cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 3692: Allyl isothiocyanate arrests bladder cancer cells in mitosis, and mitotic arrest in turn leads to apoptosis via Bcl-2 phosphorylation

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) occurs in many common cruciferous vegetables, and was recently shown to be selectively delivered to bladder cancer tissues through urinary excretion and to inhibit bladder cancer development in an orthotopic rat bladder cancer model. Here, we show that AITC arrests human bladder cancer cells in mitosis and induces apoptosis. Mitotic arrest by AITC was associated with significant down regulation of both α-tubulin and β-tubulin which are essential for mitosis. AITC also induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, including cytochrome c release from mitochondria to cytoplasm, cleavage of caspase-9 and caspase-3, cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and lamin B1, and formation of TUNEL-positive cells. Both a general caspase inhibitor (Z-VAD-FMK) and a caspase-9 inhibitor (Z-LEHD-FMK) attenuated AITC-induced apoptosis. Moreover, we found that apoptosis induction by AITC resulted from mitotic arrest and was mediated via Bcl-2 phosphorylation at Ser70. Thus, AITC-induced mitotic arrest was accompanied by a strong Bcl-2 phosphorylation, while Bcl-2 expression was not affected. Pre-arresting cells in G1 phase using hydroxyurea abrogated both mitotic arrest and Bcl-2 phosphorylation in cells treated with AITC. Overexpression of a Bcl-2 mutant (loop domain deleted, removing Ser70) prevented AITC from inducing apoptosis. AITC-induced Bcl-2 phosphorylation appears to be mediated by c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), as AITC activated JNK but a JNK inhibitor (SP600125) abolished Bcl-2 phosphorylation in AITC-treated cells. In summary, AITC is a highly promising agent for bladder cancer prevention and treatment, and the present study reveals a novel anticancer mechanism of AITC in human bladder cancer cell. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3692. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3692
Similarities and Differences in Support of Minority and White Republican Candidates

History has shown that voters tend to support candidates of their own race. This reality has proven particularly challenging for black candidates who have often had difficulty running for office in majority white electorates. However, the vast majority of research on this topic has focused on minority Democrats, not minority Republicans. In this study, we take advantage of a unique set of circumstances in South Carolina's (SC's) 2014 elections where voters had the opportunity to cast ballots for an Indian-American Republican Governor and an African-American Republican Senator. Additionally, the presence of a white Republican Senator seeking reelection provides an important comparison case for determining if there is significant variation in support of these candidates given their different racial profiles, but shared party affiliation. Using unique data from The Winthrop Poll, we find that the determinants of approving of, and voting for, minority Republican candidates, are quite similar to support for the white Republican candidate. It appears that party and ideology are foremost in guiding approval and vote choice decisions among voters in contemporary American politics. Hence, even in SC, support for minority Republicans approximates that given to a white Republican.
Establishment of A Dynamic Model of Malaria Outbreak in Chongqing Municipal

Objective To study on the dynamic patent of the malaria outbreak in Chongqing municipal from 1951 to 2001.Method The quadratic forecast model of population and logarithmic curve model of new case were established using the time series models.The malaria cases and incidence rate were analyzed and predicted by using these models.Result The population and new case of malaria can be predicted by the quadratic forecast model of population and logarithmic curve model of new case in Chongqing municipal.The prediction range of population is from 3113112 to 3368928,and the range of the new cases rate of incidence of malaria is from 126 to 134 in 2002 year.These two numbers are consistent with actual number of population and new cases,which are 31309038 and 130,respectively.Conclusion The numbers of new cases and the rate of incidence of malaria can be predicted by the quadratic forecast model of population and the logarithmic curve model of new cases.The general trend of malaria are gradually decreasing in Chongqing municipal.
29Si CPMAS NMR investigations of silanol-group minerals and hydrous aluminosilicate glasses

One-pulse magic angle spinning (MAS) 29 Si and 1 H- 29 Si cross-polarization (CP) MAS nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was performed on minerals with OH groups and on hydrous aluminosilicate glass samples. The silanol-group samples used were krauskopfite, rosenhahnite, thaumasite, ussingite, and KHSi 2 O 5 with known Si to H distances and ellenbergerite, the proton positions of which are not as well defined. The Si-H distances from the minerals can be compared with the cross-polarization time constants (τ SiH ) and the proton spin-relaxation times in the rotating frame [τ 1ρ (H)], and a rough correspondence exists between a mineral’s shortest Si-H distance and its τ SiH value. Also, fast [τ 1ρ (H)] values correspond to large bulk H densities. The CP spectra of the hydrous aluminosilicate glass samples were fitted with two peaks, representing two different Si environments within the glass structure. The contact-time curves of the higher frequency peak imply τ SiH similar to the mineral samples with short Si-H distances, and this suggests that the glasses could contain a large fraction of either Si-OH groups or protonated bridging O atoms.
Re-searching Methods in Educational Research: A Transdisciplinary Approach

Educational research has arrived at a critical juncture in its ability to address the most intractable problems of public education. While critics point to the lack of impact educational research has had on policy and practice as evidence that the problem lies in a commitment of educational researchers to make a difference in the real context of schools, there is a more fundamental flaw with our ability to conduct meaningful educational research that requires a shift in our thinking about the goals of educational research. The flaw is in a logical system that attempts to reduce complexity, eliminates outliers, assumes that students fall along a normal curve, and infers causality as relationships unfold. To address the problems of education, our research needs to “step out” of our current consciousness and approach the challenges from a different kind of understanding.
Effects of Copper Foil Type and Surface Preparation on Fine Line Image Transfer in Primary Imaging of Printed Wiring Boards

A laboratory study compares fine line print & etch (P/E) and pattern plate performance on base materials with a variety of copper foils and surface preparations. Foil types include fine grain copper, double treat copper, reverse treated foil, vendor copper, and electroless copper surfaces. Surface preparation methods include alumina jet cleaning, pumice scrubbing, brush cleaning, and chemical cleaning. Surfaces are characterized by contact profilometry, offcontact optical profilometry, Optically Stimulated Electron Emission (OSEE), and water break test. Evaluation criteria are instant adhesion (tape test), P/E minimum line and space resolution, minimum isolated line held, and (AOI) yields on a 75 micron test pattern. Furthermore, pattern plate performance is judged by degree of underplating, minimum developed space, and resolution. Limitations of such a laboratory study are pointed out and results are compared to production experience.
Influence of Zinc Content and Chloride Concentration on the Corrosion Protection Performance of Zinc-Rich Epoxy Coatings Containing Carbon Nanotubes on Carbon Steel in Simulated Concrete Pore Environments

The influence of zinc content on the mechanisms of corrosion protection of zinc-rich epoxy primers containing carbon nanotubes (CNT-ZRPs) on carbon steel under exposure to simulated concrete pore s...
Automatically transforming symbolic shape descriptions for use in sketch recognition

Sketch recognition systems are currently being developed for many domains, but can be time consuming to build if they are to handle the intricacies of each domain. This paper presents the first translator that takes symbolic shape descriptions (written in the LADDER sketch language) and automatically transforms them into shape recognizers, editing recognizers, and shape exhibitors for use in conjunction with a domain independent sketch recognition system. This transformation allows us to build a single domain independent recognition system that can be customized for multiple domains. We have tested our framework by writing several domain descriptions and automatically created a domain specific sketch recognition system for each domain.
Bipedal Robotic Running with DURUS-2D: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Experiment

Bipedal robotic running remains a challenging benchmark in the field of control and robotics because of its highly dynamic nature and necessarily underactuated hybrid dynamics. Previous results have achieved bipedal running experimentally with a combination of theoretical results and heuristic application thereof. In particular, formal analysis of the hybrid system stability is given based on a theoretical model, but due to the gap between theoretical concepts and experimental reality, extensive tuning is necessary to achieve experimental success. In this paper, we present a formal approach to bridge this gap, starting from theoretical gait generation to a provably stable control implementation, resulting in bipedal robotic running. We first use a large-scale optimization to generate an energy-efficient running gait, subject to hybrid zero dynamics conditions and feasibility constraints which incorporate practical limitations of the robot model based on physical conditions. The stability of the gait is formally guaranteed in the hybrid system model with an input to state stability (ISS) based control law. This implementation improves the stability under practical control limitations of the system. Finally, the methodology is experimentally realized on the planar spring-legged bipedal robot, DURUS-2D, resulting in sustainable running at 1.75m/s. The paper, therefore, presents a formal method that takes the first step toward bridging the gap between theory and experiment.
Creating a Positive Organization Through Servant Leadership

The concept of positive organizations is gaining traction among both scholars and practitioners. Recent developments by scholars include the publication of Positive Organizational Scholarship and Positive Leadership. The application of positive scholarship is elaborated on by Whole Foods’ CEO John Mackey in his book on Conscious Capitalism. The Container Store’s CEO, Kip Tindell describes similar practices in his book, Uncontainable. In this chapter, I review the core elements of positive organizational scholarship (POS). Then, I discuss servant leadership as the critical catalyst for developing these positive organizations. Finally, I present an integration of servant leadership with the tenets of POS by examining three exemplary organizations: TDIndustries, Whole Foods, and The Container Store.
Creating POS Tagging and Dependency Parsing Experts via Topic Modeling

Part of speech (POS) taggers and dependency parsers tend to work well on homogeneous datasets but their performance suffers on datasets containing data from different genres. In our current work, we investigate how to create POS tagging and dependency parsing experts for heterogeneous data by employing topic modeling. We create topic models (using Latent Dirichlet Allocation) to determine genres from a heterogeneous dataset and then train an expert for each of the genres. Our results show that the topic modeling experts reach substantial improvements when compared to the general versions. For dependency parsing, the improvement reaches 2 percent points over the full training baseline when we use two topics.
Whole Genome Sequencing for Outbreak Investigation

Whole genome microbial sequencing provides information at a level of resolution previously unattainable with the molecular biology techniques that have long served as tools for investigating transmission. In the past five years, sequencing has become an indispensable tool for investigating outbreaks on all scales, from local hospital clusters to pandemics. As sequencing platforms and bioinformatics analysis become faster and more accessible, real-time whole genome sequencing is increasingly integral to the fields of public health and hospital epidemiology. The infection control and public health communities must devise ways to translate real-time sequence data into real-time action that can change the course of an outbreak.
Constitutional Courts' Limited Impact on the Protection of Constitutional Rights

Constitutional scholars have generally put faith in courts’ ability to improve the protection of constitutional rights. While courts have limited means to enforce their own decisions, the literature suggests that their decisions are implemented either when courts enjoy strong legitimacy or when they bring functional benefits to other branches. In this Essay, we call this conventional wisdom into question. We present data suggesting that the existence of independent courts does not increase the probability that governments will respect constitutional rights. We outline four reasons why this might be so. First, courts that too frequently obstruct the political branches face court-curbing measures. Second, courts avoid high-profile clashes with the political branches by employing various avoidance canons or deferral techniques. Third, courts protect themselves by issuing decisions that are mostly in line with majoritarian preferences. Finally, courts are ill equipped to deal with certain types of rights violations like torture and social rights. All these accounts offer a potential explanation for why courts’ ability to enforce constitutional rights is more limited than is commonly believed.
From appetite setpoint to appetition: 50 years of ingestive behavior research

I review the main themes of my 50-year research career in ingestive behavior as a graduate student at the University of Chicago and a professor at the City University of New York. A seminar course with my Ph.D. mentor, S. P. Grossman, sparked my interest in the hypothalamic obesity syndrome. I developed a wire knife to dissect the neuropathways and the functional disorder responsible for the syndrome. An elevated appetite setpoint that permitted the overconsumption of palatable foods appeared central to the hypothalamic syndrome. In brain-intact rats, providing an assortment of highly palatable foods (the cafeteria diet) stimulated diet-induced obesity that mimicked elements of hypothalamic obesity. Studies of the determinants of food palatability led to the discovery of a "new" carbohydrate taste (maltodextrin taste) and the confirmation of a fatty taste. In addition to oral taste receptors, gut nutrient sensors stimulated the intake/preference for carbohydrate- and fat-rich foods via an appetition process that stimulates brain reward systems. My research career greatly benefited from many diligent and creative students, collaborators and technicians and research support from my university and the National Institutes of Health.
Nanoparticles as concrete additives: Review and perspectives

Abstract Nanoparticles are highly efficient additives for modification of cement products, even at small concentrations (≤1%). The main modifications are (typical ranges shown, though great variability has been observed): reduction of set time (by 1–2 h) and diffusivity (by 4–75%), and increase of strength (by 5–25%), and thermal durability (0–30% increase in residual strength). These modifications were attributed to the unique reactivity of nanoparticles associated with their small size and large surface area. The paper reviews documented observations of SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, TiO2, CaCO3, and clay nanoparticles, and discusses effective modification mechanisms and commercial application challenges, including cost and dispersion.
Constitutional Zone Refining of Magmatic Intrusions

If crystal settling is not the major cause of [layering andcrystal fractionation in magmatic intrusions, another mechanism is needed to explain the separation of interstitial liquid and the formation of monamineralic rocks that are characteristic of large, slowly cooled bodies. At least some of these features may be explained by recrystallization resulting from a process of re-equilibration of the intitial assemblage of crystals with a late-stage liquid moving through the zone of crystal mush.
Studies of human uveal melanocytes in vitro: growth regulation of cultured human uveal melanocytes.

PURPOSE The authors studied the growth requirements and growth regulation of cultured human adult uveal melanocytes (UM). METHODS The effect of various mitogens and growth factors on the growth of UM were tested separately or combined on cultured UM in multiwell plates. RESULTS Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) stimulate the growth of UM. Without these agents, the UM did not grow or survive. A cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) stimulator, such as isobutylmethylxanthine or cholera toxin, stimulated growth in the presence of bFGF. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is also required for growth. In its absence, UM did not grow, even in the presence of bFGF and cAMP stimulators. Other substances, such as epidermal growth factor, acidic FGF, nerve growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor had no stimulating effects on the growth of UM. CONCLUSIONS Three classes of agents are required for the growth of UM in vitro: bFGF or TPA, a cAMP stimulator, and FBS. Adult human UM cultured in medium containing all these agents grew well and could be passaged for many generations.
Methods in Protein Targeting, Translocation and Transport

Publisher Summary This chapter covers some of the key techniques used to study protein export. Such techniques have been divided into four categories: in vivo, genetic, in vitro, and cell biology techniques. Genetics have unraveled most of the protein components that make up the translocation machinery involved in protein export. Using Sec mutants is instrumental with in vivo studies for determining whether a protein is exported by the Sec machinery. To assay membrane protein insertion of polytopic membrane proteins, other methods must be used because polytopic membrane proteins may contain more than one hydrophilic loop exposed to the periplasmic side of the membrane. Determining the localization of a protein to the correct subcellular membrane or organelle by biochemical methods requires cell disruption and a tedious membrane separation step since a eukaryotic cell contains many different membranes. The study of protein export depends upon methods which examine the location of proteins within the cell. In the last five years, the cell biology area exploded with the use of green fluorescence protein (GFP) as a tool to study protein trafficking in living cells.
4 Latest evidence of overdiagnosis in pediatrics

While the message of overutilization has gained timely momentum in pediatrics, an important but largely missing component of the dialogue is overdiagnosis. The most well-known examples of overdiagnosis exist in adults (i.e. prostate cancer) and indeed adult medicine has recently focused entire journal issues (BMJ) and conferences on the topic. Yet, overdiagnosis is equally widespread in pediatrics, but largely unappreciated. The authors of this potential lecture published the first comprehensive review of ovediagnosis in pediatrics (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25287462). It plagues some of the most frequent inpatient pediatric conditions, including asthma, bacteremia, hypoxia, bacteriuria, reflux, and aspiration, to name a few. The primary aim of this lecture is to review the evidence suggesting overdiagnosis in pediatrics. In particular we would aim to review of the latest evidence since the publication of our comprehensive review that supports certain diagnosis in pediatrics as overdiagnosed. From hypoxemia to otitis media, randomized controlled trials and other study types will be reviewed that support that overdiagnosis in pediatrics is not only prevalent but likely understudied. A challenge to healthcare professionals who take care of children will be proposed to increase awareness and study of overdiagnosis in pediatrics. Objectives Review conditions affecting children in which overdiagnosis commonly occurs Discuss the studies published within the past 3 years that support overdiagnosis in pediatrics Discuss the gaps in the literature related to ovediagnosis in pediatrics. Method 45 min lecture with power point presentation with 15 min questions and answer period. Results Increased awareness of ovediagnosis in pediatrics. Conclusions Ovediagnosis in understudied and underappreciated in pediatrics.
cohorts: A Python package for clinical ‘omics data management

Abstract Summary Precision medicine uses patient clinical and molecular characteristics to personalize diagnosis and treatment. This emerging discipline integrates multi-modal data into large-scale studies of human disease to make accurate individual-level predictions. The success of these studies will depend on the generalizability of the results, the ability of other researchers and clinicians to replicate studies, and the understandability of the methods used. Tools for data management and standardization are needed to promote flexible, transparent, and reproducible analyses. Here we present cohorts, a python package facilitating clinical and biomarker data management to enhance standardization and reproducibility of clinical findings. Availability The python package cohorts is available at http://www.github.com/ngiangre/cohorts. CONTACT NPT2105@CUMC.COLUMBIA.EDU
Radiation Records in the National Cancer Database: Variations in Coding and/or Practice Can Significantly Alter Survival Results

PURPOSEThe aim of the current work was to quantify internally inconsistent and anomalous radiation therapy (RT) data in the National Cancer Database (NCDB) and determine their association with over...
Impact of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry experimental design on data trilinearity and parallel factor analysis deconvolution.

Abstract Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOFMS) is a powerful instrument for the analysis of complex samples. Deconvolution of overlapped analytes using a suitable chemometric data analysis method such as Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) is often required. However, PARAFAC is designed to require a strict data trilinearity requirement. In this study we examine how strict this requirement is in the context of GC × GC experimental conditions, and demonstrate that under suitable conditions the data is sufficiently trilinear to achieve accurate deconvolution. The term trilinear deviation ratio (TDR) was previously introduced as a quantitative metric to predict the accuracy of PARAFAC deconvolution. Trilinear deviation ratio is defined as the run-to-run retention time shift, Δ2tR, for a given analyte on the second dimension (2D) separation, divided by the 2D analyte peak width-at-base, 2Wb. We demonstrate that experimental conditions impact the TDR range produced and PARAFAC performance. Column selection and modulation period, PM, are shown to significantly influence the TDR range. Two column sets were evaluated, giving rise to different k’ ranges for the 2D separations. Each column set was used with an optimum PM as well as a longer PM to demonstrate the effect of PM selection on the TDR range and PARAFAC quantification. A PM of 6 s produced a Δ2tR range from −19.5 ms to −98 ms and TDRs from 0.157 to 0.439, translating into a PARAFAC bias from +1.6% to −13.5%. However, a PM of 1.5 s produced a Δ2tR range of −1.1 ms to −8.8 ms, and significantly lower TDRs from 0.013 to 0.057, translating into PARAFAC errors from +2.1% to −3.9%, with an average of −1.1% ± 1.4. These results validate the idea that a suitable GC × GC experimental design will provide accurate quantification with PARAFAC.
Examining the Directionality Between Identity Development and Depressive Symptoms Among Recently Immigrated Hispanic Adolescents

Although personal identity development has been conceptualized as a source of psychological stability and protective against depressive symptoms among Hispanic immigrants, there remains ambiguity regarding the directional relationship between identity development and depression. To address this limitation, the current study sought to establish directionality between identity development and depressive symptoms. The sample consisted of 302 recent (<5 years) immigrant Hispanic adolescents (53.3% boys; Mage = 14.51 years at baseline; SD = 0.88 years) from Miami and Los Angeles who participated in a longitudinal study. The findings suggested a bidirectional relationship between identity and depressive symptoms such that identity coherence negatively predicted depressive symptoms, yet depressive symptoms also negatively predicted coherence and positively predicted subsequent identity confusion. Findings not only provide further evidence for the protective role of identity development during times of acute cultural transitions, but also emphasize the need for research to examine how depressive symptoms, and psychopathology more broadly, may interfere with establishing a sense of self.
Micro-scale fatigue mechanisms in metals: Insights gained from small-scale experiments and discrete dislocation dynamics simulations

Abstract This review paper providing a comprehensive review of insights gained from cyclic loading discrete dislocation dynamics simulations and micro-scale fatigue experiments on dislocation structure evolution, size effects on fatigue life and fatigue strength, and crack initiation/propagation in metals.
Biological and Mechanical Predictors of Meniscus Function: Basic Science to Clinical Translation

Progressive knee joint degeneration occurs following removal of a torn meniscus. However, there is significant variability in the rate of development of post-meniscectomy osteoarthritis (OA). While there is no current consensus on the risk factors for development of knee OA in patients with meniscus tears, it is likely that both biological and biomechanical factors play critical roles. In this perspective paper, we review the mechanical and the biological predictors of the response of the knee to partial meniscectomy. We review the role of patient-based studies, in vivo animal models, cadaveric models, bioreactor systems, and statistically augmented computational models for the study of meniscus function and post-meniscectomy OA, providing insight into the important interplay between biomechanical and biologic factors. We then discuss the clinical translation of these concepts for "biologic augmentation" of meniscus healing and meniscus replacement. Ultimately, collaborative studies between engineers, biologists, and clinicians is the optimal way to improve our understanding of meniscus pathology and response to injury and/or disease, and to facilitate effective translation of laboratory findings to improved treatments for our patients. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 38:937-945, 2020.
Use of Spirituality to Make Sense of Loss by Homicide.

This article presents a magnification of Stage 2 of the Theory of Post-Homicide Spiritual Change, a three-stage grounded theory of spiritual change after homicide (Theory of PHSC). Having endured t...
Where in the leaf is intercellular CO2 (Ci)? Considerations and recommendations for assessing gaseous diffusion in leaves

Abstract The assumptions that water vapor exchange occurs exclusively through stomata, that the intercellular airspace is fully saturated with water vapor, and that CO2 gradients are negligible between stomata and the intercellular airspace have enabled significant advancements in photosynthetic gas exchange research for nearly 60 years via calculation of intercellular CO2 (Ci). However, available evidence suggests that these assumptions may be overused. Here we review the literature surrounding evidence for and against the assumptions made by Moss & Rawlins (1963). We reinterpret data from the literature by propagating different rates of cuticular water loss, CO2 gradients, and unsaturation through the data. We find that in general, when cuticle conductance is less than 1% of stomatal conductance, the assumption that water vapor exchange occurs exclusively through stomata has a marginal effect on gas exchange calculations, but this is not true when cuticle conductance exceeds 5% of stomatal conductance. Our analyses further suggest that CO2 and water vapor gradients have stronger impacts at higher stomatal conductance, while cuticle conductance has a greater impact at lower stomatal conductance. Therefore, we recommend directly measuring Ci whenever possible, measuring apoplastic water potentials to estimate humidity inside the leaf, and exercising caution when interpreting data under conditions of high temperature and/or low stomatal conductance, and when a species is known to have high cuticular conductance. Highlight Leaf water vapor and CO2 exchange have been successfully used to model photosynthetic biochemistry. We review critical assumptions in these models and make recommendations about which need to be re-assessed.
Electromagnetic Position Estimation Using Active Current Control and Nonlinear Observer

This paper proposes an electromagnetic position estimation system suitable for linear actuators. The inexpensive non-contacting position measurement system is composed of an electromagnet on the stationary cylinder and a magnetic sensor on the moving piston rod of the actuator. The current supply to the electromagnet is actively controlled to track a desired current profile based on the instantaneous position estimate. The desired current profile increases monotonically with position to achieve accurate position estimation even for regions with low magnetic sensitivity. A nonlinear observer is designed based on Lyapunov theory to ensure asymptotically stable position estimation and current tracking. The active position system is experimentally validated using a piston-cylinder setup with 20 cm stroke length. Experimental results show that the active position estimation system can achieve 1% measurement accuracy over the entire stroke length while a system with constant current consuming the same average power shows nearly twice the estimation error.
Determinism: Reciprocal and Asymmetrical Modes

In this chapter Johns critiques earlier theories of determinism showing that they are usually loyal to some metaphysical or humanist tendency or simply created in contra-distinction to vague notions of free will or freedom. Johns then lays out what he sees as more successful versions of determinism such as a reciprocal determinism he equates with Nietzsche. Johns sees his theory of tautology (the creation of concepts attached to objects which then reflect their dominant use) as another form of reciprocal determinism. However, Johns believes that concepts, judgements and intentions can never be fully understood (i.e. reducible) hence he aligns himself to the notion of an asymmetrical determinism which he equates with semiotic and linguistic conditioning (to desire without knowing why or what we desire, to use a language without knowing why or how language works, etc.).
Preferential observation of large infectious disease outbreaks leads to consistent overestimation of intervention efficacy

Abstract Data from infectious disease outbreaks in congregate settings are often used to elicit clues about which types of interventions may be useful in other facilities. This is commonly done using before-and-after comparisons in which the infectiousness of pre-intervention cases is compared to that of post-intervention cases and the difference is attributed to intervention impact. In this manuscript, we show how a tendency to preferentially observe large outbreaks can lead to consistent overconfidence in how effective these interventions actually are. We show, in particular, that these inferences are highly susceptible to bias when the pathogen under consideration exhibits moderate-to-high amounts of heterogeneity in infectiousness. This includes important pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, influenza, Noroviruses, HIV, Tuberculosis, and many others
Hedging Currencies with Hindsight and Regret

Realized returns and risk of hedged and unhedged portfolios during 1988–2003 were virtually identical. Portfolio managers who care about the risk and expected returns of policy portfolios could have chosen to hedge or not to hedge by the toss of a coin. Mean monthly returns (and standard deviations of returns) of unhedged global portfolios were higher than those of hedged ones in half of the 16 years (9 of the 16) and lower in the other half (7). Portfolio managers who are pressed to earn positive alphas while constructing good policy portfolios are likely to do neither right. They often forecast future movements of currencies by extrapolating past movements. Hindsight and regret propel them on a seesaw journey, forever looking for positive alphas but finding negative ones.
ELIHKSIR Web Server: Evolutionary Links Inferred for Histidine Kinase Sensors Interacting with Response Regulators.

Two-component systems (TCS) are signaling machinery that consist of a histidine kinases (HK) and response regulator (RR). When an environmental change is detected, the HK phosphorylates its cognate response regulator (RR). While cognate interactions were considered orthogonal, experimental evidence shows the prevalence of crosstalk interactions between non-cognate HK–RR pairs. Currently, crosstalk interactions have been demonstrated for TCS proteins in a limited number of organisms. By providing specificity predictions across entire TCS networks for a large variety of organisms, the ELIHKSIR web server assists users in identifying interactions for TCS proteins and their mutants. To generate specificity scores, a global probabilistic model was used to identify interfacial couplings and local fields from sequence information. These couplings and local fields were then used to construct Hamiltonian scores for positions with encoded specificity, resulting in the specificity score. These methods were applied to 6676 organisms available on the ELIHKSIR web server. Due to the ability to mutate proteins and display the resulting network changes, there are nearly endless combinations of TCS networks to analyze using ELIHKSIR. The functionality of ELIHKSIR allows users to perform a variety of TCS network analyses and visualizations to support TCS research efforts.
Family firms and management practices

This article reviews the existing literature about management practices in family firms, the most prevalent form of corporate ownership around the world. I summarize the existing evidence that shows family firms are less likely to adopt structured management practices, especially ‘dynastic’ family firms that combine family ownership and control. I discuss what might be the unique features of family firms that drive the lower adoption of management practices, despite the evidence that improving management boosts their productivity and performance.
Numerical Techniques for Modeling Ultrasound Systems

The relationship between the electrical output signal from an ultrasound pulse-echo system and the features of the reflecting structure or interface is complex, yet the ability to model the complete electro-acoustic interaction between an ultrasound system and a reflecting structure is essential for the development of quantitative ultrasound measurement techniques. A number of variables affect the electrical output signal: i) parameters of the transmitting and receiving transducers (geometry, aperture size, frequency response and excitation signal), ii) properties of the medium (density, speed of sound, absorption and scattering), and iii) features of the reflecting structure (size, shape, surface characteristics, orientation, and location).
Effects of heat-energy release from shock induced exothermic reactions on boundary-layer transition in shock-tube flows

Shock induced exothermic reactions on boundary layer transition in shock tube, investigating free stream thermal energy release effects
Cytosolic free calcium concentration in individual cardiac myocytes in primary culture

Cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]i, of single isolated Ca2+-tolerant rat ventricular myocytes in primary culture was determined by digital video imaging of intracellular fura-2 fluorescence...
Software engineering track chair's message

The Software Engineering track received 63 papers from which 7 papers were selected after an intensive reviewing and selection process. Many good papers could not be selected due to lack of space in the program. The selected papers cover a diverse range of topics within software engineering: from software reliability prediction to middle-ware for component management to runtime validation and code generation. The paper by Roychoudhury, Negi and Mitra analyzes programs loops for estimating program execution time. They use constraint propagation techniques to detect infeasible paths followed by timing analysis that employ memoization techniques. The paper by Sengupta and Cleaveland presents the operational semantics of timed message sequence charts to help detect errors and inconsistencies in specifications. Tripathi and Mall present a method for making predictions about reliability of software during the software development process itself when the failure data from the field cannot be available. The paper by Wang presents a logic programming framework for integrating architecture description languages (ADLs) which allows tools developed for one ADL to be used even though the architectural specification is written in another ADL. In a similar vain, the paper by Stevenson, Fu and Dong presents a framework for automated and validated realization of software architecture designs. The paper by Bhattarcharjee and Shyamsundar presents a method for validated code generation for activity diagrams which are useful in model driven design of software. Finally, the paper by Mousavi et al presents techniques that exploit symmetry for tackling the state-space explosion problem that arises in model checking.
Cell type-specific transcriptional regulation of the drosophila FMRFamide neuropeptide gene

Abstract We have used IacZ reporter gene constructs to study the promoter/enhancer regions of the Drosophila FMRFamide neuropeptide gene in germ line transformants. FMRFamide is normally expressed ∼60 diverse neurons of the larval CNS that represent ∼15 distinct cell types. An 8 kb FMRFamide DNA fragment (including 5 kb of 5′ upstream sequence) was sufficient to direct a pattern of IacZ expression that mimicked nearly all spatial aspects of the normal pattern. This result indicates that the cell-specific regulation of FMRFamide expression is largely generated by transcriptional mechanisms. Reporter gene expression was lost from selected cell types when smaller fragments were tested, suggesting that multiple control regions are included in the FMRFamide promoter. One region (a 300 by fragment from −476 to −162) acted as an enhancer for 1 of the ∼15 FMRFamide -positive cell types, the OL2 neurons. These results suggest that, in the mature nervous system, the complex pattern of FMRFamide neuropeptide gene expression derives from the activity of discrete, cell type-specific enhancers that are independently regulated.
Fine-tuning gene networks using simple sequence repeats

The parameters in a complex synthetic gene network must be extensively tuned before the network functions as designed. Here, we introduce a simple and general approach to rapidly tune gene networks in Escherichia coli using hypermutable simple sequence repeats embedded in the spacer region of the ribosome binding site. By varying repeat length, we generated expression libraries that incrementally and predictably sample gene expression levels over a 1,000-fold range. We demonstrate the utility of the approach by creating a bistable switch library that programmatically samples the expression space to balance the two states of the switch, and we illustrate the need for tuning by showing that the switch’s behavior is sensitive to host context. Further, we show that mutation rates of the repeats are controllable in vivo for stability or for targeted mutagenesis—suggesting a new approach to optimizing gene networks via directed evolution. This tuning methodology should accelerate the process of engineering functionally complex gene networks.
SU-E-J-186: CT Textures Can be Predictive for Tumor Shrinkage

Purpose: To determine if NSCLC GTV CT textures can be predictive for tumor shrinkage after proton therapy with concurrent chemotherapy.Methods: Simulation and weekly 4DCTs were obtained from 25 patients with locally advanced NSCLC treated by proton therapy at a 74 Gy dose level with concurrent chemotherapy. In‐house deformable image registrationsoftware based on the demons algorithm propagated the physician‐generated planning GTV onto each weekly image set. GTV soft tissue volumes were then extracted from CTimages by in‐house software which pruned out voxels below a cutoff HU threshold. Patients whose normalized end‐treatment pruned GTV was less than the group median were classified as ‘strong responders.’The remaining patients were classified as ‘weak responders.’ For each pruned GTV, the MaZda texture analysissoftware generated quantitative 3D texture features based on the image histogram, absolute gradient, co‐occurrence matrix, and run‐length matrix. Using the Fisher coefficient, a subset of these texture features that were relevant to distinguishing the two response groups was obtained. In‐house software and MaZda were then used to perform neural network data classification with leave‐one‐out cross‐validation based on this texture feature subset. The true positive rate (TPR), false positive rate (FPR), classification accuracy, and one‐sided p‐values were recorded. Results: Six classification models were tested. Each model had a unique combination of feature extraction and analysis parameters. Taking ‘strong responders’ to be the ‘positive’ class, the average TPR was 0.66 (0.60 – 0.75), the average FPR was 0.36 (0.31 – 0.40), the average classification accuracy was 64.8% (60.0% – 68.0%), and the average one‐sided p‐value was 0.118 (0.055 – 0.215). Conclusions: There is some evidence showing that NSCLC GTV CT textures can be predictive for tumor shrinkage after proton therapy. Further work should be done to include more patients, texture metrics, and data analysis techniques. The presenting author receives funding support from a Hertz Foundation Applied Science Fellowship.
Are we free to break the laws

Soft determinism seems to have an incredible consequence. It seems to imply, given certain acceptable further premises, that sometimes people are able to act in such a way that the laws of nature are broken. Soft determinism is the doctrine that sometimes one freely does what one is predetermined to do; and that in such a case one is able to act otherwise though past history and the laws of nature determine that one will not act otherwise. Compatibilism is the doctrine that soft determinism may be true. The Weak Thesis, which as a soft determinist the author accept, is the thesis that he could have rendered a law false in the weak sense. The Strong Thesis, which the author rejects, is the thesis that he could have rendered a law false in the strong sense. The weak thesis is controversial, to be sure, but a soft determinist should not mind being committed to it.
An analysis of accelerated vehicle retirement programs using a discrete choice personal vehicle model

This paper introduces a methodology to analyze the costs and effects of a large-scale light-duty vehicle retirement program, such as the one scheduled for the Los Angeles region beginning in 1999. This methodology allows, for a given number of vehicle retirements, estimates of: the bounty required, the number of retired vehicles that would be replaced, the net effect on vehicle miles traveled and fuel use, the reduction in emissions, and the welfare effects by income level. The paper then presents the results from simulations of two programs in the Los Angeles region in place from 1999 to 2010. It is shown that a program targeting 20-yr and older vehicles is likely to be more cost-effective and have less of an impact on used car prices than a program targeting 10-yr and older autos.
Limitations on the Use of Gabions to Improve Fish Passage

Abstract Gabions are used frequently to improve aquatic habitat and rehabilitate damaged fish habitat in low-gradient streams. However, gabions should not be installed perpendicular to the stream flow if water velocities are expected to exceed 5 ft/s. This recommendation would preclude the use of gabions to improve fish passage at waterfalls. Also, gabions installed below culverts should be placed well downstream of the culvert. Weirs constructed of reinforced concrete and/or large boulders could be used as alternatives to gabions to provide for fish passage.
Results of Arthroscopic Medial Retinacular Release for Treatment of Medial Subluxation of the Patella

Background: Medial subluxation of the patella is a rare, disabling condition that has iatrogenic and traumatic causation. To date, only open reconstructions have been reported for operative treatment of this condition, but these procedures have a high rate of complications, revisions, and subsequent surgery. This is the first study to present the results of arthroscopic medial retinacular release for treatment of this problem.Hypothesis: Arthroscopic release will alleviate painful medial patellar subluxation.Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods: Nine knees (7 patients) with painful, recurrent medial subluxation of the patella that occurred spontaneously (2 knees) or after a lateral release (5 knees) or an injury (2 knees) were treated with an arthroscopic medial retinacular release. The retinaculum was released 2 cm medial to the superior pole of the patella down to the anteromedial portal. At a mean follow-up of 2.7 years (range, 1-8 years), all knees were evaluated, and the results we...
An analysis of the computational and parallel complexity of the Livermore Loops

Abstract This paper presents and analyzes the computational and parallel complexity of the Livermore Loops. The Loops represent the type of computational kernels typically found in large-scale scientific computing and have been used to benchmark computer system since the mid-60's. On parallel systems, a process's computational structure can greatly affect its efficiency. If the loops are to be used to benchmark such systems, their computations must be understood thoroughly, so that efficient implementations may be written. This paper addresses that concern.
Energy deposition by partially stripped ions in gases and condensed media.

Energy deposition in matter by atoms and partially stripped ions is studied. Expressions for the collisional and restricted collisional energy deposition rates are derived for high-velocity nonrelativistic projectiles, using Bethe theory. These formulas are intended for the calculation of amounts of energy deposited into a target at depths less than the mean path for change in electronic state of the projectile. Calculations are presented for hydrogen atoms, protons, and electrons on aluminum and graphite targets.