cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Image quality evaluation based on recognition times for fast image browsing applications

Mean squared error (MSE) and peak signal-to-noise-ratio (PSNR) are the most common methods for measuring the quality of compressed images, despite the fact that their inadequacies have long been recognized. Quality for compressed still images is sometimes evaluated using human observers who provide subjective ratings of the images. Both SNR and subjective quality judgments, however, may be inappropriate for evaluating progressive compression methods which are to be used for fast browsing applications. In this paper, we present a novel experimental and statistical framework for comparing progressive coders. The comparisons use response time studies in which human observers view a series of progressive transmissions, and respond to questions about the images as they become recognizable. We describe the framework and use it to compare several well-known algorithms (JPEG, set partitioning in hierarchical trees (SPIHT), and embedded zerotree wavelet (EZW)), and to show that a multiresolution decoding is recognized faster than a single large-scale decoding. Our experiments also show that, for the particular algorithms used, at the same PSNR, global blurriness slows down recognition more than do localized "splotch" artifacts.
Treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis with specific food elimination diet directed by a combination of skin prick and patch tests

Background Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is a recently described disorder identified in patients with symptoms suggestive of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) but unresponsive to conventional reflux therapies. Therapies have included corticosteroids, elemental diet, and diet restriction. We report our experience with skin prick and atopy patch testing and food elimination diets in patients diagnosed as having EE. Objective To identify food antigens that cause EE and the characteristics of patients who respond to food elimination vs those who are unresponsive. Methods Patients diagnosed as having EE had restricted diets based on skin prick and atopy patch testing results. Additional biopsies were performed after 4 to 8 weeks of restricted diet. Demographics, atopic tendencies, and food antigens were identified retrospectively in our food allergy database. Results A total of 146 patients diagnosed as having EE were evaluated with skin prick and atopy patch testing. Thirty-nine patients had unequivocal demonstration of food causing EE, with normalization of biopsy results on elimination and reoccurrence on reintroduction. An additional 73 patients, for a total 112 (77%) of 146 patients, had resolution of their EE as demonstrated by biopsy results. Fifteen (10%) of 146 patients were nonresponders manifested by no significant reduction in esophageal eosinophils despite restricted diet based on skin prick and atopy patch testing. Egg, milk, and soy were identified most frequently with skin prick testing, whereas corn, soy, and wheat were identified most frequently with atopy patch testing. Conclusion In more than 75% of patients with EE, both symptoms and esophageal inflammation can be significantly improved with dietary elimination of foods. Skin prick and atopy patch testing can help identify foods in most patients.
The American Brachytherapy Society recommendations for high-dose-rate brachytherapy for carcinoma of the endometrium.

Abstract Purpose: To develop recommendations for use of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy in patients with endometrial cancer. Methods: A panel of members of the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) performed a literature review, supplemented their clinical experience, and formulated recommendations for endometrial HDR brachytherapy. Results: The ABS endorses the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for indications for radiation therapy for patients with endometrial cancer and the guidelines on HDR quality assurance of the American Association on Physicists in Medicine (AAPM). The ABS made specific recommendations for HDR applicator selection, insertion techniques, target volume definition, dose fractionation, and specifications for postoperative adjuvant vaginal cuff therapy, for vaginal recurrences, and for medically inoperable primary endometrial cancer patients. The ABS recommends that applicator selection should be based on patient and target volume geometry. The dose prescription point should be clearly specified. The treatment plan should be optimized to conform to the target volume whenever possible while recognizing the limitations of computer optimization. Suggested doses were tabulated for treatment with HDR alone, and in combination with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), when applicable. For intravaginal brachytherapy, the largest diameter applicator should be selected to ensure close mucosal apposition. Doses should be reported both at the vaginal surface and at 0.5-cm depth irrespective of the dose prescription point. For vaginal recurrences, intracavitary brachytherapy should be restricted to patients with nonbulky ( 0.5-cm thick) recurrences should be treated with interstitial techniques. For medically inoperable patients, an appropriate applicator that will allow adequate irradiation of the entire uterus should be selected. Conclusion: Recommendations are made for HDR brachytherapy for endometrial cancer. Practitioners and cooperative groups are encouraged to use these recommendations to formulate their treatment and dose reporting policies. This will lead to meaningful comparisons of reports from different institutions and lead to advances and appropriate use of HDR.
Race and Cumulative Discrimination in the Prosecution of Criminal Defendants

Most research investigates the effect of a defendant’s race on severity of imposed legal sanction at only one of several decision points that comprise the criminal justice system. This myopic focus on what can be termed episodic discrimination is problematic because racial discrimination evinced at one decision point may be amplified, negated, or even reversed at other decision points. Here we synthesize estimates of a defendant’s race on the severity of imposed legal sanction at each of the decision points encountered by a defendant as he or she progresses through the criminal justice system. Although initial results show that the effect of race on severity of outcome depends on the specific decision point analyzed, a synthesis of these race estimates in a meta-analysis reveals that the odds of receiving a severe sanction is approximately 42% higher for a Black defendant even after controlling for prior record and other legal and extralegal variables. Thus, although the influence of a defendant’s race on...
Optical Probing Of Field Dependent Effects In Gaas Photoconductive Switches

An electro-optic probe is used to study the physics of semiconductors subjected to high fields with 100-ps time resolution. A variety of phenomena have been seen in GaAs in photoconductive switches. There appears to be evidence of current channeling in switches operating in lock-on mode. In addition, the affects of contact preparation on switch operation have been investigated.
Enabling ultra low voltage system operation by tolerating on-chip cache failures

Extreme technology integration in the sub-micron regime comes with a rapid rise in heat dissipation and power density for modern processors. Dynamic voltage scaling is a widely used technique to tackle this problem when high performance is not needed. However, the minimum achievable supply voltage is often bounded by SRAM cells since they fail at a faster rate than logic cells. In this work, we propose a novel fault-tolerant cache architecture, that by reconfiguring its internal organization can efficiently tolerate SRAM failures that arise when operating in the ultra low voltage region. Using our approach, the operational voltage of a processor can be reduced to 420mV, which translates to 80% dynamic and 73% leakage power savings in 90nm.
Active grids for quasi-optical power combining

Active grids are periodic structures loaded with transistors or diodes that interact with electromagnetic beams. These new quasi-optical components may make possible a new generation of low-cost, high-power solid-state millimeter-wave communications, broadcast, and radar systems. Quasi-optical power combining allows the output power from large numbers of individual transistors and diodes to be combined in free space without transmission-line losses. These components can often be made as planar structures that are suitable for large-scale monolithic integration. A variety of grids have been demonstrated, including detectors, phase shifters, multipliers, oscillators, and more recently, amplifiers and switches. In these grids, the power is proportional to the area, while the circuit impedances are determined by the dimensions of the unit cell. This allows great design flexibility. One can achieve high power and high efficiency simultaneously, or large dynamic range and low noise at the same time. The authors discuss the results for several grids. The first is a a doubler with an output power of 330 /spl mu/W at 1 THz. The second is a 10/spl times/10 pHEMT hybrid grid amplifier with a 3 dB noise figure and 3.7 W output at 10 GHz. They also discuss current results on monolithic grid amplifiers for millimeter wavelengths.
Inhibition of Tau Aggregation by Three Aspergillus nidulans Secondary Metabolites: 2,ω-Dihydroxyemodin, Asperthecin, and Asperbenzaldehyde

The aggregation of the microtubule-associated protein tau is a significant event in many neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimerʼs disease. The inhibition or reversal of tau aggregation is therefore a potential therapeutic strategy for these diseases. Fungal natural products have proven to be a rich source of useful compounds having wide varieties of biological activity. We have screened Aspergillus nidulans secondary metabolites containing aromatic ring structures for their ability to inhibit tau aggregation in vitro using an arachidonic acid polymerization protocol and the previously identified aggregation inhibitor emodin as a positive control. While several compounds showed some activity, 2,ω-dihydroxyemodin, asperthecin, and asperbenzaldehyde were potent aggregation inhibitors as determined by both a filter trap assay and electron microscopy. In this study, these three compounds were stronger inhibitors than emodin, which has been shown in a prior study to inhibit the heparin induction of tau aggregation with an IC50 of 1–5 µM. Additionally, 2,ω-dihydroxyemodin, asperthecin, and asperbenzaldehyde reduced, but did not block, tau stabilization of microtubules. 2,ω-Dihydroxyemodin and asperthecin have similar structures to previously identified tau aggregation inhibitors, while asperbenzaldehyde represents a new class of compounds with tau aggregation inhibitor activity. Asperbenzaldehyde can be readily modified into compounds with strong lipoxygenase inhibitor activity, suggesting that compounds derived from asperbenzaldehyde could have dual activity. Together, our data demonstrates the potential of 2,ω-dihydroxyemodin, asperthecin, and asperbenzaldehyde as lead compounds for further development as therapeutics to inhibit tau aggregation in Alzheimerʼs disease and neurodegenerative tauopathies.
Poxvirus expression vectors.

The poxviruses form a large family of complex DNA viruses that infect both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. The most notorious member, variola virus, was responsible for smallpox, one of the most dreaded of all infectious diseases. In the late 18th century, Edward Jenner demonstrated that smallpox could be prevented by immunization with a more benign relative, vaccinia virus, which caused mild infections in cattle. Ultimately, global vaccination strategies led to the eradication of smallpox.
Effect of Habitat Quality on Primate Populations in Kalimantan: Gibbons and Leaf Monkeys as Case Studies

Primate ecologists seek to answer fundamental questions about how and why particular ecological factors influence primate individuals, groups, and populations (Isbell 1991; Sterck et al. 1997; van Schaik 1983; Wrangham 1980). While primatologists have used a variety of approaches to address these questions, the study of a particular taxon across a range of ecological conditions provides a particularly useful framework for investigating key questions about the interactions between primates and their habitats (Davies 1994; Doran et al. 2002; Morrogh-Bernard et al. 2009; Strum and Western 1982; van Schaik et al. 2009). Studies conducted on small spatial scales may be especially useful in this context because they permit investigation of the effects of variation in some ecological conditions while controlling for others (e.g., Caldecott 1980; Chapman and Chapman 1999; Dunbar 1992a; Iwamoto and Dunbar 1983). While such studies may address fundamental ecological questions in ways that other research designs cannot, they remain relatively underutilized. Understandably, given the difficulties of sampling long-lived, generally rare vertebrates, most primate studies have focused on a single or small number of groups. Equally reasonably, most studies are conducted in relatively high quality habitats, where behavioral data can be most efficiently collected. The focus on a small number of groups and disproportionate sampling of high quality habitats may limit our ability to observe variation in a species’ ecology, hamper examination of the full range of behavioral plasticity that a primate species exhibits, and bias our understanding of how ecological factors affect primate populations.
False Negative Cell-Free DNA Screening Result in a Newborn with Trisomy 13

Background. Noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) is revolutionizing prenatal screening as a result of its increased sensitivity, specificity. NIPS analyzes cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) circulating in maternal plasma to detect fetal chromosome abnormalities. However, cffDNA originates from apoptotic placental trophoblast; therefore cffDNA is not always representative of the fetus. Although the published data for NIPS testing states that the current technique ensures high sensitivity and specificity for aneuploidy detection, false positives are possible due to isolated placental mosaicism, vanishing twin or cotwin demise, and maternal chromosome abnormalities or malignancy. Results. We report a case of false negative cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening due to fetoplacental mosaicism. An infant male with negative cfDNA screening result was born with multiple congenital abnormalities. Postnatal chromosome and FISH studies on a blood specimen revealed trisomy 13 in 20/20 metaphases and 100% interphase nuclei, respectively. FISH analysis on tissues collected after delivery revealed extraembryonic mosaicism. Conclusions. Extraembryonic tissue mosaicism is likely responsible for the false negative cfDNA screening result. This case illustrates that a negative result does not rule out the possibility of a fetus affected with a trisomy, as cffDNA is derived from the placenta and therefore may not accurately represent the fetal genetic information.
Big Data And The Hobsons Choice For IT Management

The advent of Big Data is confronting Chief Information Officers (CIOs) with the fundamental dilemma of what role do we want Information Technology (IT) to play in building the DSS (Decision Support Systems) portfolio for the enterprise? This paper points out that the question is an existential one. For too long IT Management has concentrated on becoming the principal source of support for managers, in all functional areas and at all managerial levels, with the information they require for their control needs. At the same time, the IT function has been content to play second fiddle to domain experts, knowledge engineers, and decision modelers from outside the IT function for the same mangers needs for problem solving, planning, and decision making. Big Data, with its real-time impact on managerial control and planning needs, changes this status quo. It behooves CIOs to confront this Hobsons choice lest another C-level officer role such as Chief Analytics (or Data Science) Officer diminish the place of the IT function and the chant of does IT matter reverberate once again.
Hydration, expansion, structure, and dynamics of layered double hydroxides

Water-vapor sorption isotherms, relative humidity (RH) controlled powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data, and new and previously published multi-nuclear NMR spectroscopic data for a wide range of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) provide greatly increased understanding of the effects of hydration state on the structure and dynamical behavior of interlayer and surface anions and the factors controlling the expansion behavior of this group of minerals. Li,Al and Mg,Al LDH phases containing SO 2 4 , SeO 2 4 , PO 3 4 , HPO 2 - 4 , MoO 2 - 4 , ClO - 4 , SeO 2 - 3 , CO 2 - 3 , F-, Cl, Br, I - , OH - , and NO, were examined. The phases studied can be grouped into three types based on basal spacing expansion, water sorption, and interlayer anion dynamics: Type 1, significantly expandable (1.5-3.0 A); Type 2, slightly expandable (expansion <0.5 A) and with significant interlayer water exchange; and Type 3, essentially non-expandable (0-0.2 A) and with little interlayer water exchange. For Type 1, the fully expanded phases have a two-water layer structure, and the phase transition from one layer to two layers as determined by XRD consistently correlates with a significant step in the water sorption isotherm and with changes in the interlayer structure and dynamics as observed by NMR spectroscopy. For Type-2 phases, only one-water layer structures form, and the interlayer anions may undergo dynamical disordering with increasing RH, as observed by NMR. For both Types 1 and 2, the first water layer does not cause significant basal spacing expansion due to occupancy of vacant interstitial sites between the anions by the water molecules. For Type-3 phases, there is little interlayer water sorption because the interlayers are essentially closed due to the small size or planar shape of the anions and their strong electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interaction with the hydroxyl layers. RH has no effect on the structural environments and dynamics of the interlayer anions in this group.
Rearing Apanteles congregatus, a Parasite of the Tobacco Hornworm

Continuous mass rearing of Apanteles congregatus (Say), a parasite of Manduca sexta (L.). was accomplished in the laboratory. The feeding of adult female parasites on droplets of a 10% sugar-water solution streaked on the underside of the transparent top of the cage increased mating. Although the ca. 1:1 sex ratio found in field populations of A. congregatus was not attained, this rearing technique resulted in an adequate and essentially stable sex ratio through 11 generations.
DNA repair in lung cancer: potential not yet reached

Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA Indiana University Melvin & Bren Simon Cancer Center, 980 W Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, IN, USA *Author for correspondence: Tel.: +1 317 274 3658; Fax: + 1 317 274 0396; sjalal@iupui.edu
Overlearning reversal effect in a spatial discrimination task.

Two groups of rats were trained to make a position response in a T maze. One group was given 16, the other 120 trials, prior to reversal. The more highly trained group required fewer trials and err...
Degradation of nucleotide pyrophosphate compounds by human seminal plasma enzymes.

SummaryEnzymes prepared from human seminal plasma were found to release phosphate from the 5-mononucleotides, cytidylic, uridylic, adenylic and guanylic acids. The preparations were not, or only slightly, active in hydrolyzing yeast cytidylic acid, glucose-1-phosphate, phosphorylcholine, flavine mononucleotide, and O-carboxyphenyl phosphate. Phosphate was also released from cytidine diphosphatecholine, uridine diphosphate glucose, oxidized and reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide, and flavine adenine dincleotide.
Central China's economic sustainable ability under restraint of resource & environment from a view of industrial transfer undertake:theory and index

Based on low-carbon economy,regional capacity and industrial transfer,the economic sustainable ability of central China was analysised,on undertake coastal areas' industry.It's the premise and inherent need of reasonable undertaken industrial transfer from coastal areas.To hold the index of central China undertake sustainable ability from restraint of resource and environment that's two-oriented society resource-saving and environment-friendly,six province of central China's difference of economic carrying,reasonable planning industry from coastal areas,and sustainable development of central China's industry,were good for evaluation.Finally,to guide the transfer industry orderly undertaken is the guarantee for sustainable development.
Intracellular Ca2+ storage in acidocalcisomes of Trypanosoma cruzi.

Abstract The use of digitonin to permeabilize the plasma membrane of Trypanosoma cruzi allowed the identification of a non-mitochondrial nigericin- or bafilomycin A1-sensitive Ca(2+)-uptake mechanism. Proton uptake, as detected by ATP-dependent Acridine Orange accumulation, was also demonstrated in these permeabilized cells. Under these conditions Acridine Orange was concentrated in abundant cytoplasmic round vacuoles. This latter process was inhibited (and reversed) by bafilomycin A1, nigericin and NH4Cl in different stages of T. cruzi. Ca2+ released Acridine Orange from permeabilized cells, suggesting that the dye and Ca2+ were being accumulated in the same acidic compartment and that Ca2+ was taken up in exchange for protons. Addition of bafilomycin A1 (5 microM), nigericin (1 microM) or carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP; 1 microM) to fura 2-loaded epimastigotes increased their intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). Although this effect was more noticeable in the presence of extracellular Ca2+, it was also observed in its absence. Addition of NH4Cl (10-40 mM) to different stages of T. cruzi, in the nominal absence of extracellular Ca2+ to preclude Ca2+ entry, increased both [Ca2+]i in fura 2-loaded cells, and intracellular pH (pHi) in 2',7'-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and -6)-carboxyfluorescein acetoxymethyl ester (BCECF)-loaded cells. Treatment of the cells with the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin under similar conditions (nominal absence of extracellular Ca2+) resulted in an increase in [Ca2+]i and a significantly higher increase in [Ca2+]i after addition of NH4Cl, nigericin or bafilomycin A1, all agents which increase the pH of acidic compartments and make ionomycin more effective as a Ca(2+)-releasing ionophore. Similar results were obtained when the order of additions was reversed. Taking into account the relative importance of the ionomycin-releasable and the ionomycin plus NH4Cl-releasable Ca2+ pools, it is apparent that most of the Ca2+ stored in different stages of T. cruzi is present in the acidic compartment thus identified. Taken together, these results are consistent with the presence of a Ca2+/H+ exchange system in an acidic vacuole, which we have named the 'acidocalcisome' and which appears to be a unique organelle present in trypanosomatids.
A search for highly dispersed fast radio bursts in three Parkes multibeam surveys

We have searched three Parkes multibeam 1.4 GHz surveys for the presence of fast radio bursts (FRBs) out to a dispersion measure (DM) of 5000 pc cm$^{-3}$. These surveys originally targeted the Magellanic Clouds (in two cases) and unidentified gamma-ray sources at mid-Galactic latitudes (in the third case) for new radio pulsars. In previous processing, none of these surveys were searched to such a high DM limit. The surveys had a combined total of 719 hr of Parkes multibeam on-sky time. One known FRB, 010724, was present in our data and was detected in our analysis but no new FRBs were found. After adding in the on-sky Parkes time from these three surveys to the on-sky time (7512 hr) from the five Parkes surveys analysed by Rane et al., all of which have now been searched to high DM limits, we improve the constraint on the all-sky rate of FRBs above a fluence level of 3.8 Jy ms at 1.4 GHz to $R = 3.3^{+3.7}_{-2.2} \times 10^{3}$ events per day per sky (at the 99% confidence level). Future Parkes surveys that accumulate additional multibeam on-sky time (such as the ongoing high-resolution Parkes survey of the LMC) can be combined with these results to further constrain the all-sky FRB rate.
Electronic forensic techniques for manufacturer attribution

The microelectronics industry seeks screening tools that can be used to verify the origin of and track integrated circuits (ICs) throughout their lifecycle. Embedded circuits that measure process variation of an IC are well known. This paper adds to previous work using these circuits for studying manufacturer characteristics on final product ICs, particularly for the purpose of developing and verifying a signature for a microelectronics manufacturing facility (fab). We present the design, measurements and analysis of 159 silicon ICs which were built as a proof of concept for this purpose. 80 copies of our proof of concept IC were built at one fab, and 80 more copies were built across two lots at a second fab. Using these ICs, our prototype circuits allowed us to distinguish these two fabs with up to 98.7% accuracy and also distinguish the two lots from the second fab with up to 98.8% accuracy.
Communities Putting Prevention to Work: Results of an Obesity Prevention Initiative in Child Care Facilities.

ABSTRACTObesity is a significant public health issue affecting even our youngest children. Given that a significant amount of young children are enrolled in child care, the goal of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a child care facility-based obesity prevention program. Over 1,000 facilities participated in the study. The intervention consisted of teacher trainings and technical assistance focused around the implementation of four policies: snack, beverage, physical activity, and screen time. Changes in teacher’s attitudes and beliefs, as well as improvements in healthy lifestyle practices, were assessed. Results revealed significant improvements in child care center practices, such as: (1) the amount of health-related lessons provided to students increased t(664) = −6.09, P < 0.00; (2) the amount of outdoor physical activity increased t(702) = −3.83, P < 0.000; (3) the amount of screen time decreased t(686) = −2.52, P < 0.01; (4) the amount of juice served decreased t(577) = −7.38, P < 0....
Whither Waiting: Turnaround Times of Laboratory Tests for Emergency Room Patients

Turnaround times of laboratory tests for emergency room (ER) patients, from specimen collection to result reporting, were analyzed and compared. Intervals of process times by laboratory test equipment were assessed, as well as ER patient waiting times. The average turnaround time for all tests was 57 minutes, compared with the average time a patient spent in the ER of 195 minutes. The shortest average turnaround was ten minutes for separate (discrete) analysis of blood gases, while the longest was 86 minutes for serum electrolytes, glucose, and urea nitrogen performed on a sequential analyzer. Discrete analyzers, a laboratory computer system, individual test ordering, adequate communication of clinical data and physician needs to the laboratory, input from emergency personnel to laboratory personnel, and a “STAT lab” are mechanisms that could shorten waiting and turnaround times.
Introduction to Discrete Field Mechanics

These lecture notes were prepared for publication prior to the lecture series and with limited knowledge as to the background of the typical participant. It was assumed, therefore, that the audience would have backgrounds in mathematics through differential equations, including introductory work in partial differential equations, and backgrounds in structural theory that include advanced frame analysis and introductory work in plate and shell theory. The course goals will be somewhat flexible depending upon the lecturer’s observation of the rate at which the new material can be assimilated by the audience, but planning for the lecture series was based upon the ambitious goal of both introducing the fundamental concepts of discrete field mechanics and covering work at the frontiers of present knowledge of the subject as related to structural analysis.
Of Pomo Academicus, Reconsidered

This article considers the relationship between what would generally be viewed as a postmodern perspective and the rise and multiple use of the prefix “post” by those arguing that we are finally beyond certain oppressive political, cultural and social issues, and dynamics, such as the racist and sexist ideologies that have historically permeated and plagued our nation’s institutions, including higher education. Many of those who champion the prefix “post” assert that they offer us a narrative, description and framework of a post-racial and post-feminist era that they want us to acknowledge and embrace. I, however, claim that such a utilization and imposition (as opposed to the more generous sounding “offer”) of the various “posts” that we have been presented with are, more often than not, precisely little more than reactionary moves to reestablish and reaffirm the very type of thinking and structure that we have allegedly moved beyond.
Unveiling consumers' privacy paradox behaviour in an economic exchange

Privacy paradox is of great interest to IS researchers and firms gathering personal information. It has been studied from social, behavioural, and economic perspectives independently. However, prior research has not examined the degrees of influence these perspectives contribute to the privacy paradox problem. We combine both economic and behavioural perspectives in our study of the privacy paradox with a price valuation of personal information through an economic experiment combined with a behavioural study on privacy paradox. Our goal is to reveal more insights on the privacy paradox through economic valuation on personal information. Results indicate that general privacy concerns or individual disclosure concerns do not have a significant influence on the price valuation of personal information. Instead, prior disclosure behaviour in specific scenario, like with healthcare providers or social networks, is a better indicator of consumer price valuations.
Epigenetic Regulation of Macrophage Polarization and Renal Inflammation

Elevated level of homocysteine known as hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), is associated with hypertension and consistently reported in chronic kidney disease and occurs in >85% of patients suffering fro...
Regiospecific synthesis of 6-halouridine derivatives: An effective method for coupling sterically hindered pyrimidine bases to ribose

Abstract 6-Halouridine derivatives were synthesized regiospecifically through the coupling of N3-protected 6-halouracil to a ribose derivative. The combination of the silylating reagent N,O -bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide and Lewis acid catalyst trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate is unique in their ability to facilitate the coupling of sterically hindered pyrimidine bases to ribose to form nucleoside derivatives.
Contemporary transcatheter aortic valve replacement with third-generation balloon-expandable versus self-expanding devices.

Objectives To evaluate balloon-expandable and self-expanding third-generation transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) devices according to patient selection criteria and outcomes. Background Two competing third-generation TAVR technologies are currently commercially available in the US. There are no published head-to-head comparisons of the relative performance of these two devices. Methods 257 consecutive patients undergoing TAVR with a third-generation balloon-expandable (Edwards Sapien 3) or self-expanding device (Medtronic CoreValve Evolut R) at a single US medical center were included. Choice of TAVR device was at the discretion of the multidisciplinary Heart Team. Baseline clinical characteristics, echocardiographic and CT imaging, procedural and 30-day outcomes were prospectively collected. Results 74 patients received a self-expanding valve (SEV) and 183 received a balloon-expandable valve (BEV). Patients selected for SEV were more frequently women, with lower body surface area and smaller calcified iliofemoral arteries. Three SEV patients required implantation of a second valve to successfully treat paravalvular leak. Only one BEV patient had moderate paravalvular regurgitation. There was no difference in the rate of stroke, major vascular complication or bleeding. Permanent pacemaker implantation rate was significantly higher with SEV (12.7% vs 4.7%, P = 0.49) and hospital length of stay was longer (8.3% vs 6.5%, P = 0.043), but 30-day mortality was comparable (1.4% vs 1.6%, P = 1.00). Conclusions Short-term outcomes were equivalent between the two technologies. Clinically significant paravalvular regurgitation was rare. SEV were more frequently selected in women and patients with challenging transfemoral access, but were associated with higher permanent pacemaker implantation rate and longer hospital length of stay.
Survey of Lunar Surface Mobility Systems

Abstract Many devices for lunar surface mobility have been proposed and some are currently being developed. This paper briefly describes the various concepts, presents expected performance capabilities, and discusses characteristics peculiar to each mobility system. The lunar environment in which transporters must operate is also described. Of principal interest are roving, flying, and hopping devices. Current activities and expected future developments are outlined. A comparison based on vehicle weights and excursion durations is made, and predictions on implementation of flight models are given.
Aseismic Design of Staggered Truss Buildings

This elastic limit-ultimate strength design procedure for earthquake resistant response of multistory staggered truss framed buildings concentrates the inelastic activity in the chord members in the vicinity of the central open panel of the truss. A detailed description of the design philosophy is presented. Inelastic dynamic responses of two 40-story buildings designed with different levels of elastic lateral force resisting capabilities subject to 1.5 times the El Centro (1940) NS accelerogram are compared. It is shown that this framing system has significant energy absorption capacity and ductile deformation capability.
Abstract 1540: Creating faithful genetic zebrafish models of pediatric high grade gliomas and MPNSTs

Pediatric high-grade gliomas (HGGs) are the leading cause of cancer-related death in children. Despite a slight improvement of patient prognosis over the past decades pediatric HGGs remain largely incurable. Thus, new experimental models are needed to understand the mechanisms of the disease and find more effective treatment options. We previously reported a model of HGGs and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) which is based on the combined deficiencies in the tumor suppressor genes tp53 and nf1. However, HGG penetrance is very low in this line and most fish develop MPNSTs starting at about 3 months of age. On top of the existing model we used CRISPR/Cas9 to incorporate knock-out mutations in the tumor suppressor genes atrx or suz12 which are described to be involved in pediatric HGG biology. Heterozygous atrx loss-of-function (lof) did not impact tumor onset or penetrance of neither HGGs nor MPNSTs. Since a total loss of atrx was lethal in development, we re-injected effective atrx targeting gRNAs and Cas9 mRNA into the atrx+/- line to create a mosaic atrx-/- genotype. Surprisingly, despite a high mutation efficiency of the remaining atrx allele the re-injection strategy still did not alter tumor onset and penetrance in that model. This suggests that loss of atrx is only effective in HGGs in cooperation with additional hits other than tp53 and nf1. In contrast, loss of suz12 cooperated well with the tp53/nf1-deficient background. As nf1, suz12 is duplicated in zebrafish (suz12a and suz12b) resulting in 4 alleles of each gene per cell. When at least 2 out of 4 alleles of either suz12a or suz12b were lost, MPNST onset was accelerated. This effect was much stronger in tp53-/-, nf1a+/-, nf1b-/- fish (5-7 weeks) compared to tp53-/-, nf1a+/+, nf1b-/- siblings (3-4 weeks). This indicates that the tumor supporting effect of suz12 lof increases the more nf1 levels decrease. However, HGG onset still remained unchanged. We hypothesize that efficient onset of HGGs in our model requires the presence of an activated oncogene. Specific missense mutations in H3F3A are reported to be implicated in HGG progression in children and young adults. Thus, we overexpressed zebrafish h3f3a-K27M or -G34R mutant sequences in the tp53/nf1/atrx/suz12-deficient line and are currently investigating possible changes in tumor biology. Our zebrafish models of pediatric HGGs and MPNSTs will be useful to dissect the mechanisms underlying the cooperation among driver mutations and for small molecule screens to identify specific inhibitors of cell growth and survival in these malignancies. Citation Format: Felix Oppel, Ting Tao, Shuning He, Mark W. Zimmerman, Dong H. Ki, Nina Weichert, A Thomas Look. Creating faithful genetic zebrafish models of pediatric high grade gliomas and MPNSTs [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1540. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1540
Credit Cycles and Business Cycles

Unsecured firm credit moves procyclically in the United States and tends to lead gross domestic product, while secured firm credit is acyclical. Shocks to unsecured firm credit explain a far larger fraction of output fluctuations than shocks to secured credit. This article surveys a tractable dynamic general equilibrium model in which constraints on unsecured firm credit preclude an efficient capital allocation among heterogeneous firms. Unsecured credit rests on the value that borrowers attach to a good credit reputation, which is a forward-looking variable. Self-fulfilling beliefs over future credit conditions naturally generate endogenously persistent business cycle dynamics. A dynamic complementarity between current and future borrowing limits permits uncorrelated belief shocks to unsecured debt to trigger persistent aggregate fluctuations in both secured and unsecured debt, factor productivity, and output. The author shows that these sunspot shocks are quantitatively important, accounting for around half of output volatility.
An Introduction to Lensless Digital Holographic Microscopy

Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM) is a technique that uses optical interference patterns to record a three-dimensional optical field for imaging, sensing, and microscopy applications. “Lensless” in-line DHM is the simplest arrangement, requiring no lenses, no mirrors, and typically only a light source, sample, and a digital imager chip such as a CCD or CMOS pixel array. Despite this simplicity, lensless in-line DHM is capable of producing high-resolution images over a wide field of view and allows researchers to record the amplitude and phase of a light field, and to digitally reconstruct the shape, thickness, 3D position, velocity, refractive index, and other parameters of cells or small particles. There are therefore many potential opportunities for combining in-line DHM with microfluidics , optical flow velocimetry, low-cost imaging, point-of-care diagnostics, single cell tracking, cell cytometry, counting, sorting, and lab-on-a-chip technologies.
From realizability to induction via dependent intersection

Abstract In this paper, it is shown that induction is derivable in a type-assignment formulation of the second-order dependent type theory λ P 2 , extended with the implicit product type of Miquel, dependent intersection type of Kopylov, and a built-in equality type. The crucial idea is to use dependent intersections to internalize a result of Leivant's showing that Church-encoded data may be seen as realizing their own type correctness statements, under the Curry–Howard isomorphism.
Extending the Concept of an “Element of Reality” to Work with Inefficient Detectors

In two previous papers, we have shown that one may perform a Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) analysis on a two-particle state formed by "entanglement swapping", so the two particles have never met. We showed that even for perfect correlations, the quantum mechanical result is inconsistent for any local, deterministic, realistic theory, even with very inefficient detectors. Here we discuss in more detail the assumption that one may extend the Einstein- Rosen-Podolsky (EPR) reality condition to the case where one has inefficient detectors.
Isolation and characterization of the human interleukin-9 receptor gene

To better understand the regulation of interleukin-9 (IL-9) receptor expression, we have isolated the genomic clone of the human IL-9 receptor based on its sequence homology with a human IL-9 receptor cDNA isolated from the human megakaryocyte cell line UT-7. The entire genomic structure has been determined. The human IL-9 receptor gene consists of 10 exons spread over approximately 13.7 kb of DNA. The nucleotide sequence of the coding region from the genomic DNA is identical to our cDNA clone. Several blocks of transcriptional control sequence have been identified at the 5' noncoding region of the IL-9 receptor gene that may play an important role in the regulation of the IL-9 receptor gene. A fusion gene containing 659 bp of human IL-9 receptor 5' noncoding region linked to the firefly luciferase gene directed expression of luciferase activity in human embryonic kidney 293 cell line, but not in the mouse fibroblast cell line NIH3T3 cells.
Analysis of Correlated Dynamics in the Grotthuss Mechanism of Proton Diffusion

Using a large set of ab initio molecular dynamics trajectories we demonstrate that the mechanistic details of aqueous proton diffusion are insensitive to finite size effects. Furthermore, we show h...
Reverse shoulder arthroplasty for rheumatoid arthritis since the introduction of disease-modifying drugs.

Rheumatoid arthritis has been associated with poor clinical outcomes in hemiarthroplasty and unconstrained total shoulder arthroplasty. The reverse shoulder arthroplasty can be utilized to address the shortcomings of hemiarthroplasty and unconstrained total shoulder arthroplasty in the inflammatory arthritis patient population. The objective of the present study was to retrospectively review clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients who underwent reverse shoulder arthroplasty for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory arthropathies and provide a comprehensive analysis to identify factors that may alter patient outcomes. We identified 91 primary reverse shoulder arthroplasties performed between 2006 and 2013 in patients with inflammatory arthritis. Seventy-five had at least two years of follow up with an average follow-up of 4.0 years. The average age at the time of surgery was 70 years old. Peri-operative use of steroids, biologics, and methotrexate were reviewed. Outcomes evaluated included revision and reoperation rates, complications, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores, simple shoulder test (SST) scores, component loosening, and scapular notching. The two and five year implant revision-free survival was 99%. The two and five year re-operation-free survival was 97%. Eighteen (24%) glenoid components required augmentation with corticocancellous autograft from the humeral head. There were two cases of glenoid loosening with gross changes in position. Patients experienced significant pain relief with a 92% satisfaction rate. Shoulder elevation and external rotation improved from 65 and 21 degrees pre-operatively to 138 and 45 degrees post-operatively, respectively (p < .01). Average ASES and SST scores were 72 and 7.0, respectively. The use of prednisone, DMARDs, or biologic medications had no significant impact on outcomes.
Multifidelity Space Mission Planning and Infrastructure Design Framework for Space Resource Logistics

To build a sustainable space transportation system for human space exploration, the design and deployment of space infrastructure, such as in situ resource utilization plants, in-orbit propellant d...
How eddy covariance flux measurements have contributed to our understanding of Global Change Biology

A global network of long-term carbon and water flux measurements has existed since the late 1990s. With its representative sampling of the terrestrial biosphere's climate and ecological spaces, this network is providing background information and direct measurements on how ecosystem metabolism responds to environmental and biological forcings and how they may be changing in a warmer world with more carbon dioxide. In this review, I explore how carbon and water fluxes of the world's ecosystem are responding to a suite of covarying environmental factors, like sunlight, temperature, soil moisture, and carbon dioxide. I also report on how coupled carbon and water fluxes are modulated by biological and ecological factors such as phenology and a suite of structural and functional properties. And, I investigate whether long-term trends in carbon and water fluxes are emerging in various ecological and climate spaces and the degree to which they may be driven by physical and biological forcings. As a growing number of time series extend up to 20 years in duration, we are at the verge of capturing ecosystem scale trends in the breathing of a changing biosphere. Consequently, flux measurements need to continue to report on future conditions and responses and assess the efficacy of natural climate solutions.
Die Beziehung der Haut zur unspezifischen Widerstandskraft

Die Tatsache, das die Haut und ihre Reaktionsfahigkeit durch verschiedene pathologische Systemveranderungen und therapeutische Masnahmen beeinflust werden kann, ist viele Jahrhunderte lang von Arzten beobachtet worden, seitdem die Reaktion mittels Zugpflaster und chemischer Reizmittel eingefuhrt wurde (ungefahr im Jahre 1600). „Wir finden oft bei Fallen von intensiver Reizung der inneren Organe, das Zugpflaster auf der Haut keine Blasen ziehen, das sie aber, sobald die Krankheit gemildert ist, ihre gewohnliche Wirkung hervorzubringen pflegen“, schrieb Stockes (nach Zitat von Gillies) Mit unseren neuzeitlichen Methoden finden wir dieselbe Erscheinung, wenn wir die Tuberkulinreaktion auf der Haut eines Patienten wahrend irgend einer akuten Krankheit, bei Schwangerschaft oder Kachexie anwenden und bemerken, das die Reaktion, die wir sonst normalerweise fast ausnahmslos bei jedem Erwachsenen erhalten, nicht auftritt.