cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discovering relational domain features for probabilistic planning

In sequential decision-making problems formulated as Markov decision processes, state-value function approximation using domain features is a critical technique for scaling up the feasible problem size. We consider the problem of automatically finding useful domain features in problem domains that exhibit relational structure. Specifically we consider learning compact relational features without input from human expertise; we use neither expert decisions nor human domain knowledge beyond the basic domain definition. We propose a method to learn relational features for a linear value-function representation—numerically valued features are selected by their fit to the Bellman residual of the current value function and are automatically learned and added to the representation when needed. Starting with only a trivial feature in the value-function representation, our method finds useful value functions by combining feature learning with approximate value iteration. Empirical work presented here for Tetris and for probabilistic planning competition domains shows that our technique represents the state-of-the-art for both domain-independent feature learning and for stochastic planning in relational domains.
Biopharma deal-making in 2017

This article analyses merger and acquisition (M&A) activity and partnerships in the biopharma industry in 2017, highlighting trends and major deals.
Predicting Functional Effects of Synonymous Variants: A Systematic Review and Perspectives

Recent advances in high-throughput experimentation have put the exploration of genome sequences at the forefront of precision medicine. In an effort to interpret the sequencing data, numerous computational methods have been developed for evaluating the effects of genome variants. Interestingly, despite the fact that every person has as many synonymous (sSNV) as non-synonymous single nucleotide variants, our ability to predict their effects is limited. The paucity of experimentally tested sSNV effects appears to be the limiting factor in development of such methods. Here, we summarize the details and evaluate the performance of nine existing computational methods capable of predicting sSNV effects. We used a set of observed and artificially generated variants to approximate large scale performance expectations of these tools. We note that the distribution of these variants across amino acid and codon types suggests purifying evolutionary selection retaining generated variants out of the observed set; i.e., we expect the generated set to be enriched for deleterious variants. Closer inspection of the relationship between the observed variant frequencies and the associated prediction scores identifies predictor-specific scoring thresholds of reliable effect predictions. Notably, across all predictors, the variants scoring above these thresholds were significantly more often generated than observed. which confirms our assumption that the generated set is enriched for deleterious variants. Finally, we find that while the methods differ in their ability to identify severe sSNV effects, no predictor appears capable of definitively recognizing subtle effects of such variants on a large scale.
Can Direct Oral Anticoagulants Be Used for Stroke Prevention Among Patients with Valvular Atrial Fibrillation

To review the clinical evidence underlying the efficacy and safety of the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for the treatment of patients with valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). The recent focused update to the 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS Atrial Fibrillation Guidelines defines valvular AF as AF in the setting of moderate-to-severe mitral stenosis (MS) and/or in the presence of a mechanical heart valve. Landmark clinical trials of DOACs in patients with AF systematically excluded these patient populations. However, there are trial data in both animals and humans regarding the use of DOACs in patients with MS and in those with mechanical heart valves. Based on sub-analyses and meta-analyses of clinical trial data in patients with AF, the use of DOACs in valvular AF is not recommended. Patients with moderate-to-severe MS or a mechanical heart valve and AF should be anticoagulated with dose-adjusted warfarin. DOACs are reasonable alternatives to warfarin in patients with AF and other types of valvular disease, including mild MS and bioprosthetic valves.
Women and family medicine.

Dr Dhara, I was moved by your gutsy and heartfelt article “Smile! Women as family doctors,” which appeared in the July issue of Canadian Family Physician .[1][1] I was moved enough to respond with an acknowledgment of your experience to mitigate the risk of minimizing an everyday experience for
Direct laser metal deposition of René 108 single crystal superalloy

Abstract This investigation reports a processing strategy to develop a single crystal deposit via laser metal deposition. A single wall has been deposited with Rene 108 on a PWA 1484 single crystal substrate. This was performed by effectively controlling the process-parameters and heat flow direction during solidification. The as-deposited sample unveiled a single grain throughout the volume. Microstructural investigation of the as-deposited sample revealed the existence of spherical γ′ with an average size of 46 nm in the dendrite core with eutectic phases of γ/γ′/MC along the inter-dendrite boundaries. Heat treatment executed on the sample revealed a trimodal distribution of γ′ precipitates with an average size of 271 nm cuboidal, 58 nm spherical γ′, and rafted (interconnected ‘cuboidal’) γ′. The XRD investigation on the sample confirms the presence of a single grain throughout the volume and reveals a lattice parameter of 358.3 pm in the as-deposited condition and 358.05 pm in the heat-treated condition.
Assessment of Disclosure of Psychological Disability Among US Medical Students.

This survey study examined data from medical schools’ disability offices to estimate the proportion of students who disclose psychological disabilities.
The impact of an advance care planning intervention for patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure

Abstract Background Many patients with heart failure (HF) have not addressed end-of-life planning. Objective Evaluate the impact of an advance care planning (ACP) intervention on patients hospitalized with acute decompensated HF. Methods A convenience sample of patients hospitalized with HF completed the Advance Directive Attitude Survey (ADAS) before The Conversation Project intervention. Post-intervention scores were collected after 30 days. Results All participants (n = 30) had positive pre-intervention ADAS scores. Post-intervention scores revealed no significant change (p = 0.53). Twenty eight percent completed an advance directive (AD), 64% discussed the AD with a significant other, 40% established a surrogate decision maker, and 12% discussed the AD with a provider. Conclusions Advance directive completion rates were low despite participants having positive attitudes regarding their value. Discussion of goals between the patient and significant other is an important factor in end-of-life planning. Further studies are needed on strategies to improve provider discussions and AD completion.
Daily Horizons: Evidence of Narrow Bracketing in Judgment from 10 Years of MBA-Admission Interviews

Many professionals, from auditors and lawyers, to clinical psychologists and journal editors, divide continuous flows of judgments into subsets. College admissions interviewers, for instance, evaluate but a handful of applicants a day. We conjectured that in such situations individuals engage in narrow bracketing, assessing each subset in isolation, and then avoid deviating much – for any given subset – from the expected overall distribution of judgments. For instance, an interviewer who has already highly recommended three applicants on a given day may be reluctant to do so for a fourth applicant. Data from over 9000 MBA interviews supported this prediction. Auxiliary analyses suggest that contrast effects and non-random scheduling of interviews are unlikely alternative explanations.
Replicator dynamics of an N-player snowdrift game with delayed payoffs

Abstract We consider a version of the N -player snowdrift game in which the payoffs obtained by the players are delayed. The delay in payoffs is shown to lead to a Hopf bifurcation with an associated critical value of the time delay in the replicator dynamics. For time delays larger than the critical time delay, the replicator dynamics oscillate around the equilibrium instead of asymptotically approaching it. The dependence of this critical time delay on the parameters of the game is determined. After developing the analysis for the 2-player game, the same methodology is applied to the N -player version of the game to show how the results change as a function of N , concluding with an analysis of the limiting case of large numbers of players.
Re-evaluating the prevalence and factors characteristic of catecholamine secreting head and neck paragangliomas.

Introduction We sought to characterize the prevalence and factors characteristic of head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGLs) that secrete catecholamines to inform best practices for diagnosis and management. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study from 2000 to 2020 at a single-institution tertiary centre. One-hundred fifty-two patients (182 tumours) with HNPGLs with at least one measurement of urine or plasma catecholamines and/or catecholamine metabolite levels prior to treatment were included. We differentiated and characterized those patients with increased level(s) of any nature and those with 'clinically significant' versus 'clinically insignificant' catecholamine production. Results Thirty-one (20.4%) patients had increased catecholamine and/or catecholamine metabolite levels. In most patients, these levels were ≤5-fold above the upper limit of the reference range. Four of these 31 patients with increased levels were ultimately found to have an additional catecholamine secreting mediastinal paraganglioma or pheochromocytoma. Fourteen of 31 patients with HNPGL were deemed clinically significant secretors of catecholamines based on hyper-adrenergic symptoms and/or profound levels of normetanephrines. This cohort was enriched for patients with paragangliomas of the carotid body or cervical sympathetic chain and those with SDHB genetic mutations. Ultimately, the prevalence of clinically significant catecholamine secreting Hangs was determined to be 9.2% and 7.7% based on a per-patient and per-tumour basis, respectively. Conclusions The rate of catecholamine excess in the current cohort of patients with HNPGLs was higher than previously reported. Neuroendocrine tumours of any anatomic subsite may secrete catecholamines, although not all increased laboratory level(s) are indicative of clinically significant catecholamine secretion causing symptoms or warranting adrenergic blockade.
Research on control strategy of retired battery cascade utilization in 5g base station

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of applying retired electric vehicle batteries to the backup power supply system of tower base stations, and designs the corresponding battery pack installation capacity calculation method and control strategy, combined with the tower company’s experimental site for verification. The control strategy of charging and discharging twice a day and charging and discharging twice a day yields economic indicators such as investment payback period, investment amount, average annual income, annual average cost, and annual average profit for different capacities under the above control strategy. The optimal capacity allocation of 5g communication base station is obtained.
Myotomy for achalasia: thoracic approach

The surgical treatment of oesophageal achalasia is a 20th century development, the most significant contribution being that of Heller who, in 1913, performed a double cardiomyotomy by the abdominal route on a 49-yearold woman who had experienced dysphagia for 30 years. This technique later underwent many modifications, the most important of which was restriction of the procedure to one myotomy. This has been further modified to include an antireflux procedure, an addition which, in the author’s opinion, is unnecessary.
Bayesian dimension reduction models for microarray data

High dimensionality, missing values, noise, and outliers are standard problems in gene expression data and are usually dealt with separately. In this paper, we propose an ideal point model that performs feature extraction, imputes missing values, and is robust to noise and outliers in a unified and unsupervised framework. We use the simplifying assumption that genes are either expressed or not expressed in order to obtain a parsimonious model. We present a fast Bayesian method for estimating the large number of parameters in the ideal point model. We apply the ideal point model to a leukemia data set, where it outperforms independent component analysis (ICA), a state of the art unsupervised feature extraction method.
Individualizing Risk Assessment: Balancing Idiographic and Nomothetic Data

Forensic mental health professionals are conducting risk assessment evaluations with increasing frequency in a variety of criminal, civil, and family law contexts. Although evaluators can choose from a variety of empirically validated risk assessment tools, there is comparatively little guidance on how data gathered during the evaluation should be utilized in reaching the final risk determination. In particular, research suggests that evaluators find it challenging to balance nomothetic and idiographic data in risk assessment contexts. After highlighting several errors involving the use of nomothetic and idiographic data, we offer guidance for achieving an effective balance between both sources of data.
Individual and Community Level Correlates of Prenatal Care in California

This event history analysis of the Perinatal Substance Exposure Study investigates individual and community level correlates of the timing of first prenatal care among pregnant women in California. Data were collected anonymously at the time of delivery and include demographic information from hospital records and urine samples which were tested for a battery of substances. Zip-code level data from the 1990 census were appended to each record to assess absolute community effects. A discrete-time hazard rate was estimated for each trimester in six nested models using logistic regression. Results suggest that: poor, non-White, younger, native born, Spanish-speaking, substance-using women in poorer neighborhoods were least likely to receive prenatal care. While a positive urine test for alcohol was not associated with prenatal care initiation; overall drug positives and tobacco positives (self-report) were. The optimal model, with interactions, estimates that women in poorer communities were less likely to receive prenatal care in the first trimester, but more likely to receive care in the third trimester. This pattern is similar for most of the time-varying covariates in that non-Whites, English speakers and younger women were less likely to receive first trimester care, but more likely to receive second and third trimester care.
Linking Stated and Revealed Preference Models for Nonmarket Values: Snorkeling Visits to the Florida Keys

Coastal coral reefs, especially in the Florida Keys are declining at a disturbing rate, leading marine ecologists and reef scientists to emphasize the importance of establishing nonmarket values of coral reefs to assess the cost effectiveness of coral reef management and remediation programs. The purpose of this paper is to develop a linked travel cost - contingent behavior model of demand for trips to the Florida Keys focusing on willingness to pay to preserve the current water quality and health of the coral reefs. The stated and revealed preference models allow the marginal valuation of recreationists to adjust depending on current and planned trip commitments in valuing nonmarginal policy changes in recreational opportunities. The integrated model incorporates key factors for establishing baseline amenity values for tourist dive sites, including perceptions of reef quality and dive conditions, the role of substitute sites, and the quality and availability of tourist facilities and recreation opportunities. The travel cost and WTP model differ in identifying critical variables and provide insight into the adjustment of trip decisions across alternative destination sites and the valuation of trips. In contrast to the travel cost model, a measure of the availability of substitute sites and total recreation activities does not have a significant impact on WTP valuations reported by snorkelers. Snorkelers engage in a relatively focussed set of activities, suggesting that these recreationists may not shift expenditures to other sites or other recreation activities in the Florida Keys when confronted with increased access costs for the snorkeling experience.
OBJECTIVISM VERSUS REALISM

This paper advocates a distinction between realism and objectivism. I treat realism about affirmations of a given type as the view that these affirmations are to be understood as factual assertions which attempt to describe features of a largely independent reality, and that they are correct if and only if they manage to do so. I treat objectivism about affirmations of a given type as the view that they are subject to adequate, non-arbitrary standards of correctness, and that there are a significant number of nontrivial affirmations of this type that can be known to be correct. So understood, realism and objectivism are independent. I compare and contrast these conceptions of realism and objectivism with those of Dummett and Wright; illustrate how they can be used to classify and make sense of different positions that philosophers have taken or might be tempted to take on various subject matters; elaborate the conceptions by developing and defending criteria for evaluating realist and objectivist theses; and illustrate how these criteria can be applied to support objectivism without realism with respect to theoretical reasons for beliefs about the macro-physical environment.
A collision avoidance controller for autonomous underwater vehicles

A 3D collision avoidance controller for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that uses a forward-looking high-frequency active sonar is described. Multiple objects are differentiated by clustering sonar returns, and Kalman filters are then used to track both stationary and moving obstacles. A minimum safe distance must be maintained between the AUV and any obstacle, and a modified potential field is used to determine appropriate maneuvers. The merit function which defines this potential field is based on obstacle bearing, distance, and visit count, as well as the AUV heading, the depth, and the direction of the goal. >
Fast simulation of VLSI interconnects

This work introduces an efficient and accurate interconnect simulation technique. A new formulation for typical VLSI interconnect structures is proposed which, in addition to providing a compact set of modeling equations, also offers a potential for exploiting sparsity at the simulation level. Simulations show that our approach can achieve 50 /spl times/ improvement in computation time and memory over INDUCTWISE (which in turn has been shown to be 400 /spl times/ faster than SPICE) while preserving simulation accuracy.
Misconstrued tolerance: issues for multicultural and diversity training

Purpose – Valuing diversity emphasizes the awareness, recognition, and appreciation of human differences and revolves around creating an inclusive environment in which everyone feels esteemed. This generally takes place through a series of training programs that attempt to improve interpersonal relationships among workers by asking participants to become more tolerant—generally understood today as an approval and acceptance of others' practices and beliefs. Because tolerance is such a highly desirable quality in many Western societies, and seemingly one of its few non‐controversial values, rarely is its significance questioned. Nevertheless, contemporary interpretations of tolerance can be problematic for multicultural programs, and tolerance understood as respect and civility toward others may be a more appropriate tool to easing hostile tensions between individuals and groups and to helping communities move past intractable conflict. The purpose of this paper is to offer a reinterpretation of tolerance....
Circles of influence: An analysis of charter school location and racial patterns at varying geographic scales

This paper uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and dynamic mapping to examine student enrollments in New Jersey charter schools. Consistent with previous research, we find evidence of increased racial segregation. Greater percentages of African-Americans attend charter schools than reside in surrounding areas. We add to the existing charter school literature by more fully considering the importance of charter school supply and examining student enrollments across three geographic scales: school districts, census tracts and block groups. We demonstrate that racial segregation is most severe within charter schools’ immediate neighborhoods (i.e. block groups), suggesting that analyses comparing charter schools to larger school districts or nearby public schools may misrepresent student sorting. This finding appears to result from the tendency of charter schools in New Jersey to cluster just outside predominately African-American neighborhoods, encircling the residential locations of the students they are most likely to enroll.
Polycystic ovary syndrome: Symptomatology, pathophysiology, and epidemiology

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome seek health care for 3 major reasons: infertility, menstrual irregularity, and androgen excess. The infertility is associated with anovulation. The menstrual irregularity is typically chronic, beginning with menarche. Although amenorrhea may sometimes occur, the more common presentation is irregular bleeding characteristic of anovulation. Androgen excess may be manifested by varying degrees of hirsutism. Patients may also report acne. The rapid development of virilizing signs, such as deepening of the voice, increased muscle mass, and temporal balding, should prompt a search for a tumor and lead one away from a diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome. Typically treatment is directed at alleviating the symptoms: ovulation induction for infertility, oral contraceptives or a progestin for menstrual irregularity, and oral contraceptives or spironolactone for hirsutism. On the basis of recent epidemiologic data suggestive of increased cardiovascular risk among women with polycystic ovary syndrome, such treatment might be complemented by a long-term approach that addresses the underlying pathophysiology of insulin resistance.
Molecular ordering by halide–halide interactions in dimolybdenum p-halobenzoates

Abstract A series of compounds of the form Mo2(O2C-C6H4-X)4, 1-X, and trans-Mo2(TiPB)2(O2C-C6H4-X)2, 2-X, have been prepared where X = F, Cl, Br, and I and TiPB = 2,4,6-triisopropylbenzoate. The compounds 1-X (X = F, Cl) and 2-X (X = F, Cl, Br, and I) have been structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray crystallography, some of which are shown to form extended chains in the solid state due to the formation of halide–halide intermolecular interactions. Both families of compounds have been examined by electronic absorption and emission spectroscopy and the lifetimes of the singlet and triplet lifetimes have been determined. S1 lifetimes are ∼5–8 ps and T1 lifetimes are ∼50–80 μs. The heavy atom halogen appears to have little effect on the S1 lifetimes.
Detection of Tropheryma whipplei DNA in Clinical Specimens by LightCycler Real-Time PCR

A real-time PCR method using the LightCycler (Roche Applied Science, Indianapolis, IN) was compared to a conventional PCR assay for the detection of Tropheryma whipplei in 321 clinical specimens. The LightCycler method had sensitivity and specificity comparable to the conventional method but required considerably less labor and time (3 h versus 3 to 5 days).
Dispersion curve analysis of laser-generated Lamb waves

Abstract Experiments have been conducted with a Q-switched ruby laser to study thermoelastic generation of Lamb waves in plates. The objective of this study was to resolve experimentally the various modes that propagate in a thick plate after absorption of a short laser pulse at its upper surface. The methodology consists of acquiring several laser-generated waveforms at various points on the plate. These waveforms are processed with a two-dimensional fast Fourier transform, in space and time, to obtain the dispersion curves of the plate, in wave-number and frequency. The technique can be used to determine which modes propagate in the structure as well as their relative amplitudes. This method, which is commonly used in structural acoustics, has not previously received much attention in laser ultrasonics even though it is particularly well adapted for measuring dispersion curves, because optical methods alleviate the problem of irreproducible coupling that exists with conventional piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers.
Synthesis of biocompatible segmented polyurethanes from aliphatic diisocyanates and diurea diol chain extenders

Many polyurethane elastomers display excellent mechanical properties and adequate biocompatibility. However, many medical-grade polyurethanes are prepared from aromatic diisocyanates and can degrade in vivo to carcinogenic aromatic diamines, although the question of whether the concentrations of these harmful degradation products attain physiologically relevant levels is currently unresolved and strongly debated. It is therefore desirable to synthesize new medical-grade polyurethanes from less toxic aliphatic diisocyanates. In this paper, biocompatible segmented polyurethane elastomers were synthesized from aliphatic diisocyanates (1,4-diisocyanatobutane (BDI) and lysine methyl ester diisocyanate (LDI)), novel diurea diol chain extenders based on tyrosine and tyramine, and a model poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) diol soft segment. The objectives were to design a hard segment similar in structure to that of MDI-based polyurethanes and also investigate the effects of systematic changes in structure on mechanical and biological properties. The non-branched, symmetric polyurethane prepared from BDI and a tyramine-based chain extender had the highest modulus at 37 degrees C. Introduction of symmetric short-chain branches (SCBs) incorporated in the tyrosine-based chain extender lowered the modulus by an order of magnitude. Polyurethanes prepared from LDI were soft polymers that had a still lower modulus due to the asymmetric SCBs that hindered hard segment packing. Polyurethanes prepared from tyramine and tyrosine chain extenders thermally degraded at temperatures ranging from 110 to 150 degrees C, which are lower than that reported previously for phenyl urethanes. All four polyurethanes supported the attachment, proliferation, and high viability of MG-63 human osteoblast-like cells in vitro. Therefore, the non-cytotoxic chemistry of these polyurethanes make them good candidates for further development as biomedical implants.
Radiation-Protective Effects of Yeast Extract and Yeast Ribonucleic Acid

The injection of a crude yeast autolysate was found to exert a moderate amount of protection agalist radiation injuries in rats and mice.
Scores poorly predict major bleeding (c-statistics ≤ 0.61) during oral anticoagulant therapy

Source Citation Donze J, Rodondi N, Waeber G, et al. Scores to predict major bleeding risk during oral anticoagulation therapy: a prospective validation study. Am J Med. 2012;125:1095-102. 22939362
Age-related changes in capillaries of rat oral mucosa. A quantitative electron microscopic study.

Abstract Ultrastructural age changes in capillaries of the buccal mucosa were examined in montages of cross sections made from electron micrographs at 37 500 x . Six rats aged 6 months and 6 aged 30 months were perfused with glutaraldehyde and conventional thin sections obtained. Two capillaries located within a connective tissue papilla were studied from each rat. Capillaries of the old group differed from those of the young group by statistically significant increases in several parameters. The endothelial cell was increased in thickness, especially in the vicinity of junctions. The frequency of pinocytotic vesicles/unit length of the cell circumference was nearly doubled. Junctions were of nearly double length and took a more oblique course. All parts of the basement membranes were thickened, though perhaps less than seems true in skin. In striking contrast to epidermis, the epithelium of oral mucosa undergoes no appreciable thinning with age. We suggest that the observed age increases in frequency of pinocytotic vesicles and in the length of junctions may facilitate blood/tissue exchange, thus compensating for impaired exchange due to the thickened basement membranes. These compensatory changes in conjunction with the unchanged size of the mucosal capillary bed in the aged rat (demonstrated previously) could explain the unchanged thickness of the oral epithelium.
The BMP pathway acts to directly regulate Tbx20 in the developing heart

TBX20 has been shown to be essential for vertebrate heart development. Mutations within the TBX20 coding region are associated with human congenital heart disease, and the loss of Tbx20 in a wide variety of model systems leads to cardiac defects and eventually heart failure. Despite the crucial role of TBX20 in a range of cardiac cellular processes, the signal transduction pathways that act upstream of Tbx20 remain unknown. Here, we have identified and characterized a conserved 334 bp Tbx20 cardiac regulatory element that is directly activated by the BMP/SMAD1 signaling pathway. We demonstrate that this element is both necessary and sufficient to drive cardiac-specific expression of Tbx20 in Xenopus, and that blocking SMAD1 signaling in vivo specifically abolishes transcription of Tbx20, but not that of other cardiac factors, such as Tbx5 and MHC, in the developing heart. We further demonstrate that activation of Tbx20 by SMAD1 is mediated by a set of novel, non-canonical, high-affinity SMAD-binding sites located within this regulatory element and that phospho-SMAD1 directly binds a non-canonical SMAD1 site in vivo. Finally, we show that these non-canonical sites are necessary and sufficient for Tbx20 expression in Xenopus, and that reporter constructs containing these sites are expressed in a cardiac-specific manner in zebrafish and mouse. Collectively, our findings define Tbx20 as a direct transcriptional target of the BMP/SMAD1 signaling pathway during cardiac maturation.
Simulation and control of morphological changes due to dam removal in the Sandy River, Oregon, USA

A one-dimensional channel evolution simulation model (CCHE1D) is applied to assess morphological changes in a reach of the Sandy River, Oregon, USA, due to the Marmot Dam removal in 2007. Sediment transport model parameters (e.g. sediment transport capacity, bed roughness coefficient) were calibrated using observed bed changes after the dam removal. The validated model is then applied to assess long-term morphological changes in response to a 10-year hydrograph selected from historical storm water records. The long-term assessment of sedimentation gives a reasonable prediction of morphological changes, expanding erosion in reservoir and growing deposition immediately downstream of the dam site. This prediction result can be used for managing and planning river sedimentation after dam removal. A simulation-based optimization model is also applied to determine the optimal sediment release rates during dam-removal that will minimize the morphological changes in the downstream reaches.
The Design of Cold Plates for the Thermal Management of Electronic Equipment

Cold plates, devices used for the thermal management of electronic equipment, consist of a fluid flow space that is bounded by metallic walls. The fluid passages are designed to optimize the heat extraction from the electronics. This paper deals with the fluid flow and heat transfer in cold plates in which both the fluid flow and heat transfer experience periodic variations in the streamwise direction. The motivation for the work was to devise a methodology for dealing with problems that are highly complex and also computationally demanding. The first goal of the work was to transform the combined problems of fluid flow and conjugate heat transfer into one in which the wall heat transfer can be solved separately. The decoupling was achieved by first focusing on the solution of the full conjugate heat transfer problem for a portion of the periodic array. From this solution, heat transfer coefficients were extracted and subsequently employed for the solution of the wall heat conduction problem for the entir...
An Unusual Zwitterionic, Diradical Intermediate in Photochemical Electron-Transfer Substitution Reactions

An unusual zwitterionic diradical intermediate complex R•···X-···HR‘B•+ is generated during the photoinduced electron-transfer substitution reaction between alkyl halides (RX) and Lewis bases (HR‘B...
What statistical mechanics has to say to computer scientists

Abstract We discuss the relationship between the large N limit of statistical mechanics and the large N limit of computer complexity theory. The “cost function” of many computer optimization problems may be treated as a Hamiltonian whose ground state is the solution of the problem, and statistical mechanics gives us many insights into the structure of possible algorithms or solutions.
Epstein-Barr Virus Latent Membrane Protein 1 Genetic Variability in Peripheral Blood B Cells and Oropharyngeal Fluids

UNLABELLED We report the diversity of latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) gene founder sequences and the level of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome variability over time and across anatomic compartments by using virus genomes amplified directly from oropharyngeal wash specimens and peripheral blood B cells during acute infection and convalescence. The intrahost nucleotide variability of the founder virus was 0.02% across the region sequences, and diversity increased significantly over time in the oropharyngeal compartment (P = 0.004). The LMP1 region showing the greatest level of variability in both compartments, and over time, was concentrated within the functional carboxyl-terminal activating regions 2 and 3 (CTAR2 and CTAR3). Interestingly, a deletion in a proline-rich repeat region (amino acids 274 to 289) of EBV commonly reported in EBV sequenced from cancer specimens was not observed in acute infectious mononucleosis (AIM) patients. Taken together, these data highlight the diversity in circulating EBV genomes and its potential importance in disease pathogenesis and vaccine design. IMPORTANCE This study is among the first to leverage an improved high-throughput deep-sequencing methodology to investigate directly from patient samples the degree of diversity in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) populations and the extent to which viral genome diversity develops over time in the infected host. Significant variability of circulating EBV latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) gene sequences was observed between cellular and oral wash samples, and this variability increased over time in oral wash samples. The significance of EBV genetic diversity in transmission and disease pathogenesis are discussed.
Classical ground states in one dimension

We give conditions on an interaction sufficient to guarantee that in one dimension it yield a periodic ground state with one or two particles per unit cell.
Accumulation of point mutations in mitochondrial DNA of aging mice

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) exists in a highly genotoxic environment created by exposure to reactive oxygen species, somewhat deficient DNA repair, and the relatively low fidelity of polymerase gamma. Given the severity of the environment, it was anticipated that mutation accumulation in the mtDNA of aging animals should exceed that of nuclear genes by several orders of magnitude. We have analyzed fragments amplified from the D-loop region of mtDNA from 2 to 22-month-old mice. The amplified 432 bp fragments were cloned into plasmid vectors, and plasmid DNAs from individual clones were purified and sequenced. None of 110 fragments from young mice contained a mutation, while 9 of 87 clones originating from old animals contained base substitutions (chi square = 11.9, P<0.001). The estimated mutation frequency in mtDNA from old mice was 11.6+/-2.7 or 25.4+/-7.8 per 10(5) nucleotides (depending on assumptions of clonality), which exceeds existing estimates for mutation frequencies for nuclear genes by approximately 1000-fold. Our data suggest that at 22 months of age, which roughly corresponds to 3/4 of the mouse natural life span, most mtDNA molecules carry multiple point mutations.
The ratio of energy gap to transition temperature in amorphous superconductors

Abstract Using results of tunneling measurements, values of 2Δ(o)/kT c for a number of amorphous transition-metal based superconductors are found to be 3.5±0.1 in agreement with the BCS theory in the weak-coupled limit unlike previously reported results suggesting strong electron-phonon coupling in amorphous non-transition metals such as Ga and Pb-Bi alloys. A comparison of our results with existing data for amorphous soft-metal alloys and A-15 compounds suggests that non-crystallinity alone does not give rise to a significantly enhanced electron-phonon interaction.
Strategies for the prevention of central venous catheter infections: an American Pediatric Surgical Association Outcomes and Clinical Trials Committee systematic review

Purpose: The aim of this study is to review the current evidence-based data regarding strategies for prevention of central venous catheter (CVC) infections at the time of catheter insertion and as a part of routine care. Methods: We conducted a PubMed search from January 1990 to November 2010 using the following
Multiscale Structure of Uniformity in Mixtures

Four sets of measures are proposed to monitor the multiscale structure of uniformity in mixtures: the distribution of nearest neighbor contacts, the distribution of sample concentrations, the fast Fourier transform coefficients, and the wavelet transform coefficients. Microuniformity is much more difficult to achieve than macrouniformity. A length scale appropriate to the application should be chosen as the prime criterion of uniformity. These measures can be applied easily with a standard computer package such as Matlab, to an image or photograph of a mixture that is scanned and digitalized. These measures can reveal a great deal about the structure of uniformity, the degree of approach to perfect mixing, the major modes of nonuniformity, their shapes and scales, and their locations.
Application of Marker Assisted Selection for Potato Virus Y Resistance in the University of Wisconsin Potato Breeding Program

Potato virus Y (PVY) is responsible for the majority of seed potato lot rejections in North America. Some commercial cultivars and breeding lines have major genes for PVY resistance, but their use in North American breeding programs has been limited. Marker assisted selection of PVY resistance can increase the efficiency of identifying resistant plants and integrating resistance into new cultivars. We used markers RYSC3 and YES3-3B, linked to genes Ryadg and Rysto, respectively, to screen 46 breeding clones and cultivars, and identified 19 resistant clones. Resistant parents were crossed with susceptible parents with good market and agronomic traits and molecular marker analysis of each family showed a 1:1 segregation ratio. The persistence of this segregation ratio over 2 years of selection and the lack of major linkage drag as assessed by a breeder rating indicated that there was no evidence of an association of PVY resistance with undesirable traits.
Effect of boron doping in the carbon support on platinum nanoparticles and carbon corrosion

Carbon supported catalysts can lose their activity over a period of time due to the sintering of the nanometer-sized catalyst particles. The sintering of metal clusters on carbon supports can occur due to the weak interaction between the metal and the support and also due to the corrosion of carbon, especially in fuel cell electrocatalysts. The sintering may be reduced by increasing the interaction between the metal and the support and also by increasing the corrosion resistance of carbon supports. In an effort to mitigate the growth of the nanoparticles, carbon-substituted boron defects were introduced in the carbon lattice. The interaction between the Pt nanoparticles on the pure and boron-doped carbon supports was examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicate that the interaction between the Pt nanoparticles and the boron-doped carbon support was slightly stronger than the interaction between the Pt nanoparticles and the pure carbon support. Also, by using accelerated aging tests, the boron-doped system was found to be more resistant to carbon corrosion when compared to the pristine carbon-supported Pt catalyst.
Effects of Lifting in Four Restricted Work Postures

The purpose of this study was to examine the lifting capacity of low-seam coal miners in four restricted work postures (roof heights of 36″, 40″, 44″, and 48″), investigate the associated metabolic costs, and to examine electromyographic (EMG) data from eight trunk muscles during the lifting procedure. Subjects were thirteen underground miners accustomed to handling materials in restricted work postures. Each subject performed two twenty-minute periods of asymmetric lifting in each of four postures during the day of testing. The frequency of lifting was 10 lifts per minute. A specially designed lifting box incorporated microswitches in one handle of the box and another in the bottom of the box, in order to examine the trunk muscle function at specific points during the lfting cycle. The data collected will be used by the Bureau of Mines to make recommendations for lifting materials in low-seam coal mines.
Midcourse Guidance Law with Neural Networks

AbstractA dual neural network ‘adaptive critic approach’ is used in this study to generate midcourse guidance commands for a missile to reach a predicted impact point while maximizing its final velocity. The adaptive critic approach is based on approximate dynamic programming. The first network, called a ‘critic’, network, outputs the Lagrangian multipliers arising in an optimal control formulation while the second network, called an ‘action’ network, outputs the optimal guidance/control. While a typical adaptive critic structure consists of a single critic and a single controller, the midcourse guidance problem needs indexing in terms of the independent variable and therefore there is a cascade of critics and controllers each set for a different index. Every controller learns from the critic at the previous stage. Though the networks are trained off-line, the resulting control is in a feedback form. A midcourse guidance problem is the first testbed for this approach where the input is vector-valued. The ...
An analog to the lagrange numbers

Abstract Let β be an irrational number. For t ≥ 1, put ψ β (t)= min p,q int 0 | qβ − p |, μ ∗ (β)= sup t⩾1 tψ β(t) and write μ ∗ (β) = R β ∗ (1 + R β ∗ ) . Further, denote by M ∗ the set of all values R β ∗ when β runs over all irrational numbers. The author proves that M ∗ contains a sequence of elements between 1 + √5 and 2 + √5 tending to 2 + √5 but does not contain 2 + √5 itself and that a number R ∗∗ exists such that the whole interval [ R ∗∗ , ∞] ⊂ M ∗ .
Retinoblastoma pathway dysregulation causes DNA methyltransferase 1 overexpression in cancer via MAD2-mediated inhibition of the anaphase-promoting complex.

We have examined the mechanism of normal DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) degradation as well as its mechanism of dysregulation in cancer. We have previously reported that DNMT1 protein levels were elevated and abnormally stabilized because of defective degradation through its N-terminal destruction domain. Here, we report that DNMT1 was abnormally stabilized in several cancer cell lines and that, in cells with normal DNMT1 destruction, depletion of CDC20 or FZR1 (two substrate recognition adaptor components of the anaphase-promoting complex) resulted in stabilization of DNMT1 that was partially dependent on the N-terminal destruction domain, thus implicating this cell cycle regulator in the destruction of DNMT1. MAD2, an inhibitor of CDC20, was shown to stabilize DNMT1 levels, and overexpression of MAD2, a consequence of retinoblastoma (RB) pathway dysregulation, was shown to correlate with impaired G1 phase DNMT1 destruction and RB inactivation by hyperphosphorylation in several normal and cancer cell lines. Furthermore, in a series of 85 cases of human breast cancer, a moderately strong, but highly significant, correlation between MAD2 and DNMT1 immunohistochemical staining was observed, yielding a Spearman rank order correlation coefficient of 0.37 (P < 0.001). This suggests that RB pathway inactivation, a common dysfunction in cancer cells, may be the underlying cause of DNMT1 dysregulation.
Homozygous deletion of the human insulin receptor gene results in leprechaunism

Abstract Homozygous inactivation of a gene, as is frequently performed to generate mouse models, provides an opportunity to elucidate the role that the gene plays in normal physiology. However, studies of human disease provide direct insight into the effect of inactivating mutations in man. In this investigation, we have identified a one year-old boy from a consanguineous pedigree who is homozygous for deletion of the insulin receptor gene resulting in leprechaunism. Contrary to previous predictions, the complete deletion of the insulin receptor gene is compatible with life.
Combinatorial bases for multilinear parts of free algebras with two compatible brackets

Abstract Let X be an ordered alphabet. L i e 2 ( n ) (and P 2 ( n ) respectively) are the multilinear parts of the free Lie algebra (and the free Poisson algebra respectively) on X with a pair of compatible Lie brackets. In this paper, we prove the dimension formulas for these two algebras conjectured by B. Feigin by constructing bases for L i e 2 ( n ) (and P 2 ( n ) ) from combinatorial objects. We also define a complementary space E i l 2 ( n ) to L i e 2 ( n ) , give a pairing between L i e 2 ( n ) and E i l 2 ( n ) , and show that the pairing is perfect.
Stress and failure analysis of a glass-epoxy composite plate with a circular hole

Experimental and finite-element analyses are presented for the anisotropic states of stress, strain and fracture of a glass-epoxy plate containing a circular hole and subjected to uniaxial tension. Strains were experimentally measured using foil gages, moire and birefringent coating. Stresses are computed in the linear range from the measured strains. While the hole reduces the plate strength by a factor of two, the maximum tensile strain at fracture is greater than the ultimate strain in a plate without a hole. Fracture consists of crack initiation at the hole boundary but off the horizontal axis. Away from the hole, failure is accompanied by considerable delamination. Discontinuous crack propagation is present.
Selection of models in 2×2×2 contingency tables

This paper is the presentation of a simplified example of a technique, conceived by Yates and later developed by Goodman and Haberman, for the determination of appropriate log-models in the measurement of qualitative data in higher education.
Partial Sums of ζ(½) Modulo 1

Let Ps(n) = Σn j=1j−s. For fixed s near s = ½, we divide the unit interval into bins and count how many of the partial sums Ps(1), Ps(2), …, Ps(N) lie in each bin mod 1. The properties of the histogram are predicted by a random model unless s = ½. When s = ½ the histogram is surprisingly flat, but has a few strong spikes. To explain the surprises at s = ½, we use classical results about Diophantine approxmation, lattice points, and uniform distribution of sequences.