cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Waves of International Mergers and Acquisitions

Over the past two decades, cross-border M&As have totaled over eight trillion dollars and have fluctuated widely from year to year. In this paper, I establish four key facts about the dynamic patterns of cross-border mergers and the factors that drive them: Cross-border mergers come in waves that are highly correlated with business cycles. Most mergers occur when both the acquirer and the target economies are booming. Merger booms have both an industry-level component (productivity shocks) and a country-level component (financial shocks). Acquirers tend to be more productive and targets tend to be less productive, compared to their industry peers. These facts are consistent with the neoclassical theory of mergers in which productive firms expand overseas to seize new investment opportunities. But such facts are not consistent with the widely held views that most cross-border mergers occur when the target economies are in a recession or when the target stock markets are undervalued.
Would a Large tPA Trial for Those 4.5 to 6.0 Hours from Stroke Onset Be Good Value for Information

Abstract Objectives To quantify the potential value of new research in patients treated with thrombolytic treatment (tissue-type plasminogen activator [tPA]) in the 4.5- to 6.0-hour time window after stroke onset and to determine the optimal size of a future trial using value of information analysis. Methods Expected value of partial perfect and sample information (EVPPI and EVSI) analyses were conducted using a probabilistic Markov model. Data for modified Rankin Scale (mRS) distributions in patients 4.5 to 6.0 hours since stroke onset for tPA (n = 576) and placebo (n = 543) were obtained from pooled randomized controlled trials. EVSI was quantified with net monetary benefit (assuming willingness to pay for health as $100,000/QALY). We calculated discounted population-level EVSI by multiplying per-person EVSI by the annual number of eligible patients with stroke in the United States and assuming a 10-year time frame of treatment use. Study costs were based on administrative costs and the costs of tPA. Results The base-case lifetime cost-effectiveness analysis showed that tPA was dominated by placebo in this patient group. EVPPI for mRS distributions was $1003 per person. On the basis of EVSI, the optimal sample size of a new trial collecting data on tPA efficacy in these patients would be 5600 across study arms with expected population-level societal returns (EVSI minus study costs) of $68.7 million. Conclusions Expanding research attention to the 4.5- to 6.0-hour time window for tPA treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke is justified because the expected returns are substantial. Even a relatively large trial in which more information on treatment efficacy on the basis of mRS scores is collected would represent good value for information.
Myelin-Associated Inhibitors in Axonal Growth after Central Nervous System Injury

A major hypothesis for the limited axon regeneration in the injured central nervous system (CNS) is the presence of axon growth inhibitors associated with CNS myelin. Extensive biochemical and cell culture studies have yielded a wealth of information on the molecular identity and signaling network of myelin-associated axon growth inhibitors and their neuronal receptors. Significant effort has been made to delineate their roles in injury-induced axonal growth in vivo, including the regeneration of injured axons and the compensatory sprouting of uninjured axons. There is strong evidence that myelin inhibitors modulate axon sprouting, a form of CNS’s innate repair process, albeit in unexpectedly complex ways. Meanwhile, axon regeneration remains limited by targeting myelin inhibitors alone and their function in regeneration may depend on other factors such as an elevated level of neuron-intrinsic growth capacity. In addition to the prototypical myelin inhibitors Nogo, myelin-associated glycoprotein, and oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein, several axon guidance molecules have been proposed to serve similar functions. Understanding the in vivo role of myelin inhibitors in axon sprouting and regeneration along with their interplay with other axon growth regulators remains an important challenge for CNS injury and repair research.
Histopathology of Peronospora manshurica on soybean cultivars of varying degrees of resistance and on a nonhost

Soybean leaves were inoculated with the downy mildew fungus Peronospora manshurica. Portions of the leaves were fixed, cleared, and stained for microscopic observation at intervals from 12 to 168 hr following inoculation. A susceptible cultivar inoculated at different ages, a resistant isogenic line, a lins heterozygous for resistance, a moderately resistant cultivar, and a nonhost were studied. Germination of conidia, germ tube growth, appressorium formation, development of penetration pegs, and hyphal growth for 36 hr were about the same on all categories of plants. After 36 hr hyphae grew within young leaves of the susceptible cultivar at the rate of about 59 pm/hr and formed about 57 haustoria/mm of hyphae. On mature leaves of the susceptible cultivar the fungus grew rapidly from 36 to 120 hr and then grew slowly until 144 hr when the final small lesion size was attained. On plants heterozygous for resist­ ance and on the moderately resistant cultivar, growth of the fungus hyphae was somewhat slower than on the susceptible cultivar. The number of haustoria/mm of hyphae was low on plants heterozygous for resistance, but high on the moderately resistant cultivar. On the resistant isogenic line growth was very slow after 36 hr and few haustoria were formed. On the nonhost, the common bean cultivar Tendercrop, growth of the fungus was very slow for 120 hr, but then, in a few infection sites, increased rapidly, before ceasing as lesions were delimited by veins; haustoria were numerous where lesions formed. Resistance generally appeared to
Characterizing the Great Lakes marine renewable energy resources: Lake Michigan surge and wave characteristics

Abstract The Great Lakes, Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario, are a system of interconnected freshwater lakes located primarily in the upper region of North America and on the Canada–United States border. Lake Michigan, the second largest in volume and the third-largest in surface area among the Great Lakes, is approximately 494 km long and 190 km wide. The historical wave data show that significant wave height can reach up to 6 m both in the northern and southern basins. In addition, the long-term lake level data reveal that storm surges can exceed 1.5 m in Green Bay, one of the shallowest parts of Lake Michigan. This study characterizes the marine renewable power generation resources including storm surge and wave for Lake Michigan. It is shown that an extreme surge event similar to that of January 12, 1975 could contain a total theoretical potential energy of approximately 58 GWh. The analysis of the lake-wide wave data shows that the monthly mean wave power is greater in the central and southern basins. Wave power is highest in October and November, when the monthly mean wave power exceeds 9 kW/m. The monthly mean wave power is the lowest in late spring and during summer, when it becomes as low as 1.5 kW/m. As a result, it is found that there is significant potential marine renewable energy in Lake Michigan that may be suitable for generating meaningful levels of electricity from storm surges by developing artificial ‘lagoons’ in the shallower parts of the lake. This study, which follows the recent work on characterizing the Great Lakes' marine renewable energy resources [1], is the first attempt on characterizing Lake Michigan's marine renewable energy resources.
Differences in childhood body mass index between lesbian/gay and bisexual and heterosexual female adolescents: A follow-back study.

Objective To determine whether childhood body mass index (BMI), assessed in childhood, differs between lesbian/gay and bisexual (LGB) and heterosexual late adolescents, and whether childhood social stressors impact the association between sexual orientation and childhood BMI. Methods Participants included 2,070 late adolescents from the Pittsburgh Girls Study, of whom 233 (11.2%) identified as lesbian or bisexual and 1,837 (88.8%) as heterosexual at ages 17–20 years. Weight and height were used to calculate body mass index (BMI) at ages 10 through 14 years. Data were collected on child reported loneliness at ages 8 to 10 and peer victimization from 10 to 14 years. Results LGB females had higher BMIs and greater increases in BMI from ages 10–14 years compared to heterosexual females and reported higher levels of loneliness and peer victimization in childhood. Loneliness moderated the association between sexual identity and changes in BMI; for participants with loneliness scores in the upper quartile, the increase in BMI over time was approximately 30% higher for LGB females compared to heterosexual females. Child report of peer victimization mediated the association between sexual identity and changes in BMI, with nearly 18% of the total effect of sexual identity on BMI over time accounted for by peer victimization. Conclusions Lesbian and bisexual adolescents report greater loneliness and peer victimization as children than heterosexual adolescents; these stressors confer risk for higher BMI among LGB females. These data underscore the importance of research on the social determinants of health. The hypothesis that the social stressors may partially account for differences in BMI and other cardiometabolic risk factors between LGB and heterosexual females should be addressed in future research.
Metrics Based on the Mission Risk Perspective

The previous chapter described how to quantify cyber resilience from the perspective of system performance. This chapter presents an alternative view – the perspective of mission risk – that goes beyond performance, making it possible to incorporate cyber effects such as loss of confidentiality that are less performance focused. This chapter enumerates the features that any definition of resilience should include to support measurable assessment and comparison, and it proposes a definition of resilience that incorporates those considerations. It then reviews and discusses in detail the terminology and definitions that have been proposed in the context of the identified considerations. Ultimately, the chapter chooses a definition of resilience that relates to “mission risk.” Being based on risk, the authors of this chapter argue, their resilience definition is clearly defined, measurable, and has a sound theoretical grounding. Since risk relies on both the likelihood of events occurring as well as changes in mission value (i.e., damage) when these events occur, it provides a computable metric that can be tailored to specific systems and that enables assessment and comparison.
Breast cancer: risk assessment and prevention.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death in women. In 2008 there were 182,460 women diagnosed with breast cancer, and 40,480 women died of this disease. 1 Breast cancer can be prevented by medical (tamoxifen or raloxifene) or surgical approaches (bilateral mastectomy or oophorectomy). Prevention is only recommended for women at high risk for developing breast cancer; therefore, proper risk calculation is essential in identifying women that may benefit from prevention measures. There is an easy-to-use and easily accessible risk calculation tool for determining a woman's risk of developing breast cancer and need for referral for counseling, gene testing, and possibly preventive therapy. This article reviews the components of risk assessment, the most frequently used risk calculation tool, and approaches to breast cancer risk reduction including medical and surgical therapies. The use of these therapies results in a risk reduction of 50-90%.
DESIGN, FABRICATION AND TESTING OF HELIUM-COOLED VANADIUM MODULE FOR FUSION APPLICATIONS

Vanadium alloys are attractive materials for fusion applications due to their low neutron activation and rapid decay of radioactivity with time. Design of high heat flux components with vanadium as the structural material is difficult due to its low thermal conductivity relative to copper and the lack of practical experience with fabrication of vanadium components. Similarly, helium is an attractive coolant for fusion power plants due to its chemical inertness, its transparency to neutrons, and stable heat transfer. However, there is a perceived difficulty that the use of helium as a coolant will limit the maximum heat flux on components. Reference 1 discusses the principle that heat transfer enhancement techniques reduce the pumping power for helium cooling, making it practical for cooling plasma facing components and General Atomics (GA) has demonstrated cooling of high heat flux components with helium coolant. A copper module designed by GA was successfully tested to a steady state heat flux level of 3200 W/cm 2 over small area and 1000 W/cm 2 over the entire 20 cm 2 area. As a continued effort to demonstrate practical application of fusion science, GA undertook the present effort to fabricate a vanadium module cooled with helium. Due to lower thermal conductivity of vanadium (6% of copper), this module will withstand about 300 W/cm 2 heat flux over the entire length. The module was fabricated from V-4Cr-4Ti alloy and is 228 mm long and 22.1 mm in diameter. The thickness of the vanadium tube is 1.76 mm. The internal flow path has been designed to enhance the heat transfer coefficient to a value of about 1 W/cm 2 −°C at a helium flow rate of 20 g/s. A thermal stress analysis of the design was performed to ensure that the stresses are within limits at a heat flux level of 300 W/cm 2 and a helium pressure of 4 MPa. The test module has been hydrostatically tested to 7 MPa pressure and helium leak checked. The module is ready to be tested at the helium loop (4 MPa pressure 20 g/s flow) at Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque. Future high heat flux testing is planned.
Dysfunctional ErbB2, an EGF receptor family member, hinders repair of airway epithelial cells from asthmatic patients

Background Genetic and genomic data increasingly point to the airway epithelium as critical to asthma pathogenesis. Epithelial growth factor (EGF) family members play a fundamental role in epithelial differentiation, proliferation, and repair. Although expression of erythroblastosis oncogene B2 (ErbB2) mRNA, an EGF family receptor, was reported to be lower in asthmatic patients, little is understood about its functional role. Objective We sought to determine whether decreased ErbB2 activation in freshly isolated human airway epithelial cells (HAECs) from asthmatic patients associated with impaired wound closure in vitro. Methods An in vitro scratch-wound model of air-liquid interface cultured and freshly isolated HAECs were compared between HAECs from healthy control subjects (HCs) and asthmatic patients in relation to ErbB2. Results Freshly brushed HAECs from asthmatic patients had impaired ErbB2 activation compared with those from HCs. In an in vitro scratch-wound model, HAECs from asthmatic patients showed delayed wound closure compared with HAECs from HCs. Cell proliferation, as assessed based on [3H] thymidine incorporation after wounding, and expression or activation of ErbB2 and cyclin D1 at the leading edge of the wound were lower in HAECs from asthmatic patients and HCs. A selective ErbB2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor, mubritinib, impaired wound closure and decreased cyclin D1 expression in healthy HAECs, with less effect on cells from asthmatic patients, supporting diminished activity in asthmatic patients. Conclusion These results implicate a primary defect in the ErbB2 pathway as constraining epithelial repair processes in asthmatic patients. Restoration of homeostatic ErbB2 function should be considered a novel asthma therapeutic target.
Self-Reported Postoperative Opioid-Prescribing Practices Following Commonly Performed Orthopaedic Hand and Wrist Surgical Procedures: A Nationwide Survey Comparing Attending Surgeons and Trainees.

Background:Although orthopaedic surgeons have been shown to prescribe excessive amounts of opioid analgesics postoperatively, the degree in which surgical trainees contribute to this trend is unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare self-reported opioid-prescribing behavior, factors influen
REAL-WORLD IMPLICATIONS OF HYBRID CLOSE LOOP (HCL) INSULIN DELIVERY SYSTEM

Objective: Clinical trial data demonstrates improved glycemic control with hybrid close loop (HCL) insulin delivery systems, yet limited real-world data exists. Data from the inaugural cohort of patients initiating a HCL system (Medtronic MiniMed™ 670G, Medtronic Canada, Brampton, ON) at a university medical center was used to examine real-world utilization and glycemic control following a standardized implementation process. Methods: Data from 34 adult patients with type 1 diabetes were obtained from pump downloads at 4 time points: (1) previous insulin pump, (2) HCL in manual-mode, (3) 2 weeks after HCL auto-mode transition, and (4) 6 to 12 weeks after initiation of HCL. In-person training by certified diabetes educators was performed across 3 sessions with phone and electronic messaging following auto-mode start. Results: Mean self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG) per day increased from 5.15 baseline to 6.49 at 6 to 12 weeks (P 50% of time in auto-mode. There were 8.2 auto-mode exits over the final 14-day download. Time-in-target was 67.3% in manual-mode, 73.4% at 2 weeks (P = .09), and 71.7% by 6 to 12 weeks (P = .06). Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) decreased by 0.51% (P = .02), while total daily dose and % basal did not change. Patients with HbA1c <7.0% (53 mmol/mol) at baseline spent more time-in-target than those with HbA1c ≥7.0% (53 mmol/mol; 78.0% versus 67.5%) despite spending less time-in-auto-mode (66.5% versus 74.8%). Conclusion: These data illustrate real-world implementation of HCL technology using a structured education program within a major medical center. Overall benefit may vary based on baseline characteristics such as HbA1c. Abbreviations: CDE = certified diabetes educator; HbA1c = hemoglobin A1c; HCL = hybrid closed loop; SMBG = self-monitored blood glucose.
Patterns of Polysubstance Use Among Non-Hispanic White and American Indian/Alaska Native Adolescents: An Exploratory Analysis.

INTRODUCTION The prevalence of polysubstance use is well described, but less is known about correlates and patterns of polysubstance use. Previous research characterized latent subgroups of substance users by the type substance used. Racial disparities in the prevalence of polysubstance use exist, particularly for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. The objective of our study was to describe differences in patterns of polysubstance use between non-Hispanic white and AI/AN adolescents. METHODS We obtained data from the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). We analyzed substance use patterns (cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, inhalants, heroin, methamphetamines, ecstasy, steroids, and injected drugs) separately among 375 AI/AN and 15,633 non-Hispanic white adolescents. We calculated pairwise correlations. Exploratory factor analysis identified latent factors of polysubstance use patterns. RESULTS The use of all substances by AI/AN adolescents was the same or higher than use by non-Hispanic white adolescents, particularly for cocaine, heroin, and steroids. We found strong correlations between use of heroin and injected drugs and between use of cocaine and ecstasy among both populations. We found a latent factor for cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana and another factor for broad polysubstance use among both populations. We found a factor for steroids and injected drugs among AI/AN adolescents, a factor for cocaine and ecstasy among non-Hispanic white adolescents, and a unique factor for methamphetamines. CONCLUSION Differences in substance use patterns exist between AI/AN and non-Hispanic white adolescents, particularly for illegal drug use. If validated in future research, information on these differences could be used to inform tailored intervention programs aimed at preventing substance use.
Interchromosomal Translocations as a Means to Map Chromosome Territories in Breast Cancer.

The genome-wide identification of mutated genes is an important advance in our understanding of tumor biology, but several fundamental questions remain open. How do these genes act together to prom...
A PWM Controlled Active Boost Quadrupler Resonant Converter for High Step-Up Application

A high step-up constant frequency resonant converter with PWM controlled active boost quadrupler rectifier (ABQR) is proposed in this paper. The proposed converter operates at the resonant frequency throughout the whole operation region to achieve the highest efficiency. Under low input voltage conditions, the quadrupler based active boost rectifier will operate with the proposed PWM modulation scheme to step up the voltage. With the proposed ABQR, the output switches serve both for synchronous rectification and voltage boost function. It enables a higher voltage boost ratio than series resonant converter. Moreover, the voltage stress on secondary power devices are reduced to half of the high output voltage and the transformer turns ratio can be lower. A 300-W hardware prototype with gallium-nitride devices is built to verify the performance of the proposed converter and modulation method. It can achieve a peak efficiency of 98.9% and a California Energy Commission weighted efficiency of 98.7% under nominal input voltage condition.
Robot Operating System (ROS) on the REMUS AUV using RECON

To facilitate sensor integration and provide a testbed for autonomous sense and react research, an onboard sensor processing and autonomy system has been developed for the REMUS 100 AUV using the Robot Operating System (ROS) and the REMUS RECON interface, which provides backseat control of the vehicle. An interface library, pyREMUS, has been developed to handle the REMUS RECON interface, and a ROS package, ros_remus, uses this library to provide a deep level of interoperability between the REMUS vehicle computer and other ROS-based subsystems. This system has been deployed on multiple REMUS 100 vehicles and it is currently used operationally for field research programs. Vehicles outfitted with this system have seen numerous deployments, where they have been used for seabed surveys, sensor evaluation, and engineering tests.
A negative feedback loop between Insulin-like Growth Factor signaling and the lncRNA SNHG7 tightly regulates transcript levels and proliferation

ABSTRACT Evidence suggests Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) signaling is involved in the initiation and progression of a subset of breast cancers by inducing cell proliferation and survival(1, 2). Although the signaling cascade following IGF1 receptor activation is well-studied(3, 4), the key elements of the transcriptional response governing IGF1’s actions are not well understood. Recent studies reveal that the majority of the genome is transcribed and that there are more long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) than protein coding genes(5), several of which are dysegulated in human cancer(6, 7). However, studies on the regulation and mechanism of action of these lncRNAs are in their infancy. Here we show that IGF1 alters the expression levels of a subset of lncRNAs. SNHG7, a member of the small nucleolar host gene family, is a highly-expressed lncRNA that is consistently and significantly down-regulated by IGF1 signaling by a post-transcriptional mechanism through the MAPK pathway. SNHG7 regulates proliferation of breast cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, and silencing SNHG7 expression causes cell cycle arrest in G0/G1. Intriguingly, SNHG7 alters the expression of many IGF1 signaling intermediates and IGF1-regulated genes suggesting a feedback mechanism to tightly regulate the IGF1 response. Finally, we show with TCGA data that SNHG7 is overexpressed in tumors of a subset of breast cancer patients and that these patients have lower disease-free survival than patients without elevated SNHG7 expression. We propose that SNHG7 is a lncRNA oncogene that is controlled by growth factor signaling in a feedback mechanism to prevent hyperproliferation, and that this regulation can be lost in the development or progression of breast cancer. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT IGF1 signaling drives proliferation and survival and is important for the initiation and development of a subset of breast cancers. IGF1 is known to control the expression of thousands of protein coding genes, but it is unknown if it alters the expression of other gene types, such as long noncoding RNAs. Here we demonstrate that IGF regulates lncRNAs including the mostly unstudied SNHG7. We further show that SNHG7 is necessary for proliferation and modulates IGF1 signaling through a novel feedback mechanism that is required for fine-tuning of the transcriptional response to growth factor signaling and proliferation of breast cancer cells. SNHG7 is highly expressed in a subset of breast cancer patients with poor prognosis giving further credence that it is a novel oncogene.
Difficult Dialogues in the Midwest: A Retrospective on the Impact of EDGE at Purdue University

EDGE 2016 was held at Purdue University from June 6 through July 2, 2016. This meeting brought together some 20 participants from the EDGE program along with alumni from the Midwest EDGE Cluster at Purdue, graduate students from the Purdue Chapter of AWM, and undergraduate students from the local REU titled PRiME (Purdue Research in Mathematics Experience). In this article, we discuss the impact of EDGE 2016 on Purdue University, as told by the Midwest EDGE Cluster and AWM advisor Donatella Danielli; Mini-Course leader Rachel Davis; Difficult Dialogue leader Zenephia Evans; and local organizers Alejandra Alvarado and Edray Goins.
Wrestling with Employment Classifications: Are WWE Wrestlers Independent Contractors?

On March 31, 2019, HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver aired a twenty-three-minute segment that addressed how the wrestlers working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) are independent contractors but should be classified as employees. The video was also uploaded to YouTube and has been viewed over seven million times. It sparked a conversation on the issue that resulted in a response from the WWE claiming that John Oliver “simply ignored the facts.” This article provides a background of the work WWE wrestlers perform, introduces relevant case law and legal standards for determining worker classification, and concludes by making a determination as to whether WWE wrestlers are independent contractors or employees.
mm-Pose: Real-Time Human Skeletal Posture Estimation Using mmWave Radars and CNNs

In this paper, mm-Pose , a novel approach to detect and track human skeletons in real-time using an mmWave radar, is proposed. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first method to detect >15 distinct skeletal joints using mmWave radar reflection signals. The proposed method would find several applications in traffic monitoring systems, autonomous vehicles, patient monitoring systems and defense forces to detect and track human skeleton for effective and preventive decision making in real-time. The use of radar makes the system operationally robust to scene lighting and adverse weather conditions. The reflected radar point cloud in range, azimuth and elevation are first resolved and projected in Range-Azimuth and Range-Elevation planes. A novel low-size high-resolution radar-to-image representation is also presented, that overcomes the sparsity in traditional point cloud data and offers significant reduction in the subsequent machine learning architecture. The RGB channels were assigned with the normalized values of range, elevation/azimuth and the power level of the reflection signals for each of the points. A forked CNN architecture was used to predict the real-world position of the skeletal joints in 3-D space, using the radar-to-image representation. The proposed method was tested for a single human scenario for four primary motions, (i) Walking, (ii) Swinging left arm, (iii) Swinging right arm, and (iv) Swinging both arms to validate accurate predictions for motion in range, azimuth and elevation. The detailed methodology, implementation, challenges, and validation results are presented.
A multi-structure multi-run range (MSMRR) approach for using machine learning with constrained data in pavement engineering

In pavement engineering, the data sets that are typically obtained from experiments are small and cannot be classified as big data. The effective use of machine learning techniques such as artificial neural networks (ANN) for small data is a challenge because of poor accuracy of models. This paper presents a method of multiple structure multiple run and ranging to optimize ANN to produce models with small data sets with high accuracy. In this method, a large number of data fitting ANNs, with different number of neurons, layers, training and validation ratios, and randomized layer weights and biases are run in parallel, and the most accurate ANN is filtered out on the basis of the lowest MSE or highest R. The process is demonstrated with weather and pavement temperature data for a hot mix asphalt (HMA) and an open graded friction course (OGFC) pavement. Models are generated to predict the temperature at a depth of 12.5 mm below the surface. For the HMA pavement, an accuracy of 99.73% was obtained and an optimum structure was found to be with 4 layers, 11 neurons, 70% training ratio, 15% validation ratio. In the case of the OGFC pavement, an accuracy of 99.75% was obtained for an optimum structure with 3 layers, 11 neurons, 75% training ratio, 15% validation ratio. Furthermore, the fitting/regression problem was converted to a classification problem with different ranges, and then ANNs were utilized to develop very accurate classification models with small datasets.
Photonic integration for UV to IR applications

Photonic integration opens the potential to reduce size, power, and cost of applications normally relegated to table- and rack-sized systems. Today, a wide range of precision, high-end, ultra-sensitive, communication and computation, and measurement and scientific applications, including atomic clocks, quantum communications, processing, and high resolution spectroscopy, are ready to make the leap from the lab to the chip. However, many of these applications operate at wavelengths not accessible to the silicon on insulator-based silicon photonics integration platform due to absorption, power handling, unwanted nonlinearities, and other factors. Next generation photonic integration will require ultra-wideband photonic circuit platforms that scale from the ultraviolet to the infrared and that offer a rich set of linear and nonlinear circuit functions as well as low loss and high power handling capabilities. This article provides an assessment of the field in ultra-wideband photonic waveguides to bring power efficient, ultra-high performance systems to the chip-scale and enable compact transformative precision measurement, signal processing, computation, and communication techniques.
A Single Amino Acid Replacement in Penicillin-Binding Protein 2X in Streptococcus pyogenes Significantly Increases Fitness on Subtherapeutic Benzylpenicillin Treatment in a Mouse Model of Necrotizing Myositis

Invasive strains of Streptococcus pyogenes with significantly reduced susceptibility to β-lactam antibiotics have been recently described. These reports have caused considerable concern in the international infectious disease, medical microbiology, and public health communities because S. pyogenes has remained universally susceptible to β-lactam antibiotics for 70 years. Virtually all analyzed strains had single amino acid replacements in penicillin-binding protein 2X (PBP2X), a major target of β-lactam antibiotics in pathogenic bacteria. We used isogenic strains to test the hypothesis that a single amino acid replacement in PBP2X conferred a fitness advantage in a mouse model of necrotizing myositis. We determined that when mice were administered intermittent subtherapeutic dosing of benzylpenicillin, the strain with a Pro601Leu amino acid replacement in PBP2X that confers reduced β-lactam susceptibility in vitro was more fit, as assessed by the magnitude of colony-forming units recovered from disease tissue. These data provide important pathogenesis information that bears on this emerging global infectious disease problem.
Cortisol and Dehydroepiandrosterone Response to Adrenocorticotropic Hormone and Frailty in Older Women

Background The response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is poorly characterized in old-old adults and may provide insight into the physiologic response to stress. Method We performed a standard 250 µg ACTH stimulation test in a home-based substudy of 51 women aged 85-96 years enrolled in the Women's Health and Aging Study II who were not taking corticosteroids. We examined the cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) responses at 0, 30, 60, and 120 minutes, overall and by frailty status. Results The peak cortisol response to ACTH could not be determined, with the highest levels at the 120-minute time point. Pre- and post-ACTH stimulated cortisol levels did not differ by frailty status over this time frame, with no difference in the characteristics of the dose-response curves. Pre- and post-ACTH stimulated DHEA levels also did not differ by frailty status, though the dose-response curves suggested divergence after stimulation, with a more rapid DHEA response with increasing frailty. Conclusions Our data demonstrate a robust cortisol response to ACTH challenge testing, but inadequate negative feedback in old-old women, resulting in prolonged exposure to cortisol. Future studies should examine dynamic cortisol and DHEA responses in this age group, using a less potent ACTH stimulus and longer collection period.
Physically Based Sand Slide Method in Scour Models Based on Slope-Limited Diffusion

AbstractIn scour simulation models, a sand slide step is necessary to treat the bed areas where the slope exceeds the angle of repose. This exceedance is due to the fact that the Exner equation doe...
Using vision-based object detection for link quality prediction in 5.6-GHz channel

Various smart connected devices are emerging like automated driving cars, autonomous robots, and remote-controlled construction vehicles. These devices have vision systems to conduct their operations without collision. Machine vision technology is becoming more accessible to perceive self-position and/or the surrounding environment thanks to the great advances in deep learning technologies. The accurate perception information of these smart connected devices makes it possible to predict wireless link quality (LQ). This paper proposes an LQ prediction scheme that applies machine learning to HD camera output to forecast the influence of surrounding mobile objects on LQ. The proposed scheme utilizes object detection based on deep learning and learns the relationship between the detected object position information and the LQ. Outdoor experiments show that LQ prediction proposal can well predict the throughput for around 1 s into the future in a 5.6-GHz wireless LAN channel.
Ascorbic acid in the acute care setting

Ascorbic acid (AA) is an essential nutrient with many physiologic roles not limited to the prevention of scurvy. Beyond its role as a supplement, it has gained popularity in the acute care setting as an inexpensive medication for a variety of conditions. Because of limitations with absorption of oral formulations and reduced serum concentrations observed in acute illness, intravenous (IV) administration, and higher doses, may be needed to produce the desired serum concentrations for a particular indication. Following a PubMed search, we reviewed published studies relevant to AA in the acute care setting and summarized the results in a narrative review. In the acute care setting, AA may be used for improved wound healing, improved organ function in sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome, faster resolution of vasoplegic shock after cardiac surgery, reduction of resuscitative fluids in severe burn injury, and as an adjunctive analgesic, among other uses. Each indication differs in its level of evidence supporting exogenous administration of AA, but overall, AA was not commonly associated with adverse effects in the identified studies. Use of AA remains an active area of clinical investigation for various indications in the acute care patient population.
Hong Kong Hardball

Economic statecraft is defined as a state’s utilisation of economic means to pursue policy goals. The National Basketball Association (NBA)’s recent experience with China provides an illustrative e...
Differentiating white matter measures that protect against vs. predispose to bipolar disorder and other psychopathology in at-risk youth.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is highly heritable. Identifying objective biomarkers reflecting pathophysiological processes predisposing to, versus protecting against BD, can help identify BD risk in offspring of BD parents. We recruited 21 BD participants with a first-degree relative with BD, 25 offspring of BD parents, 27 offspring of comparison parents with non-BD psychiatric disorders, and 32 healthy offspring of healthy parents. In at-risk groups, 23 had non-BD diagnoses and 29, no Axis-I diagnoses(healthy). Five at-risk offspring who developed BD post scan(Converters) were included. Diffusion imaging(dMRI) analysis with tract segmentation identified between-group differences in the microstructure of prefrontal tracts supporting emotional regulation relevant to BD: forceps minor, anterior thalamic radiation(ATR), cingulum bundle(CB), and uncinate fasciculus(UF). BD participants showed lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right CB (anterior portion) than other groups (q < 0.05); and in bilateral ATR (posterior portion) versus at-risk groups (q < 0.001). Healthy, but not non-BD, at-risk participants showed significantly higher FA in bilateral ATR clusters than healthy controls (qs < 0.05). At-risk groups showed higher FA in these clusters than BD participants (qs < 0.05). Non-BD versus healthy at-risk participants, and Converters versus offspring of BD parents, showed lower FA in the right ATR cluster (qs < 0.05). Low anterior right CB FA in BD participants versus other groups might result from having BD. High bilateral ATR FA in at-risk groups, and in healthy at-risk participants, versus healthy controls might protect against BD/other psychiatric disorders. Absence of elevated right ATR FA in non-BD versus healthy at-risk participants, and in Converters versus non-converter offspring of BD parents, might lower protection against BD in at-risk groups.
Two-dimensional multiplexed assay for rapid and deep SARS-CoV-2 serology profiling and for machine learning prediction of neutralization capacity

Antibody responses serve as the primary protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection through neutralization of viral entry into cells. We have developed a two-dimensional multiplex bead binding assay (2D-MBBA) that quantifies multiple antibody isotypes against multiple antigens from a single measurement. Here, we applied our assay to profile IgG, IgM and IgA levels against the spike antigen, its receptor-binding domain and natural and designed mutants. Machine learning algorithms trained on the 2D-MBBA data substantially improve the prediction of neutralization capacity against the authentic SARS-CoV-2 virus of serum samples of convalescent patients. The algorithms also helped identify a set of antibody isotypeâ€"antigen datasets that contributed to the prediction, which included those targeting regions outside the receptor-binding interface of the spike protein. We applied the assay to profile samples from vaccinated, immune-compromised patients, which revealed differences in the antibody profiles between convalescent and vaccinated samples. Our approach can rapidly provide deep antibody profiles and neutralization prediction from essentially a drop of blood without the need of BSL-3 access and provides insights into the nature of neutralizing antibodies. It may be further developed for evaluating neutralizing capacity for new variants and future pathogens.
Risk of atrial fibrillation is increased in patients with exfoliation syndrome: the Utah project on exfoliation syndrome (UPEXS).

PURPOSE Exfoliation syndrome, a systemic disorder with ocular manifestations, is associated with lysyl oxidase-like gene variants. Along with transforming growth factor beta-1, lysyl oxidase-like 1 is a key enzyme in stabilizing extracellular matrix and remodelling collagen/elastin. Given the role that transforming growth factor beta-1, lysyl oxidase-like gene variants and fibrosis play in atrial fibrillation, an association with exfoliation syndrome was investigated. METHODS An exfoliation syndrome cohort of 2803 patients and an atrial fibrillation cohort of 43 694 patients aged 60-90 years at disease onset were identified using the Utah Population Database (1996-2015). Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate risk of atrial fibrillation in exfoliation syndrome patients and risk of exfoliation syndrome in atrial fibrillation patients compared with respective 5:1 sex- and age-matched control cohorts. Kaplan-Meier curves were examined to assess survival in atrial fibrillation patients by exfoliation syndrome status. RESULTS Exfoliation syndrome patients had a 21% greater risk (95% CI 1.06-1.37; p < 0.0001) of atrial fibrillation. This was more pronounced in exfoliation syndrome patients with no hypertension history, who exhibited a 52% increased atrial fibrillation risk (95% CI 1.27-1.82; p < 0.0001). Atrial fibrillation patients exhibited a 20% increased risk of exfoliation syndrome (95% CI 1.07-1.35; p = 0.003), while atrial fibrillation patients with no hypertension had a 72% higher exfoliation risk (95% CI 1.45-2.03; p < 0.0001). Atrial fibrillation patients with exfoliation syndrome had a higher estimated probability of survival (alive at study end or at last follow-up) compared with patients with no exfoliation history (p < 0.0001, log-rank test). CONCLUSIONS Exfoliation syndrome patients were at a statistically significant increased risk of atrial fibrillation. Similarly, atrial fibrillation patients were at a statistically significant higher risk of exfoliation, particularly when hypertension history was absent.
Magnetic properties of tunicate blood cells. I. Ascidia nigra.

Abstract The magnetic properties of intact and freeze-dried blood cells of the tunicate Ascidia nigra and of model vanadium(III) and (IV) compounds as polycrystalline solids and in aqueous solution have been measured up to 50 kOe with a SQUID susceptometer. Corrections for the samples' diamagnetism were extracted from the temperature dependence of the data without any further assumptions. For vanadium(IV), measured values of the magnetic moment at different values of the applied magnetic field over the temperature range 2–100 K obey a Brillouin function with spin 1 2 . For vanadium(III), the magnetic moment data did not obey a Brillouin function and were analyzed in terms of a spin Hamiltonian with S = 1. Measurements on both whole and freeze-dried blood samples give consistent results with vanadium(III) the predominant species. These results are discussed in terms of the mechanisms of vanadium accumulation and the use of vanadium oxidation states as criteria of ascidian taxonomy.
Bernoulli error measure approach to train feedforward artificial neural networks for classification problems

The training of artificial neural networks usually requires that users define an error measure in order to adapt the network weights to achieve certain performance criteria. This error measure is very important and sometimes essential for achieving satisfactory solutions. Different error measures have been used to train feedforward artificial neural networks, with the mean-square error measure (and its modifications) being the most popular one. In this paper, the authors show that the Bernoulli error measure is very suitable for training feedforward artificial neural networks to learn classification problems. The authors compare the Bernoulli error measure with the popular mean-square error measure in terms of error surfaces, adaptation rates, and stability regions. The AND and XOR classification problems are used to illustrate the differences between the Bernoulli error measure and the mean-square error measure. >
Regulation of glycolysis in brain, in situ, during convulsions.

Abstract The concentrations of metabolites, including glucose, glycogen, glycolytic intermediates, adenine nucleotides, phosphates, amino acids, and citrate, in mouse brain in situ were measured from 15 to 180 sec after exposure of mice to the convulsant, Indoklon (bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) ether). An increase in glycolytic flux of at least 3 times the basal rate was estimated for the brain in the convulsive state. During the period of hyperactivity, new steady state levels were established for several metabolites. In the transition, the concentrations of glucose and hexose monophosphates in the brain decreased. Coincident with these decreases, the concentration of fructose 1,6-diphosphate increased rapidly but transiently. The concentration of cerebral glycogen was unchanged during the first 30 sec, decreased about 20% during the next min, and then remained constant. Lactate accumulated throughout the period of convulsion. At the initiation of convulsion, the concentration of creatine phosphate fell precipitously to half its original value. The decrease in adenosine triphosphate was relatively small. Correspondingly, the concentrations of ADP, AMP, and inorganic phosphate in the brain increased rapidly with the induction of hyperactivity. The concentrations of citrate, glutamate, and aspartate did not change significantly. The level of proline was lowered during the convulsion. With the induction of convulsions and concomitant with the increased rate of glycolysis, the enzymes phosphofructokinase and hexokinase were coordinately activated. These two enzymatic sites represent the major control points of glycolysis in cerebral tissue in vivo. The ability of the brain to adjust to a new steady state following an increase in glycolytic rate, as well as its ability to maintain adequate supplies of energy reserves and oxygen, serves to distinguish the convulsive from the ischemic condition.
The future of intellectual property

This paper uses two recent works as a springboard for discussing the proper contours of intellectual property protection. Professor Lessig devotes much of The Future of Ideas to demonstrating how the expanding scope of intellectual property protection threatens the Internet as an innovation commons. Similarly, Professor Litman's message in Digital Copyright is that copyright law is both too complicated and too restrictive. Both authors contend that as a result of overprotecting individual rights, creativity is stifled and the vitality of the intellectual commons is in jeopardy. It is difficult to evaluate the claims and policy prescriptions of these books without some appreciation for the moral foundations of intellectual property. The utility and labor desert theories remain the two most prominent in the Anglo-American tradition. After exploring those theories, we argue for a secure regime of protection based on the Lockean vision that property rights are justly deserved as a reward for labor that creates value. However, as Locke's famous proviso implies, even a natural property right is not absolute and must be balanced by regard for the public domain. But a natural right cannot be sacrificed simply to advance technological innovation or to achieve marginal social and economic gains. While we agree with Lessig and Litman that recent legislation goes too far we conclude the essay by attempting to illustrate that some of their policy recommendations err in the opposite direction by underprotecting valid property rights.