cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Low Power Impulse Radio Design for Body-Area-Networks

This paper presents a low power radio design tailored to the short distance, low data rate application of body area networks. In our analysis we consider a comparison between traditional continuous wave radios and ultra wide band impulse radios for this application space. We analyze the energy/bit requirement for each of the architectures and discuss how a duty-cycled radio is better suited to low data rate applications due to practical design considerations. As a proof-of-concept we present the design and measured results of a duty-cycled, noncoherent impulse radio transceiver. The designed transceiver was measured to consume only 19 μW at a data-rate of 100 kbps. The design gives a BER of 10-5 and works for a range of 2.5 m at an average Rx-sensitivity of -81 dBm. The designed transceiver enables both OOK and BPSK schemes and can be configured to use a pseudocoherent self-correlated signature detection and generation mechanism. This added functionality helps distinguish different types of pulses such as timing and data-pulses in real time. The transceiver was designed in a 90 nm CMOS process and occupies 2.3 mm2 area.
Effects of light scattering on optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy.

The imaging depth of ballistic optical imaging technologies is limited by light scattering. To study the effects of scattering on optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM), the signals were divided into target and background signals. A method to simulate the point spread function (PSF) of the PAM system considering both optical illumination and acoustic detectionwas proposed, then the PSF was used to calculate the contribution of eachclass of signal at different depths of the focal plane (zf). How image contrast is degraded when there is a uniformly absorbing background as well as when there are small targets densely packed in the acoustic resolution cell were studied. By using the hyperboloid-focusing-based Monte Carlo method, optical focusing into a scattering medium was simulated. It was found that the lateral resolution provided by optical focusing is degraded by only 14% when zf ¼ 1.1 transport mean free path (l 0 t), compared with the case of no scattering. When zf ¼ 1.7l 0 t, the fluence at 50 μm radial distance awayfrom the focal point is93% ofthat at thefocal point, whichshowsoptical focusing is very weak atthis depth. The method to simulate the PSF of PAM can be used in the future to optimize parameters so as to improve the system
Plant nitrogen capture in pulse-driven systems: interactions between root responses and soil processes

1 Soil resources are heterogeneously distributed in natural systems. In arid systems, for example, soil nitrogen (N) is often supplied in pulses. Mechanisms influencing the ability of a species to exploit N pulses through the season, however, are poorly understood despite the strong potential for temporal variation in N supply to impact growth, survival and competitive interactions in these systems. 2 We examined how plant physiological and soil processes interacted to influence the ability of two dominant perennial Atriplex species to capture N from pulses occurring at different times in the growing season. 3 15 N-labelled pulses were applied to the two Atriplex species in early and mid spring. Sequential time harvests were used to quantify changes in plant 15 N content, root length, root length relative growth rate, root N inflow rates, microbial biomass 15 N, soil water content and soil inorganic 15 N pools. Path analysis and structural equation modelling were used to quantify the relative importance of different root parameters for plant N capture from pulses and to evaluate the degree to which these root responses interacted with soil processes to influence plant N capture. 4 Plant N capture was greatest when pulses coincided with high root length relative growth rates. Declining availability of total inorganic N through a pulse had a limited effect on N capture. This was partly because soil NH + 4 pools were removed from the soil system four times faster than soil NO - 3 pools, allowing sufficient NO - 3 supply to roots, although total inorganic N pools declined. Microbial immobilization rates did not change significantly through a pulse and did not influence plant N capture during a pulse. Instead, plant N capture during a pulse was limited by total root length and uptake capacity per unit root length, which in turn was affected by plant N demand and soil water content. 5 Understanding interactions between root responses, soil processes and pulse timing provides insight into mechanisms underlying competitive interactions and diversity maintenance in pulse-driven systems.
An Evaluation of Sampling on Filter-Based Feature Selection Methods

Feature selection and data sampling are two of the most important data preprocessing activities in the practice of data mining. Feature selection is used to remove less important features from the training data set, while data sampling is an effective means for dealing with the class imbalance problem. While the impacts of feature selection and class imbalance have been frequently investigated in isolation, their combined impacts have not received enough attention in research. This paper presents an empirical investigation of feature selection on imbalanced data. Six feature selection techniques and three data sampling methods are studied. Our efforts are focused on two different data preprocessing scenarios: data sampling used before feature selection and data sampling used after feature selection. The experimental results demonstrate that the after case generally performs better than the before case.
Brief Communication: A Sample of Pediatric Skulls Available for Study

Les AA. presentent brievement une collection de crânes articules juveniles modernes avec les mandibules, conservee a la Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland, Etats-Unis), et disponible depuis peu pour la recherche. Cette collection, unique en son genre, referenciee d'apres le nom du Docteur James F. Bosma qui l'a constituee a partir des annees 1950, comprend sept crânes de nouveaux-nes et vingt-trois autres crânes d'enfants, du nourrisson a l'adolescent. Les AA. ont catalogue la dentition, les pathologies osseuses et dentaires, ainsi que les coordonnees tri-dimensionnelles de la structure des crânes.
Full duplex backscatter

This paper asks the following question: could we transform the radios found in our personal gadgets into powerful multipurpose scanning devices that can detect and locate tumors, guns, buried human bodies, a la the Star Trek Tricoder? Our key insight is that if radios could measure the backscatter of their own transmissions (i.e. reflections from the environment of their transmissions), then Tricorder-style powerful object detection and localization algorithms could be realized. In this paper we focus specifically on backscatter measurement, we describe novel circuits and algorithms that can be added to existing radios to enable them to accurately and concurrently receive and disentangle their own transmissions' reflections and infer its properties.
Treatment of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pelvis and the extremities.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States; in 1991, 23.7 per cent (514,657) of the total number of deaths were cancer-related126. The rate of survival has improved over the last three decades; the five-year rate of survival from the time of diagnosis has increased by 20 and 30 per cent for breast and prostate carcinoma, respectively, since 1963126. Bone is the third most common site for distant metastases from adenocarcinoma, second only to the lung and the liver. Bone metastases were the first presentation of carcinoma in 23 per cent of 429 previously undiagnosed patients19. Although not always clinically evident, there is bone involvement at the time of autopsy in as many as 85 per cent of patients who die from carcinoma of the breast, prostate, or lung66,114. Breast (32 per cent), prostate (36 per cent), and lung carcinoma (14 per cent) are the most commonly reported types in the United States126. Of these adenocarcinomas, lung cancer contributes to 33 per cent of the deaths of men and to 24 per cent of those of women126. Radionuclide imaging demonstrated bone metastases in 590 (63 per cent) of 933 patients diagnosed with a primary adenocarcinoma, with 789 (85 per cent) of these patients having metastases secondary to breast, lung, or prostate carcinoma115. The most frequent sites of bone metastases are the vertebrae, pelvis, ribs, femora, and skull. The duration of survival after the diagnosis of metastatic bone disease often depends on the histological characteristics of the primary carcinoma. Patients who have metastatic bone disease secondary to breast carcinoma have a better prognosis for survival (thirty-four months) than do those who have metastatic bone disease secondary to carcinoma of the prostate …
Clinical Activity, Toxicity, Biomarkers, and Future Development of CTLA-4 Checkpoint Antagonists

Evidence that the immune system can recognize, and in some cases control or even eliminate tumors, is increasingly clear. Encouraging T-cell activation by blocking regulatory or "checkpoint" molecules is a potent way to amplify anti-tumor immune responses. Successfully exploiting this concept, a new class of anti-cancer therapies, "checkpoint-blocking" antibodies has emerged. The first checkpoint-blocking antibody to enter the clinic was ipilimumab, an antibody that blocks the co-inhibitory receptor cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4). Herein we review the clinical development of CTLA-4 blocking antibodies, including preclinical studies, clinical activity, toxicities, the search for potential biomarkers, and early clinical experience with combinations.
Foreign Body of the Heart Complicated by Papillary Muscle Necrosis Located by Echocardiography: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature

A patient with delayed metal fragment embolism to the heart is presented. The foreign body was embedded near the right ventricular side of the septum within the myocardium, an impression supported by ultrasonic echo studies. Implantation of the foreign body was causally related to a pattern of papillary muscle fibrosis on the electrocardiogram. The complications and indications for surgical removal of intracardiac foreign bodies are reviewed.
Duration and Degree of Weight Gain and Incident Diabetes in Younger Versus Middle-Aged Black and White Adults: ARIC, CARDIA, and the Framingham Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether duration and degree of weight gain are differentially associated with diabetes risk in younger versus middle-aged black and white adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We combined data from three cohort studies: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC), Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA), and the Framingham Heart Study. A total of 17,404 participants (56% women; 21% black) were stratified by baseline age (younger: ≥30 and RESULTS Diabetes incidence per 1,000 person-years in the younger and middle-aged groups was 7.2 (95% CI 5.7, 8.7) and 24.4 (22.0, 26.8) in blacks, respectively, and 3.4 (2.8, 4.0) and 10.5 (9.9, 11.2) in whites, respectively. After adjusting for sex, baseline BMI and other cardiometabolic factors, and age and race interaction terms, gains in BMI-years were associated with higher risk of diabetes in the younger compared with middle-aged groups: hazard ratios for 1-unit increase in log BMI-years in younger versus middle-aged blacks were 1.18 ( P = 0.02) and 1.02 ( P = 0.39), respectively ( P for interaction by age-group = 0.047), and in whites were 1.35 ( P P P for interaction by age-group = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS Although middle-aged adults have higher rates of diabetes, younger adults are at greater relative risk of developing diabetes for a given level of duration and degree of weight gain.
Nuclear Transport of Exogenous DNA

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the data and hypotheses available today for the ultimate final step of any gene-delivery method. The chapter discusses the nuclear transport of exogenous DNA and analyzes some viral strategies that enable highly efficient nuclear delivery of viral genomes, making them desirable to mimic to dress up our naked DNA. The advent of using naked DNA as a gene-delivery vehicle in 1990 foreshadowed a new era of safe and efficient, yet simple and cheap in vivo gene therapy. The subsequent eight years of research improved the technique for certain applications and partly characterized its mode of action and limitations. The intravascular delivery of naked pDNA is one of the most efficient nonviral methods for in vivo expression. An increasing interest in using naked DNA for clinical applications is anticipated and, at the same time, it is expected to see a rapid development in harnessing viral strategies for DNA delivery in areas where naked DNA does not give satisfactory results. This will be accomplished, in part, by developing methods to increase the efficiency of DNA nuclear uptake. Given the remarkable efficiency of naked DNA expression, this may be easier to accomplish than commonly thought.
Sulfur Metabolism as a Support System for Plant Heavy Metal Tolerance

Sulfur is a critical nutrient for the growth and development of plants and plays a central role in plant defense responses against biotic and abiotic stresses. Metabolically, sulfur metabolism is a core pathway for the synthesis of molecules required for heavy metal tolerance in plants. This chapter provides an overview of sulfur metabolism in plants, how it plays a critical role in heavy metal tolerance, and how efforts to engineer these pathways may improve bioremediation efforts.
Ledipasvir-Sofosbuvir: A Once-Daily Oral Treatment Option for Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1 Infection.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 historically has been the most difficult to treat HCV genotype, and patients infected with this genotype had been previously treated with interferon-based therapy. In recent years, however, treatment options for chronic HCV infection have rapidly changed to an all-oral regimen. Ledipasvir-sofosbuvir is an oral fixed-dose (ledipasvir 90 mg-sofosbuvir 400 mg) combination of two direct-acting antiviral drugs. Four phase 3 clinical trials (ION-1-4) evaluated ledipasvir-sofosbuvir with and without ribavirin in patients with HCV genotype 1. High rates of sustained virologic response (SVR) occurred with ledipasvir-sofosbuvir alone in treatment-naive and treatment-experienced patients without cirrhosis as well as in treatment-naive patients with cirrhosis when administered for 12 weeks. In treatment-experienced patients with cirrhosis, 24 weeks of ledipasvir-sofosbuvir was also highly effective. Furthermore, treatment-naive patients without cirrhosis (particularly those with HCV RNA serum concentrations < 6 million IU/ml) can achieve a similar SVR with only 8 weeks of therapy. Similarly, in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus and HCV genotype 1 who were treated with ledipasvir-sofosbuvir for 12 weeks, a high SVR was observed in those with and without cirrhosis as well as treatment-naive and treatment-experienced patients. Ledipasvir-sofosbuvir is well tolerated, with fatigue, headache, nausea, diarrhea, and insomnia being the most common adverse effects, which are typically mild to moderate in nature. This combination antiviral can be taken with or without food. Key factors to consider when prescribing ledipasvir-sofosbuvir are drug interactions including those mediated by the P-glycoprotein transporter and increased pH, cost of the drug or insurance coverage, comorbid conditions, and patient and provider preferences. Postmarketing experience and ongoing clinical trials will further define the safety and role of ledipasvir-sofosbuvir in the treatment of HCV genotype 1.
Sonochemically Generated Air-Stable Bimetallic Nanopowders of Group 4 Transition Metals with Aluminum

Air-stable reactive metal nanopowders (RMNPs) of group 4 transition metals and aluminum were produced via a sonochemically agitated reaction of MCl4 (M = Ti, Zr, Hf) with 4 equiv of lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH4, LAH) under an atmosphere of N2 in Et2O, generating in situ the tetrahydroaluminate of the respective group 4 metal. The subsequent decomposition of the tetrahydroaluminate complex via elimination of H2 produced black powders that were further dried and subsequently annealed in vacuo to temperatures ranging from 620 to 860 °C, simultaneously subliming LiCl and Al byproducts for ease of purification, and producing air-stable RMNPs, which were then analyzed by elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR, thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry (TGA/DSC), and oxygen bomb calorimetry. Elemental analysis of the materials showed a significant presence of H, C, and N in the produ...
Influence of Adrenalectomy and Choline on the Fat Content of Regenerating Liver During Fasting

SummaryDuring 24 hours of fasting after partial hepatectomy (65% of the liver being removed) in the albino rat the liver becomes very fatty. Higher fat levels are reached in female than in male rats. Adrenalectomy prevents a good part of this fat deposition in the liver. Choline is without effect.
The Effect of Carbon Nanotubes Content on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Aluminium Alloy Material

Carbon nanotubes(CNTs)reinforced aluminum alloy composite material was prepared by powder metallurgy method to investigate the effect of CNTs content on the mechanical properties of the composites.The SEM micrographs of mechanically alloyed CNTs-Al powders were observed by a scanning electron microscope,and the CNTs reinforcement mechanism was also discussed.With the increase of the mass fraction of CNTs,the tensile strength of the composite increases and then decreases.When the CNT content is less than 3%(by mass),the strength of the composite is close to the theoretical.At the CNT content of 5%(mass fraction),the mechanical value of the composite material is much lower than the theoretical,which is due to CNTs aggregate,thus affecting the improvement of the mechanical properties of the composite.
Brine Transport Experiments in Granular Salt

To gain confidence in the predictive capability of numerical models, experimental validation must be performed to ensure that parameters and processes are correctly simulated. The laboratory investigations presented herein aim to address knowledge gaps for heat-generating nuclear waste (HGNW) disposal in bedded salt that remain after examination of prior field and laboratory test data. Primarily, we are interested in better constraining the thermal, hydrological, and physicochemical behavior of brine, water vapor, and salt when moist salt is heated (Jordan et al., 2014; Stauffer et al., 2015). The target of this work is to use run-of-mine (RoM) salt; however during FY2015 progress was made using high purity, granular sodium chloride.
TOUGHENED PMR POLYIMIDE MODIFIED WITH SILOXANE OLIGOMER

ABSTRACT The nadimlde end-capped phenylsiloxane oligomer was newly synthesized as a toughening agent for PMR polyimide. The polyimide modified with the toughening agent showed excellent fracture toughness properties. The toughness results were as much as 10 times greater than the PMR-15 without any reduction in the thermal properties. This toughening phenomena showed a marked improvement with corresponding increase in the molecular weight of the PMR polyimide. The phenylsiloxane oligomer also acted as a plasticizer to the PMR polyimide, so it inhanced the processability to equivalent level to that of the PMR-15 resin.
Path Dependency in Public Administration and Economics: Future Implications

The disciplines of American public administration and economics are not dynamic, but are instead locked into their foundational principles and practices. Both fields are path-dependent which has made them change-resistant. This paper examines the nature of change in American culture and the influence of path-dependency on public administration and economics through a theoretical analysis. In the field of public administration, path dependency is used as the framework for analyzing recent public administration reform movements, and it explains how these movements are bound by the traditional public administration doctrine crafted in 1887. In the field of economics, the limitations of both orthodox and heterodox economics are analyzed. This paper will argue that orthodox economics, grounded in the ideas of the past - The Enlightenment, natural law, and Newtonian mechanics - is insufficient for dealing with the current political, social, and economic realities. Furthermore, heterodox economics, although in opposition to mainstream theory, only challenges the neoclassical model at the edges. Because of the constrained path of American public administration and adherence to the neoclassical model of economics, both disciplines are not prepared to respond to the complexities of the 21st Century. A new framework is needed in both disciplines that can accommodate the complexities, uncertainty, and nonlinearity of the future.
Neozoa: An immersive, interactive sandbox for the study of competing

In this paper, we present an interactive simulation game with the objective to understand the mutual interferences of competitive (ant) species by experiencing their behaviour in a novel way. To reach that goal, the simulation makes use of current virtual reality devices (specifically the Oculus Rift DK2) to increase the level of immersion for the user. The focus of our research lies on the design and simulation of the foraging strategies of two antagonistic ant species, as well as the creation of an accessible experimentation environment. In particular, an invasive species based on the Argentine Ant (Lipethima Humile) is introduced into an ecosystem already populated by a native species modelled along the Black Garden Ant (Lasius Niger). The user can then use virtual tools inspired by real-life means to control the spreading of ants and help the native species to survive despite being inferior to the invasive ant. Options include manipulating pheromones used by the ants for navigation and, thereby, influencing the mechanism of mutual identification, or placing obstacles that block the ants' path. Also, many key parameters that control the ants can be modified during runtime. An integrated logging mechanism allows to collect data which can be processed by standard tools. The simulation also offers a dynamic, nature-inspired interactive example of the Ant Colony Optimization principle and can help to make natural processes more accessible.
Abstract LB-068: Inhibitors of Skp2 E3 ligase-mediated degradation of p27kip1 as a novel therapeutic approach to malignant pleural mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a highly aggressive cancer related to asbestos exposure for which there is no cure. Even with multimodal therapies median survival is only 24 months. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches are desperately needed for this cancer. MPMs are epithelioid, sarcomatoid, or composed of both patterns (biphasic); those tumors that are sarcomatous are most aggressive. Nuclear p27kip1 (p27) is a tumor suppressor critical to inhibiting cell proliferation by blocking Cdk2 activity to enforce cell cycle arrest. Cell cycle dysregulation has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of MPM. Accordingly, among the prognostic markers described for MPM, nuclear expression of p27 has been associated with increased progression-free survival. The levels of nuclear p27 are regulated post-translationally by the ubiquitin E3 ligase complex SCF-Skp2/Cks1, which causes its destruction. Accordingly, in many human cancers, Skp/Cks1 levels are high and associated with poor survival. Recently, we have shown that inhibitors of Skp2 E3 ligase activity block both, estrogen-induced degradation of nuclear p27 and inhibit proliferation of primary endometrial carcinoma cells in vitro as well as increase nuclear p27 and inhibit endometrial hyperplasia in vivo in estrogen-primed mice. Whereas nuclear p27 appears to be a good prognostic biomarker for MPM, the mechanistic relationship to high levels of Skp2 has not been shown. Hence, the aim of our study is to determine whether MPM is a candidate cancer for targeted Skp2 inhibitor therapy to regain cell cycle control. By gene expression profiling of 53 surgically resected MPM tumors and matched control tissue, Skp2 gene expression was elevated by 3-fold. In addition, by immunoblot analysis, we show that high levels of Skp2 protein are inversely related to p27 in four cell lines derived from MPM tumors of different tumor types. Interestingly, Skp2 expression was higher and associated with a higher proliferative rate in H2452 and HP-1 cells derived from biphasic tumors compared to those from epithelioid (H2591) or sarcomatoid (H2373) tumors and LP9 cells derived from normal pleural tissue expressed the lowest level of Skp2 and a lower proliferative rate. Similarly, by IHC of MPM tissue, Skp2 levels were inversely correlated with p27. These results suggest that Skp2 inhibitor therapy to stabilize nuclear p27 and regain growth control is a promising new approach for treatment of MPM. Citation Format: Julien Daubriac, Jonathan Melamed, Unnati Pandya, Harvey I. Pass, Leslie I. Gold. Inhibitors of Skp2 E3 ligase-mediated degradation of p27kip1 as a novel therapeutic approach to malignant pleural mesothelioma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-068. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-LB-068
Reliability and validity of the DSM-5 Anxious Distress Specifier Interview

Background To acknowledge the clinical significance of anxiety in depressed patients, DSM-5 included an anxious distress specifier for major depressive disorder (MDD). In the present report we describe the reliability and validity of a semi-structured interview assessing the features of the anxious distress specifier. Our goal was to develop an instrument that could be used for both diagnostic and outcome measurement purposes. Methods One hundred seventy-three psychiatric patients with MDD were interviewed by a trained diagnostic rater who administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) supplemented with questions from the DSM-5 Anxious Distress Specifier Interview (DADSI). Inter-rater ( n =25) and test–retest ( n =25) reliability of the DADSI was examined in separate groups of patients. The patients were rated on clinician rating scales of depression, anxiety and irritability, and patients completed self-report measures of these constructs. Sensitivity to change was examined in 16 patients. Results Approximately three-quarters of the depressed patients met the criteria for the anxious distress specifier (78.0%, n =135). The DADSI had excellent joint-interview reliability and good test–retest reliability. DADSI total scores were more highly correlated with other clinician-rated and self-report measures of anxiety than with measures of depression and anger. DADSI scores were significantly higher in depressed outpatients with a current anxiety disorder than depressed patients without a comorbid anxiety disorder. The DADSI was sensitive to improvement. Conclusion The DADSI is a reliable and valid measure of the presence of the DSM-5 anxious distress specifier for MDD as well as the severity of the features of the specifier.
Measurement of Lytic Granule Convergence After Formation of an NK Cell Immunological Synapse

Natural killer (NK) cells contain specialized lysosome-related organelles termed lytic granules allowing them to mediate cytotoxicity against tumorigenic or virally infected target cells. NK cells polarize their lytic granules toward a target cell via the microtubule-organizing center (MTOC). Prior to that, however, lytic granules converge to the MTOC along microtubules utilizing minus-end-directed microtubule motors. Herein we describe how to visualize and quantify lytic granule convergence using confocal microscopy to gain quantitative insight into NK cell cytotoxicity and its regulation.
EBNA-2 Transactivation of LMP1

Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) infection of primary Blymphocytes results in a persistent latent infection characterized by cell growth transformation and expression of six viral nuclear proteins, two viral integral membrane proteins and two viral small RNAs (for review see 1). EBV nuclear protein 2 (EBNA-2) is one of the first genes expressed following primary B lymphocyte infection, in vitro (2, 3, 4, 5). EBNA-2 transactivates expression of LMP1 (6 ,7); and upregulates expression of cellular genes including CD23 (8, 9), CD21 (9, 10), and cfgr (11).
Selecting Sensors in Biological Fractional-Order Systems

In this paper, we focus on sensor selection, that is, determine the minimum number of state variables that need to be measured, to monitor the evolution of the entire biological system, that is, all state variables, when modeled by discrete-time fractional-order systems (DTFOS) that are subject to modeling errors, process, and measurement noise. These systems are particularly relevant while modeling the spatiotemporal dynamics of processes in which the impact of long-range memory cannot be properly modeled by multivariate autoregressive integrative moving-average models. Therefore, the DTFOS enable a unified state-space framework to model the evolution of several biological (e.g., stem cell growth and bacteria evolution) and physiological signals (e.g., electroencephalogram and electromyogram). Therefore, in this paper, we focus on the solution to four different (yet related) problems of sensor selection for DTFOS, which are motivated by constraints on the data acquisition that are enforced by the detrimental impact of the sensing mechanisms to the biological system, the cost of performing the measurements with the current sensing technology, or spatial constraints that limit the number of sensors that can be deployed. Toward determining the solution to these problems that we show to be NP-hard, we leverage the representation of the DTFOS to derive new objectives and conditions that, ultimately, enable us to efficiently approximate a solution to the different problems by exploiting the submodularity structure, which enables us to establish suboptimality guarantees.
Wireless energy harvester from 700–900 MHz

A broadband rectenna with a fractional bandwidth of over 25% was herein designed and validated. The operational frequencies span from 700 MHz to 900 MHz using an offset tapered dipole and wideband rectenna. This compact design can provide up to 64.3% RF-to-DC conversion efficiency, and can rectify efficiently with power densities as low as 1 μW/cm2.
Seizure-Induced Metabolic Alterations in Human Cerebrospinal Fluid

The severe changes in systemic and cerebral metabolism associated with generalized tonic-clonic seizures have been a concern of physicians since the graphic description by Lucretius56 portraying a seizure victim: Oft too some wretch, before our startled sight Struck as with lightning, by some keen disease Drops sudden: —by the dread attack o’erpowered He foams, he groans, he trembles, and he faints; Now rigid, now convulsed, his laboring lungs Heave quick, and quivers each exhausted limb, Spread through the frame, so deep the dire disease Perturbs his spirit: as the briny man Foams through each wave beneath the tempest’s ire But when, at length, the morbid cause declines, And the fermenting humors from the heart Flow back—with staggering foot the man first treads Led gradual on to intellect and strength.
What We Talk about When We Talk about Goals.

Editor's introduction to a Virtual Mentor issue on the goals of medicine, in which authors explore how the goals of medicine are set and suggest how to approach decision making when patient requests seem to stretch the boundaries of medicine proper. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
A high-resolution pipeline for 16S-sequencing identifies bacterial strains in human microbiome

We developed a High-resolution Microbial Analysis Pipeline (HiMAP) for 16S amplicon sequencing data analysis, aiming at bacterial species or strain-level identification from human microbiome to enable experimental validation for causal effects of the associated bacterial strains on health and diseases. HiMAP achieved higher accuracy in identifying species in human microbiome mock community than other pipelines. HiMAP identified majority of the species, with strain-level resolution wherever possible, as detected by whole genome shotgun sequencing using MetaPhlAn2 and reported comparable relative abundances. HiMAP is an open-source R package available at https://github.com/taolonglab/himap.
Protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) inhibitor–resistant waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) from Nebraska is multiple herbicide resistant: confirmation, mechanism of resistance, and management

A waterhemp [Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) J. D. Sauer] biotype (designated as “NER”) collected from a soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production field in eastern Nebraska survived the POST application of fomesafen at the labeled rate. The objectives of this study were to (1) quantify the level of resistance to protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) inhibitors (acifluorfen, fomesafen, and lactofen) applied POST, (2) determine the mechanism of PPO-inhibitor resistance in the NER biotype, (3) determine whether NER possessed multiple resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-, 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS)-, and photosystem II (PSII)-inhibiting herbicides, and (4) control NER with POST soybean herbicides. A whole-plant dose–response bioassay revealed that the NER biotype was 4- to 6-fold resistant to PPO-inhibiting herbicides depending on the known susceptible biotype (S1 or S2) used for comparison. A Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP™) assay was developed and performed for rapid and robust detection of the ΔG210 mutation (deletion of a codon) in the PPX2L gene. All samples of the NER biotype tested positive for the ΔG210 mutation. Dose–response bioassays confirmed that the NER biotype was resistant to three additional herbicide sites of action. Chlorimuron and imazethapyr, both ALS inhibitors, applied at 32X the labeled rate resulted in <80% reduction in the aboveground biomass of the NER biotype. The same biotype was 3- and 7-fold resistant to glyphosate (EPSPS inhibitor) and atrazine (PSII inhibitor), respectively. Glufosinate, 2,4-D choline plus glyphosate, and dicamba were the only soybean POST herbicides that controlled NER effectively (≥92% aboveground biomass reduction). Amaranthus tuberculatus is the first confirmed weed species in Nebraska to evolve resistance to four distinct herbicide sites of action, leaving no POST herbicide choice for effective control in glyphosate-resistant and conventional (non-transgenic) soybean.
Improving Teaching Quality for Students With Disabilities: Establishing a Warrant for Teacher Education Practice:

In the 2010 issue of Teacher Education and Special Education (TESE), Sindelar and colleagues examined the current status of research on special education teachers and outlined future work necessary...
Interfacial Study on the Functionalization of Continuously Exfoliated Graphite in a PA66 Using High Shear Elongational Flow

Graphene has been publicized as the game changing material of this millennium. As research continues to expand our knowledge of this 2D semimetal, the properties at the interface have become an increasingly important characteristic. Translating graphene’s strength at the nanoscale to the macroscale is suggested by functionalizing the graphene, creating a favourable interfacial morphology to adhere. An interfacial morphology that is able to form primary chemical bonds is ideal, providing the best mechanical property performance. We proposed a method of creating a graphene reinforced polymer matrix composite from flake mineral graphite in-situ, using high shear elongational flow to produces these conditions. In our process we were able to identify chemical bonding at graphene’s surface, which developed into newly created interfacial morphologies. These morphologies lead to an increase in mechanical properties while providing an improved stress transfer between graphene and its containing matrix. Our work sheds light on a solvent free route to scalable high strength graphene composites.
Copper Bis(oxazoline)-Catalyzed Enantioselective Alkynylation of Benzopyrylium Ions

The stereocontrolled construction of biologically relevant chromanones and tetrahydroxanthones has been achieved through the addition of alkynes to benzopyrylium trilfates under the influence of copper bis(oxazoline) catalysis. Excellent levels of enantiocontrol (63-98 % ee) are achieved in the addition of a variety of alkynes to an array of chromenones with a hydrogen in the 2-position. Promising levels of enantiocontrol (54-67 % ee) are achieved in the alkynylation of chromenones with esters in the 2-position, generating tertiary ether stereocenters resembling those frequently found in naturally occurring metabolites.
Direct Quantification of Intervertebral Disc Water Content Using MRI

Author(s): Yang, Bo; Wendland, Michael F; O'Connell, Grace D | Abstract: BackgroundWater content is a key parameter for simulating tissue swelling and nutrient diffusion. Accurately measuring water content throughout the intervertebral disc (NP = nucleus pulposus; AF = annulus fibrosus) is important for developing patient-specific models. Water content is measured using destructive techniques, Quantitative MRI has been used to estimate water content and detect early degeneration, but it is dependent on scan parameters, concentration of free water molecules, and fiber architecture.PurposeTo directly measure disc-tissue water content using quantitative MRI and compare MRI-based measurements with biochemical assays, and to quantify changes in disc geometry due to compression.Study typeBasic science, controlled.SpecimenTwenty bone-disc-bone motion segments from skeletally mature bovines.Field strength/sequence7T/3D fast low angle shot (FLASH) pulse sequence and a T2 rapid imaging with refocused echoes (RARE) sequence.AssessmentDisc volumes, NP and AF volumetric water content, and T2 relaxation times were measured through MRI; NP and AF tissue gravimetric water content, mass density, and glycosaminoglycan content were measured through a biochemical assay.Statistical testsCorrelations between MRI-based measurement and biochemical composition were evaluated using Pearson's linear regression.ResultsMechanical dehydration resulted in a decrease in disc volume by up to 20% and a decrease in disc height by up to 35%. Direct water content measurements for the NP was achieved by normalizing MRI-based spin density by NP mass density (1.10 ± 0.03 g/cm3 ). However, the same approach underestimated water content in the AF by ~10%, which may be due to a higher concentration of collagen fibers and bound water molecules.Data conclusionSpin density or spin density normalized by mass density to estimate NP and AF water content was more accurate than correlations between water content and relaxation times. Mechanical dehydration decreased disc volume and disc height, and increased maximum cross-sectional area.Level of evidenceTECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;52:1152-1162.
American Quilts in the Industrial Age, 1760-1870

Eliza Moore never married but assisted her brother-in-law and nephew with their households after the deaths of their wives. Emma Marie Fish devoted much of her time to charity work with the Female ...
Does the history of anesthesia patient safety in the US have lessons for anesthesia in China

Anesthesiology has been recognized as the specialty that first focused on patient safety and it′s believed that both the anesthesiologists in the US and in China seek as hard as possible to approach the ultimate goal that no patient is harmed by anesthesia.By briefly introducing the history and the useful lessons and ideas of anesthesia patient safety in the US, the brief editorial aimed to stimulate the further consideration about the important issue which was beneficial to patient perioperative outcome and the exploration of anesthesiology academic development in China.At the beginning of the editorial, the key factors that led anesthesiology in the US to strongly embrace the idea of patient safety and to act to prevent unnecessary harm were analyzed.The second topic what has contributed to the improvements in anesthesia patient safety was discussed.Recent patient safety initiatives in the US and elsewhere were listed in the third topic.What else can be done to improve the culture for all perioperative care was then summarized.Last but not least, what an anesthesiologist as an individual could do to improve patient safety directly for the patients was highlighted in the last topic. Key words: Anesthesiology; Safety management
Delayed Sequelae Related to Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Children.

Delayed sequelae from mild traumatic brain injury (Glasgow Coma Score at admission >13, TBI) has been documented in case reports however larger studies of these effects are sparse. We undertook a t...
Activity‐Based Protein Profiling of Chitin Catabolism

The microbial catabolism of chitin, an abundant and ubiquitous environmental organic polymer, is a fundamental cog in terrestrial and aquatic carbon and nitrogen cycles. Despite the importance of this critical bio-geochemical function, there is a limited understanding of the synergy between the various hydrolytic and accessory enzymes involved in chitin catabolism. To address this deficit, we synthesized activity-based probes (ABPs) designed to target active chitinolytic enzymes by modifying the chitin subunits N-acetyl glucosamine and chitotriose. The ABPs were used to determine the active complement of chitinolytic enzymes produced over time by the soil bacterium Cellvibrio japonicus treated with various C substrates. We demonstrate the utility of these ABPs in determining the synergy between various enzymes involved in chitin catabolism. The strategy can be used to gain molecular-level insights that can be used to better understand microbial roles in soil bio-geochemical cycling in the face of a changing climate.
Competition and Valuation: A Case Study of Tesla Motors

Tesla's rapid rise to become one of the world's most influential automakers has marked the start of a new era in the global automobile industry, where many of the traditional auto companies were overshadowed by Tesla's dominance. Judging from Politics, Economy, Society and Technology perspectives, Tesla's market value can potentially be overvalued due to its leading role in the Electrical vehicle market. Economically, Tesla facilities the growth of global economy by creating more employments and manufacturing factories. Socially and politically, Tesla's Electrical Vehicle reduces the level of negative externalities (e.g., pollution), which aligns with the developmental frameworks proposed by governmental policies and regulations. Meanwhile in technological aspect, Tesla pioneers the innovative design of battery pack to reduce the overall cost of battery and seeks to integrate better automatic driving system into electrical vehicle. Given those merits of Tesla, overoptimism on its stock price is expected. Therefore, it is important for stock traders who are willing to throw money at Tesla to ruminate over their choices before making the investment. In this study, the results of valuation methods indicate that true market value of Tesla has been overestimated due to its irregularly high operating cash flow, price-to-earnings ratio and enterprise value to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization ratio, suggesting its stock price is overvalued.
Efficacy of topical capsaicin for cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in a pediatric and adult emergency department.

Abstract Introduction Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is a clinical diagnosis characterized by symptoms of recurrent nausea, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain in the setting of chronic cannabis use. Symptoms of CHS are frequently unresponsive to standard antiemetic therapy. Topical capsaicin applied to the abdomen has been cited as a potential effective agent for CHS however robust evidence is lacking. Methods This was a single-center retrospective cohort study to evaluate the efficacy of topical capsaicin in pediatric and adult patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with suspected or confirmed CHS. The primary outcome assessed was if utilization of capsaicin for CHS resulted in more patients achieving an “efficacious” result, defined as only requiring ≤1 rescue medication for symptom relief after receiving capsaicin or after administration of the first agent in patients who did not receive capsaicin during their ED course. Secondary outcomes included total ED length of stay, time to discharge after administration of the reference agent (RA), proportion of patients requiring admission, total number of medication doses given for symptom relief, change in pain score and episodes of emesis, and proportion of patients returning to the ED within 24 h for the same complaint. Additional analyses were also performed to explore patient characteristics that may be predictive of capsaicin efficacy. Results 201 patients were included in the final analysis of which 25 were Conclusion Significantly more patients in the capsaicin group experienced efficacy compared to patients who did not. Time to discharge after administration of the reference agent was shorter for those who received capsaicin compared to patients who did not. Administration of capsaicin did not influence patients' total number of medications received or total ED length of stay. Future research is needed to determine capsaicin's efficacy when utilized earlier in therapy, ideally upon initial diagnosis of CHS, and before additional adjunct medications are administered.
Pop-Up Special Section Introduction: Advertising and COVID-19—Examining the Impacts of the Pandemic on Agencies, Consumers, and Brands

The COVID-19 pandemic has made substantial impacts on every aspect of our lives, including our consumption habits and how we interact with communication messages like advertising. This special sect...
Work-family conflict and subsequent depressive symptoms among war-exposed post-9/11 U.S. military Veterans

LAY SUMMARY Veterans may struggle with the conflicts that arise from juggling competing work and family demands after they leave military service. Over time, these feelings of conflict can have a n...
Economic Development in Early Modern France: The Privilege of Liberty, 1650-1820

Privilege has long been understood as the constitutional basis of Ancien Regime France, legalizing the provision of a variety of rights, powers and exemptions to some, whilst denying them to others. In this fascinating new study however, Jeff Horn reveals that Bourbon officials utilized privilege as an instrument of economic development, freeing some sectors of the economy from pre-existing privileges and regulations, while protecting others. He explores both government policies and the innovations of entrepreneurs, workers, inventors and customers to uncover the lived experience of economic development from the Fronde to the Restoration. He shows how, influenced by Enlightenment thought, the regime increasingly resorted to concepts of liberty to defend privilege as a policy tool. The book offers important new insights into debates about the impact of privilege on early industrialization, comparative economic development and the outbreak of the French Revolution.