cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement-based channel modeling for mmWave wireless links in enclosed server platforms

The large available bandwidths, demonstrations of fully-integrated silicon transceivers and small physical antenna size make mm-wave frequencies attractive for wireless links within a server chassis. In this paper, we focus on studying the feasibility of a mm-wave wireless link within a commercial microserver chassis for high data-rate links and for management and monitoring. Such servers have reflective metal walls and are densely populated with microserver boards that create barriers for mm-wave signals. A custom test setup is used for in-situ channel measurements at 57GHz for both line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) links across different TX-RX separations. The NLOS links show RMS delay spread of 32ns@50% CDF (∼200ns@90% CDF) with path loss >55dB, indicating a challenging environment for low-power high-speed links. Therefore, a modified chassis with 10mm headroom between the top of the boards and chassis cover is proposed. Measurements show that such an environment can make the targeted wireless links feasible with ∼35dB loss, and RMS delay spread of 14ns@50% CDF (20ns@90% CDF).
Abstract P184: Optimal Renal Function Indices During Heart Failure Hospitalization to Predict In-Hospital and Post-Discharge Mortality

BACKGROUND: Abnormal baseline renal function and worsening renal function (WRF) during heart failure (HF) hospitalization are associated with worse outcomes. However, which measure of renal function is the most prognostic is unknown. We sought to determine the renal function measure most predictive of in-hospital and post-discharge mortality. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with HF who received care from a large health system between Jan 1, 2000 and June 30, 2008. Patients with preexisting end-stage renal disease were excluded. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), and MDRD estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values at admission, and changes during hospitalization were tested for their association with in-hospital and one year post-discharge mortality. Logistic regression and conditional receiver operating curves for each index were used to determine the association with mortality by comparing the area under curve (AUC). RESULTS: Among 7394 patients meeting the inclusion criteria, 204 died in-hospital, and 1652 were discharged but died within 1 year. Baseline BUN was the strongest correlate for both in-hospital and post-discharge mortality (AUC= 0.724 and 0.656, respectively; p CONCLUSIONS: Among hospitalized HF patients baseline BUN is the renal index most strongly associated with mortality. Common WRF definitions are suboptimal for predicting mortality, and the optimal thresholds depend on baseline renal function.
The Timing of Thinking about Quitting

The decision to voluntarily quit or remain in a job is one that employees make on a regular basis. The decision process can range from a job-related event that causes an individual to resign immediately to one that is agonized about for several years; in limited cases it can be an impulsive act. Within a turnover decision framework, individuals engage in the cognitive process of thinking about quitting which may or may not translate into quitting; it may also translate into alternative forms of withdrawal (see Mobey, 1977, and Hanisch, 1995a). What occurs between the time individuals think about quitting until their resignation date? Do individuals who think about quitting for long periods of time prior to quitting have different attitudes and engage in different behaviors than those employees who think about quitting and then shortly thereafter resign? Are those individuals with a longer period of time between thinking about quitting and quitting more disruptive to an organization than those with a shorter time between their thoughts of quitting and resignation? This research evaluated whether the decision lag was related to behaviors employees engage in prior to exiting. It also examined how the timing of the first thoughts of quitting relates to employees’ attitudes in an organization prior to resignation.
The Impact of Self-Regulated Strategy Development on the Writing Performance of English Learners.

Nine 2nd- and 3rd-grade English learners with and without disabilities received instruction on opinion essays using the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) model of instruction. A special ed...
Lessons learned from HIV antiretroviral treatment interruption trials.

Purpose of review Clinical trials with an antiretroviral therapy (ART) interruption remains indispensable for assessing strategies for ART-free HIV remission. This review highlights the lessons learned from ART interruption studies so far, including the risks to the participants and implications for HIV remission. Recent findings Historically, analytic HIV treatment interruption (ATI) studies were commonly designed with a prolonged duration of ART interruption and with viral load set point as the primary outcome. For a variety of reasons, including participant risk, recent treatment interruption trials have frequently used time to viral rebound as the primary endpoint and have restarted ART once a predetermined viral load threshold is reached. Through treatment interruption trials, investigators have tested the efficacy of therapeutic and curative strategies that showed promise in preclinical trials, including therapeutic vaccines, latency-reversing agents, and broadly neutralizing antibodies. In most populations, ATI trials have been well tolerated, with few adverse clinical events and no significant changes to the reservoir. Several reservoir predictors of HIV-rebound timing have been reported, with a subset of trials uncovering posttreatment controllers who can maintain HIV remission despite ART discontinuation. Summary Treatment interruption trials are a vital tool, but their optimal design remain uncertain and must balance participant risks with scientific rigor. The ability to predict the timing or extent of HIV rebound and identify mechanisms of posttreatment control may accelerate the development of novel therapeutics for sustained HIV remission.
Tuberous sclerosis complex and DNA repair.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant disorder in humans characterized by the development of hamartomas in several organs, including renal angiomyolipomas, cardiac rhabdomyomas and subependymal giant cell astrocytomas. TSC causes disabling neurologic disorders, including epilepsy, mental retardation and autism. Brain lesions, including subependymal and subcortical hamartomas, have also been reported in TSC patients. TSC is associated with hamartomas and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) as well as sporadic tumors in TSC patient. Renal angiomyolipomas associated with TSC tend to be larger, bilateral, multifocal and present at a younger age compared with sporadic forms. Tuberous sclerosis complex of 2 genes, TSC2 encodes a protein called tuberin that normally exists in an active state and forms a heterodimeric complex with hamartin, the protein encoded by the TSC1. Deficiency of TSC2 in Eker rat is associated with the development of tumors in several organs including kidney. The majority of renal cell tumors observed in the Eker rat originates from renal proximal tubules and are histologically similar to renal cell carcinoma in humans. On the other hand, mutations in DNA repair enzyme 8-oxoG-DNA glycosylase (OGG1) are associated with cancer. OGG1 gene is found somatically mutated in some cancer cells and is highly polymorphic among human cancers. Moreover, knockout mice in OGG1 developed spontaneously adenoma and carcinoma. We recently show that the constitutive expression of OGG1 in heterozygous (TSC2+/−) Eker rat and in angiomyolipomas kidney tissue from human is 2-3fold less than in kidney from wild-type rats and control human subjects. In addition, we show that loss of TSC2 in kidney tumor of Eker rat is associated with loss of OGG1 and accumulation significant levels of oxidative DNA damage 8-oxo-deoxyguanine suggesting that TSC2 and OGG1 play a major role in renal tumorig
Adaptation, Autonomy, and Authority

Adaptation is a fact of life. If I walk down the street and fall down a manhole, I’m likely to keep a lookout for open manholes in the future. In this case, I adapt to my circumstances; I take a more cautious approach than I might otherwise have. This is true of all forms of life, and plausibly helps to explain the fact that there is, in fact, life at all.
Ethnicity and Special Education Research: Identifying Questions and Methods

This article presents questions, offers ideas, and solicits input regarding hypotheses and methodologies needed to extend our understanding of the ethnic representation of students identified as ha...
Application of a 21-gene recurrence score assay in node negative, hormone receptor positive breast cancer in a military treatment facility.

e12567Background: Oncotype DX is a breast cancer assay of 21 genes. Its results are used to calculate a Recurrence Score: low scores ( < 18) indicate low risk of recurrence, for which hormone thera...
Radiological imaging to assess individual cardiovascular risk

In diesem Beitrag soll Rolle der radiologischen Bildgebung zur Bestimmung des individuellen kardiovaskularen Risikos beleuchtet werden. Voraussetzung fur die Pravention kardiovaskularer Erkrankungen ist die korrekte Einschatzung des individuellen kardiovaskularen Risikos. Fur den koronaren Kalziumscore und die koronare CT-Angiographie liegen umfangreiche Studiendaten vor. Die aktuelle Datenlage zum Kalziumscore und zur CT-Angiographie wird zusammengefasst. Der Stellenwert beider Methoden in den einschlagigen Leitlinien wird dargestellt. Beide Verfahren besitzen einen hohen prognostischen Wert. Dieser ubertrifft eine auf Risikofaktoren basierende Abschatzung deutlich, wobei die computertomographische Angiographie (CTA) den groseren inkrementellen Wert hat. Fur symptomatische Patienten beweisen neue Studiendaten eine Outcome-Verbesserung durch Durchfuhrung einer CTA gegenuber herkommlichem Management. Europaische und US-amerikanische Leitlinien empfehlen den Kalziumscore zur Risikostratifizierung asymptomatischer Patienten mit niedrigem bis mittlerem Risikoprofil. Fur symptomatische Patienten wird bei niedriger bis mittlerer Vortestwahrscheinlichkeit fur eine koronare Herzkrankheit (KHK) eine CTA empfohlen.
Sources of teachers’ self-efficacy for technology integration from formal, informal, and independent professional learning

Teachers do not consistently maximize the potential of classroom technologies for enhancing student learning. As their self-efficacy is positively associated with technology integration, developing teachers’ self-efficacy could increase high-quality integration. We investigate how a holistic system of professional learning about technology integration including formal, informal, and independent professional learning might allow for access to and prompt reflection on self-efficacy source information. We interviewed six middle school math and science teachers from two schools where leadership teams participated in a leadership development program aiming to ultimately support teachers’ technology integration. To gather the teachers’ perspectives, we asked them to reflect on and explain visual displays of their reported confidence in technologies and frequency of professional learning. Through core assertions, we suggest a holistic system of learning supports teachers’ access to three sources of self-efficacy information (verbal persuasion, vicarious experiences, and mastery experiences) and prompts teachers’ reflection on source information such that it can impact their self-efficacy. We make recommendations for leaders to operate on these findings, as leaders are responsible for fostering the conditions necessary for teachers’ effective technology integration, as well as recommendations for future research to increase the generalizability and depth of understanding.
An effective numerical simulation methodology to predict the impact response of pre-stressed concrete members

Abstract This study provides an effective analysis procedure to perform a failure analysis of pre-stressed concrete members subjected to lateral impact loads using the finite element analysis (FEA) program, LS-DYNA. The proposed numerical method includes modeling techniques which define pre-stressing force, concrete constitutive relationship, strain rates, and element erosion criteria. In the FEA model presented in this study, the prestress force is applied by temperature-induced shrinkage in prestressing stands. The stress initialization of concrete to a steady-state condition is completed by using the ‘DYNAMIC_RELAXATION’ option, prior to performing a transient impact analysis. Available experimental data from a beam impact test are used for validation of the proposed methodology. Furthermore, the sensitivity of modeling parameters is examined. It is also shown that the proposed method can be used to predict the response of axially loaded columns for an accidentally applied lateral impact loads, resulting from a car or vessel crash.
N-Substituted Auxiliaries for Aerobic Dehydrogenation of Tetrahydro-isoquinoline: A Theory-Guided Photo-Catalytic Design

Visible-light mediated aerobic dehydrogenation of N-heterocyclic compounds is a reaction with enormous potential for application. Herein, we report the first complete aerobic dehydrogenation pathway to large-scale production of isoquinolines. The discovery of this visible light photoredox reaction was enabled through the combination of mathematical simulations and real-time quantitative mass spectrometry screening. The theoretical calculations showed that hyper-conjugation, the main underlying factor hindering the aerobic oxidation of tetrahydroisoquinolines, is relieved both by π- and σ-donating substituents. This mechanistic insight provided a novel photocatalytic route based on N-substituted auxiliaries that facilitated the conversion of tetrahydroisoquinolines into the corresponding isoquinolines in just three simple steps (yield 71.7% in bulk-solution phase), using unmodified Ru(bpy)3Cl2 photocatalyst, sun energy, atmospheric O2, and at ambient temperature.
Counselor Preparation in Working with African American Adolescents in Group Counseling.

In addition to the normal developmental tasks, racial and ethnic minority youth may experience other unique challenges that are related to their social, cultural, and structural positions in the US...
Advances in studies on susceptibility genes of bronchial asthma

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease in the respiratory tract, which is composed of eosinophils, mast cells, T cells, airway epithelial cells and other inflammatory cells.Globally, the incidence of the disease increases year by year, which brings heavy health and financial burden to the patients, their families and the society.At present, much progress has been made in the study of asthmatic susceptibility genes with advances in genome-wide association studies(GWAS)and whole genome sequencing(WGS). This article describes the new development of asthma susceptibility genes and gene testing methods, to illustrate the association between asthma phenotypes and susceptibility genes.Some genes, such as interleukin-33(IL-33)and thymic stromal lymphopoietin(TSLP), are likely to be potential biomarkers.These studies have certain guiding significance for the diagnosis and treatment of asthma. Key words: Asthma; Susceptibility gene; Advance
Reactive sampling-based path planning with temporal logic specifications:

We develop a sampling-based motion planning algorithm that combines long-term temporal logic goals with short-term reactive requirements. The mission specification has two parts: (1) a global speci...
Differentiating "types" of treatment dropout: Nonstarters in an RCT of prolonged exposure versus sertraline.

Abstract Despite effective interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), many patients prematurely drop out. Differentiating “types” of dropout at various stages of treatment may improve our ability to predict and prevent attrition. Using data from a doubly randomized preference trial, this study examined patient dropout prior to treatment and compared these “nonstarters” with treatment starters and in-treatment dropouts. Patients (N = 200) with chronic PTSD were randomized to “choice” (prolonged exposure [PE] or sertraline) or “no choice” (re-randomized to PE or sertraline) and received up to 10 weeks of treatment. Overall dropout rate was 33.0% (n = 66). A substantial minority were nonstarters (n = 19; 28.8%). Relative to patients who began treatment, nonstarters reported less severe PTSD symptomatology (p = .03, d = 0.57) and were less likely to have received their preferred treatment (p
Media-Generating Activities and Follower Growth within Social Networks

Social network followers represent a valuable asset for any organization. Followers improve the diffusion of information, enhance customer engagement opportunities and allow for observation of comp...
Targeting glioma stem cell metabolism to enhance therapy responses and minimize resistance

Abstract The tumor microenvironment (TME) has been long recognized as a significant factor that influences the resistance of tumor cells to conventional as well as targeted cancer therapies. Also, the TME defines the potential for malignant progression and metastasis in a wide range of tumor types including colon, lung, breast, and brain tumors. In particular, hypoxia, strictly defined as a condition in which tissue oxygen levels are insufficient for maintaining cellular respiration, is now considered a fundamentally important characteristic of the tumor microenvironment influencing every aspect of the hallmarks of cancer, defined by Hanahan and Weinberger and recently reviewed by Bexell and colleagues [1] , [2] . This review summarizes some of our recent works on inhibition of the cellular response to hypoxia by targeting the protein-protein interaction between the hypoxia-induced protein, monocarboxylate-transporter-4 (MCT4) and its chaperone, basigin (BSG or CD147) using the small molecule acriflavine. Particular focus is given to the feedback mechanism we uncovered that links MCT4 to the activation and stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α), the master regulator of the cellular response to hypoxia.
Traditional use of field burning in Ireland: history, culture and contemporary practice in the uplands

Fire use is increasingly recognised as a central component of integrated land management in fire-prone places. Historically, fire use has been commonplace in many places in Ireland, where field burning is an established practice with a long pedigree among upland farmers seeking to improving forage among other benefits. This practice has been subject to controversy as wildfires – a hazard often associated with upland burning practice – continue to gain public attention and concern. This research seeks to understand the practice of field burning from the viewpoint of practitioners themselves through focus groups with upland burners conducted in a variety of locations across Ireland. Discussions focused on the history of field burning, reasons for its use, and how knowledge of the techniques involved in burning has been passed down through generations. The narrative that emerges is that of a critical livelihood-supporting practice steeped in social and ecological value but threatened by stringent regulation and shifting public opinion. We suggest that one way to preserve this practice may be to establish more formal linkages between fire use practitioners and Ireland’s fire services, public land managers and regulators to promote appropriate use of traditional fire within modern legal and best practice frameworks.
Making Hybrids with the Wild Potato Solanum jamesii

Potato has about 100 related wild Solanum species growing naturally in the Americas. Solanum jamesii (jam), native to the southwest USA and Mexico, has many valuable traits for breeding, but making hybrids is extremely difficult. We investigated the approach of using the bridge species Solanum verrucosum (ver). A survey of all ver populations in the US Potato Genebank identified the best females. The standard bridge crossing technique using emasculation of ver and “mentor” double pollination after first pollinating with jam was very inefficient for most ver because: 1) emasculation depressed seedset in ver females, 2) despite very careful emasculation many accidental ver selfs resulted, and 3) mentor pollination produced many unwanted hybrids with the mentor pollen parent. We therefore produced populations of ver by backcrossing five generations into tuberosum cytoplasm. The BC5 lines are very vigorous in growth and flowering, but having very low male fertility and complete self-incompatibility they can be mass crossed with jam pollen without emasculation. Even with no mentor pollen, most pistils of verBC5 pollinated with jam produce a small fruit with an average of less than one normal seed. Resulting seedlings were confirmed ver-jam hybrids by DNA markers.
Efficient Algorithms for Identifying Loop Formation and Computing θ Value for Solving Minimum Cost Flow Network Problems

While the minimum cost flow (MCF) problems have been well documented in many publications, due to its broad applications, little or no effort have been devoted to explaining the algorithms for identifying loop formation and computing the θ value needed to solve MCF network problems. This paper proposes efficient algorithms, and MATLAB computer implementation, for solving MCF problems. Several academic and real-life network problems have been solved to validate the proposed algorithms; the numerical results obtained by the developed MCF code have been compared and matched with the built-in MATLAB function Linprog() (Simplex algorithm) for further validation
Critical Role for Isoprenoids in Apicoplast Biogenesis by Malaria Parasites

Isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) is an essential metabolic output of the apicoplast organelle in Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites and is required for prenylation-dependent vesicular trafficking and other cellular processes. We have elucidated a critical and previously uncharacterized role for IPP in apicoplast biogenesis. Inhibiting IPP synthesis blocks apicoplast elongation and inheritance by daughter merozoites, and apicoplast biogenesis is rescued by exogenous IPP and polyprenols. Knockout of the only known isoprenoid-dependent apicoplast pathway, tRNA prenylation by MiaA, has no effect on blood-stage parasites and thus cannot explain apicoplast reliance on IPP. However, we have localized an annotated polyprenyl synthase (PPS) to the apicoplast lumen. PPS knockdown is lethal to parasites, rescued by IPP, and blocks apicoplast biogenesis, thus explaining apicoplast dependence on isoprenoid synthesis. We hypothesize that PPS synthesizes long-chain polyprenols critical for apicoplast membrane fluidity and biogenesis. This work critically expands the paradigm for isoprenoid utilization in malaria parasites and identifies a novel essential branch of apicoplast metabolism suitable for therapeutic targeting.
RF Co-Designed Non-Reciprocal Bandpass Filters

RF front-end antenna interfaces with the ability to simultaneously transmit and receive (STAR) at the same frequency and at the same time are highly desirable in a plethora of wireless communication and electronic warfare (EW) systems. Whereas full-duplex radios enhance spectral efficiency by doubling the channel throughput, EW applications benefit from the ability to listen while jamming. The effectiveness of STAR systems is highly-dependent on the levels of isolation (> 80 dB is typically required) that can be achieved between the transmit and the receive module of the antenna interface. Monostatic and bi-static STAR antennas [1] followed by multi-stage circulator/isolator networks and self-interference cancellers may potentially meet the desired 80-140 dB levels of isolation, however their size is prohibitively large for small/medium-size base stations. Alternative miniaturization techniques such as self-biased materials [2] or transistor-based implementations [3] are nowadays being explored for these systems. However, all of these approaches are at their infancy and suffer from poor isolation (~20-30 dB) and high in-band loss (> 5 dB). Taking into consideration the aforementioned limitations, this paper provides an overview of our research on RF front-end modules with collocated RF signal processing actions with the purpose of miniaturizing the overall size, loss and power consumption of an RF front-end. In particular, we address different techniques that are used for size compactness and loss reduction through the realization of isolators/circulators with embedded bandpass filter (BPF) capabilities, as shown in Fig. 1 . The main approaches that will be presented include: i) ferrite-based co-designed BPF and circulators [4] , ii) transistor-based nonreciprocal BPF and isolators [5] , and iii) fully-integrated non-reciprocal BPFs and isolators/circulators [6] . A discussion of the trade-offs for each implementation (i.e., size, complexity, performance, scalability, etc.) along with experimental validation of the proposed topologies will be presented at the conference.
The Impact of Selenium Deficiency on Cardiovascular Function.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element that is necessary for various metabolic processes, including protection against oxidative stress, and proper cardiovascular function. The role of Se in cardiovascular health is generally agreed upon to be essential yet not much has been defined in terms of specific functions. Se deficiency was first associated with Keshan’s Disease, an endemic disease characterized by cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Since then, Se deficiency has been associated with multiple cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, heart failure, coronary heart disease, and atherosclerosis. Se, through its incorporation into selenoproteins, is vital to maintain optimal cardiovascular health, as selenoproteins are involved in numerous crucial processes, including oxidative stress, redox regulation, thyroid hormone metabolism, and calcium flux, and inadequate Se may disrupt these processes. The present review aims to highlight the importance of Se in cardiovascular health, provide updated information on specific selenoproteins that are prominent for proper cardiovascular function, including how these proteins interact with microRNAs, and discuss the possibility of Se as a potential complemental therapy for prevention or treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Accuracy and Practical Considerations for Doubly Labeled Water Analysis in Nutrition Studies Using a Laser-Based Isotope Instrument (Off-Axis Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy).

BACKGROUND Given the utility of the doubly labeled water (DLW) method for determination of energy expenditure, additional techniques for isotope analysis of the samples are welcome. Laser-based instruments are one such new analytical tool, but their accuracy and feasibility for DLW studies are grossly understudied. OBJECTIVES We assessed the accuracy of laser-based isotope ratio measurements as part of the DLW method for estimation of carbon dioxide production rate (rCO2) and total energy expenditure (TEE), in between-group comparison study designs. METHODS Urine samples from a previous study were analyzed with a laser-based instrument [off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS)]. In that study, participants consumed a high-, moderate-, or low-carbohydrate diet for 20 wk; urine samples were obtained in weeks 18-20 before and after a 2H- and 18O-enriched water dose. Isotope ratios (δ2H and δ18O), rCO2, and TEE calculated by standard methods were compared to results previously obtained with the standard technique of isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). Bias, SD, and bias ± 1.96SD bands between IRMS and OA-ICOS were computed. RESULTS The between OA-ICOS and IRMS rCO2 and TEE trends were equivalent (within 1.2% and 4.1%, respectively), in spite of the differences in measured δ18O values at high enrichment levels. The OA-ICOS δ18O values displayed an increasing offset from the IRMS results as the 18O enrichment increased (mean ± SD 4.6-5.7‰ ± 2‰ offset at the time point with highest 18O enrichment, ∼135‰), whereas the hydrogen isotope ratio (δ2H) differed only slightly between the methods (mean offset -4.9‰ for all time points). The between-diet differences in TEE from the previous study were recapitulated with a smaller subset of participants and time points. CONCLUSIONS OA-ICOS analysis is an accurate and feasible technique for the DLW method. Given the δ18O offset observed at high enrichment, validation of each OA-ICOS instrumental setup against established methods (e.g., IRMS) is recommended.
Intramyocardial injection of hydrogel with high interstitial spread does not impact action potential propagation.

Abstract Injectable biomaterials have been evaluated as potential new therapies for myocardial infarction (MI) and heart failure. These materials have improved left ventricular (LV) geometry and ejection fraction, yet there remain concerns that biomaterial injection may create a substrate for arrhythmia. Since studies of this risk are lacking, we utilized optical mapping to assess the effects of biomaterial injection and interstitial spread on cardiac electrophysiology. Healthy and infarcted rat hearts were injected with a model poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel with varying degrees of interstitial spread. Activation maps demonstrated delayed propagation of action potentials across the LV epicardium in the hydrogel-injected group when compared to saline and no-injection groups. However, the degree of the electrophysiological changes depended on the spread characteristics of the hydrogel, such that hearts injected with highly spread hydrogels showed no conduction abnormalities. Conversely, the results of this study indicate that injection of a hydrogel exhibiting minimal interstitial spread may create a substrate for arrhythmia shortly after injection by causing LV activation delays and reducing gap junction density at the site of injection. Thus, this work establishes site of delivery and interstitial spread characteristics as important factors in the future design and use of biomaterial therapies for MI treatment. Statement of Significance Biomaterials for treating myocardial infarction have become an increasingly popular area of research. Within the past few years, this work has transitioned to some large animals models, and Phase I & II clinical trials. While these materials have preserved/improved cardiac function the effect of these materials on arrhythmogenesis, which is of considerable concern when injecting anything into the heart, has yet to be understood. Our manuscript is therefore a first of its kind in that it directly examines the potential of an injectable material to create a substrate for arrhythmias. This work suggests that site of delivery and distribution in the tissue are important criteria in the design and development of future biomaterial therapies for myocardial infarction treatment.
Early Vehicle Accident Detection and Notification Based on Smartphone Technology

Prompt assistance to people involved in vehicle accidents could make a significant difference on the consequences of such accidents. Some vehicle manufacturers include technology embedded into the vehicles they build to detect and communicate crash vehicle events to emergency agencies. Nevertheless, this approach adds cost to the vehicles, and as it is only present at a small proportion of vehicles in most urban settings. Nowadays, most cell phones are equipped with a diversity of sensors, including accelerometers, GPS units, microphones, among others, which present an opportunity for these devices to be used, while carried by people, as both sensors for vehicle accidents and remote notification of such events. By means of simulations, this article presents encouraging results regarding using smartphones for vehicle crash detection. The main conclusion presented is that a model for early detection of vehicle accidents has been elaborated and preliminary proved.
VizTree: a tool for visually mining and monitoring massive time series databases

Moments before the launch of every space vehicle, engineering discipline specialists must make a critical go/no-go decision. The cost of a false positive, allowing a launch in spite of a fault, or a false negative, stopping a potentially successful launch, can be measured in the tens of millions of dollars, not including the cost in morale and other more intangible detriments. The Aerospace Corporation is responsible for providing engineering assessments critical to the go/no-go decision for every Department of Defense (DoD) launch vehicle. These assessments are made by constantly monitoring streaming telemetry data in the hours before launch. For this demonstration, we will introduce VizTree, a novel time-series visualization tool to aid the Aerospace analysts who must make these engineering assessments. VizTree was developed at the University of California, Riverside and is unique in that the same tool is used for mining archival data and monitoring incoming live telemetry. Unlike other time series visualization tools, VizTree can scale to very large databases, giving it the potential to be a generally useful data mining and database tool.
Chapter 5 – Nanotechnology Safety in the Automotive Industry

A number of nanoscale materials have been developed and utilized for the physical, chemical, and physicochemical property improvement of parts and devices used in the automotive industry. The quantity of these nanomaterials has been growing rapidly because of their extraordinary properties. Nevertheless, recent studies conducted on their toxicity have shown that some of them, in differing surface areas, sizes, shapes, surface charges, and compounds, interact with human cells or organs and damage them, block blood flow, and cause other serious illnesses. If we understand the causes and mechanisms of these nanomaterial interactions in the automotive industry, it’s more than likely we will find cures for the deadly diseases associated with them. In this chapter, we report, in detail, on those nanomaterials, health and safety issues, and protection methods and present recent developments in the field that may be useful for workers’ protection.
A Geospatial Implementation of a Novel Delineation Clustering Algorithm Employing the K-means

The overarching objective of this study is to report the implementation and performance of a novel delineation clustering algorithm employing the k-means. This study explores a newly proposed algorithm designed to increase the overall performance of the k-means clustering technique—the Fast, Efficient, and Scalable k-means algorithm (FES-kmeans*). The algorithm reduces the computational load and produce quality clusters. Resulting improvements reside in three major areas: 1) minimization of cluster number fluctuation; 2) efficient handling of large geospatial datasets; and 3) adequate analysis of large geospatial datasets, be it compact or scattered.
Six Problems in the Sociology of the Ethnic Economy

If we consider Marx an economist, then Weber and Simmel were the first major sociologists to devote considerable attention to the causes and consequences of the economic behavior of religious and ethnic groups. As is known, one of Weber's major interests was the part played by different religious groups in the development of rational capitalism in the West (Weber 1958). Weber concluded that adherents of Calvinism and other Protestant sects were possessed of a worldly asceticism which was highly consonant with the requirements of modern capitalism. Elsewhere, Weber pondered a related issue, to wit, why "no modern and distinctively industrial bourgeoisie of any significance emerged among the Jews" (1964, p. 249). Weber's answer adduced, among other things, that a serious study of Jewish law was more compatible with such pursuits as moneylending and that the institution of the dowry "favored the establishing of the Jewish groom at marriage as a small merchant" (1964, p. 255). Another reason why, in Weber's view, industrial production was not a favored activity among Jews was the dual ethic: "what is prohibited in relation to one's brothers is permitted in relation to strangers" (1964, p. 250). As a result of the dual ethic, the Jew, unlike the Calvinist, found it "difficult... to demonstrate his ethical merit by means of characteristically modern business behavior" (1964, p. 252).As for Simmel, he saw the European Jews' tendency to engage in trade as being inextricably related to their status as "strangers" in society. As he put it (1964, p. 403): Throughout the history of economics the stranger everywhere appears as the trader, or the trader as stranger... Trade can always absorb more people than primary production; it is, therefore, the sphere indicated for the stranger, who intrudes as a supernumerary, so to speak, into a group in which the economic positions are actually occupied -- the classical example is the history of European Jews.The impact of Weber's and, especially, Simmel's pioneering ideas regarding ethnicity and economic behavior is discernible early in U.S. sociology. The notion of the "trader as a stranger" is found in the work of Park (1950a, 1950b), Wirth (1928), and Stonequist (1937). Becker's book (1956) devoted an entire chapter to "middleman trading peoples," in which he discusses, among other things, the concept of the "dual ethic." For reasons not entirely clear, interest in the sociology of ethnic economic behavior remained dormant for a while, but reappeared in the 1950's (Cahnman 1957; Rinder 1958; Stryker 1959; Blalock 1967). This interest persists today under the leadership of Bonacich, Light, and Portes, among others. As a result, a considerable body of writings has emerged. Although this literature has added to our knowledge, it suffers from some problems. There are issues which have not been explored sufficiently, discrepancies regarding important concepts, contradictions, and dubious assumptions. In brief, the field of study seems to be in need of careful reexamination. The purpose of this paper is to stimulate such a reasses- sment.
Disruption of positive selection of thymocytes causes autoimmunity

To differentiate into T cells, immature thymocytes must engage, through their antigen-specific T-cell receptor, peptides derived from self proteins presented by cortical epithelial cells in the thymus, a process called positive selection. Despite this requirement for self-recognition during development, mature T cells do not normally show autoreactivity. Mice injected in the thymus with procainamide-hydroxylamine, a metabolite of procainamide, develop autoimmune features resembling drug-induced lupus. Here, we show that when thymocytes undergo positive selection in the presence of procainamide-hydroxylamine, they fail to establish unresponsiveness to low affinity selecting self antigens, resulting in systemic autoimmunity.
Vitamin B2 Deficiency

The consequences of vitamin B2 deficiency can be far reaching. In humans it can lead to weakness and fatigue and can influence drug and lipid metabolism. Keywords: riboflavin; flavin coenzymes; FMN; FAD; glutathione
The Performance of Convivencia: Communities of Tolerance and the Reification of Toleration

This article argues that Medieval Islamic Spain (with its mythical era of Convivencia) has been selectively used as a “moral past” to highlight the possibilities of Jewish-Muslim interfaith dialogue and religious toleration in our times. Using Morocco as a case study, I claim that interfaith dialogue in the Arab World has largely taken place at elite levels rather than among common people or in schools. Accordingly, the conceptual image of al-Andalus remains solely a connective memory that establishes what I call the performance of Convivencia. The Arab political elite has not yet been able to connect the celebrated myth of toleration with the present realities of racism, prejudice and stereotyping to give younger adults a new frame of understanding difference and otherness.
Dimorphic HLA-B signal peptides differentially influence HLA-E- and natural killer cell-mediated cytolysis of HIV-1-infected target cells.

Summary As a mechanism of self-protection, signal peptides cleaved from human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I products bind to HLA-E before the complex interacts with the natural killer (NK) cell receptor CD94/NKG2A to inhibit NK-mediated cell lysis. Two types of the signal peptides differ in their position 2 (P2) anchor residue, with P2-methionine (P2-M) having higher HLA-E binding affinity than P2-threonine (P2-T). All HLA-A and HLA-C molecules carry P2-M, whereas HLA-B products have either P2-M or P2-T. Epidemiological evidence suggests that P2-M is unfavourable in the context of HIV-1 infection, being associated with accelerated acquisition of HIV-1 infection in two African cohorts. To begin elucidating the functional mechanism, we studied NK-mediated killing of CD4+ T cells and monocyte-derived macrophages infected with two laboratory-adapted HIV-1 strains and two transmitted/founder (T/F) viruses. In the presence of target cells derived from individuals with the three HLA-B P2 genotypes (M/M, M/T and T/T), NK-mediated cytolysis was elevated consistently for P2-T in a dose-dependent manner for all cell and virus combinations tested (P = 0·008–0·03). Treatment of target cells with an anti-HLA-E monoclonal antibody restored NK-mediated cytolysis of cells expressing P2-M. Observations on cell lysis were also substantiated by measurements of HIV-1 p24 antigen in the culture supernatants. Overall, our experiments indicate that the anti-HIV-1 function mediated by NK cells is compromised by P2-M, corroborating the association of HLA-B genotype encoding P2-M with accelerated HIV-1 acquisition.
Stratigraphy and paleogeographic significance of metamorphic rocks in the Shadow Mountains, western Mojave Desert, California

Stratigraphic correlations presented here for the ductilely deformed and metamorphosed rocks exposed in the Shadow Mountains indicate that they formed on the North American continental margin and are not exotic or significantly displaced from their site of origin. These strata represent a depositional history that spans Late Proterozoic and Paleozoic passive margin development, late Paleozoic transitional passive to active plate margin tectonics, and late Paleozoic–early Mesozoic establishment of a convergent margin along the western edge of the North American craton. The stratigraphic sequence in the Shadow Mountains is represented by a basal siliceous and calcareous section that is correlated with upper Proterozoic and Cambrian miogeoclinal strata. These strata are overlain unconformably(?) by a calcareous sequence correlated with rocks of Pennsylvanian and Permian age of borderland affinity. The uppermost sequence comprises hornfels and calcareous rocks that rest unconformably across older strata and are correlated with Permian and Triassic rocks that likely record uplift and erosion of a magmatic arc. These stratigraphic correlations have several important paleogeographic and tectonic implications for southwestern North America. First, passive margin, Late Proterozoic and early Paleozoic miogeoclinal facies extend as far west in the Mojave Desert as the Shadow Mountains. Second, the presence of Pennsylvanian and Permian borderland basin sediments suggests that the area was affected by late Paleozoic tectonics, probably associated with the transition from a passive to an active plate-margin setting. Third, inferred Late Permian–Triassic rocks record the onset of convergent-margin tectonism and magmatism in this region.
Dietary Standards for Manganese: Overlap between Nutritional and Toxicological Studies

The Estimated Safe and Adequate Daily Dietary Intake (ESADDI) for adults for manganese is 2-5 mg Mn/d. The LOAEL (lowest-observable-adverse-effect level) for manganese in water is 0.06 mg Mn/(kg.d) or 4.2 mg Mn/d for a 70-kg individual. The inconsistency in these standards reflects limitations in the available data as well as differences in the way in which the standards are calculated. Manganese balance and excretion data are not useful biomarkers of manganese exposure but do demonstrate that the body is protected against manganese toxicity primarily by low absorption and/or rapid presystemic elimination of manganese by the liver. Serum manganese concentrations in combination with lymphocyte manganese-dependent superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activity, and perhaps blood arginase activity, seem to be the best way to monitor ingestion of insufficient manganese. Serum manganese concentrations in combination with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and perhaps a battery of neurofunctional tests, seem to be the best way to monitor excessive exposure to manganese.
A robust pitch boundary detector

An algorithm is presented which detects each and every pitch boundary of a voiced utterance. The algorithm is robust under additive white noise for up to 0-dB signal-to noise ratio. The algorithm is based on extraction of the peakedness feature and the similarity measure of the speech waveform. The authors model the peakedness of the properly rectified and filtered voiced speech envelope as a distorted sawtooth train. A matched filter is devised to extract the peakedness characteristics of the voiced speech and its periodicity. The impulse response of the matched filter is a sawtooth waveform with adjustable period length. The filter output achieves its peak value when the period of its impulse response matches the transient pitch period of the voiced speech. >
Politics Rules: The False Primacy of Institutions in Developing Countries:

Do institutions possess explanatory and prescriptive powers imputed to them by institutionalism? If they do, why do outcomes in developing countries (DGC) defy those powers? I argue that, although institutions play a role, they are neither the explanation for outcomes nor the prescription for development problems. The primacy of institutions is defied in DGC because ‘new institutionalism’ shares the premises of modernization theory-inspired ‘old institutionalism’. Both fail to subordinate institutions to society-rooted politics, the pre-eminent explanatory variable. I support this argument by: (1) demonstrating the pre-eminence of politics vis-a-vis institutions; and (2) relating various policy failures in DGC to the failure of the unbroken thread between old and new institutionalisms to recognize this pre-eminence. Because politics explains both institutional and socio-political outcomes, I propose that the crucial difference between politics in Western democracies and developing countries – and not institutions – be the focus of inquiry to account for outcomes and to prescribe solutions for DGC.
The Johannes Grusch Atelier and the Continental Origins of the William of Devon Painter

In a recent article in Gesta, Mr. Bruce Watson has analysed the main features of the style of the William of Devon Painter and suggested some sources for it and some of its consequences in thirteenth-century English manuscript illumination.1 It is my hope that his article will induce the many students who have thoughts and information on these matters to put them before the public, even if only in bits and pieces, so that a better picture of this interesting painter can be formed. In this vein the present note is addressed to the single problem of the artist's Continental, and particularly Parisian, origins.