cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PseudoBase++: an extension of PseudoBase for easy searching, formatting and visualization of pseudoknots

Pseudoknots have been recognized to be an important type of RNA secondary structures responsible for many biological functions. PseudoBase, a widely used database of pseudoknot secondary structures developed at Leiden University, contains over 250 records of pseudoknots obtained in the past 25 years through crystallography, NMR, mutational experiments and sequence comparisons. To promptly address the growing analysis requests of the researchers on RNA structures and bring together information from multiple sources across the Internet to a single platform, we designed and implemented PseudoBase++, an extension of PseudoBase for easy searching, formatting and visualization of pseudoknots. PseudoBase++ (http://pseudobaseplusplus.utep.edu) maps the PseudoBase dataset into a searchable relational database including additional functionalities such as pseudoknot type. PseudoBase++ links each pseudoknot in PseudoBase to the GenBank record of the corresponding nucleotide sequence and allows scientists to automatically visualize RNA secondary structures with PseudoViewer. It also includes the capabilities of fine-grained reference searching and collecting new pseudoknot information.
Special Diagnostic Tests and Procedures

The purpose of this article is to provide the physical therapist with a clinically useful description of diagnostic tests commonly used for patients in cardiac rehabilitation. I reviewed five diagnostic tests: coronary angiography, thallium 201 myocardial perfusion imaging, radionuclide ventriculography, echocardiography, and Holter monitoring. The procedural techniques, indications, diagnostic capabilities, limitations, and comparisons of these tests are discussed. I present the applicability of these tests relative to the therapist's roles as clinician, educator, and cardiac rehabilitation team member.
Prospects for low drive voltage LiNbO/sub 3/ broadband modulators

The progress in the development of velocity matched broadband LiNbO/sub 3/ modulators has opened new opportunities for the demonstration of low drive voltage devices at specific frequencies. This paper reviews the current status of device development and illustrates the design of low drive voltage devices.
A critique of the information asymmetry argument in the management and entrepreneurship underpricing literature

Since the last decade management researchers have actively studied the phenomenon of underpricing in initial public offerings. The information asymmetry argument derived from signaling theory is the most commonly used theoretical framework. This essay reviews how the argument is formulated in 14 prior studies published in leading management and entrepreneurship journals. Two major problems are identified: a signal is erroneously argued to have an effect on information asymmetry and the uninformed investors involved in an information asymmetry situation are either ambiguously specified or misspecified. We suggest broadening the scope of underpricing research to include alternative theoretical perspectives and to consider underpricing as an independent variable.
EARLY FENCING ON THE WESTERN MARGIN OF THE PRAIRIE

ABSTRACT The pioneers used familiar modes of fencing in order to help establish effective settlement in Nebraska and Kansas. Ordinarily they started with zigzag rail fence, but soon resorted to substitutes as timber ran short. Hedges, especially of Osage orange, became unusually important in eastern Kansas and southeastern Nebraska. Due to observance of herd law, few enclosures of any kind were made in most of Nebraska and in western Kansas before barbed wire became dominant.
Highly strained InGaAs QW VCSEL with lasing wavelength at 1.22 [micro sign]m

Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers with a highly strained InGaAs quantum well are demonstrated. Room temperature continuous wave operation was achieved, with a lasing wavelength at 1.22 µm. A high slope efficiency of 0.63 W/A and a maximum power around 1 mW were achieved.
Why civil law countries might forego the individual trustee: provocative insights from the new-to-the-fold

At the center of this article lies a decision in several civil law countries that have adopted the common law trust to restrict the office of trustee to banks and similar financial service institutions. Having had an opportunity to consider the trust anew, these countries represent a challenge to the common law where the individual – indeed the untutored individual – can still qualify as trustee (and serve in this capacity alone). This permissive common law regime obtains notwithstanding the size of the trust endowment or the number of beneficiaries whose interests might be at stake. Indeed, in some common law countries individuals can qualify as trustee not only of a personal trust (for transmission of family wealth), but also of a pension trust holding assets under a retirement plan sponsored by a large employer, or even of an indenture for holders of significant corporate debt. While it may be a rare individual who would be nominated to serve in these latter situations, nothing in the law directly precludes an individual from qualifying as sole trustee of even these trusts.
Cardiac Abnormalities Rare in Infants with ALTE

Hoki R, Bonkowsky JL, Minich LL, et al. Cardiac testing and outcomes in infants after an apparent life-threatening event. Arch Dis Child. 2012; 97( 12): 1034- 1038; doi: 10.1136/archdis-child-2012-301668[OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] Investigators from the University of Utah conducted a retrospective longitudinal cohort study to determine the prevalence and predictors of undiagnosed cardiac disease in infants presenting with an apparent life-threatening event (ALTE). The authors conducted a chart review using keywords and ICD-9 codes to identify infants <12 months of age who presented to Primary Children’s Medical Center (PMC) for an ALTE between 1999 and 2003. The medical records of study children were reviewed for presence of cardiac testing, demographics, medical history including prior ALTE, prematurity, use of rescue breaths, family history, and abnormal cardiac examination or concerning chest x-ray, with follow-up until 2009 to determine the results of any subsequent cardiac testing. The primary … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DArch%2BDis%2BChild%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1136%252Farchdischild-2012-301668%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F23012307%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=archdischild&resid=97/12/1034&atom=%2Faapgrand%2F29%2F3%2F26.atom
Peridial anatomy and pyrenomycete taxonomy

The external morphologies of the peridia of some dark-walled (sphaeriaceous) Pyreno? mycetes are described. Peridial anatomy is consistent in some groups at the ordinal or family level, but shows variation at the species level. Members ofthe Xylariaceae and Diatrypaceae have prosenchymatous peridia, whereas those of other families such as the Sordariaceae and Diaporthaceae have pseudoparenchymatous peridia. Representative species of some other families were examined and their peridial anatomy compared with the major families studied. Peridial anatomy appears to include important characters for use in pyrenomycete taxonomy.
Abstract 2090: Investigating peroxiredoxin expression, activity, and potential downstream signaling in cancerous MCF7 and normal MCF10A breast epithelial cells

Peroxiredoxins are thiol-specific antioxidant proteins that protect cells from oxidative stress. They have been implicated in cell signaling, proliferation and apoptosis, and studies have found elevated levels in many types of cancer, suggesting a protective role for these proteins in cancer cells. We previously showed that Prdx1 is overexpressed in the MCF7 breast cancer line as compared to the normal MCF10A line, and that suppression of Prdx1 and/or Prdx6 increases susceptibility to oxidative stress-induced apoptosis, with a more profound effect in MCF10A cells. In the present study, we sought to investigate other differences in peroxiredoxin expression and activity between these lines, as well as potential downstream targets. We found that mRNA levels of Prdxs1-5 were significantly elevated in MCF7 cells, while comparable levels of Prdx6 mRNA were found. A Prdx6 antibody, however, detects two bands by western blot: an upper 30-32 kDa species expressed at equal levels in both lines, and a 24-26 kDa species significantly overexpressed in MCF7 cells. An antibody specific for oxidized Prdx6 detected both products, demonstrating elevated levels in the cancer cells. Interestingly, the two species were differentially affected by siRNA-mediated Prdx1 and/or Prdx6 suppression. We further examined potential downstream targets of peroxiredoxin-regulated signaling. The two lines showed relatively comparable levels of p38, JNK1, ERK2, and c-Abl1b mRNA. In contrast, ERK1 mRNA levels were higher in MCF7 cells, while c-Abl1a was expressed only in the normal line. Peroxiredoxin suppression by siRNA transfection had no significant effect on p38, ERK1, or ERK2 in either cell type, but did lead to a decrease in c-Abl and JNK1 expression differentially in the two lines. Together, these data suggest different roles for Prdx1 and Prdx6 in normal vs. cancerous breast epithelial cells. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2090. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2090
Model Reduction and Interpolation Methods in Uncertainty Quantification

To properly answer these questions, one must characterize and quantify the uncertainties inherent in the model and its predictions. The last decade has seen the emergence and growth of methods and procedures for uncertainty quantification for computer simulations. Techniques for calibrating models to available measurement data, propagating uncertainties from model inputs to model outputs, and accurately interpolating model predictions to untried input parameters are meant to instill confidence that a given simulation has some predictive capability.
A case of Sparganum mansoni infection induced by eating live frogs

A case of Sparganum mansoni infection induced by having live frogs in other city was reported in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province. The patient was treated with praziquantel and the effect was satisfactory.
Fur trade era blacksmith shops at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, North Dakota

Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, North Dakota, represents the major outpost of the American Fur Company on the Upper Missouri between 1829 and 1867. Seven seasons of archaeological excavations conducted at the site for the purpose of obtaining structural information about the fort prior to reconstruction produced a variety of blacksmithing tools and features. Historical and field data indicate that four different locations were occupied by the blacksmith shops during the fort’s existence. The present discussion is concerned with the structural layout and associated artifacts recovered from the 1850s blacksmith shop and the final smithy, built by the U.S. Army in 1864.
Microcomputer-aided structural analysis

The recent expansion in computer power available with microcomputers has yet to be fully utilized by the structural engineer for teaching or production. A package of microcomputer based structural analysis programs called SAM (Structural Analysis by Microcomputer) is presented. A review of the direct stiffness method of structural analysis and a description of SAM demonstrates its advantages.
Placebo, meaning, and randomised trials

Keywords: Biomedical research; communication; controlled clinical trials; double-blind method; patient-centred care; physician–patient relations; placebo; placebo effect; randomised controlled trials; treatment outcome
Ti(IV) and the Siderophore Desferrioxamine B: A Tight Complex Has Biological and Environmental Implications

The siderophore desferrioxamine B (DFOB) binds Ti(IV) tightly and precludes its hydrolytic precipitation under biologically and environmentally relevant conditions. This interaction of DFOB with Ti(IV) is investigated by using spectro-potentiometric and spectro-photometric titrations, mass spectrometry, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and computational modeling. The data from pH 2–10 suggest two one-proton equilibria among three species, with one species predominating below pH 3.5, a second from pH 3.5 to 8, and a third above pH 8. The latter species is prone to slow hydrolytic precipitation. Electrospray mass spectrometry allowed the detection of [Ti(IV) (HDFOB)]2+ and [Ti(DFOB)]+; these species were assigned as the pH < 3.5 and the 3.5 < pH < 8 species, respectively. The stability constant for Ti(IV)-DFOB was determined by using UV/vis-monitored competition with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Taking into consideration the available binding constant of Ti(IV) and EDTA, the data reveal va...
Cone-beam computed tomography vs conventional radiography in visualization of maxillary impacted-canine localization: A systematic review of comparative studies

Introduction We systematically reviewed observational, experimental, and diagnostic accuracy studies to assess the comparisons between cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and conventional radiography (CR) in the localization of maxillary impacted canines. Methods An open-ended electronic search of PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest, and other databases for both published and unpublished articles up to May 2016 was performed. The reference lists of the included studies were screened. Two authors performed the searches with no language restrictions. The research questions were outlined based on a hierarchical model. The primary outcomes were diagnostic accuracy, level of intermodalities agreement, effect of these images on treatment planning and treatment outcomes, and societal efficacy between the CBCT and CR in the localization of impacted canines. Two reviewers evaluated the risk of bias assessment by using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool and the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Results Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Two studies reported diagnostic accuracy, 6 reported intermodalities agreement in impacted canine localization, and 3 reported treatment planning agreement between the modalities. No therapeutic and societal efficacy study found. The accuracy of CBCT ranged from 50% to 95%, and the accuracy of CR ranged from 39% to 85%. A wide range of kappa intermodalities agreement from 0.20 to 0.82, with observed agreement of 64% to 84%, was reported in canine localization. Broad kappa treatment planning agreement values from 0.36 to 0.72 were reported. Most studies suffered from a high risk of bias in subject selection. Conclusions The fair to moderate intermodalities agreement in maxillary canine localization might mean that the information obtained through these modalities is deviant and ultimately might affect treatment planning. Although there is still a lack of strong evidence, CBCT is more effective than CR in evaluating cases that are difficult to diagnose in the initial evaluation with CR. Funding No funding was received for this study.
Converting Alkali Lignin to Biofuels over NiO/HZSM‐5 Catalysts Using a Two‐Stage Reactor

A series of NiO/HZSM-5 catalysts were used to convert alkali lignin to hydrocarbon biofuels in a two-stage catalytic pyrolysis system. The results indicated that all NiO/HZSM-5 catalysts reduced the content of undesirable phenols, furans, and alcohols of the biofuel compared to non-catalytic treatment. The NiO/HZSM-5 catalyst with the lowest amount of NiO generated the highest biofuel yield in all catalytic treatments, and it also produced biofuel with the highest content of hydrocarbons. The emission of carbon oxides (CO and CO2) increased in the treatments with higher-NiO loading HZSM-5 due to the redox reaction between NiO and the oxygenated compounds in the bio-oil. Ni2SiO4 was generated in the used NiO/HZSM-5 catalysts during the high-temperature pyrolysis process.
Comparative lytic efficacy of rt-PA and ultrasound in porcine versus human clots.

INTRODUCTION Porcine thrombi are employed routinely in preclinical models of ischemic stroke. In this study, we examined the differential lytic susceptibility of porcine and human whole blood clots with and without the use of microbubbles and ultrasound (US) as an adjuvant. MATERIALS AND METHODS An in vitro system equipped with time-lapse microscopy was used to evaluate recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator (rt-PA) lysis of porcine and human clots in the same species or cross species plasma. Human and porcine whole blood clots were treated with rt-PA and an echo contrast agent, Definity®, and exposed to intermittent 120 kHz US. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The rt-PA lytic efficacy observed for porcine clots in porcine plasma was 22 times lower than for human clots in human plasma reported previously. Further, porcine clots did not exhibit increased lysis with adjuvant Definity® and US exposure. However, the rt-PA lytic susceptibility of the porcine clots in human plasma was similar to that of human clots in human plasma. Human clots perfused with porcine plasma did not respond to rt-PA, but adjuvant use of Definity® and US enhanced lysis. These results reveal considerable differences in lytic susceptibility of porcine clots and human clots to rt-PA. The use of porcine clot models to test new human thrombolytic therapies may necessitate modulation of coagulation and thrombolytic factors to reflect human hemostasis accurately.
Restricting Choices: Decision Making, the Market Society, and the Forgotten Entrepreneur

Basing their claims on findings in the behavioral sciences that illuminate cognitive deficiencies, scholars spanning multiple disciplines argue that certain features of free market capitalist societies threaten human wellbeing, especially insofar as such societies are marked by a proliferation of consumer choices and incessant demands on decision making. This paper thus attempts three things. First, it outlines the criticisms of the expansive freedoms found in free market societies, based on those findings, in order to provide a reliable overview of the shape of the critics’ concerns. Second, it surveys typical objections to these critics’ concerns, while also taking note of actual and anticipated counter-responses, in order to demonstrate why the debate about the value of those freedoms is not settled by those objections. Third, it argues that one objection remains that demands further debate and consideration before the critics’ choice restrictions should materialize. Namely, since there is solid evidence that entrepreneurship contributes to overall happy and healthy societies, and since the benefits of entrepreneurship are best realized in the types of societies marked by more expansive freedoms than the critics would countenance, the critics, who are concerned with general wellbeing, ought to consider the impact of their choice-restricting proposals on entrepreneurship. This paper does not claim that these critics offer baseless concerns about various threats to our wellbeing that arise from ample exercises of liberty, but it does argue that recognizing the role that entrepreneurship plays in fostering such wellbeing severely dampens the force of their implications for liberty.
Examining Differences in Bias Homicide Across Victim Groups

Little is known about how situations of bias homicide might vary dependent upon who is targeted. Drawing from doing difference theory, we comparatively examine several event-level variables for bia...
Exercise behavior and gender-related differences in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms

Abstract Objectives Exercise has been proposed as a potential treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the relationship between exercise, gender, and PTSD symptoms is unknown. Design This study examined the cross-sectional relationship among these variables in a national sample of 165 men and women who screened positive for PTSD. Method Participants completed an online survey consisting of the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire and the PTSD Checklist-Civilian. Results Active participants had significantly lower PTSD symptoms than insufficiently active participants. Significant interactions between gender and exercise for PTSD symptoms were found, such that active men had significantly lower PTSD symptoms than active women, and insufficiently active men and women. Additionally, strenuously active men reported significantly lower hyperarousal symptoms than strenuously active women, and insufficiently active men and women. Conclusion Findings suggest that the relationship between PTSD and exercise may differ for specific sub-populations of individuals with PTSD, such as men and women.
CARD Group: Mutually Reinforcing Institutions

CARD (Center for Agricultural and Rural Development) is a Philippines-based microfinance organization that began as an NGO and has since expanded into eight related entities providing services to the poor. Under Founding Director Dr. Aristotle Alip's leadership, CARD has become one of the top microfinance institutions in the world. More recently, larger commercial and financial institutions are seeking a slice of the microfinance market. The main dilemma Dr. Alip faces is: Should he partner with commercial institutions to reap benefits from their larger sources of capital and technology expertise? Would that mean compromising his original mission of elevating people from the base of the pyramid? Learning Objective: Case examines key strategic choices facing the head of a multi-business social enterprise in the Philippines.
Intermediate Filaments at the Junction of Mechanotransduction, Migration, and Development.

Mechanically induced signal transduction has an essential role in development. Cells actively transduce and respond to mechanical signals and their internal architecture must manage the associated forces while also being dynamically responsive. With unique assembly-disassembly dynamics and physical properties, cytoplasmic intermediate filaments play an important role in regulating cell shape and mechanical integrity. While this function has been recognized and appreciated for more than 30 years, continually emerging data also demonstrate important roles of intermediate filaments in cell signal transduction. In this review, with a particular focus on keratins and vimentin, the relationship between the physical state of intermediate filaments and their role in mechanotransduction signaling is illustrated through a survey of current literature. Association with adhesion receptors such as cadherins and integrins provides a critical interface through which intermediate filaments are exposed to forces from a cell’s environment. As a consequence, these cytoskeletal networks are posttranslationally modified, remodeled and reorganized with direct impacts on local signal transduction events and cell migratory behaviors important to development. We propose that intermediate filaments provide an opportune platform for cells to both cope with mechanical forces and modulate signal transduction.
Application of the Intervention Mapping Framework to Develop an Integrated Twenty-first Century Core Curriculum—Part Two: Translation of MPH Core Competencies into an Integrated Theory-Based Core Curriculum

In the 21st Century, the dynamics of health and healthcare are changing, necessitating a commitment to revising traditional public health curricula to better meet present day challenges. This paper describes how the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida utilized the Intervention Mapping framework to translate revised core competencies into an integrated, theory-driven core curriculum to meet the training needs of the 21st century public health scholar and practitioner. This process resulted in the development of four sequenced courses: History and Systems of Public Health and Population Assessment I delivered in the first semester and Population Assessment II and Translation to Practice delivered in the second semester. While the transformation process, moving from traditional public health core content to an integrated and innovative curriculum, is a challenging and daunting task, Intervention Mapping provides the ideal framework for guiding this process. Intervention mapping walks the curriculum developers from the broad goals and objectives to the finite details of a lesson plan. Throughout this process, critical lessons were learned, including the importance of being open to new ideologies and frameworks and the critical need to involve key-stakeholders in every step of the decision-making process to ensure the sustainability of the resulting integrated and theory-based curriculum. Ultimately, as a stronger curriculum emerged, the developers and instructors themselves were changed, fostering a stronger public health workforce from within.
Abstract 18626: Quadratic Regression Reveals an Accelerated Age-related Decline of Maximal Heart Rate in those with Low and Moderate Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Background: Maximal heart rate (HRmax) obtained from an exercise test provides important prognostic information (chronotropic incompetence). Interpretation of HRmax has typically been derived from age-predicted linear regression equations, such as 220-age with large standard error of estimates of ~ ± 10-12 bpm. Recent investigations, with quadratic regression analyses, suggest a more rapid decline in HRmax may occur in older adults. However, a limitation in those studies was a lack of an objective indicator of maximal exercise test effort and consideration of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) as a potential influence of this age-related change. Methods: Cardiopulmonary treadmill exercise tests (respiratory exchange ratio ≥1.0 and measured VO 2max ) from participants (1161 men, 1070 women; not using HR altering medications) of a university based health-assessment/fitness program were studied. Individuals were categorized into CRF categories (high [A], moderate [B], and low [C]) relative to age and gender normative VO 2max classifications. Quadratic regression analyses were compared to linear equations to assess the age-related decline in HRmax by CRF category. Results: There was little improvement in R 2 ( Conclusion: These findings demonstrate HRmax is blunted in older individuals with low and moderate CRF. This suggests a possibility of greater likelihood of chronotropic incompetence, which should be explored in future studies.
Purification and Partial Characterization of α-N-Acetylgalactosaminidase from Porcine Liver

α-N-Acetylgalactosaminidase is an unusual lysosomal glycosidase in that no genetic abnormality involving this enzyme has been discovered. It was discovered many years ago, when Freudenberg and Eichel (1) found that extracts of the hepatopancreas from the snail Helix pomatia inactivated blood group A substance with the release of N-acetylhexosamine and galactose. Cell-free extracts of the flagellate Trichomonas foetus were also observed to contain activity that destroyed blood group A-active glycoprotein (2). Subsequent studies with partially purified preparations from these sources indicated that the loss of serological activity was accompanied by the concomitant liberation of terminal N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) residues (3,4). Terminal GalNAc residues were also released from desialized sheep submaxillary mucin by enzyme fractions from various animal sources (5–7) and Clostridium perfringens (8).
Interferometry in the Nonlinear Spectroscopy of Gases

It is well known that using a Michelson interferometer to obtain spectroscopic information in a domain Fourier-conjugate to the spectral domain, and then Fourier transforming the data to obtain a spectrum,1 can have significant advantages over measuring the same spectrum directly in the spectral domain. Fourier transform infrared absorption and emission spectroscopy,2 Fourier transform UV/visible absorption and emission spectroscopy,3 and Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy4 are examples of methods for which such advantages obtain. Recently, there has been increasing interest in applying some of the interferometric techniques used in these linear spectroscopies to nonlinear spectroscopic schemes. For example, Hartmann, et al.,5 Golub and Mossberg,6 and Morita, et al.7 have reported results of experiments in which interferometric versions of fully resonant four-wave mixing were used to resolve level splittings in atoms.
ICU EEG monitoring for acute seizures and status epilepticus

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews that cEEG monitoring is a powerful tool in the critical care of patients with status epilepticus. It provides real-time assessment of intensive treatments to stop seizures and management of brain function during a life-threatening illness. It discusses that patient in status epilepticus present a variety of presenting illnesses, including acute brain injury; central nervous system infection; acute intoxication; and acute withdrawal from intoxication, acute renal and electrolyte abnormalities, and endocrine emergencies. This broad etiological basis suggests that status epilepticus can be triggered by a variety of insults or is a fundamental response by the brain to acute injury to the brain that results from a metabolic or neurochemical alteration in the brain. The chapter reviews that understanding the treatment modalities that will result in identification and successful treatment of status epilepticus is vitally important to treating the critically ill neurologic patients.
Ultra-High Pressure (>30,000 psi) Packing of Capillary Columns Enhancing Depth of Shotgun Proteomic Analyses.

Extreme sample complexity is an inherent challenge in shotgun proteomics that positions quality of chromatographic separations as one of the key determinants of attainable proteome coverage. In search of better separations, macroscopic physical characteristics of capillary columns, i.e., length and properties of stationary phase particles, are typically considered and optimized, while significance of packing bed morphology is frequently underappreciated. Here, we describe a technology that enables packing of capillary columns at excess of 30,000 psi and demonstrate that such columns exhibit reduced backpressure and remarkably reproducible chromatographic performance, improved on average by 23%. These enhancements afford up to 35% increase in the depth of commonplace bottom-up proteomic analyses, owning to augmented sensitivity and resolution of peptide separations and improvements in spectral quality. Our findings strongly corroborate advantages of ultra-high pressure packing of capillary columns for dive...
Extending the MNREAD sentence corpus: Computer-generated sentences for measuring visual performance in reading

The MNREAD chart consists of standardized sentences printed at 19 sizes in 0.1 logMAR steps. There are 95 sentences distributed across the five English versions of the chart. However, there is a demand for a much larger number of sentences: for clinical research requiring repeated measures, and for new vision tests that use multiple trials at each print size. This paper describes a new sentence generator that has produced over nine million sentences that fit the MNREAD constraints, and demonstrates that reading performance with these new sentences is comparable to that obtained with the original MNREAD sentences. We measured reading performance with the original MNREAD sentences, two sets of our new sentences, and sentences with shuffled word order. Reading-speed versus print-size curves were obtained for each sentence set from 14 readers with normal vision at two levels of blur (intended to simulate acuity loss in low vision) and with unblurred text. We found no significant differences between the new and original sentences in reading acuity and critical print size across all levels of blur. Maximum reading speed was 7% slower with the new sentences than with the original sentences. Shuffled sentences yielded slower maximum reading speeds and larger reading acuities than the other sentences. Overall, measures of reading performance with the new sentences are similar to those obtained with the original MNREAD sentences. Our sentence generator substantially expands the reading materials for clinical research on reading vision using the MNREAD test, and opens up new possibilities for measuring how text parameters affect reading.
Learning with naturalistic odor representations in a dynamic model of the Drosophila olfactory system

Many odor receptors in the insect olfactory system are broadly tuned, yet insects can form associative memories that are odor-specific. The key site of associative olfactory learning in insects, the mushroom body, contains a population of Kenyon Cells (KCs) that form sparse representations of odor identity and enable associative learning of odors by mushroom body output neurons (MBONs). This architecture is well suited to odor-specific associative learning if KC responses to odors are uncorrelated with each other, however it is unclear whether this hold for actual KC representations of natural odors. We introduce a dynamic model of the Drosophila olfactory system that predicts the responses of KCs to a panel of 110 natural and monomolecular odors, and examine the generalization properties of associative learning in model MBONs. While model KC representations of odors are often quite correlated, we identify mechanisms by which odor-specific associative learning is still possible.
Computational Analysis of Unsteady Swirling Flow Around a Decelerating Rotating Porous Disk in Nanofluid

Here, we analyze the unsteady nanofluid flow triggered around a decelerating (permeable) rotating disk immersed in an otherwise calm environment. The present model assumes that disk angular velocity follows inversely linear time dependency. By following a similarity approach, the distributions of velocity and thermal fields above the disk are estimated numerically for six nanoparticle materials, namely Ag, Cu, CuO, Fe3O4, TiO2 and Al2O3. The solutions involve a dimensionless parameter $$S$$ measuring the decay rate of the disk angular velocity. We primarily focus on how solid volume fraction affects the key physical attributes, namely resisting torque, volumetric flow rate and cooling rate when unsteady action of the disk is present. Similar to pure fluid flow, there exists a critical unsteady parameter $$S = S^{*}$$ which corresponds to the free disk requiring no torque. For some range of $$S$$ , flow field surrounding the disk revolves faster than the disk itself. Similar to the steady-state case, suction seems to contribute vitally toward heat transfer enhancement of nanoparticle working fluid. Radial and circular motions around the disk diminish, and axial velocity becomes uniform when disk is subjected to sufficient amount of suction.
The Coexistence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Workers With Trigger Digit.

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in workers with trigger digit. There are few cross-sectional studies that assess this relat...
PermCNN : Energy-Efficient Convolutional Neural Network Hardware Architecture With Permuted Diagonal Structure

In the emerging artificial intelligence (AI) era, efficient hardware accelerator design for deep neural networks (DNNs) is very important to enable real-time energy-efficient DNN model deployment. To this end, various DNN model compression approaches and the corresponding hardware architectures have been intensively investigated. Recently, PermDNN , as a permuted diagonal structure-imposing model compression approach, was proposed with promising classification performance and hardware performance. However, the existing PermDNN hardware architecture is specifically designed for fully-connected (FC) layer-contained DNN models; while its support for convolutional (CONV) layer is missing. To fill this gap, this article proposes PermCNN , an energy-efficient hardware architecture for permuted diagonal structured convolutional neural networks (CNNs). By fully utilizing the strong structured sparsity in the trained models as well as dedicatedly leveraging the dynamic activation sparsity, PermCNN delivers very high hardware performance for inference tasks on CNN models. A design example with 28 nm CMOS technology shows that, compared the to state-of-the-art CNN accelerator, PermCNN achieves 3.74× and 3.11× improvement on area and energy efficiency, respectively, on AlexNet workload, and 17.49× and 14.22× improvement on area and energy efficiency, respectively, on VGG model. After including energy consumption incurred by DRAM access, PermCNN achieves 2.60× and 9.62× overall energy consumption improvement on AlexNet and VGG workloads, respectively.
Assessing sensorimotor control of the lumbopelvic-hip region using task-based functional MRI.

We demonstrated the feasibility of using task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) protocols for acquiring the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response of key sensorimotor cortex ...
Drawing on the brain: An ALE meta-analysis of functional brain activation during drawing

Abstract Art therapy researchers and practitioners are increasingly interested in the brain mechanisms underlying art therapy, an investigation area associated with almost no neuroimaging research. Lusebrink (2010) hypothesized that expression at different levels of the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) would be supported by different patterns of functional brain activation. In the current study, we tested Lusebrink’s (2010) hypotheses through an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of past neuroimaging research as participants engaged in different drawing tasks. Results supported our predictions that cognitive drawing, operationalized by internally-cued drawing stimuli or objective drawing content, would be associated with activation of the prefrontal and cingulate cortices. However, results failed to support our predictions that perceptual drawing, operationalized by externally-cued drawing stimuli and nonobjective drawing content, would be associated with activation of the ventral visual pathway in the temporal lobe. Perceptual drawing was associated with cerebellum, frontal, and parietal lobe activation (including the motor and somatosensory cortices). The dorsal visual pathway, largely in the parietal lobe, was engaged during cognitive and perceptual drawing. Our findings on patterns of brain activation can inform broader neuroscientific conceptualizations of the ETC framework and future directions for art therapy research and practice.
Characterization of the Relationship of Inotuzumab Ozogamicin Exposure With Efficacy and Safety End Points in Adults With Relapsed or Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Inotuzumab ozogamicin (InO), an anti-CD22 monoclonal antibody conjugated to calicheamicin, is approved in Europe and the United States for treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Population analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between InO exposure and efficacy and safety end points in patients with ALL. The probability of achieving complete remission/complete remission with incomplete hematologic recovery (CR/CRi) and minimal residual disease (MRD)-negativity for InO relative to chemotherapy was also investigated. Data from study 1010 (NCT01363297) and INO-VATE (NCT01564784) were pooled for exposure-response (InO, n = 234) and treatment-response (InO, n = 234; chemotherapy, n = 143) analyses. The analyses demonstrated that InO exposure was significantly correlated with achieving CR/CRi and MRD-negativity, as well as with hepatic event adjudication board-reported veno-occlusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction. Patients with ALL treated with InO had significantly greater odds of achieving CR/CRi (7-times higher) and MRD-negativity (13-times higher) than those receiving chemotherapy.
Frameworks Proposed to Address the Threat of Cyber-Physical Attacks to Lean 4.0 Systems

Abstract The rise of Industry 4.0 has urged scholars to pursue the possibility of integrating these novel technologies with traditional manufacturing practices such as Lean and Six Sigma. However, the main obstacle in the way to achieve such a vision is the concerns arising from the increasing number of cyber-physical attacks. Even though there is a sizable amount of research already been done on such integration, the cybersecurity concerns regarding that have been mainly overlooked. Thus, this paper aims at exploring and bridging such a gap by proposing effective and robust frameworks. Three main frameworks were established: 1) A game theory-based one with the ability to determine optimal counter-measures in response to the attacks, 2) A predictive framework based on data analytics capable of detecting imminent attacks; and 3) A framework based on optimal resource allocation and selection strategy which is capable of reducing the damage through mitigating the post-attack effects. The supporting conceptual frameworks and mathematical models have also been provided. Applying these frameworks to I4.0 system will eliminate waste that could be generated from machine downtime and defects in products. Thus, achieving the core idea of lean manufacturing and facilitating the emergence of Lean 4.0 system.
The most efficient metazoan swimmer creates a 'virtual wall' to enhance performance

It has been well documented that animals (and machines) swimming or flying near a solid boundary get a boost in performance. This ground effect is often modelled as an interaction between a mirrored pair of vortices represented by a true vortex and an opposite sign 'virtual vortex' on the other side of the wall. However, most animals do not swim near solid surfaces and thus near body vortex-vortex interactions in open-water swimmers have been poorly investigated. In this study, we examine the most energetically efficient metazoan swimmer known to date, the jellyfish Aurelia aurita, to elucidate the role that vortex interactions can play in animals that swim away from solid boundaries. We used high-speed video tracking, laser-based digital particle image velocimetry (dPIV) and an algorithm for extracting pressure fields from flow velocity vectors to quantify swimming performance and the effect of near body vortex-vortex interactions. Here, we show that a vortex ring (stopping vortex), created underneath the animal during the previous swim cycle, is critical for increasing propulsive performance. This well-positioned stopping vortex acts in the same way as a virtual vortex during wall-effect performance enhancement, by helping converge fluid at the underside of the propulsive surface and generating significantly higher pressures which result in greater thrust. These findings advocate that jellyfish can generate a wall-effect boost in open water by creating what amounts to a 'virtual wall' between two real, opposite sign vortex rings. This explains the significant propulsive advantage jellyfish possess over other metazoans and represents important implications for bio-engineered propulsion systems.
Distinct cytokines predict response to immunotherapy and targeted therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

352Background: Previous studies have suggested a link between plasma cytokines and mRCC outcomes with systemic therapy. In a prospective study, we assessed whether plasma cytokines could separately...
Effects of supplementation on intake and growth of nursing calves grazing native range in southeastern North Dakota

A 2-yr study was conducted to determine the first limiting nutrient for gain in nursing calves grazing native range in southeastern North Dakota. Thirty-two calves (20 steers, 12 heifers) in Trial 1 (169 +/- 5 kg initial BW) and 31 (16 steers, 15 heifers) in Trial 2 (214 +/- 5 kg initial BW) grazed common pastures. Calves were blocked by sex and stratified by weight. Calves were stratified by age of dam in Trial 1 and by pretrial milk intake (MI) in Trial 2. Treatments were nonsupplemented control (CON); energy supplement (ENERGY; 100% soyhulls); degradable intake protein supplement (DIP; 68% soyhulls, 32% SBM); and degradable with undegradable intake protein supplement (DIP+UIP; 80% sulfite-liquor treated SBM, 16% feather meal, 4% blood meal). In Trial 2, 5% molasses was added to all supplements with the ratios of other ingredients held constant. Supplements were formulated to be similar in NE. The DIP and DIP+UIP supplements supplied equal amounts of degradable protein. Supplemented calves were fed individually, with similar supplement DMI. Weight and MI were measured in July, August, and September. Forage intake (FI) was measured in July, August, and September of Trial 1 and July and August of Trial 2. Gain data were analyzed as a randomized complete block and MI and FI as a split-plot in time. Orthogonal contrasts were used to separate means and included CON vs supplemented, ENERGY vs protein, and DIP vs DIP+UIP. No trial effect or trial x treatment interactions (minimum P-value = 0.30) were detected for ADG. Supplemented calves gained faster than CON (P = 0.06). No other contrast differences were observed (minimum P-value = 0.50). Treatment did not affect FI (P > or = 0.55). Forage intake was lower (P < 0.001) in Trial 1 than in Trial 2. A linear increase (P = 0.0001) in FI (kg OM/d and percentage BW) occurred over time. Calves in Trial 2 consumed more (P = 0.004) fluid milk than calves in Trial 1, though no difference (P = 0.28) was observed relative to BW. No treatment or period differences were detected for fluid MI (minimum P-value = 0.23). Relative to BW, MI declined linearly (P = 0.0001) with successive periods. Energy may be limiting weight gain of nursing calves grazing native range in southeastern North Dakota.
Rankings, accreditation, and the international quest for quality

Purpose – This paper seeks to analyze the internationalization of quality practices in higher education. In light of insufficient theorization about quality in the global dimension, the paper presents a model for value construction in higher education. Design/methodology/approach – The authors reviewed different models for quality in higher education vis-a-vis emerging international quality practices in higher education. Findings – After reviewing quality models and international quality practices, the authors argue that, in order to evaluate and improve quality in higher education, a model of value in higher education that connects quality with relevance, access, and investment is necessary. Research limitations/implications – Thus far, quality in higher education has been explored in isolation from access, relevance, and investment. The integrative approach suggested here may prove generative for researchers and help address complex educational interrogations. Practical implications – Higher education l...
Nutrition and postpartum rebreeding in cattle

Body weight and condition score, although perhaps imprecise or subjective, are functional indicators of energy status and rebreeding performance after calving. Inadequate precalving and(or) postcalving energy or protein nutrition lowers pregnancy rates as well as first-service conception rates and extends postpartum intervals in suckled postpartum beef females. Normal nutritional regimens for dairy cows that are fed for maximal lactation do not exhibit long postpartum intervals or reduced fertility. Yet excessive protein intake may depress postpartum rebreeding performance, especially in older dairy cows. Feeding of ionophores, with increased ruminal propionate levels in the rumen, results in an earlier return to estrus postpartum. Underfeeding of the postpartum cow extends the period of ovarian inactivity. The underfed postpartum cow's lack of ovarian activity appears to be due to a suppression of the pulsatile release of LH from the anterior pituitary gland, which in turn is controlled by release of GnRH from the hypothalamus. Some metabolic compound(s) presumably act on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis as the nutritional state of the animal is altered.