cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Joint Network Capacity Region for Cognitive Networks Heterogeneous Environments and RF-Environment Awareness

In this paper, we characterize the joint network capacity region (JNCR) for a licensed broadcast (primary) and ad hoc cognitive (secondary) network in a heterogeneous environment, including indoor and outdoor transmissions, under various spectrum (white space) detection techniques. Each technique delivers a different degree of RF-environment awareness - the more a device knows about its environment the larger the network capacity region. To quantify the gains, we develop a simple stochastic model capturing the interdependency amongst primary and secondary nodes and compare their joint capacity. Cognitive devices using the classical signal energy detection method are shown to perform poorly due to limitations on detecting primary transmitters in environments with indoor shadowing. This can be circumvented through direct use (e.g., database access) of location information on primary transmitters, or better yet, on that of primary receivers. The specific capacity trade-off between primary and secondary networks depends on white space detection techniques, resulting in JNCRs which range from complement convex to linear to (almost) convex. Our results show that, for example, the gain of positioning-assisted method over signal energy detection is 76% and the gain of receiver location-aware approach is 177% when the density of primary transmitters is 2 × 10-10 m-2, the indoor shadowing level is -10dB, and the fraction of indoor nodes is 0.5. Furthermore we show that if cognitive devices have positioning information then the secondary network's capacity increases monotonically with increased indoor shadowing in the environment. These are the first analytical results quantifying, albeit for simple heterogeneous environmental model, the capacity gains one can expect when cognitive devices leverage additional information.
On trapped oscillations of a rotating fluid in a thin spherical shell II

The study of the structure of free oscillations of fluid in a spherical shell, trapped near the equatorial plane, carried out by Stewartson (1971) is extended to include all members of the continuous set discovered by Israeli (1971). In the more general trapped mode it is not necessary for the limit cycle bounding the oscillation to touch the inner sphere but the pathological features discussed in I are also present here. The width of the band of continuous periods of oscillation is also found in terms of the number of reflections of the limit cycle at the outer sphere. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1972.tb01555.x
Commentary from Edgar H. Schein on "Complexity and safety" by Rosa Antonia Carrillo.

Efforts to make the nuclear industry safer are more important than ever in the wake of the Japanese disaster. An enormous amount has been written about how to "create a safety culture," and it usually ends up with a long list of attributes of a culture and very little insight into the fundamental issues that underlie safety in all high hazard industries. I have observed the great energy and effort that goes into this process in my role as a part-time consultant and member of the Advisory Council of INPO. Carrillo's paper (doi: 10.1016/j.jsr.2011.06.003) is an important addition to this difficult dialogue in highlighting that we may be using the wrong models of how to think about safety in the first place. Her emphasis on complexity theory, sense making, and polarity theory focus us on the two most fundamental problems of safety: (a) We will never be able to predict all the things that can go wrong, that nature will throw at us, that human beings will, in their efforts to do things better, actually make things more complex and, therefore, maybe worse, and; (b) We will never be able to avoid the polarity between absolute safety (at any cost) and competing economic and psychological values. In our own daily behavior we can see how the need to “accomplish things, get to places, do things in a timely and satisfying way, and have fun” tempts us into “risky” behavior, seen most clearly in the way we drive. But we try to avoid what some might call “reckless” behavior, as defined by consensus of others doing the same thing. In high hazard industries recklessness is totally unacceptable but our goal would be to find ways of avoiding even risky behavior so that the public and the employees are kept safe. Language: en
Changes in diversification among very large food manufacturing firms in the 1980s

In the 1980s, corporate strategists advised companies to focus on increasing related and decreasing unrelated diversification. We use industry participation counts and entropy diversification indexes based on Trinet data to examine whether restructuring by 10 of the largest food and tobacco manufacturing firms fits this scenario. Indexes measuring related diversification within and outside food and tobacco manufacturing, unrelated diversification, and total diversification lend mixed support to the scenario. While about half of the firms followed the suggested pattern, half did not. These results suggest the importance of focusing on the cumulative impact of changes in a firm's activities on its level of diversification. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Parallel dynamic logic (PDL) with speed-enhanced skewed static (SSS) logic

In this paper, we describe parallel dynamic logic (PDL) which exhibits high speed and no charge sharing problem. PDL uses only parallel-connected transistors for logic evaluation and is a good candidate for high-speed low-voltage operation. It has less back-bias effect compared to other logic styles which use stacked transistors. Furthermore, PDL needs no signal ordering nor tapering. PDL with speed-enhanced skewed static logic renders straightforward logic synthesis without area penalty due to logic duplication. Our experimental results on two 32-bit carry look ahead adders using 0.25 /spl mu/m CMOS technology showed that PDL with speed-enhanced skewed static (SSS) logic improves performance over clock-delayed (CD)-domino by 15-27% and power delay by 20-37%.
Discussion of: “Contextual Fundamental Analysis Through the Prediction of Extreme Returns”

Beneish, Lee and Tarpley (2000) represents one of a small, but growing number of studies that de- velop and test contextual fundamental analysis techniques. Such studies offer great promise for increasing our understanding of the role of accounting information in evaluating firm performance. However, these studies also introduce their own unique research design issues. In this paper, I discuss the opportunities and research design issues facing this new line of research, using Beneish, Lee and Tarpley to illustrate my points. Research on fundamental analysis has seen a resurgence in the last decade. Following the lead of Ou and Penman (1989), a large number of papers have demonstrated the useful- ness of financial ratios based on accounting statement data to predict future performance. However, with just a few exceptions, most of this work has been conducted at a very gen- eral level and empirical results have been documented using broad cross-sections of firms. Such broad sample research is useful for demonstrating the promise of fundamental re- search and for providing some very general guidelines. However, it seems clear that most practical applications of fundamental analysis should be carefully tailored to the charac- teristics of the firms being analyzed. For example, a cursory analysis of sell-side research reports reveals that analysis techniques vary systematically as a function of characteristics such as industry membership and growth opportunities. Despite the widespread practical use of contextual fundamental analysis, relatively little academic research has attempted to develop and test techniques of fundamental analysis that are tailored to specific con- texts. Thus, there are great potential opportunities for research on contextual fundamental analysis.
Determining sexual dimorphism in frog measurement data: integration of statistical significance, measurement error, effect size and biological significance

Several analytic techniques have been used to determine sexual dimorphism in vertebrate morphological measurement data with no emergent consensus on which technique is superior. A further confounding problem for frog data is the existence of considerable measurement error. To determine dimorphism, we examine a single hypothesis (Ho = equal means) for two groups (females and males). We demonstrate that frog measurement data meet assumptions for clearly defined statistical hypothesis testing with statistical linear models rather than those of exploratory multivariate techniques such as principal components, correlation or correspondence analysis. In order to distinguish biological from statistical significance of hypotheses, we propose a new protocol that incorporates measurement error and effect size. Measurement error is evaluated with a novel measurement error index. Effect size, widely used in the behavioral sciences and in meta-analysis studies in biology, proves to be the most useful single metric to evaluate whether statistically significant results are biologically meaningful. Definitions for a range of small, medium, and large effect sizes specifically for frog measurement data are provided. Examples with measurement data for species of the frog genus Leptodactylus are presented. The new protocol is recommended not only to evaluate sexual dimorphism for frog data but for any animal measurement data for which the measurement error index and observed or a priori effect sizes can be calculated.
Interferon-gamma inducible protein-10 as a potential biomarker in localized scleroderma

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence and levels of interferon-gamma inducible protein-10 (IP-10) in the plasma and skin of pediatric localized scleroderma (LS) patients compared to those of healthy pediatric controls and to determine if IP-10 levels correlate to clinical disease activity measures. The presence of IP-10 in the plasma was analyzed using a Luminex panel in 69 pediatric patients with LS and compared to 71 healthy pediatric controls. Of these patients, five had available skin biopsy specimens with concurrent clinical and serological data during the active disease phase, which were used to analyze the presence and location of IP-10 in the skin by immunohistochemistry (IHC). IP-10 levels were significantly elevated in the plasma of LS patients compared to that of healthy controls and correlated to clinical disease activity measures in LS. Immunohistochemistry staining of IP-10 was present in the dermal infiltrate of LS patients and was similar to that found in psoriasis skin specimens, the positive disease control. Elevation of IP-10 levels in the plasma compared to those of healthy controls and the presence of IP-10 staining in the affected skin of LS patients indicates that IP-10 is a potential biomarker in LS. Furthermore, significant elevation of IP-10 in LS patients with active versus inactive disease and correlations between IP-10 levels and standardized disease outcome measures of activity in LS strongly suggest that IP-10 may be a biomarker for disease activity in LS.
TRANSCRIPTION OF EUKARYOTIC PROTEIN-CODING GENES

▪ Abstract The past decade has seen an explosive increase in information about regulation of eukaryotic gene transcription, especially for protein-coding genes. The most striking advances in our knowledge of transcriptional regulation involve the chromatin template, the large complexes recruited by transcriptional activators that regulate chromatin structure and the transcription apparatus, the holoenzyme forms of RNA polymerase II involved in initiation and elongation, and the mechanisms that link mRNA processing with its synthesis. We describe here the major advances in these areas, with particular emphasis on the modular complexes associated with RNA polymerase II that are targeted by activators and other regulators of mRNA biosynthesis.
Brief Communication: Characteristics of Spontaneous Cases of Tuberculosis Associated with Infliximab

In October 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) modified infliximab labeling to include a boxed warning about infliximab-associated tuberculosis that included instructions to screen fo...
Self-folding and aggregation of amyloid nanofibrils.

Amyloids are highly organized protein filaments, rich in β-sheet secondary structures that self-assemble to form dense plaques in brain tissues affected by severe neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. Alzheimer's Disease). Identified as natural functional materials in bacteria, in addition to their remarkable mechanical properties, amyloids have also been proposed as a platform for novel biomaterials in nanotechnology applications including nanowires, liquid crystals, scaffolds and thin films. Despite recent progress in understanding amyloid structure and behavior, the latent self-assembly mechanism and the underlying adhesion forces that drive the aggregation process remain poorly understood. On the basis of previous full atomistic simulations, here we report a simple coarse–grain model to analyze the competition between adhesive forces and elastic deformation of amyloid fibrils. We use simple model system to investigate self-assembly mechanisms of fibrils, focused on the formation of self-folded nanorackets and nanorings, and thereby address a critical issue in linking the biochemical (Angstrom) to micrometre scales relevant for larger-scale states of functional amyloid materials. We investigate the effect of varying the interfibril adhesion energy on the structure and stability of self-folded nanorackets and nanorings and demonstrate that these aggregated amyloid fibrils are stable in such states even when the fibril–fibril interaction is relatively weak, given that the constituting amyloid fibril length exceeds a critical fibril length-scale of several hundred nanometres. We further present a simple approach to directly determine the interfibril adhesion strength from geometric measures. In addition to providing insight into the physics of aggregation of amyloid fibrils our model enables the analysis of large-scale amyloid plaques and presents a new method for the estimation and engineering of the adhesive forces responsible of the self-assembly process of amyloid nanostructures, filling a gap that previously existed between full atomistic simulations of primarily ultra-short fibrils and much larger micrometre-scale amyloid aggregates. Via direct simulation of large-scale amyloid aggregates consisting of hundreds of fibrils we demonstrate that the fibril length has a profound impact on their structure and mechanical properties, where the critical fibril length-scale derived from our analysis of self-folded nanorackets and nanorings defines the structure of amyloid aggregates. A multi-scale modeling approach as used here, bridging the scales from Angstroms to micrometres, opens a wide range of possible nanotechnology applications by presenting a holistic framework that balances mechanical properties of individual fibrils, hierarchical self-assembly, and the adhesive forces determining their stability to facilitate the design of de novoamyloid materials.
Demineralization and Kerogen Maceral Separation and Chemistry

Although there are exceptions, the abundance of kerogen is generally small in most oil shales and petroleum source rocks. The presence of the inorganic matrix, which constitutes most of the rock, complicates both the characterization of the kerogen and investigation of pyrolysis chemistry. Kerogen isolation and subsequent separation of its components, or macerals, is important to gaining a fundamental understanding of its chemistry. Techniques to separate kerogen from rocks include both physical and chemical methods. Chemical methods are more effective but may alter the organic matter.
Regulatory watch: Characterizing the US FDA's approach to promoting transformative innovation

Regulatory watch: Characterizing the US FDA's approach to promoting transformative innovation
Life cycle components of selection in erigeron annuus ii. genetic variation

Genetic variation for seedling and adult fitness components was measured under natural conditions to determine the relative importance of the seedling stage for lifetime fitness in Erigeron annuus. Variation in lifetime reproductive success can result from both the persistent effects of genetic variation expressed among seedlings and from variation in adult fitness components. Anal- ysis of covariance was used to separate the stage specific from the cumulative effects of genetic variance expressed earlier in the life cycle. E. annuus produces seeds through apomixis, which allowed measurement of the fitness of replicate genotypes from germination through the entire life cycle. There were significant differences among genotypes for date of emergence, seedling size, survivorship and fecundity, but heritabilities were low, indicating slow response to selection. For all characters, environmental components of variance were one to two orders of magnitude larger than genetic variance components, resulting in broad sense heritabilities less than 0.1. For seedling size and fecundity, all of the genetic variance was in the form of genotype-environment interactions, often with large negative genetic correlations across environments. In contrast, genotypes differed in mean survivorship through one year, but there were no genotype-environment interactions for viability. Genetic differences in viability were primarily expressed as differences in overwinter survivorship. Genotype x environment interactions among sites and blocks were generated early in the life cycle while the genotype x environment interactions in response to competitive envi- ronment (open, annual cover, perennial cover) first appeared in adult fecundity. Genetic variation in lifetime fitness was not significant, despite a fourfold difference in mean fitness among genotypes.
Glial cell biology in the Great Lakes region

We report on the tenth bi-annual Great Lakes Glial meeting, held in Traverse City, Michigan, USA, September 27–29 2015. The GLG meeting is a small conference that focuses on current research in glial cell biology. The array of functions that glial cells (astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells) play in health and disease is constantly increasing. Despite this diversity, GLG meetings bring together scientists with common interests, leading to a better understanding of these cells. This year’s meeting included two keynote speakers who presented talks on the regulation of CNS myelination and the consequences of stress on Schwann cell biology. Twenty-two other talks were presented along with two poster sessions. Sessions covered recent findings in the areas of microglial and astrocyte activation; age-dependent changes to glial cells, Schwann cell development and pathology, and the role of stem cells in glioma and neural regeneration.
A constructability assessment method (CAM) for sustainable division of land parcels

Historically the land development process has lacked a decision support structure for evaluating undeveloped parcels of land for compatibility with land use policy and engineering constraints. This paper demonstrates an applied multi-criteria decision support structure for characterizing the spatial distribution and classification of a parcel’s potential to support residential lot construction. This support structure is based on parcel attributes quantified in a typical site feasibility report, to include: potential house yield, wetlands area, soil types, streams (surface drains), and steep slope areas. The analytical capabilities of geographic information system (GIS) are employed in the decision support structure named the constructability assessment method (CAM). CAM integrates a dynamic multi-criteria attribute assessment method, based on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), for a given set of administrative requirements, and engineering constraints and judgment. The results of a case study using CAM characterized the approximate location of ideal lots for homes construction in an R-1 zoning district located on a 1290 acre land parcel in Loudoun County, VA, while avoiding existing hydric soils, floodplains, steep slopes, and forested areas. The number of ideal lots for a given set of engineering and administrative constraints represented a 65% reduction from the maximum lots permitted by regulatory constraints alone. The methodology used in this case study provides a consistent and repeatable land parcel analysis technique for undeveloped land parcels, and can be adapted and/or extended to a number of similar publicly available geographic datasets and constraint. In estimating optimal development density, CAM meets the needs of zoning administrators as well as the developers, thus offering a demand-driven market-based solution for sustainable land development.
L-Asparaginase in Leukemia

Since L-asparaginase was discovered almost a decade ago, numerous studies have been conducted to define its mechanism of action and evaluate its clinical potential. These have shown that while its ...
Reduction of the transient outward potassium current in a canine model of Chagas' disease.

The effects of Chagas' disease, an important cause of cardiac arrhythmias and cardiomyopathy, on cellular electrical properties were determined in epicardial tissue from normal dogs and dogs infect...
Overwhelming Postsplenectomy Infection

The syndrome of overwhelming postsplenectomy infection has become well identified and accepted within the past few years. Included in the surgical armamentarium should be techniques of splenic repair in cases of trauma, awareness of the syndrome of overwhelming postsplenectomy infection, and the need for penicillin prophylaxis and pneumococcal vaccination. Autosplenic transplantation (splenosis) is also discussed.
Abstract 2098: Understanding the synergy between temozolomide and PARP inhibition in Ewing sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma is the fourth most common highly malignant childhood cancer; it is defined by a tumor-specific chromosomal translocation. In approximately 85% of all tumors, the EWSR1 gene on chromosome 22 is fused to a member of E26 transformation-specific sequence family of transcription factors, the FLI1 gene on chromosome 11. DNA damage induced by expression of EWSR1-FLI1 fusion gene is potentiated by PARP1 inhibition in Ewing cells, where EWSR1-FLI1 genes act in a positive feedback loop to maintain the expression of PARP1. As single agents, PARP inhibitors have shown promising activity in vitro, but only modest activity in in vivo models. In our previous work (in PPTP), we showed that low level damage to DNA by temozolomide (TMZ) can be potentiated up to 40-fold through inhibition of PARP by BMN-673, leading to dramatic tumor regressions in 5 of the 10 Ewing sarcoma xenograft models. Therefore, we were aimed to determine the differences between the tumors that respond to treatment with BMN-673 and those intrinsically resistant to it, and to understand the underlying mechanisms of such resistance, with the ultimate goal to develop more effective therapy for Ewing sarcoma. We have used the same cell lines to investigate biochemical differences between those Ewing sarcoma lines where there is synergy in xenograft models in mice, and those where the combination is inactive. Our studies using cell lines show that, 1) in vitro BMN-673 and TMZ are synergistic in all cell lines, irrespective of their response as xenografts; 2) In vivo synergy correlates with intrinsic sensitivity to BMN-673 and TMZ in vitro. For Ewing lines, where there is no in vivo synergy when they are grown as xenografts, they are ∼9-fold resistant to BMN-673, and ∼15-fold resistant to TMZ relative to lines where there is synergy as xenografts. The resistance of the Ewing sarcoma xenografts to the synergy of the combination of BMN-673 and TMZ in mice is a consequence of intrinsic resistance to either or both of the drugs. The combination of BMN-673 and TMZ in Ewing sarcoma xenografts is the most dramatic synergy between two drugs to be reported. The synergy in vivo is restricted to Ewing sarcoma, yet only half of the models respond to combination treatment with the other half completely resistant. Studies proposed in this application will potentially identify biomarkers that will allow identification of patients likely to benefit from such treatment, and spare toxicity for those unlikely to respond. Citation Format: Ruth Carlson, Raushan Kurmasheva. Understanding the synergy between temozolomide and PARP inhibition in Ewing sarcoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2098.
The relationship between mobile phone location sensor data and depressive symptom severity.

Background Smartphones offer the hope that depression can be detected using passively collected data from the phone sensors. The aim of this study was to replicate and extend previous work using geographic location (GPS) sensors to identify depressive symptom severity. Methods We used a dataset collected from 48 college students over a 10-week period, which included GPS phone sensor data and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9) to evaluate depressive symptom severity at baseline and end-of-study. GPS features were calculated over the entire study, for weekdays and weekends, and in 2-week blocks. Results The results of this study replicated our previous findings that a number of GPS features, including location variance, entropy, and circadian movement, were significantly correlated with PHQ-9 scores (r's ranging from -0.43 to -0.46, p-values Discussion Our findings were consistent with past research demonstrating that GPS features may be an important and reliable predictor of depressive symptom severity. The varying strength of these relationships on weekends and weekdays suggests the role of weekend/weekday as a moderating variable. The finding that GPS features predict depressive symptom severity up to 10 weeks prior to assessment suggests that GPS features may have the potential as early warning signals of depression.
A Postcolonial Indemnity? New Premises for International Solidarity with Haitian- Dominican Rights

La discusion de las responsabilidades de la comunidad internacional hacia la gente de ascendencia haitiana en la Republica Dominicana tiene necesidad de un mayor grado de reflexividad historica mundial sobre infracciones poscoloniales de la soberania dominicana y haitiana y como estas crearon el marco para los deficits de los derechos de la actualidad. Se propone un concepto de “perpetracion compuesta” de violaciones de los derechos humanos, en la que los capitalistas y agencias gubernamentales dominicanos de principios del siglo XXI pueden ser vistos como los herederos de un sistema de incorporacion de mano de obra haitiana primer establecido a principios del siglo XX bajo la ocupacion militar estadounidense. La solidaridad internacional de los derechos humanos de hoy tambien se inscribe en esta historia de intervenciones extranjeras, como un elemento que se necesita para explicar por que la escena de derechos haitianos ha cambiado a un ritmo acelerado desde finales de los anos noventa, pero no siempre en la direccion de una mayor conformidad con las normas de derechos liberales. La historia centenaria y las intervenciones pro-derechos internacionales recientes pro-mueven por igual la conciencia de conexion internacional, poniendo en duda la justeza y precision de las estrategias de promocion que se acercan a Haiti, la Republica Dominicana y los estados que inciden en su soberania como espacios politicamente discontinuos, estrictamente dividido por las fronteras nacionales. English: Discussion of the international community’s responsibilities toward Haitian-ancestry people in the Dominican Republic stands in need of a greater measure of global historical reflexivity about postcolonial infringements of Dominican and Haitian sovereignty and how these set the stage for the rights deficits of today. A concept of “compound perpetration” of human rights infringements is proposed, in which Dominican capitalists and government agencies of the early twenty-first century may be viewed as heirs to a system of Haitian labor incorporation first set up early in the twentieth century under North American military occupation. Today’s international human rights solidarity is also written into this history of foreign interventions, as an element that is needed to explain why the Haitian rights scene has changed at an accelerated pace since the late 1990s but not always in the direction of greater conformity with liberal rights norms. The century-old history and the recent, pro-rights international interventions alike promote awareness of international connection, casting doubt on the justness and accuracy of advocacy strategies that approach Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the states impinging on their sovereignty as politically discontinuous spaces, strictly divided by national borders.
A psychometric approach to the validation of a student evaluation of teaching instrument

Abstract The purpose of this study was to conduct a validation analysis of an SET and provide a validation framework of SETs that can be included when designing complete evaluations of teaching within higher education institutions. A series of Rasch analyses was conducted on the results of the SET, examining the responses of students within a college and three departments. Results show the majority of items were moderately difficult to endorse in the college and departments, there were issues with DIF, and two items did not consistently fit the model. The study provides an analysis framework that may aid policymakers and institutional administrators in developing higher quality SETs, and demonstrates the need for validating SETs being implemented in higher education settings.
Telos: To Be a Servant of God

As with both Maimonides and Aristotle, I will begin my description of moral and intellectual development with the goal for doing so, and I will adopt Maimonides’ goal that a person should aspire to serve God with love. Yet, Maimonides’ use of the term eved [Hashem (servant of God)] to describe a person who has achieved his telos frequently has negative connotations in contemporary society, which can affect its positive import when used to denote a theonomous relationship. I will therefore provide a functional description of being a “servant of God,” based on the Talmudic understanding of a verse in Habakuk—“the righteous shall live by his faith (emunah).”
Integration of functional proteomics with discrete non-parametric token-based modeling to identify combinational therapies targeting EGFR homeostatic loops in breast cancer cells

B122 The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling system is a highly interconnected, dynamic network containing multiple positive and negative feedback loops. EGFR is overexpressed in many breast, lung, colon, and pancreatic cancers and plays a key role in driving the proliferation of cells. In this work we take a combined experimental and computational modeling based approach to understanding signal propagation through EGFR network. Functional proteomic studies using reverse-phase protein microarrray (RPPA) technology highlighted several key molecules in the EGFR signaling network which were upregulated in response to treatment with three different MEK inhibitors. We coupled this to the development of a discrete non-parametric token-based simulation to model the EGFR network. The model provided evidence that targeted agents disrupt regulatory loops leading to consequential increases in other components of the network. Therefore, in order to disrupt the regulatory loops, we determined which combination of targets may be more efficient. The combinational targets identified by the model were then tested experimentally in a panel of breast cancer cell lines using quantitative immunoblotting and RPPA for experimental measurements of signaling dynamics. Biological signal transduction networks are complex, dynamic systems, whose analyses are greatly facilitated by quantitative modeling in conjunction with traditional experimental techniques. The results of this study and further implementation of our approach in the EGFR signaling network have the promise to inform the development of new, targeted pharmaceuticals for cancer treatment.
Benchmark Construction and Performance Evaluation of Mezzanine Finance Funds

One of the major difficulties in evaluating private equity investments is developing data and meaningful tools that are like those that are commonly used in creating metrics for today’s public stocks. Illiquidity and irregular distribution of cash flows initially create those difficulties. In this paper, we show how we can utilize the thoroughly analyzed public indexes and their performance data to create benchmarking platforms that attempt to mimic the investment strategies of mezzanine funds. While the replication is not perfect, we believe that our benchmark platform provides some early glimpses into analytics that should be further explored by anyone evaluating and investing in private equity with finite maturity horizons.
Observational Evidence Linking Arctic Supercooled Liquid Cloud Biases in CESM to Snowfall Processes

AbstractClouds are a key regulator of Earth’s surface energy balance. The presence or absence of clouds, along with their macroscale and microscale characteristics, is the primary factor modulating the amount of radiation incident on the surface. Recent observational studies in the Arctic highlight the ubiquity of supercooled liquid-containing clouds (LCCs) and their disproportionately large impact on surface melt. Global climate models (GCMs) do not simulate enough Arctic LCCs compared to observations, and thus fail to represent the surface energy balance correctly. This work utilizes spaceborne observations from NASA’s A-Train satellite constellation to explore physical processes behind LCCs and surface energy biases in the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble (CESM-LE) project output. On average CESM-LE underestimates LCC frequency by ~18% over the Arctic, resulting in a ~20 W m−2 bias in downwelling longwave radiation (DLR) over the ~18 × 106 km2 area examined. Collocated observations of fallin...
Reporting results of molecular tests: A retrospective examination of BRAF mutation reporting

Context.— With enormous growth in the field of molecular pathology, the reporting of results gleaned from this testing is essential to guide patient care. Objective.— To examine molecular reports f...
Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy occur in approximately 10% of pregnant women and preeclampsia in approximately 3% of pregnancies in the United States (1). The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Task Force on Hypertension in Pregnancy defined chronic hypertension as a systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or more or a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or more on two separate occasions at least 2 h apart occurring before pregnancy or developing less than 20 weeks during pregnancy (2). Mild hypertension is a systolic blood pressure of 140 to 149 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure of 90 to 99 mmHg (3). Moderate hypertension during pregnancy is a systolic blood pressure of 150 to 159 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure of 100 to 109 mmHg (3). Severe hypertension during pregnancy is a systolic blood pressure of 160 mmHg or higher or a diastolic blood pressure of 110 mmHg or higher (3). Gestational hypertension occurs after 20 weeks during pregnancy (2). Preeclampsia is diagnosed if the woman has hypertension after 20 weeks of pregnancy with proteinuria greater than 300 mg in a 24-hour urine collection or a urinary protein/creatinine ratio ≥0.3 (2). Severe features of preeclampsia include thrombocytopenia, renal insufficiency, impaired liver function, pulmonary edema, and cerebral or visual symptoms (2). Modifiable risk factors for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy include increased body mass index, anemia, increased dietary sodium, and decreased dietary potassium intake (4,5).
Electrical resistivity of iron-aluminum superlattices near Fe3Al

Abstract A detailed investigation has been made of the room temperature electrical resistivity of quenched iron-aluminum alloys in the neighborhood of 25 at. % aluminum. A large decrease in electrical resistivity accompanies the transformation from the B2 type ordered arrangement to the DO 3 type ordered configuration. The relatively small but marked increase in electrical resistivity which precedes this decrease has been attributed to a combination of short range DO 3 type order and of long range B2 type order which exists at higher temperatures. The differences which exist between the present results and the elevated temperature measurements of other investigators has been attributed to strong temperature dependent electron scattering mechanisms which predominate at the elevated temperatures.
Formal Methods for Stability Analysis of Networked Control Systems With IEEE 802.15.4 Protocol

Wireless networked control systems (WNCSs) with control loops closed over a wireless network are prevailing these days. However, due to uncertainties such as random accessing delays and possible packet drops, the stability analysis for a WNCS is a challenging task. Most previous studies on the communication network analysis either relied on Monte Carlo simulation or followed the multistate Markov chain framework. In this paper, our main contribution is to propose a formal method-based stability analysis in which the communication system is modeled as a probabilistic timed automaton. The underlying communication protocol is analyzed through probabilistic model checking. In particular, the stability condition of the WNCS is expressed in the probabilistic temporal logic formula as the quality of service requirement, which can be checked, and the satisfaction of the specification is equivalent to the stability guarantee of the WNCS. We then study the impact of different media access control (MAC) parameters on the satisfaction of the specification. Furthermore, if the specification is not satisfied initially, we propose a systematic way to tune the MAC parameters or redesign the controller so that the specification can be met. This paper presents an attempt and a new angle to the communication and control system codesign problem.
Brucella Lipopolysaccharide and pathogenicity: The core of the matter.

Brucellosis is one of the most prevalent zoonotic infections worldwide.1 The half million reported new cases per year likely represents a gross underestimate related to challenges in diagnosis and ...
First-in-Human Implantations of the NaviGate Bioprosthesis in a Severely Dilated Tricuspid Annulus and in a Failed Tricuspid Annuloplasty Ring.

Based on an old misconception that the tricuspid valve is not important for cardiac performance, functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) has been historically ignored. As a consequence, an increasing number of patients present in the current era with severe TR associated with right heart failure that is refractory to medical treatment. Traditional or redotricuspid valve surgery in that setting has been shown to have high mortality (up to 35% at 30 days).1–3 Thereby, transcatheter valve implantation technology seems as an attractive alternative. Herein, we report the first-in-human successful implantation of the NaviGate valved-stent (NaviGate Cardiac Structures, Inc, NCSI, Lake Forest, CA) in 2 patients with severe TR and prohibitive risk for conventional surgery, for which they received Food and Drug Administration and institutional review board approvals for compassionate use (Figure 1). Figure 1. The NaviGate valved-stent. A , Ventricular view. B , Lateral view. A 64-year-old woman presented after multiple admissions for refractory right heart failure with severe functional TR secondary to annular dilatation, severe right ventricular (RV) dysfunction, severe pulmonary hypertension (systolic pressure, 75 mm Hg), and moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation (Figure 2A). Other comorbidities included chronic kidney dysfunction, chest radiation for breast cancer, atrial fibrillation, obstructive lung disease, and coronary bypass surgery with patent grafts. The patient was deemed high risk for conventional open-heart surgery by the Multidisciplinary Heart Team and was found a candidate for compassionate use of a first-in-human NaviGate valved-stent implantation. Preoperative sizing included a focused 4-dimensional computed tomography that was used to develop a 3-dimensional printing model of the …
A Bioassay for Optimization of Macrophage-Conditioned Medium as a Culture Supplement to Promote Hybridoma Cell Survival and Growth

Macrophage-conditioned medium (MCM) is an important cell culture supplement used to support the survival and growth of newly fused hybridoma cells. The use of macrophage cells, as a part of hybridoma technology, has proven to be an effective and inexpensive source of growth factors that promote the early survival and growth of hybridoma cells. Despite the widespread use of MCM as a hybridoma culture supplement, there is limited guidance and standardization for MCM production to achieve optimal hybridoma support. As an undefined supplement, significant variations in production of MCM may negatively impact hybridoma cell survival and growth. The lack of an available method for standardization of MCM bioactivity has limited validation, optimization, and commercial production. Consequently, variations in batch production of MCM may result in low-quality MCM that limits hybridoma viability and negatively impacts monoclonal antibody production. In this report, we describe a novel bioassay based on the newly generated, MCM-dependent RMH359 hybridoma cell line that can be used to validate MCM bioactivity and standardize production. We demonstrate the utility of the RMH359 bioassay (1) for evaluating MCM hybridoma bioactivity, (2) to define optimal conditions for production of MCM, and (3) as a method for MCM validation and standardization. In conclusion, the RMH359 cell bioassay provides a specific and sensitive assessment of MCM bioactivity in support of hybridoma cell survival and growth.
Cultural neuroscience and individual differences: implications for augmented cognition

Technologies that augment human cognition have the potential to enhance human performance in a wide variety of domains. However, there are a number of individual differences in brain activity that must be taken into account during the development, validation, and application of augmented cognition tools. A growing body of research in cultural neuroscience has shown that there are substantial differences in how people from different cultural backgrounds approach various cognitive tasks. In addition, there are many other types of individual differences and even changes in a single individual over time that have implications for augmented cognition research and development. The aim of this session is to highlight a few of those differences and to discuss how they might impact augmented cognition technologies.
The Impact of Underemployment on Turnover and Career Trajectories

How does underemployment affect employee tenure within an organization? Are underemployed employees a flight risk for the organization? Furthermore, how does the career of an underemployed individual evolve? Is underemployment a barrier for career advancement of employees, or is it possible in the long run for employees to reap benefits from staying in a position in which they are underemployed? The answers to these questions have significant practical implications. Operating under the assumption that underemployed employees have increased chances of leaving their jobs, hiring managers often shy away from hiring job candidates who are or might later become underemployed (Bewley, 1999). If underemployed individuals indeed stay in an organization for only a brief period of time, it may be difficult for the organization to recoup expenses associated with recruitment, selection, training, and premature replacement of these candidates.
An Epistemology of Disavowal: Rawls, Mills and the Borderland of the Brain Dead

This paper argues that an epistemology of ignorance fails to adequately capture the function of disability in both mainstream and critical scholarship. In the first part of the paper, I use the work of John Rawls to exemplify mainstream philosophy’s treatment and marginalization of disability. Rawls’s work performs a double disavowal of disability: he constructs personhood by denying the full human status of mentally disabled lives, and then, by depoliticizing disability, he disavows the epistemological function disability actually plays in the formation of his theory. Rawls’s original position, purportedly uncontaminated by societal prejudice, is already informed by descriptive and negative dimensions of disability as written by the nonideal world. I then draw on the work of critical and feminist scholars to show how they too risk redrawing the borderland of subpersonhood insofar as emancipatory politics hinge on idealized cognitive capacities. Importantly, epistemologies of either ignorance or disavowal orient us differently to disability issues. I use the example of Terri Schiavo to demonstrate how an epistemology of disavowal better captures the political stakes in which she was involved. Specifically, my approach triggers questions centered on the absence of adequate societal structures rather than individual measures of cognitive functioning.
Senescence induction universally activates transposable element expression

Senescent cells constitutively secrete inflammatory cytokines, known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Previous work has implicated SASP in immune-mediated clearance of senescent cells; however, its regulation remains unknown. Our recent transcriptome profiling study has shown that human senescent human stem and progenitors (s-HSPCs) robustly express genomic transposable elements (TEs) and pathways of inflammation. Furthermore, hypomethylating agents have been previously shown to induce expression of TEs and activate the dsRNA recognition pathway and downstream interferon-stimulated genes, leading to immune mediated cell death. Therefore, to examine whether activation of TEs occurred universally, independent of their modality of senescence induction, we performed transcriptomic analysis in artificially-induced senescent cell-lines and observed a robust activation of TEs. Hence we propose that the expression of TEs might play a role in immune mediated clearance of senescent cells.
Ultrafast terahertz modulator based on metamaterial-integrated WSe2 thin-films

Semiconducting TMDs are promising candidates for THz optoelectronic devices with their ultrafast carrier dynamics and large modulation depths stemming from high photo-induced carrier concentration. In this work, we exploit the ultrafast carrier recombination in photoexcited WSe2 thin films for active THz modulation. The THz absorption was modelled as a sum of a free carrier Drude term and a Lorentzian oscillator for excitonic bound carriers. Based on this, we explore a THz modulator based on a metamaterial structure capacitively coupled to a CVD grown WSe2 film. While the THz absorption upon photoexcitation is strong close to the exciton resonance, the modulation response is limited by free carriers.
Burman Nationalism and Ethnic Identity: Toward an Ethnic Postcolonial Theology of Resistance and Reconciliation in Myanmar

Myanmar is a country of both the majority Burmans and the minority ethnic groups. Yet the minority ethnic groups experience discrimination and alienation in their native land because of Burman nati...