physical Layer Security scheme known as MOPRO. The equation, which accounts for Rayleigh fading environments, is verified against simulated data, and shows a gain of 6dB for 1-bit codebooks over 2-bit codebooks. Also shown is a closed form statistical expression for the probability density function of the Key bit Error Rate. The expression for direct computation of Key bit Error Rate statistics points the way forward toward future physical layer security based planning in heterogeneous networks.
Assessing How Gender, Relationship Status, and Item Wording Influence Cues Used by College Students to Decline Different Sexual Behaviors

Researchers rarely examine college students' event-level refusals and how refusals may change based on sexual behavior, gender, or relationship status. As such, we assessed how sexual behavior and demographic characteristics influence cues students use to decline sexual activity. As an exploratory aim, we examined the influence of item wording (such as reading the words, not willing/non-consent vs. refusal) on how students reported declining sexual activity. A sample of 615 college students from Canada and the U.S. completed a survey; students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions that manipulated item wording (not willing/non-consent vs. refusal). Students were then prompted with four open-ended questions that asked how they refused/communicated non-consent for four sexual behaviors. An inductive coding procedure was used and five overarching themes emerged. Three themes included explicit and implicit verbal cues and two themes included explicit and implicit non-verbal cues. Wording condition (i.e., not willing/non-consent v. refusal) did not influence the types of cues reported by students. Refusal communication varied by sexual behavior and relationship status but not gender. Sexual assault prevention initiatives should include more information about the variety of refusal cues used by college students in their programming, as many of these cues are currently absent.
New AMP-forming acid:CoA ligases from Streptomyces lividans, some of which are posttranslationally regulated by reversible lysine acetylation.

In nature, organic acids are a commonly used source of carbon and energy. Many bacteria use AMP-forming acid:CoA ligases to convert organic acids into their corresponding acyl-CoA derivatives, which can then enter metabolism. The soil environment contains a broad diversity of organic acids, so it is not surprising that bacteria such as Streptomyces lividans can activate many of the available organic acids. Our group has shown that the activity of many acid:CoA ligases is posttranslationally controlled by acylation of an active-site lysine. In some cases, the modification is reversed by deacylases of different types. We identified eight new acid:CoA ligases in S. lividans TK24. Here, we report the range of organic acids that each of these enzymes can activate, and determined that two of the newly identified CoA ligases were under NAD+ -dependent sirtuin deacylase reversible lysine (de)acetylation control, four were not acetylated by two acetyltransferases used in this work, and two were acetylated but not deacetylated by sirtuin. This work provides insights into the broad organic-acid metabolic capabilities of S. lividans, and sheds light into the control of the activities of CoA ligases involved in the activation of organic acids in this bacterium.
Knowledge Base Commons (KBCommons) v1.1: a universal framework for multi-omics data integration and biological discoveries

Knowledge Base Commons (KBCommons) v1.1 is a universal and all-inclusive web-based framework providing generic functionalities for storing, sharing, analyzing, exploring, integrating and visualizing multiple organisms’ genomics and integrative omics data. KBCommons is designed and developed to integrate diverse multi-level omics data and to support biological discoveries for all species via a common platform. KBCommons has four modules including data storage, data processing, data accessing, and web interface for data management and retrieval. It provides a comprehensive framework for new plant-specific, animal-specific, virus-specific, bacteria-specific or human disease-specific knowledge base (KB) creation, for adding new genome versions and additional multi-omics data to existing KBs, and for exploring existing datasets within current KBs. KBCommons has an array of tools for data visualization and data analytics such as multiple gene/metabolite search, gene family/Pfam/Panther function annotation search, miRNA/metabolite/trait/SNP search, differential gene expression analysis, and bulk data download capacity. It contains a highly reliable data privilege management system to make users’ data publicly available easily and to share private or pre-publication data with members in their collaborative groups safely and securely. It allows users to conduct data analysis using our in-house developed workflow functionalities that are linked to XSEDE high performance computing resources. Using KBCommons’ intuitive web interface, users can easily retrieve genomic data, multi-omics data and analysis results from workflow according to their requirements and interests. KBCommons addresses the needs of many diverse research communities to have a comprehensive multi-level OMICS web resource for data retrieval, sharing, analysis and visualization. KBCommons can be publicly accessed through a dedicated link for all organisms at http://kbcommons.org/.
Short- and long-term results of alternative silviculture in peatland black spruce in Minnesota, USA

Across the boreal forest in North America, the black spruce (Picea mariana) cover type is ecologically and economically important, occupying roughly 10 percent of Minnesota’s, USA 17.4 million acres (7.0 million hectares) of forestland. Traditionally managed through clearcut regeneration harvests, alternative silvicultural systems are being increasingly used in Canada. Here, we examine the 10- and 57-year effects of six silvicultural treatments (clearcut strips, clearcut patches, thinning, group selection, single-tree selection, shelterwood) on stand structure and dynamics in lowland black spruce. Treatments were installed in 1948 in northern Minnesota, and remeasured and re-treated 10 years later. A subset of the clearcut strips, clearcut patches, and shelterwood treatments were remeasured in 2017. After 10 years, diameter growth of residual stems varied by treatment, with the shelterwood experiencing the greatest growth, and basal area increased in all but the shelterwood treatment. Over the long term, the shelterwood exhibited larger diameters and heights and greater crown ratios, basal area, structural complexity, and compositional diversity than the clearcuts. Our results suggest that managers may consider using a shelterwood instead of traditional large clearcuts to achieve increased structural and compositional diversity, particularly when eastern spruce dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum) does not necessitate a traditional clearcut. Study Implications: This research suggests that alternatives to traditional clearcutting of black spruce stands in the United States Lake States have merit and may be used by managers to achieve stands that supply additional options in the future. In stands of older ages where advance regeneration is already present, a shelterwood treatment provides a means to achieving sufficient regeneration without the use of aerial seeding while also resulting in future stands that have larger-diameter trees, greater basal area, increased structural complexity and compositional diversity, and potentially a shortened rotation age. Additionally, a shelterwood increases diameter growth on residuals to make overstory removal more economically feasible. Consideration should be given to the amount of residual growing space to reduce mortality because of wind events over the short-term, possibly by aggregating residuals.