Gastrointestinal fluids proteomics

Seventy million people suffer from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract annually in US, translating to US$85.5 billion in direct healthcare costs. The debilitating effects of these gastrointestinal (GI) diseases can be circumvented with good biomarkers for early detection of these disorders, which will greatly increase the success of curative treatments. GI fluids represent a potential reservoir of biomarkers for early diagnosis of various GI and systemic diseases since these fluids are the most proximal fluid bathing diseased cells. They are anticipated to have proteomes that closely reflect the ensemble of proteins secreted from the respective GI tissues. Most importantly, the disease markers present in GI fluids should be present in higher concentrations than in sera, thus offering greater sensitivity in their detection. However, proteome analysis of GI fluids can be complex mainly due to the dynamic range of protein content and the numerous PTMs of proteins in each specialized GI compartment. This review attempts to discuss the physiology of the various GI fluids, the special technical considerations required for proteome analysis of each fluid, as well as to summarize the current state of knowledge of biomarker discoveries and clinical utility of GI fluids such as salivary, gastric, pancreatic, and biliary secretions.     

Complexity of control by partitioning veto elections and of control by adding candidates to plurality elections

Control by partition refers to situations where an election chair seeks to influence the outcome of an election by partitioning either the candidates or the voters into two groups, thus creating two first-round subelections that determine who will take part in a final round. The model of partition-of-voters control attacks is remotely related to “gerrymandering” (maliciously resizing election districts). While the complexity of control by partition has been studied thoroughly for many voting systems, there are no such results known for the important veto voting system. We settle the complexity of control by partition for veto in a broad variety of models. In addition, by giving a counterexample we observe that a reduction from the literature (Chen et al. 2015) showing the parameterized complexity of control by adding candidates to plurality elections, parameterized by the number of voters, is technically flawed, and we show how this reduction can be adapted to make it correct.     

Computers and writing: Casting a broader net with theory and research

Today, teachers of English are faced with the problem of developing new vantage points from which to consider the use of computers in writing programs, writing classrooms, and individual writing processes. Until this time, the profession has subscribed to a limited view of computers and their effects on writing — a view circumscribed by the paradigms of other disciplines or by our own past experiences with teaching machines and paper-and-pencil composing. These visions are not capable of accommodating the larger and more radical changes wrought by the electronic medium we are now using. By subscribing to them, English teachers may, as Coleridge says, have created a tacit compact not to pass beyond a certain limit in speculating about computers. This paper suggests four overlapping areas of exploration, four points of departure that might help us spark creative re-formations of our thinking about computers and their relationship to writing: 1.) Computers and teaching writing, 2.) Computers and language theory, 3.) Computers and learning from the past, 4.) Computer research in other fields.Cynthia Selfe has been chair of the NCTE assembly of Computers in English and a member of the CCCC Committee on Instructional Technology. Billie J. Wahlstrom is chair of the Graduate Program in Rhetoric and Technical Communication at Michigan Technological University and a consultant on interactive videodisc design for Michigan Tech Software.     

Machine learning for the New York City power grid

Power companies can benefit from the use of knowledge discovery methods and statistical machine learning for preventive maintenance. We introduce a general process for transforming historical electrical grid data into models that aim to predict the risk of failures for components and systems. These models can be used directly by power companies to assist with prioritization of maintenance and repair work. Specialized versions of this process are used to produce 1) feeder failure rankings, 2) cable, joint, terminator, and transformer rankings, 3) feeder Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) estimates, and 4) manhole events vulnerability rankings. The process in its most general form can handle diverse, noisy, sources that are historical (static), semi-real-time, or realtime, incorporates state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms for prioritization (supervised ranking or MTBF), and includes an evaluation of results via cross-validation and blind test. Above and beyond the ranked lists and MTBF estimates are business management interfaces that allow the prediction capability to be integrated directly into corporate planning and decision support; such interfaces rely on several important properties of our general modeling approach: that machine learning features are meaningful to domain experts, that the processing of data is transparent, and that prediction results are accurate enough to support sound decision making. We discuss the challenges in working with historical electrical grid data that were not designed for predictive purposes. The “rawness” of these data contrasts with the accuracy of the statistical models that can be obtained from the process; these models are sufficiently accurate to assist in maintaining New York City’s electrical grid.     

Composition and oxidative stability of soybean oil in mixtures with jojoba oil

Improvement of the oxidative stability of soybean oil (SBO) by blending with jojoba oil (JO) was investigated. SBO in the presence of 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt‐% of JO was subjected to accelerated storage at 60 °C. Peroxide values (PV), anisidine values (AV), UV absorption characteristics (K₂₃₂ and K₂₇₀ values), and headspace volatiles were determined to monitor the oxidative stability of oil samples. JO was effective in reducing the formation of hydroperoxides and volatile compounds in SBO. The effect was remarkable in SBO/JO blends containing 15 and 20% JO, which showed significant reductions in PV, AV and volatile content with respect to pure SBO. The increased oxidative stability of SBO/JO blends could not be attributed to JO tocopherols, since the addition of JO to SBO significantly reduced the tocopherol content of SBO. Besides the tocopherol content and unsaturation degree of SBO and JO, the effect of the JO ester structure on the oxidative stability of the blends is discussed. The enhanced chemical and flavor stabilities of SBO/JO blends with respect to pure SBO may make a significant contribution to improve the shelf life of SBO by reducing the deterioration reactions related to lipid peroxidation.     

Oxidation Protection of MgO-C Monolithic Refractories with Tar-Resin Binder and Metal Antioxidants

The development of efficient bonding agents is one aspect of the advancement of refractories. Based on a newly developed binder system, a new generation of tarresin bonded magnesia carbon products with high performance has been developed. Furthermore, the binder system characterized by high carbon yield after carbonization results in forming an extremely strong carbon bonding. It can improve refractories properties to get new product with more advantages than old refractories： more economic, lower cost and low toxicity. Tar-resin is not only used in shaped refractories, but also in more refractories types, such as monolithic refractories. Immersion experiments of MgO- C monolithic refractories samples in liquid steel at 1600℃ have been carried out for steel making industry. These experiments showed the formation of a dense and continuous MgO rich layer, on the interface between refractory and steel, and the possible formation of inclusions as large clusters protruding from the refractory surface. For the mechanical properties, the powder was heated up to 1400℃ in air to remove carbon, and was subsequently formed into brick shape. Standard ASTM was used to determine the MOR, porosity and density. It is found that antioxidantmaterials play an important role in improving the mechanical properties.     

The role of the latent image in a new dual image,aqueous developable,thermally stable photoresist

A new dual image, aqueous developable photoresist can be processed to yield either positive or negative images that are crosslinked and thermally stable to temperatures >300°C. Positive images have similar resolution and processing parameters to conventional positive novolak resists. Negative resists from this system have a number of new and interesting properties that surpass the capabilities of their positive counterparts. In addition to producing highly resolved submicron images, thick coatings of resist can be used to form images with high aspect ratios. By adjusting the exposure of the resist, images with inward sloping wall profiles can be realized. As a result of the images being crosslinked and Insoluble in the resist coating solution, images can be recoated and new images formed over the top of existing patterns to form structures. A hypothetical mechanism that suggests that resist defects caused by dust on the mask or photoresist surface can be reduced In negative mode processing is also presented.     

Microstructure of 96% Alumina Ceramics: III, Crystallization of High-Calcia Boundary Glasses

The crystallization characteristics of a group of 96% Al₂O₃ ceramics containing a high-CaO boundary glass were examined using a combination of electron microscopy techniques. As many as six crystalline phases formed at the boundaries during anneals between 1000° and 1350°C. Devitrification was rapid, and little glass remained following a 1-h anneal. Despite the extensive changes in grain-boundary microstructure, heat treatment had little effect on the room-temperature mechanical properties of these Al₂O₃ materials; however, high-CaO bodies fractured intergranularly, whereas high-MgO bodies fractured transgranularly.     

A decomposition approach for commodity pickup and delivery with time-windows under uncertainty

We consider a special class of large-scale, network-based, resource allocation problems under uncertainty, namely that of multi-commodity flows with time-windows under uncertainty. In this class, we focus on problems involving commodity pickup and delivery with time-windows. Our work examines methods of proactive planning, that is, robust plan generation to protect against future uncertainty. By a priori modeling uncertainties in data corresponding to service times, resource availability, supplies and demands, we generate solutions that are more robust operationally, that is, more likely to be executed or easier to repair when disrupted. We propose a novel modeling and solution framework involving a decomposition scheme that separates problems into a routing master problem and Scheduling Sub-Problems; and iterates to find the optimal solution. Uncertainty is captured in part by the master problem and in part by the Scheduling Sub-Problem. We present proof-of-concept for our approach using real data involving routing and scheduling for a large shipment carrier’s ground network, and demonstrate the improved robustness of solutions from our approach.     

Information Technology Workforce Skills: Does Size Matter?

ABSTRACT

Changes in information technology (IT) services and their delivery have shifted the need for non-IT firms' (i.e., firms whose primary business is something other than providing IT goods and services) IT skills and capabilities to emphasize a business focus while integrating more outsourcing options from both domestic and global third-party providers. This paper explores how organizations of different sizes value critical IT skills and investigates firms' needs for entry-level and mid-level capabilities. The results show that smaller organizations consider more in-house hiring than their counterparts. Although desired entry-level skills differed among organizations of varying sizes, they all valued project management skills highly for mid-level IT staff.