Cooperative Anti-Deception Jamming in a Distributed Multiple-Radar System under Registration Errors.

A distributed multiple-radar system has natural advantages in anti-deception jamming. However, most of the anti-jamming methods are proposed in full spatial registration. In practice, the registration error is difficult to eliminate, which will seriously degrade the performance of cooperative anti-jamming. Therefore, it is of great significance to consider the problem of cooperative anti-deception jamming under registration error. In this paper, the cooperative anti-deception jamming method is proposed in a distributed multiple-radar system under registration errors. On the premise of the known registration error, target received signal vectors are estimated from an uncertainty region in each channel by maximum likelihood (ML) algorithm. With the estimated received signal vectors, a target discrimination algorithm is introduced based on the difference in target spatial scattering characteristics, which calculate the correlation coefficient between different target received signal vectors and discriminate a false target with a designed threshold. Furthermore, since the registration error depends on the radar site errors, theoretical derivation for the registration error is given as a function of the transmitter and receiver site errors. Finally, simulation results verify the feasibility of the proposed discrimination method, and its performance due to the influence of the jamming-to-noise ratio (JNR), the registration error, the target size, and the discrimination threshold are considered.

Post-Cure Polymerization and Depth-of-Cure Behaviors of Dental Bulk-Fill Resin-Based Composites.

INTRODUCTION: Polymerization for modern dental resin-based composites (RBCs) not only occurs immediately upon light exposure but also continues for another 24 hours, well beyond after light is terminated. However, many questions still remain about the role of polymerization kinetics in optimizing the physical properties of a new RBC type-the bulk-fill. OBJECTIVE: The aim is to study the post-cure polymerization kinetics of bulk-fill RBCs and to compare their degree of polymeric conversion (DC) and depth-of-cure (DoC) with an incremental-fill, conventional RBC. METHODS: Five representative bulk-fill RBCs [Surefil SDR+Stress Decreasing Resin Flow Plus (SDRFP), Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill (TECB), Filtek 1 Bulk Fill (F1B), Venus Bulk Fill (VB), and Sonicfill (SF3)] and one conventional RBC [Filtek Supreme Ultra (FSU)] were investigated. The upper surface per RBC specimen was exposed to a light curing unit (Paradigm, 3M-ESPE, irradiance=1221 ± 5 mW/cm2) for 20 seconds. The DC per RBC brand were measured at the bottom surface (specimen Ø=4 mm, thickness=3 mm and 5 mm) as a function of post-curing times using a Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection spectrometer. Real-time data recording for post-cure DC began immediately upon light exposure and continued at steady intervals, up to15 min, then again after 24 hours. The DoC of all six RBC brands (n=6 / group) were measured according to ISO-4049. Data were analyzed with nonlinear regression and analysis of variances (ANOVA)/Tukey (α=0.05). RESULTS: Mean DC for the six RBCs with 5 mm curing height after 24 hours were: TECB=79.5%, VB=75.7%, SDRFP=69.2%, SF3=65.8%, F1B=51.8%, and FSU=44.0%. Bulk-fill RBCs showed higher DC efficiency than the conventional RBC for both the 3 mm and 5 mm curing heights. Significant differences in DoC were found amongst the six RBC brands: VB=5.1 mm, SDRFP=4.6 mm, F1B=3.8 mm, TECB=3.5 mm, FSU=3.0 mm, and SF3=2.7 mm. CONCLUSION: DCs were more affected by specimen thickness, through which the curing light was attenuated, than RBC types. Clinician should be aware not all bulk-fill RBCs have a DoC greater than or equal to 4 mm. Also, a bulk-fill RBC that has a high DC after a post-cure time of 24 hours may not have a high DoC, which is typically measured relatively soon after light exposure.

The effect of micro-mechanical signatures of constituent phases in modern dental restorative materials on their macro-mechanical property: A statistical nanoindentation approach.

This study utilized a statistical nanoindentation analysis technique (SNT) to measure the amount of organic and inorganic constituents of twenty different brands of dental resin-based composites (RBCs) and tested whether their macro-property such as flexural modulus could be approximated by the proportions of constituents' micromechanical signatures using various rules of mixtures. The probability density function (PDF) of constitutive moduli per RBC brand were measured for three groups, comprised of different indent arrays and inter-indent spacings. SNT was then applied to deconvolute each PDF, from which the effective filler (µF) and matrix (µM) moduli and filler (VF) and matrix (VM) volume fractions per RBC brand were computed. VF and VM values obtained via SNT were strongly correlated with VF and VM obtained via Thermogravimetric Analysis and Archimedes method. The "observed" flexural modulus (EcFS) measured under macro-experiment were well associated with "predicted" effective modulus (EcEff) measured under nano-experiment, thereby establishing that global modulus was strongly affected by the constituents' micromechanics. However, the "predicted" EcEff were proportionally higher than the "observed" EcFS. VF was a confounder to EcFS and EcEff, whereby the influence of VF on both modular ratios (EcFS/µM and EcEff/µM) was best modeled by an exponential regression.

Strong Association Between Migraine and Transient Global Amnesia: A National Inpatient Sample Analysis.

The purpose of this article was to explore sex- and race-specific variables and comorbidities associated with transient global amnesia (TGA) using a nationally representative database. Data were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample using ICD-9 and procedure codes. Descriptive and survey logistic regression analyses were conducted and adjusted for influence of comorbidities, demographic characteristics, and hospitalization-related factors. Patients with migraines were 5.98 times more likely to also have a diagnosis of TGA compared with patients without migraines. Similarly, patients with TGA were more likely to have hypertension, precerebral disease, and hyperlipidemia. The odds of being diagnosed with TGA was lower among African Americans and Hispanics as well as among patients classified as Asian/Other, compared with Caucasians. TGA was associated with lower hospital charges ($14,242 versus $21,319), shorter hospital stays (mean days: 2.49 [SE=0.036] versus 4.72 [SE=0.025]), and routine hospital discharges (91.4% versus 74.5%). Patients with migraines and patients classified as Caucasian had higher odds of being diagnosed with TGA. All minority populations showed a lower rate of diagnosis that fell short of statistical significance.

Development and Validation of a Novel Plasma Protein Signature for Breast Cancer Diagnosis by Using Multiple Reaction Monitoring-based Mass Spectrometry.

AIM: We aimed to develop a plasma protein signature for breast cancer diagnosis by using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-based mass spectrometry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on our previous studies, we selected 124 proteins for MRM. Plasma samples from 80 patients with breast cancer and 80 healthy women were used to develop a plasma proteomic signature by an MRM approach. The proteomic signature was then validated in plasma samples from 100 patients with breast cancer and 100 healthy women. RESULTS: A total of 56 proteins were optimized for MRM. In the verification cohort, 11 proteins exhibited significantly differential expression in plasma from patients with breast cancer. Three proteins (neural cell adhesion molecule L1-like protein, apolipoprotein C-1 and carbonic anhydrase-1) with highest statistical significance which gave consistent results for patients of stage I and II breast cancer were selected and a 3-protein signature was developed using binary logistic regression analysis [area under the curve (AUC)=0.851, sensitivity=80.6%]. The 3-protein signature showed similar performance in an independent validation cohort with an AUC of 0.797 and sensitivity of 77.2% for detection of stage I and II breast cancer. CONCLUSION: We developed a distinct plasma protein signature for breast cancer diagnosis based on an MRM-based approach, and the clinical value of the 3-protein signature was validated in an independent cohort.

Phosphorylation of p90RSK is associated with increased response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in ER-positive breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The clinical implication of Ras/Raf/ERK pathway activity in breast cancer tissue and its association with response to chemotherapy is controversial. We aimed to explore the value of p90RSK phosphorylation, a downstram molecule of the pathway, in predicting chemotherapy response in breast cancer. METHODS: The expression of phosphorylated p90RSK (phospho-p90RSK) and chemotherapy response was measured in 11 breast cancer cell lines and 21 breast cancer tissues. The predictive value of phospho-p90RSK was validated in core needle biopsy specimens of 112 locally advanced breast cancer patients who received anthracycline and taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: In 11 breast cancer cell lines, the relative expression of phospho-p90RSK was inversely correlated with cell survival after doxorubicin treatment (p = 0.021). Similar association was observed in fresh tissues from 21 breast cancer patients in terms of clinical response. In paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed tissues from core needle biopsy tissues from 112 patients, positive phospho-p90RSK expression was associated with greater tumor shrinkage and smaller post-chemotherapy tumor size. The association between phospho-p90RSK expression and chemotherapy response was more evident in estrogen receptor(ER)-positive tumors. The expression of phosphor-p90RSK did not show a significant relationship with the incidence of pCR. P90RSK silencing using siRNA did not affect the cancer cell's response to doxorubicin, and the expression of phospho-p90RSK was highly correlated with other Ras/Raf/ERK pathway activation. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that phospho-p90RSK expression, which reflects the tumor's Ras/Raf/ERK/p90RSK pathway activation can be a potential predictive marker for chemotherapy response in ER-positive breast cancer which needs further independent validation.

Biochemical and crystallographic studies reveal a specific interaction between TRAPP subunits Trs33p and Bet3p.

Transport protein particle (TRAPP) comprises a family of two highly related multiprotein complexes, with seven common subunits, that serve to target different classes of transport vesicles to their appropriate compartments. Defining the architecture of the complexes will advance our understanding of the functional differences between these highly related molecular machines. Genetic analyses in yeast suggested a specific interaction between the TRAPP subunits Bet3p and Trs33p. A mammalian bet3-trs33 complex was crystallized, and the structure was solved to 2.2 angstroms resolution. Intriguingly, the overall fold of the bet3 and trs33 monomers was similar, although the proteins had little overall sequence identity. In vitro experiments using yeast TRAPP subunits indicated that Bet3p binding to Trs33p facilitates the interaction between Bet3p and another TRAPP subunit, Bet5p. Mutational analysis suggests that yeast Trs33p facilitates other Bet3p protein-protein interactions. Furthermore, we show that Trs33p can increase the Golgi-localized pool of a mutated Bet3 protein normally found in the cytosol. We propose that one of the roles of Trs33p is to facilitate the incorporation of the Bet3p subunit into assembling TRAPP complexes.

Two-promoter vector is highly efficient for overproduction of protein complexes.

The use of bicistronic vectors, which contain two target genes under one promoter, has been the most common practice for the heterologous production of binary protein complexes. The major problem of this method is the much lower expression of the second gene compared with that of the first gene next to the promoter. We tested a simple idea of whether inclusion of an additional promoter in front of the second gene may remove the problem. Compared with bicistronic vectors, corresponding two-promoter vectors yielded four to nine times larger amounts of the complexes between BCL-2 family proteins, BCL-X(L):BAD, BCL-X(L):BIM-S, and CED-9:EGL-1 in bacterial cells as a result of significantly increased expression of the second genes in a manner independent of the order of the target genes. With the two-promoter system, we produced two other complexes in large quantity suitable for extensive crystallization trial. The method does not accompany any technical disadvantages, and represents a significant improvement from the conventional method, which should enjoy wide application for the coexpression of binary or higher order protein complexes by extension.