cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling the ductile damage process in commercially pure titanium

Abstract This paper presents a constitutive model, which combines the models proposed by Stewart and Cazacu (2011) and Zhou et al. (2014), to describe the ductile damage process in a commercially pure titanium (CP Ti) and to simulate its mechanical response. In particular, a Gurson-type porous material model is modified by coupling two damage parameters, accounting for the void damage and the shear damage respectively, into the yield function and the flow potential. The plastic anisotropy and tension–compression asymmetry exhibited by CP Ti are accounted for by a plasticity model based on the linear transformation of the stress deviator. The theoretical model is implemented in the general purpose finite element software ABAQUS via a user defined subroutine and calibrated using experimental data. Good comparisons are observed between model predictions and experimental results for a series of specimens in different orientations and experiencing a wide range of stress states.
Bile acid metabolism in cirrhosis. IV. Characterization of the abnormality in deoxycholic acid metabolism.

Several recent studies have demonstrated that patients with cirrhosis frequently lack deoxycholic acid in bile and plasma. In order to explain this observation, comparative experiments on the colonic absorption of deoxycholic acid and on the colonic conversion of cholic to deoxycholic acid were carried out in cirrhotic patients with normal and very low percentages of deoxycholic acid. Deoxycholic or cholic acid (100 mg) plus 5 μc of each [14C]bile acid were administered by enema to 8 patients with and 5 without liver disease. Deoxycholic acid produced a significant increase in the percentage of biliary deoxycholic acid in patients with cirrhosis. However, the rate of appearance of 14C-deoxycholic acid in patients with cirrhosis was slower than in normal control subjects. Distribution of the 14C activity among the bile acids indicated that rehydroxylation of deoxycholic to cholic acid did not occur. The distribution of 14C activity in biliary bile acids after the rectal administration of [14C]cholic acid showed that patients with severe cirrhosis converted [14C]cholic to [14C]deoxycholic acid at a much slower rate than did cirrhotic patients with normal percentages of biliary deoxycholic acid. Feeding of cholic acid (450 mg per day) for 3 days to 4 cirrhotic patients resulted in a 2-fold increase in the percentage of biliary cholic acid, but only a small increase in the percentage of deoxycholic acid. In a separate group of 9 cirrhotic patients, fecal bile acid analysis indicated that cirrhotic patients had a significantly lower percentage of deoxycholic acid than 12 patients without liver disease; there was no significant difference in fecal lithocholic acid. The data suggest that alteration of bacterial flora and/or altered conditions for bacterial 7α-dehydroxylase enzyme activity in the colon could account for the virtual absence of biliary deoxycholic acid in severely cirrhotic patients.
Real-world impact of comparative effectiveness research findings on clinical practice

Objectives Unprecedented funding for comparative effectiveness research (CER) to help provide better evidence for decision making as a way to lower costs and improve quality is under way. Yet how research findings are adopted and applied will impact the nation's return on this investment. We examine the relationship between the publication of findings from 4 seminal CER trials, the release of subsequent clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), and utilization trends for associated surgical interventions, diagnostic interventions, or medications. Study design Retrospective, observational study. Methods Using a large national administrative claims database, we examined time series utilization trends before and after publication of findings from 4 CER trials published within the last decade. Results We found no clear pattern of utilization in the first 4 quarters after publication. However, we found that results for 2 of the studies were in concert with the release of CPGs and publication of study results. The trend in intensive statin therapy rose rapidly starting at the end of 2007, while the trend in standard therapy remained relatively constant (PROVE-IT). And, 9 months after trial publication, breast magnetic resolution imaging (MRI) utilization rates rose 43.2%, from 0.033 to 0.048 per 100 enrollees (Mammography With MRI). Conclusions Our analysis of 4 case studies supports the call others have made to translate and disseminate CER findings to improve application of research findings to clinical practice and the need for continued development and dissemination of CPGs that serve to synthesize research findings and guide practitioners in clinical decision making. Further research is needed to determine whether these findings apply to different medical topics.
CHAPTER 6 – Overview of Pathology and Treatment of Intramedullary Spinal Cord Metastases

Intramedullary spinal cord metastases (ISCM) are an infrequent complication of systemic cancer, affecting only 0.5–2.0% of all patients. They represent 8.5% of all central nervous system metastases and 1–3% of all intramedullary spinal cord tumors. Dexamethasone should be administered to all patients after the diagnosis of ISCM. Surgical resection can be considered for patients with well-controlled disease and good neurological function, especially if the tumor has clear histological margins and cleavage planes. Radiation therapy is the mainstay of treatment for most patients, with doses of 30–40 Gy delivered over 3-4 weeks. Chemotherapy can be administered to patients with ISCM from chemosensitive tumors, in combination with irradiation or as solitary treatment.
The Dynamics of eWOM and Business Outcomes: An Empirical Investigation of the Impact of Social Media on Box Office Revenue

This study examines how online conversations as electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) information via social media networks after business outcomes. Using data from movie industry, our goal is to show how conversation quantity and quality, defined here as volumes and valence of conversations, on social network sites affect important business outcomes such as sales. Using a dynamic simultaneous equation system, we find that social media conversations can be precursor to and an outcome of sales. Aggregate data from multiple sources show how social media variables and other key variables—volume, valence, and other information related to movies such as YouTube movie trailer views, ratings, advertising, production budget, number of screens—contribute to box office and home video sales through eWOM via social media. Findings highlight that eWOM volume correlates with box office performance and home video sales: the more positive and strong the conversation, the higher the box office and home video sales. The study extends prior research on WOM and offers insight into how film studios can strategically manage social media to enhance box office and home video sales revenue.
Voluntary Disclosure Commitment and Firm Investment

Theory suggests a commitment to voluntary disclosure may improve firm investment over time. Our findings support this argument. We document that voluntary disclosure commitment is associated with the more profitable exercise of firm investment opportunities. Additionally, prior research hypothesizes that voluntary disclosure can reduce both under- and over-investment. We document that commitment to voluntary disclosure is associated with greater investment efficiency. Results are robust to controls for accounting quality and other determinants of investment efficiency, as well as adjustments for endogeneity in the voluntary disclosure decision. Together, our findings highlight the benefits of voluntary disclosure commitment as they pertain to firm investment.
Insufficient developmental excitatory neuronal activity fails to foster establishment of normal levels of inhibitory neuronal activity.

Abstract The nervous system is composed of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. One major class of inhibitory neurons release the neurotransmitter γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABAergic inhibitory activity maintains the balance that is disrupted in conditions such as epilepsy. At least some GABAergic neurons are initially excitatory and undergo a developmental conversion to convert to inhibitory neurons. The mechanism(s) behind this conversion are thought to include a critical developmental increase in excitatory activity. To test this hypothesis, we subjected ex vivo developing neuronal networks on multi-electrode arrays to various stimulation and pharmacological regimens. Synaptic activity of networks initially consists of epileptiform-like high-amplitude individual “spikes”, which convert to organized bursts of activity over the course of approximately 1 month. Stimulation of networks with a digitized synaptic signal for 5 days hastened the decrease of epileptiform activity. By contrast, stimulation for a single day delayed the appearance of bursts and instead increased epileptiform signaling. GABA treatment reduced total signals in unstimulated networks and networks stimulated for 5 days, but instead increased signaling in networks stimulated for 1 day. This increase was prevented by co-treatment with (2 R )-amino-5-phosphonopentanoate and 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, confirming that GABA invoked excitatory activity in networks stimulated for 1 day. Glutamate increased signals in networks subjected to all stimulation regimens; the GABA receptor antagonist bicuculline prevented this increase only in networks stimulated for 1 day. These latter findings are consistent with the induction of so-called “mixed” synapses (which release a combination of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters) in networks stimulated for 1 day, and support the hypothesis that a critical level of excitatory activity fosters the developmental transition of GABAergic neurons from excitatory to inhibitory.
Rapid soil classification using artificial neural networks for use in constructing compressed earth blocks

Abstract Compressed earth blocks (CEBs) represent a cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly building alternative to traditional masonry elements. Block performance depends heavily on the qualities of the soil used and it is important to be able to identify a soil’s qualities rapidly in the field. Soil classification systems such as the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) provide standardized methodologies with which to evaluate the qualities of a soil, however these methods require laboratory space and specialized equipment which are often unavailable in field conditions. This paper presents an artificial neural network framework that processes qualitative and quantitative field test data in lieu of ASTM laboratory test results. This neural network approach rapidly and accurately assigns USCS classifications to various soils based solely on qualitative and quantitative field soil analysis.
Radio Sloyd: An amateur radio approach to a University-level critical thinking and writing class

This paper outlines the use of amateur radio in teaching a general education writing seminar at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. The paper first presents a review of amateur radio activities in terms of their cross-curricular potential. This is followed by an overview of the course, which begins by presenting the earliest means of communication over a distance - horns and drums, couriers and smoke signals - and continues into the developments of postal systems and newspapers, optical semaphores, electrical telegraphy and undersea cables, radiotelegraphy, broadcast radio, television, the Internet, and space communication. We examine the issues in each of engineering and content regulation, and of censorship. The censorship issues are presented and discussed including both governmental and voluntary or market-based forms. We conclude with a summary of how writing is integrated into the course, including a discussion of writing assignments and writing-to-learn strategies.
Post-Feminism’s “New Sexual Contract” and Electronic Dance Music’s Queered Femme Voices

Angela McRobbie argues that post-feminism’s “new sexual contract” grants otherwise privileged white women the things traditionally denied women as a class, namely, economic success and self-ownership of their bodies as sexual property (McRobbie 2004). Because voice is commonly used as a metaphor for self-possessed agency, this article considers three ways white women and femme musicians across EDMC use vocal and authorial voices to reimagine post-feminist practices of self-ownership and property-in-person. Brooklyn band bottoms, Berlin techno collective Decon/Recon and Australian-American pop star Sia, all use voice to craft femininities that deviate from post-feminist gender norms and its “new sexual contract”: bottoms perform femininity as self-dispossession, Decon/Recon’s anonymous collective authorship centers women and femmes while de-centering private property, and Sia disconnects her voice from her person so that her performances of sonic resilience (James 2015) don’t labor upon her body and turn it into private property.
An effective hardware implementation of 1024-point linear convolution based on Hirschman Optimal Transform

A general structure based on the Hirschman Optimal Transform (HOT) is described that is suitable for implementation using Field Programmable Gate Arrays or ASICs. A general hardware implementation of linear convolution based on the HOT is proposed. The HOT can be used in applications traditionally implemented using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), including FIR convolution, compressive sensing and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). For these applications, the HOT is superior to the FFT in terms of computational complexity, accuracy, area and latency.
Cerium Metal–Organic Framework for Photocatalysis

Ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) can bring about the separation of photogenerated charges. Here we calculate the electronic structures of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) having the UiO-66 architecture and M6O4(OH)4 inorganometallic nodes with M = Zr, Hf, Th, Ti, U, or Ce. We find that LMCT is favorable only in the Ce case, where it is promoted by the low-lying empty 4f orbitals of Ce4+. We therefore propose that incorporating Ce4+ into the node is an effective way to facilitate LMCT in a MOF. In addition, we show that by functionalizing the linker, it should be possible to engineer the electronic structure of the Ce-MOF for a desired reaction (e.g., water splitting) while preserving favorable LMCT. We also find that linker functionalization with electron donating or withdrawing groups allows tuning of the LMCT energy, and increasing the number of functional groups on each linker enhances the tuning; these findings are encouraging for applying Ce-MOFs for visible-response photocatalytic water splitting.
Beneficial Effects of Resveratrol on Neurological Disorders

Resveratrol (3,4′,5-trihydroxystilbene) is a natural compound found in grapes, mulberries, peanuts, and other plants or food products, including raspberries, blueberries, Scots pine, Eastern white pine, and knotweed. It belongs to a class of polyphenolic compounds called stilbenes (Saiko et al. 2008). In plants, stilbenes are produced by the enzyme stilbene synthase in response to environmental stress such as vicissitudes in climate, exposure to ozone, sunlight and heavy metals, and infection by pathogenic microorganisms. Resveratrol is a fat-soluble stilbene that occurs in a trans and a cis configuration (Fig. 7.1). Its trans to cis isomerization is facilitated by exposure to UV radiations and the trans isomer is more stable than cis form. The glycosylated forms of resveratrol also occur in trans and cis configuration. Resveratrol-3-O-β-glucoside (5,4′-Dihydroxystilbene-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside) is called piceid (Romero-Perez et al. 1999) (Fig. 7.1). It is probably the most abundant form of resveratrol in nature. Resveratrol derivatives differ from the parent resveratrol not only in their antioxidant and biological activities, but also in their water solubility and bioavailability (Stivala et al. 2001).
AUDIOVISUAL INTEGRATION OF SPEECH BY CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH COCHEAR IMPLANTS

The present study examined how prelingually deafened children and postlingually deafened adults with cochlear implants (CIs) combine visual speech information with auditory cues. Performance was assessed under auditory-alone (A), visual- alone (V), and combined audiovisual (AV) presentation formats. A measure of visual enhancement, RA, was used to assess the gain in performance provided in the AV condition relative to the maximum possible performance in the auditory-alone format. Word recogniton was highest for AV presentation followed by A and V, respectively. Children who received more visual enhancement also produced more intelligible speech. Adults with CIs made better use of visual information in more difficult listening conditions (e.g., when mutiple talkers or phonemically similar words were used). The findings are discussed in terms of the complementary nature of auditory and visual sources of information that specify the same underlying gestures and articulatory events in speech.
Theoretical lifetimes of the Al 2S, 2P, 2D, and 2F states.

The natural lifetimes of the aluminum 3${\mathit{s}}^{2}$nl, n=3--12, l=0--3, have been calculated using wave functions that were obtained by direct numerical integration of the Schr\"odinger equation with a central potential to describe the ionic core and experimental term energies as input. The strong perturbation of the 3${\mathit{s}}^{2}$nd $^{2}$D series by the yet to be experimentally identified 3s3${\mathit{p}}^{2}$ $^{2}$D perturber has been explicitly treated semiempirically by using experimental mixing coefficients. Inclusion of at least this perturbation is essential for good agreement with experiment. The effects of blackbody radiation are also explicitly included and have a dramatic effect on the lifetimes of the np states. Core-polarization effects are also included in the transition matrix elements.
Learning shape metrics with Monte Carlo optimization

Abstract Quantifying and modeling shape variation within a population, identifying morphological contrasts across groups, and categorizing individuals or objects according to morphological similarity are central problems in numerous domains of science and applications. In this paper, we present an approach to optimal shape categorization through a new family of metrics for shapes presented as a finite collection of labeled landmark points. We develop a technique to learn metrics that optimally differentiate and categorize shapes using Monte Carlo optimization methods. We discuss the theory and the practice of the methods and apply them to the analysis of synthetic data and the classification of multiple species of fruit flies based on the shape of their wings.
Decorin antagonizes corneal fibroblast migration via caveolae-mediated endocytosis of epidermal growth factor receptor.

Abstract Decorin (Dcn), a small leucine-rich proteoglycan, is involved in the regulation of corneal wound healing. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays a critical role in corneal fibroblasts proliferation, migration and extracellular matrix (ECM) modulation upon injury or infection. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanistic role of Dcn in EGFR internalization to the regulation of corneal stromal fibroblasts (CSFs) migration, a key step in the corneal wound healing. Human corneal stromal fibroblasts (hCSF) cultures were generated from donor corneas. At 70% confluence, cells were switched to serum-free conditions for 48 h and then treated with decorin (250 nM) in the presence or absence of EGF (100 ng/ml) for various time points (10–60 min). Cell lysates were subjected to proteome array analysis screening for 42 different phosphorylated human receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), immunocytochemistry, and western blots to analyze EGFR phosphorylation. The scratch-wound assay was performed to evaluate the effects of decorin on EGF-mediated hCSF migration. Dcn caused a rapid EGFR phosphorylation within 10 min of exposure in RTK blot defining its role as a biological ligand for EGFR in hCSFs. Prolonged exposure to Dcn caused complete disappearance of EGFR and inhibition of the hCSF migration in the scratch wound assay suggesting Dcn binding to EGFR causes EGFR down-regulation. Immunostaining studies indicated that Dcn-treatment to hCSFs internalizes Dcn-EGFR complex, which does not require tyrosine kinase activity when treated with the AG1478 inhibitor and co-localizes the complex to the perinuclear region. Next, we found that Dcn-EGFR complex does not follow canonical early endosome internalization as revealed by the EEA1 antibody instead binds to the CD63 antibody directed for degradation by the late endosome. We also found that Dcn regulates the EGFR recycling by preventing its binding to Rab11, a specific antibody for recycling endosome. Further, hCSFs-pretreated with pharmacological inhibitors, methyl-β-cyclodextrin and chlorpromazine and supplemented with Dcn suggested EGFR trafficking via the caveolae-mediated pathway. These results suggest that Dcn acts as a biological ligand for EGFR and modulates hCSF migration via EGFR down-regulation, thus playing a vital role in corneal wound healing.
“A group that’s just women for women”: Feminist affordances of private Facebook groups for professionals:

Women across a range of industries are creating women-only private Facebook groups for professional support, networking opportunities, and career development. Through interviews with 26 women, this...
Audio‐visual aids

FILMS JUST WHAT IS GENERAL SEMANTICS? NET Film Service, Audio‐Visual Center, Indiana University, 1956. go minutes. Sound. Black and white. Sale: $100. Rental: Apply. DO YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE A STATEMENT OF FACT? NET Film Service, Audio‐Visual Center, Indiana University, 1956. 30 minutes. Sound. Black and white. Sale: $100. Rental: Apply. WHY DO PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND EACH OTHER? NET Film Service, Audio‐Visual Center, Indiana University, 1956. 30 minutes. Sound. Black and white. Sale: $100. Rental: Apply. WHAT IS A GOOD OBSERVER? NET Film Service, Audio‐Visual Center, Indiana University, 1956. 30 minutes. Sound. Black and white. Sale: $100. Rental: Apply. ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORDS AND THINGS. NET Film Service, Audio‐Visual Center, Indiana University, 1956. 30 minutes. Sound. Black and white. Sale: $100. Rental: Apply. “Suppose I were to throw this to you. After THE MAN WHO KNOWS IT ALL. NET Film Service, Audio‐Visual Center, Indiana University, 1956. 30 minutes. Sound. Black and white. Sale: $100. Renta...
Veteran Suicide: Not Just a VA Issue; It's a U.S. Issue.

Sall and colleagues have presented a synopsis of the 2019 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) joint clinical practice guideline on assessing and managing patien...
Oh, This Place!

Through the generosity of Charles R. Millikan, DMin, vice president for Spiritual Care and Values Integration, an annual award competition was established at Houston Methodist Hospital among the resident staff. To enter the writing competition, residents must submit a poem or essay of 1,000 words or less on the topic, "On Being a Doctor." A committee of seven was selected from Houston Methodist Hospital Education Institute to establish the judging criteria and select the winning entries. The following is the second-place winning entry for 2019; the third-place entry will be published in the next issue of this journal.
Human-Centered Decision Support for Agenda Scheduling

Over the course of a day, people often attend many appointments, like meetings or doctor's appointments, with time and location constraints, as well as perform other tasks like stopping by the grocery store with only location constraints. Optimally scheduling the day's agenda typically requires a high cognitive load, where people reason about all their constraints at once. An agent that aids a person in scheduling the day's agenda can potentially reduce the stress associated with scheduling but must be able to 1) perform fast updates and 2) produce new agendas that can be readily understood by the people they are helping. In order to understand how people reason about agenda changes, we first performed a study where participants are asked to perform a series of scheduling tasks and captured their update strategy both subjectively (self-reporting) and objectively (by tracking their reasoning). Our results that show that people use spatial cues and meeting time information to reduce the rescheduling task to a more reasonable size. We then present a novel heuristic for adding tasks to agendas that targets rescheduling to clusters of appointments that are spatio-temporally near the new task.We show that this heuristic approach always finds the optimal solution, while greatly reducing rescheduling time, and performs rescheduling in a way that is similar to our participants' strategies.
Ethical Triage Demands a Better Triage Survivability Score.

There is perhaps no clinical situation where this truism of ethics should be more important than when making potentially life-ending triage decisions. Any ethical triage system must, at minimum, sa...
Defending Democratic Participation Against Shortcuts: a Few Replies to Thomas Christiano

In this essay, I address some questions and challenges brought about by Thomas Christiano in his inspiring review of my book Democracy without Shortcuts. First, I defend the democratic credentials of the conception of self-government that I articulate in the book against conceptions of self-determination that are allegedly compatible with non-democratic government. To do so, I clarify some aspects of the notion of “blind deference” that I use in the book as a contrast concept to identify a minimal, necessary condition for democratic self-government. In a second step, I clarify my criticism of deep pluralist conceptions of democracy and argue that Christiano’s own criticism does not seem to address the main challenge to which pure proceduralism is supposed to provide an answer. Lastly, I address Christiano’s contention that my criticism of lottocracy does not address the worries that lottocrats are responding to. I distinguish between populist and epistocratic worries and argue that both of them have anti-democratic roots and thus should be criticized rather than “responded to” in their own terms.
Granular-Fluid Interactions Near the Seabed

Abstract : The long term goal is to develop a model which will predict local sand transport and bathymetric change due to waves and currents under time-varying conditions.
p16-3MR: a novel model to study cellular senescence in cigarette smoke-induced lung injuries during aging

ABSTRACT Cellular senescence and lung aging are associated with the pathogenesis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD progresses with aging, and chronic smoking is the key susceptibility factor in lung pathological changes concurrent with biological aging. However, these processes involving cigarette smoke (CS)-mediated lung cellular senescence are difficult to distinguish. One of the impediments to study cellular senescence in relation to age-related lung pathologies is the lack of a suitable in vivo model. In view of this, we provide evidence that supports the suitability of p16-3MR mice to study cellular senescence in CS-mediated and age-related lung pathologies. p16-3MR mice has a trimodal reporter fused to the promoter of p16INK4a gene that enables detection, isolation and selective elimination of senescent cells, thus making it a suitable model to study cellular senescence. To determine its suitability in CS-mediated lung pathologies, we exposed young (12-14 months) and old (17-20 months) p16-3MR mice to 30-day CS exposure and studied the expression of senescent genes (p16, p21 and p53) and SASP-associated markers (MMP9, MMP12, PAI-1, and FN-1) in air- and CS-exposed mouse lungs. Our results showed that this model could detect cellular senescence using luminescence and isolate cells undergoing senescence with the help of tissue fluorescence in CS-challenged young and old mice. Our results from the expression of senescence markers and SASP-associated genes in CS-challenged young and old p16-3MR mice were comparable with increased lung cellular senescence and SASP in COPD. We further showed age-dependent alteration in the (i) tissue luminescence and fluorescence, (ii) mRNA and protein expressions of senescent markers and SASP genes, and (iii) SA-β-gal activity in CS-challenged young and old p16-3MR mice as compared to their air controls. Overall, we showed that p16-3MR is a competent model to study cellular senescence in age-related pathologies and could help understand the pathobiology of cellular senescence in lung conditions like COPD and fibrosis.
Do disparities in cardiovascular comorbidities account for excess covid-19 morbidity and mortality in African Americans?

Introduction: COVID-19 incidence, severity, and death in African Americans (AA) has been reported to markedly exceed those of White Americans (WA), but the epidemiologic basis for this is unclear. ...
MEF2C Common Genetic Variation Is Associated With Different Aspects of Cognition in Non-Hispanic White and Caribbean Hispanic Non-demented Older Adults.

Objectives Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2C (MEF2C) is identified as a candidate gene contributing to the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. However, little is known about whether MEF2C plays a role in specific aspects of cognition among older adults. The current study investigated the association of common variants in the MEF2C gene with four cognitive domains including memory, visuospatial functioning, processing speed and language among non-demented individuals. Method Participants from two ethnic groups, Non-Hispanic White (NHW; n = 537) and Caribbean Hispanic (CH; n = 1,197) from the Washington Heights-Inwood Community Aging Project (WHICAP) study, were included. Genetic association analyses using WHICAP imputed genome-wide data (GWAS) were conducted for the various cognition domains. Results Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) variants in the MEF2C gene showed nominally significant associations in all cognitive domains but for different SNPs across both the ethnic groups. In NHW participants, the strongest associations were present for memory (rs302484), language (rs619584), processing speed (rs13159808), and visuospatial functioning (several SNPs). In CH, strongest associations were observed for memory (rs34822815), processing speed (rs304141), visuospatial functioning (rs10066711 and rs10038371), and language (rs304153). Discussion MEF2C variant-cognitive associations shed light on an apparent role for MEF2C in both memory and non-memory aspects of cognition in individuals from NHW and CH ancestries. However, the little overlap in the specific SNP-cognition associations in CH versus NHW highlights the differences in genetic architectural variations among those from different ancestries that should be considered while studying the MEF2C gene.
NEMS Sensors Based on Novel Nanomaterials

This chapter provides an overview of NEMS sensors based on novel nanomaterials. Specifically, we have discussed silicon nanowires, carbon nanotubes, and piezoelectric and 2D materials which enable unique functionalities to NEMS. For each of these nanomaterials, we have briefly described their unique properties and their advantages for NEMS sensors. Further, popular fabrication methods and detection schemes have been discussed for each of these technologies. Also, applications pertaining to physical, gas, chemical, and biomolecular sensing have been discussed. This chapter is aimed to serve as a reference for researchers to keep themselves updated with the recent updates in nanomaterial-based NEMS and their usage for numerous sensing applications.
Noise in a metabolic pathway leads to persister formation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is difficult to treat due to dormant cells in hypoxic granulomas, and stochastically-formed persisters tolerant of antibiotics. Bactericidal antibiotics kill by corrupting their energy-dependent targets. We reasoned that noise in the expression of an energy-generating component will produce rare persister cells. In sorted low ATP M. tuberculosis grown on acetate there is considerable cell-to-cell variation in the level of mRNA coding for AckA, the acetate kinase. Quenching the noise by overexpressing ackA sharply decreases persisters, showing that it acts as the main persister gene under these conditions. This demonstrates that a low energy mechanism is responsible for the formation of M. tuberculosis persisters and suggests that the mechanism of their antibiotic tolerance is similar to that of dormant cells in a granuloma. Entrance into a low energy state driven by stochastic variation in expression of energy-producing enzymes is likely a general mechanism by which bacteria produce persisters.
A Combinatorial Shape Matching Algorithm for Rigid Protein Docking

The protein docking problem is to predict the structure of protein-protein complexes from the structures of individual proteins. It is believed that shape complementarity plays a dominant role in protein docking. Recently, it has been shown empirically by Bespamaytnikh et al [4] that the shape complementarity (measured by a score function) is sufficient for the bound protein docking problem, in which proteins are taken directly from the known protein-protein complex and reassembled, treating each protein as a rigid body. In this paper, we study the shape complementarity measured by their score function from a theoretical point of view. We give a combinatorial characterization of the docked configuration achieved by the maximum score. This leads to a simple polynomial time algorithm to find such a configuration. The arrangement of spheres inspired by the combinatorial characterization plays an essential role in an efficient local search heuristic of Choi et al [7] for rigid protein docking. We also show that our general idea can be used to give simple algorithms for some point pattern matching problems in any dimension.
Jack Spicer’s Pricks and Cocksuckers

AbstractQueer-identified authors may use translation to articulate their own sexual identity or to develop a queer politics. The gay American poet Jack Spicer was particularly interested in using his translations for both ends. To be openly gay (what is referred to here as ‘visible’) in the United States during the 1950s was both a dangerous and politically charged position. Through his 1957 translations of the work of Federico Garcia Lorca, a gay Spanish modernist poet, Spicer forces Lorca into this precarious position of gay visibility while reclaiming the American poet Walt Whitman from a critical tradition that insists on masking his homosexuality. Spicer’s translation of Lorca’s ‘Oda a Walt Whitman’ gives us a better understanding of how and why his utilization of a recognizably homosexual lexicon pushes homosexuality into his possibly resistant readers’ attention, demonstrating how the lexicon and register of translated texts can serve as critical apparatuses that create forms of alternative politic...
Computational Fluid Dynamic Control

This paper presents a general technique for modeling fluid, or gas, dynamic systems specifically for the development of control systems. Essentially the numerical methods which are generally used in computational fluid dynamics are borrowed to create either continuous-time or discrete-time models of the particular fluid system. The resulting equations can be either left in a nonlinear form, or be easily linearized about an operating point. As there are typically very many states in these systems, the usual linear model reduction methods can be used on them to allow a low order controller to be designed. A simple example is given which typifies many internal flow control problems. The resulting control approach will be termed Computational Fluid Dynamic Control (CFD-C).
On descrete band-limited signal extrapolation

Two generalized discrete band-limited signal extrapolation methods are presented. These methods are capable of altering the structure of the eigenvectors as well as the distribution of the eigenvalues of the linear matrix operation, and thus improving the extrapolation process.
Interrelation of dopamine transporter oligomerization and surface presence as studied with mutant transporter proteins and amphetamine

J. Neurochem. (2010) 114, 873–885. Abstract Our previous work suggested a role for oligomerization in regulating dopamine transporter (DAT) internalization, with d-amphetamine dissociating DAT oligomers and monomers being endocytosed. This model was put to detailed testing in the present work with the use of DAT constructs differentially tagged with Myc or Flag, reversal of tags in co-immunoprecipitation and cross-linking assays, and application of antibodies against different tags in biotinylation experiments. Upon pairing wild-type (WT) DAT with W84L mutant, effects of d-amphetamine on oligomerization (decrease) but not surface DAT are observed. Internalization of W84L monomers appears to be slow as inferred from the inability of d-amphetamine to reduce surface Myc upon co-expressing Flag-WT with Myc-W84L but not Myc-WT with Flag-W84L, and from the sluggish Myc-W84L endocytosis rate (both with or without d-amphetamine). Results obtained for D313N, D345N, or D436N mutants can all be accommodated by a model in which d-amphetamine is unable to dissociate mutant protomers from oligomers (tetramers or higher-order assemblies) that contain them; this interpretation is confirmed in experiments with both tag reversal in co-expression and antibody reversal in western blotting. Upon co-transfecting Myc- and Flag-tagged constructs, resulting tetramers can be calculated to be composed of different species (MycMycMycMyc, MycMycMycFlag, MycMycFlagFlag, MycFlagFlagFlag, and FlagFlagFlagFlag), but it is shown that outcomes predicted by models based on MycMycFlagFlag oligomers are not changed in a major way by the occurrence of the additional species.
Uplink array system of antennas for the Deep Space Network

Recently, arraying of large or small and distributed reflector antennas for uplink applications has attracted attention for a capability upgrade to the Deep Space Network (DSN). This interest is driven by the desire to maximize the usefulness of existing DSN large apertures in case of spacecraft emergency and to develop the necessary knowledge of how the array of small and distributed reflector antennas can meet other future uplink throughput needs. The primary challenge for uplink arraying of distributed reflector antennas for deep space applications is the lack of feedback from deep space within a reasonably short period. Furthermore, the individual reflectors (and their transmitter subsystems) are thousands of wavelengths apart, which make the phase coherence of individual transmitted signals an extremely challenging task. Because of the return light time constraints, all closed-loop calibrations and relative phase adjustments for any coherent combination of signals from individual antennas be conducted no farther than near-Earth orbits. This paper discusses the large array background, scope, and evolution, and some of the lessons learned from preliminary studies of the uplink array.
Speckle noise filtering for restoration of coherent shear beam images

Shear beam imaging is a coherent reflective imaging technique, which inherently contains signal-dependent speckle noise with characteristic glints. The removal of the speckle using a minimal number of frames while preserving the glints is the major concern of this paper. In the past, several methods have been used to eliminate this noise. The complexity of the algorithms ranged from a simple nonlinear median filter to complex linear and nonlinear models. Here, fast morphological and wavelet filters are proposed and are shown to remove speckle better than the previous methods. The morphological filters are nonlinear in nature and computationally efficient, thus making them quite attractive. The glint is preserved by its segmentation from each frame prior to speckle removal. This paper describes the morphological, wavelet, and segmentation techniques used and discusses the current results.
Trailing Blackberry Genotypes Differ in Yield and Postharvest Fruit Quality during Establishment in an Organic Production System

Four blackberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus Watson) cultivars ('Obsidian', 'Black Diamond', 'Metolius', 'Onyx') and two advanced selections (ORUS 1939-4 and ORUS 2635-1) were evaluated during the establishment years of an organic production system for fresh market. The planting was established in Spring 2010 using approved practices for organic production and was certified organic in 2012, the first fruiting year. Plants were irrigated using a dripline under a woven polyethylene groundcover (weed mat) installed for weed management. Liquid fertilizers injected through the drip system were used at rates of 56 kg·ha L1 total nitrogen (N) in 2011-12 and 90 kg·ha L1 total N in 2013. Genotypes differed in the level of nutrients measured in primocane leaves. Tissue phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) concentrations were within the recommended standards, but tissue calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and boron (B) were deficient in some or all genotypes. Although two cultivars and both advanced selections responded well in terms of plant growth and yield to the organic production system used, yields in 'Onyx' and 'Metolius' were considered low for commercial production. In contrast, the higher yielding 'Obsidian' and ORUS- 2635-1 appeared to be the best suited for organic fresh market production as a result of larger fruit size, greater fruit firmness, higher sugar-to-acid ratios, lower post- harvest percent moisture loss in ORUS-2635-1, and the longest number of marketable storage days at 5 8 Ci n 'Obsidian'.
Atomic Bonding at Oxide Surfaces

The fundamental interactions involved in the bonding of atoms and molecules to metal oxides are discussed. Surface defects play a major role in many of those interactions. Both acid/base and oxidation/reduction reactions occur at metal-oxide surfaces, with the latter dominating at point defect sites. The reaction of metals with oxide surfaces is governed largely by the relative heats of formation of the respective oxides, although surface point defects also play an important role. Preliminary studies of ceramic/ceramic interfaces indicate that interfacial interactions are much weaker than for metal/ceramic interfaces.
Proof of the Independence of the Primitive Symbols of Heyting's Calculus of Propositions

In this paper I shall show that no one of the four primitive symbols of Heyting's calculus of propositions is definable in terms of the other three. So as to make the paper self-contained, I begin by stating the rules and primitive sentences given by Heyting. The primitive symbols of the calculus are “⅂”, “∨”, “∧”, and “⊃”, which may be read, respectively, as “not,” “either…or,” “and,” and “if…then.” The symbol “⊃⊂”, which may be read “if and only if,” is defined in terms of these as follows: The rule of substitution is assumed, and the rule that S 2 follows from S 1 and S 1 ⊃ S 2 ; in addition it is assumed that S 1 ∧ S 2 follows from S 1 and S 2 . The primitive sentences are as follows:
Ontogeny of biochemical, morphological and functional parameters of synaptogenesis in primary cultures of rat hippocampal and cortical neurons

Synaptogenesis is a critical neurodevelopmental process whereby pre- and postsynaptic neurons form apposed sites of contact specialized for chemical neurotransmission. Many neurodevelopmental disorders are thought to reflect altered patterns of synaptic connectivity, including imbalances between excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Developing rapid throughput approaches for assessing synaptogenesis will facilitate toxicologic and drug screening studies of neurodevelopmental disorders. The current study describes the use of high-content imaging to quantify the ontogeny of excitatory and inhibitory synapses using in vitro models of neurodevelopment. These data are compared to biochemical and functional measures of synaptogenesis. The ontogenetic patterns of synapse formation were compared between primary rodent hippocampal and cortical neurons over 28 days in vitro (DIV). As determined by ELISA, the increase in synaptophysin expression levels as cultures matured was similar between hippocampal and cortical cultures. High-content imaging of immunoreactivity of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic biomarkers demonstrated an overall greater number of synapses in hippocampal relative to cortical neurons with marked differences in the pattern of inhibitory synapse development between these two neuronal cell types. Functional assays revealed that both the mean firing rates and mean bursting rates were significantly increased in cortical cultures relative to hippocampal cultures. This difference may reflect decreased inhibitory synaptic tone in cortical versus hippocampal cultures. These data demonstrate differences and similarities in the ontogeny of synaptogenesis between hippocampal and cortical neurons, depending on the biological level examined. Assessment of synaptophysin protein levels by ELISA showed a general increase in synapse formation in both cell types with increasing time in culture, while high-content imaging was able to delineate cell type-dependent differences in formation of excitatory versus inhibitory synapses. The functional significance of differences in the balance of excitatory to inhibitory synapses was confirmed by the assessment of network activity using microelectrode arrays. These results suggest that high-content imaging and microelectrode arrays provide complementary approaches for quantitative assessment of synaptogenesis, which should provide a robust readout of toxicologic and pharmacologic effects on this critical neurodevelopmental event.
Spectral characterization of c-type cytochromes purified from Beggiatoa alba

Three c-type cytochromes were purified from the filamentous sulfur-oxidizing bacterium, Beggiatoa alba strain B18LD, by ammonium sulfate fractionation, flat bed isoelectric focusing and gel filtration. Two of the cytochromes; flavocytochrome c-554 and cytochrome c′, were similar to cytochromes found in anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria. Flavocytochrome c-554 had an apparent molecular weight of 21,000, an isoelectric focusing point at pH 4.4, contained FMN as the flavin component and had absorption maxima at 410, 450 and 470 nm in the oxidized form and at 417, 523 and 554 nm in the dithionite-reduced from. Cytochrome c′ was also an acidic protein with a pI of 4.8 and an apparent molecular weight of 18,000. The absorption spectra maxima were at 400, 490 and 635 nm in the oxidized form, at 424 and 550 nm in the dithione-reduced form and at 415 and 555 nm in the dithionite-reduced plus CO form. The third cytochrome characterized, cytochrome c-553 had an apparent molecular weight of 13,000, an isoelectric point at pH 4.4 and showed absorption maxima at 411 nm in the oxidized form and at 418, 523 and 553 nm in the dithionite-reduced form. Cytochrome c-553 was also isolated as a complex with a non-heme protein with a molecular weight of 16,000. The non-heme protein altered the absorption spectra and isoelectric point of cytochrome c-553.
Adjustable Frequency Control of High-Speed Induction Motors

The aviation industry has found numerous applications for high-speed squirrel cage motors to operate over a wide speed range. Elaborate power supply systems have been developed to provide the required range and accuracy of motor speed control. Applications of the systems probably will be found in other industries.
Dating Whitman's Language Studies

Acknowledges that although the bibliographic evidence for dating Whitman's language studies as after 1856 "is indeed strong," but argues that a closer look at the manuscript notebook for A Primer for Words "indicates an earlier date," and proposes that Whitman wrote his language studies and his original Leaves of Grass poetry at the same time and that the "'language experiment' of Leaves of Grass is the result of those mingled processes."