cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A review of the reliability of chamber factors used clinically in the United States (1968--1976).

One of the principle concerns of a physicist responsible for calibrating megavoltage radiotherapy equipment is the validity and stability of the 60Co exposure correction factor assigned to his ionization‐chamber and electrometer system. It is the practice of the AAPM Radiological Physics Center (RPC) to perform an intercomparison between the RPC chamber and electrometer system and the chamber and electrometer in use at each of the various institutions visited by the RPC. The results of 202 such intercomparisons are reviewed to determine (1) the consistency in the assignment of exposure correction factors by a calibrating agency with itself and with other calibrating agencies, and (2) the dependence of the reliability of the exposure correction factors upon the type of field instrument and the time since calibration.
Effects of Pesticide Application on Arthropod Pests of Nursery-Grown Maples

Insecticides used against potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris) (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), have been reported to cause problems with maple spider mite, Oligonychus aceris (Shimer) (Acarina: Tetranychidae), on nursery-grown ‘Red Sunset’ red maple and ‘Autumn Blaze’ Freeman maple. To test this, we conducted two experiments on field-grown trees in nurseries. In the first, the effects of early-season pesticide applications were examined during 2009. The second experiment was conducted in 2010 to compare effects of using threshold levels of one, three, or six leafhoppers per branch to time applications. Pesticide applications reduced abundance and damage by leafhoppers in both cultivars, but increased populations of O. aceris on Autumn Blaze during 2009. In contrast, on Red Sunset, populations of O. aceris did not increase after insecticide applications. In 2010, insecticide applications did not increase abundance of O. aceris on Autumn Blaze because use of treatment thresholds to manage leafhoppers greatly reduced numbers of trees requiring treatment for leafhoppers. Two phytoseiid mites, Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman) and Typhlodromus caudiglans (Schuster), and one stigmaeid, Zetzellia mali (Ewing), were identified as the principal predators of O. aceris on maple leaves. Insecticide applications had no significant effects on the total abundance of predatory mites on either Red Sunset or Autumn Blaze maples in 2009 or 2010. However, populations of predator Z. mali were higher during both years on Red Sunset than on Autumn Blaze. These results suggest that both early-season pesticide use and cultivar can affect the likelihood of secondary outbreaks of spider mites on maples.
Slowing Parkinson’s disease progression: Recent dopamine agonist trials

In recent clinical trials, chronic treatment of patients with PD with pramipexole or ropinirole was associated with a slower decline of imaged striatal dopaminergic signal, compared to levodopa monotherapy. Although this could reflect slowed progression of PD, equally plausible is a pharmacologic effect on proteins that interact with the imaging radioligands. To date, there is no compelling evidence favoring dopamine agonists over levodopa; either is an appropriate choice for initial treatment of PD.
Lucerne persistence, yield and quality as influenced by stand aging

Abstract The effects of a range of stand ages on lu‐cerne were studied over three locations in Erzurum, Turkey. Dry matter yield, weed ratio, plant density and content of crude protein (CP), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) were determined in stands of different ages. Stand age reduced the dry matter yield and increased weed ratio and density. This yield reduction was from 5533 kg ha‐1 (in the second year) to 3039 kg ha‐1 (in the seventh year). Lucerne plant density was the highest (225.6 plants m‐2) in the establishment year. It reduced in the subsequent years, while weed densities increased with stand age. Protein, ADF and NDF content in forage were strongly affected by increased stand age. In general, the crude protein content decreased, while ADF andNDF contents increased, with aging. The results of this study showed that lucerne persisted well for 6 years and produced high yields with low weed content under irrigated conditions in Erzurum.
Crop Sequence and Nitrogen Fertilization Effects on Soil Properties in the Western Corn Belt

Understanding long-term management effects on soil properties is necessary to determine the relative sustainability of cropping systems. Soil physical, chemical, and biological properties were measured in a long-term cropping system study in the Western Corn Belt. Properties were evaluated after 16 yr in four crop sequences [continuous corn (zea mays L.) (CC), corn-soybean [Glycine max. (L.)] (C-SB), corn-oat (Avena sativa L.) + clover (80% sweet clover [Melilotus officinalis L.] and 20% red clover [Trifolium pratense L.])-grain sorghum [(Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)-soybean (C-OCL-SG-SB), and corn-soybean-grain sorghum-oat + clover (C-SB-SG-OCL)] each at three N fertilization rates (ZERO, LOW, and HIGH) to a soil depth of 30.5 cm on a Sharpsburg silty clay loam (fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Argiudolls). Nitrogen fertilization had a greater impact on soil properties than crop sequence, with management effects most pronounced at 0 to 7.6 cm. Increased N rate resulted in greater organic C, total N, and particulate organic matter (POM), but lower soil pH. Increased N rate also reduced microbial biomass by ∼20% between the HIGH and ZERO N-rate treatments. The C-SB-SG-OCL sequence possessed more potentially mineralizable N (PMN) (57 vs. 46 kg ha -1 for average of CC and C-SB) and a higher percentage of POM present as soil organic matter (17.1% for the C-SB-SG-OCL sequence vs. 13.9% for other sequences). Within the context of soil functions and cropping system performance, results from this study indicate the C-SB-SB-OCL sequence enhanced nutrient cycling efficiency, while N fertilization resulted in a trade-off between its positive effect on biological productivity and negative effect on nutrient cycling efficiency.
Ocean governance at the millennium: where we have been — where we should go

Abstract During the last third of the twentieth century, there has been a world-wide effort to develop an effective ocean governance system. This has been done through major international treaties and conventions, through the operation of global and regional organisations, and through national ocean management efforts. How good have been the results? Are we moving in the right direction? What can we learn from the failures as well as successes? Will the twentieth-century efforts survive into the twenty-first century or must we change directions? Policy analysts should always ask questions concerning how well we have done before proposing policies for the future. But a change in century is a particularly good time for a stock-taking. That is the purpose of this paper. It attempts to ask the question — are we headed in the right direction? This is important to help correct errors and also may force us to recognise that the context of future ocean policy in the next century may be sufficiently different to cause us to rethink our priorities. 1
Macromolecular hydration compared with preferential hydration and their role on macromolecule-osmolyte coupled diffusion

Hydration and preferential hydration of macromolecules are two distinct properties of their multicomponent aqueous solutions. We have experimentally investigated ternary diffusion in a macromolecule–osmolyte–water system in order to characterize and compare these two independent quantities and to experimentally establish their role on the phenomenon of coupled diffusion. Specifically, we report the four diffusion coefficients for the poly(ethylene glycol)–di(ethylene glycol)–water system at 25 °C using Rayleigh interferometry. In this work, the molecular weight of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is 200-fold higher than that of di(ethylene glycol) (DEG). This ratio is comparable to that between proteins and low molecular-weight osmolytes. This system has been selected because both solutes are neutral hydrated species with similar chemical properties and very different size. Hence, the observed behavior of coupled diffusion can be directly related to solute hydration and size ratio and is not complicated by other factors such as ionic interactions usually encountered in protein systems. Using our multicomponent diffusion coefficients, we have found that PEG hydration is slightly smaller than its preferential hydration. The observed difference can be attributed to PEG–DEG excluded-volume interactions. Our experimental results also enable us to reveal that Onsager cross-transport coefficients are large and negative. This implies that this transport coefficient should not be neglected in multicomponent-diffusion theoretical models even when ionic interactions or chemical association between the solute species are absent. This work provides the basis for understanding coupled diffusion in more complex aqueous systems such as those containing charged proteins or nucleic acids in the presence of salts or osmolytes.
Streptococcus mutans NADH oxidase lies at the intersection of overlapping regulons controlled by oxygen and NAD+ levels

NADH oxidase (Nox, encoded by nox) is a flavin-containing enzyme used by the oral pathogen Streptococcus mutans to reduce diatomic oxygen to water while oxidizing NADH to NAD(+). The critical nature of Nox is 2-fold: it serves to regenerate NAD(+), a carbon cycle metabolite, and to reduce intracellular oxygen, preventing formation of destructive reactive oxygen species (ROS). As oxygen and NAD(+) have been shown to modulate the activity of the global transcription factors Spx and Rex, respectively, Nox is potentially poised at a critical junction of two stress regulons. In this study, microarray data showed that either addition of oxygen or loss of nox resulted in altered expression of genes involved in energy metabolism and transport and the upregulation of genes encoding ROS-metabolizing enzymes. Loss of nox also resulted in upregulation of several genes encoding transcription factors and signaling molecules, including the redox-sensing regulator gene rex. Characterization of the nox promoter revealed that nox was regulated by oxygen, through SpxA, and by Rex. These data suggest a regulatory loop in which the roles of nox in reduction of oxygen and regeneration of NAD(+) affect the activity levels of Spx and Rex, respectively, and their regulons, which control several genes, including nox, crucial to growth of S. mutans under conditions of oxidative stress.
Climatology of Warm Boundary Layer Clouds at the ARM SGP Site and Their Comparison to Models

Abstract A 4-yr climatology (1997–2000) of warm boundary layer cloud properties is developed for the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Southern Great Plains (SGP) site. Parameters in the climatology include cloud liquid water path, cloud-base height, and surface solar flux. These parameters are retrieved from measurements produced by a dual-channel microwave radiometer, a millimeter-wave cloud radar, a micropulse lidar, a Belfort ceilometer, shortwave radiometers, and atmospheric temperature profiles amalgamated from multiple sources, including radiosondes. While no significant interannual differences are observed in the datasets, there are diurnal variations with nighttime liquid water paths consistently higher than daytime values. The summer months of June, July, and August have the lowest liquid water paths and the highest cloud-base heights. Model outputs of cloud liquid water paths from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model and th...
Asthma in Hawaii: A Tradition of Excess Mortality

Hawaii has the highest asthma mortality in the nation and clinically has always had high rates. In contrast, international consensus has it that deaths have been rare over the past two centuries to 1950. The objective of this study was to document Hawaii's asthma mortality over the centuries to 1950. Asthma mortality was examined from pre- and early European times through kahunas, aphorisms, historical libraries, and materia medica. In 1879, vital statistics became available locally and from 1901 from the federal government. Asthma deaths were not rare in ancient Hawaii. Vital statistics in 1879 revealed an asthma mortality of 83/100,000 which declined to 4.0 by 1950. U.S. and international mortality, at least to 1930, was almost unknown. Compared to U.S. and international rates, Hawaii's asthma mortality has been excessive since ancient days.
Reduction emissions from transport sector - EU action against climate change.

There is a consensus among the majority of the world’s scientists that our planet is experiencing man-made climate change, which will bring great social, economic and environmental threats to human being (Europa, 2008). The increase amount of atmospheric CO2 concentration impacts climate changes has become a major concern to the public. Transportation is accounted for 26% of global CO2 emissions and is one of the few industrial sectors where emissions are still growing (Chapman, 2007). In the European Union (EU), the road transport sector is one of the main sources of CO2 emissions. Therefore, reducing CO2 emissions and fuel consumption from road transportation is an important strategy for EU to implement the Kyoto Protocol and to develop a sustainable transport system (Fontaras and Samaras, 2007). This paper explores and discusses the initiation and development of the EU’s policies and strategies against climate change and the share experiences in the EU transport sector to reduce CO2 emission. Basing on the research, it can be concluded that the EU has acted as a front-runner in the battle of combat against climate change.
The Visual Orbit of the 00.″02 RS CVn Binary Star TZ Triangulifrom Near-Infrared Long-Baseline Interferometry

We report new observations of the RS Canum Venaticorum binary star TZ Trianguli with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer. The object exhibits fringe visibilities below the measured instrumental visibility, which indicates that it is partially resolved at the angular scales detectable by our observations. In most respects, the visibility data are consistent with the predictions of previous photometric and spectroscopic measurements. Comparison with a simple binary star model reveals clear evidence of orbital motion with the expected period and phase. The evolved primary star is resolved, and its size is found to be close to that derived by Hall in 1990. The relative brightness of the secondary star appears to be somewhat smaller than expected at the 2.2 μm wavelength of the new observations. We conclude that the interferometric observations, which represent a new and nearly independent test of the models for this binary star, essentially confirm the spectroscopic results.
The Public Reporting Risk of Performing High-Risk Procedures: Perception or Reality?∗

There is a large body of literature on the dangers of public reporting of health outcomes, and 1 of the primary dangers cited is the avoidance of high-risk cases [(1–4)][1]. It should be noted that some reports on the avoidance of high-risk cases may be inaccurate or overstated [(5,6)][2]. Also,
Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization under dynamic conditions of cobalt oxide nanoparticles supported over magnesium oxide nano-plates.

A nano-catalyst comprised of oxidized Co NPs supported on MgO nano-plates was synthesized via a hydrothermal co-precipitation strategy and calcination in O2 and subsequently in H2 at 250 °C. Spectro-microscopy characterization was performed by scanning transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy and scanning X-ray transmission microscopy. Surface measurements under H2 and H2 + CO atmospheres were obtained by ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy in the 225–480 °C range. These measurements at the atomic and microscopic levels demonstrated that the oxidized Co nanoparticles uniformly decorated the MgO nano-plates. The surfaces are enriched with Co, and with a mixture of Co(OH)2 and CoO under H2 and H2 + CO atmospheres. Under a H2 atmosphere, the outermost surfaces were composed of (lattice) O2−, CO32− and OH−. No inorganic carbonates were observed in the bulk. Chemisorbed CO, likely on the oxidized Co surfaces, was observed at the expense of O2− under 300 mTorr H2 + CO (2 : 1) at 225 °C. Gas phase CO2 was detected under 32 Torr H2 + CO (2 : 1) at 225 °C upon prolonged reaction time, and was attributed to a surface chemical reaction between O2− and chemisorbed CO. Furthermore, sp3 like carbon species were detected on the otherwise carbon free surface in H2 + CO, which remained on the surface under the subsequent reaction conditions. The formation of sp3 like hydrocarbons was ascribed to a surface catalytic reaction between the chemisorbed CO and OH− as the apparent hydrogen source.
Effects of Different Land Use Patterns on Carbon Emission in Heilongjiang Province

The changes of land use are an important factor affecting the total carbon emissions.In order to study the effect of land use type on the carbon emissions,In this paper,based on the land change data of HeiLongjiang Province from 2004 to 2012,energy statistics data and LUCC,we used the quantitative method to analyze the carbon emission in different land use types,as well as introduced the land use emission marginal change to analyze the factor which may influence the carbon emission and then put forward the corresponding strategies.The results show that:the area of cultivated land increased fastest,and its land use dynamic degree was 3.73%,the quickest decrease area was the garden plot;from 2004 to 2012,total carbon emissions increased in Heilongjiang Province year by year,the average annual growth rate was 6.028 5×107 t;the construction land and cultivated land were the main carbon emission sources,cultivated land and forestland were the main carbon sequestration;carbon emissions in Heilongjiang Province were regional differences significantly,carbon emissions mostly concentrated in the south of Qiqihaer,Daqing,Suihua,Harbin City,in 2010 the carbon emissions accounted for 58.17%.The carbon emission intensity presented the downward trend,but Heilongjiang Province′s GDP increased at an average annual rate of decline,and was significantly greater than that of carbon emission intensity,thus decrease of the carbon emissions intensity was not enough to reduce carbon emissions.If the effective energy saving measures were not taken in for a long time in the future,net carbon emissions of Heilongjiang Province would remain high.The results can provide basis for the formulation of relevant policies.
Research on the Distance of Cutting in Pre-mixed Abrasive Water-jet

When we cut through the different solid materials,the cutting depth and width will change with the distance.This paper will experiment on this,and get the best distance.Finally,we get the formula of the relationship between cutting depth with the distance,and get that we could add polymer in the cutting medium.
Experimental study of embedded and non-embedded ordered granular chains under impulsive excitation

Experimental pulse transmission in impulsively loaded, homogeneous, and dimer granular chains, optionally embedded in a viscoelastic matrix, is studied. All tested chains are composed of spherical elastic beads of common radius. Homogeneous chains were composed of granules with equal mass, whereas dimer chains had alternating ‘heavy’ and ‘light’ granules with different masses. These media are strongly nonlinear due to Hertzian interactions between adjacent beads under compressive loads, and separations and collisions between them in the absence of compression. A series of experimental tests was performed to study primary pulse transmission in the non-embedded chains, and assess the effect of the surrounding viscoelastic matrix on pulse transmission in the embedded ones. For the case of dimer chains, the effect of mass inhomogeneity on pulse attenuation caused by scattering at the interfaces between adjacent beads is studied. In total, two embedded dimer chains, as well as an embedded homogeneous one, were manufactured and tested, and a previous theoretical model is used to compare theoretical predictions to experimental measurements. Whereas one of the non-embedded dimer chains differs from the others in that its light beads are hollow and so its experimental responses are not captured well by our theoretical model, for the other embedded and non-embedded chains, the theoretical predictions match remarkably well with the experimental measurements, despite the complexity in the acoustics induced by the surrounding matrix, and the conceptual simplicity of the theoretical model. The results of this work contribute to the development of practical acoustic metamaterials incorporating embedded granular media.
Role of granulocytes and C5a in myocardial response to zymosan-activated serum.

Although previous studies have demonstrated that complement (C)5a causes myocardial ischemia and mechanical dysfunction, the cardiac response of endogenously produced C5a and C5a des-Arg in zymosan-activated serum (ZAS) and the critical role of granulocytes in this process are poorly understood. Therefore, we compared the coronary and cardiac effects of ZAS and purified C5a and investigated the role of leukocyte adhesion-promoting receptors (i.e., CD11/CD18). Like purified C5a, ZAS (0.5 ml) significantly reduced coronary artery blood flow and regional segment shortening, whereas coronary venous granulocyte concentration and myocardial lactate extraction were significantly decreased. A monoclonal antibody (MoAb) to C5a/C5a des-Arg attenuated ZAS-induced cardiac alterations. Three minutes of continuous infusion of C5a or ZAS induced sustained decreases in coronary venous granulocyte concentrations, although coronary flow and segment shortening returned to control levels after 2 min. Another MoAb, IB4, directed against CD18, significantly inhibited ZAS-induced granulocyte extraction and associated cardiac effects. Thus, cardiac dysfunction occurs after activation of the complement cascade with zymosan resulting in extraction of granulocytes mediated by the CD18 adherence glycoprotein. Furthermore, intramyocardial retention of granulocytes appears necessary for the initial and full ZAS-induced cardiac dysfunction.
Tread lightly: insect tibias buckle under pressure

![Graphic][1] Skeletons need to be strong. If you're a terrestrial animal, they need to be strong enough to support the pull of muscles and the impact of steps, leaps and other gravity-defying feats. But being strong often has its drawbacks. Skeletal tissue that is too thick can burden an
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Examine the Effectiveness of Lubiprostone on Constipation Symptoms and Colon Transit Time in Diabetic Patients.

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Examine the Effectiveness of Lubiprostone on Constipation Symptoms and Colon Transit Time in Diabetic Patients
Dramatizing the Authentic Research of a Local Scientist to Urban Elementary Students Through Professional Theater

This article focuses on the impact of a professional play that we developed in order to introduce elementary learners of an urban school to the research of a scientist working at a local university. The play was written in a way that might increase student understandings of the nature of science, scientific inquiry, the identity of scientists, and the work that scientists do. We collected pre-and post-play questionnaire responses and drawings of scientists from third and fourth grade students who attended the play. We also interviewed five of the ten teachers whose students attended the play. Findings indicated that most of these teachers felt strongly that their students had learned about scientific inquiry, the identity of scientists, and the work that scientists do as a result of attending the play. However, less than half of the student questionnaires and drawings of scientists indicated such growth as a result of the play. That being said, numerous students were able to tell us what they learned from the play and many questionnaire responses and drawings indicated such learning. Implications for partnerships between schools and university faculty from various disciplines in order to develop potentially impactful plays that portray authentic scientific research are discussed.
Octave spanning supercontinuum generation in silicon from 1.1 μm to beyond 2.4 μm

We demonstrate an octave spanning coherent supercontinuum generated in a silicon waveguide covering the near to shortwave IR (SWIR) region. The measured −20 dB SC span ranges from 1.124 μm to 2.4 μm.
Recent Advances in Signal Processing with α-Stable Distributions

Abstract Stable distributions share defining characteristics with the Gaussian distribution, such as the stability property and central limit theorems, and in fact include the Gaussian as a limiting case. They have been found to provide useful statistical models in many disciplines. In this paper, we present some of the recent advances in signal processing based on stable distributions.
Material Properties and Characterization

As the name indicates, rapid prototyping (RP) has traditionally been used to provide a physical representation of a product in a relatively short time. RP is performed by either material removal or material addition. In material-removal type RP processes, the part is produce by machining it is out of a block of material; mainly using computer numeric controlled (CNC) machining centers. In material-addition type RP, the prototype is made by adding layers of materials using one of the available RP technologies.
Abstract B22: Mdig gene-environment interaction in human cancers

Mineral dust-induced gene, mdig has recently been identified and is known to be over expressed in a majority of human cancers and holds predictive power in the poor prognosis of the disease. Mdig is an environmentally expressed gene that is involved in cell proliferation, neoplastic transformation and immune regulation. With the advancement in deciphering the prognostic role of mdig in human cancers, our understanding on how mdig renders a normal cell to undergo malignant transformation is still very limited. This work displays the current knowledge of the mdig gene in context to human neoplasias and its relation to the clinico-pathologic factors predicting the outcome of the disease in patients. It also emphasizes on the promising role of mdig that can serve as a potential candidate for biomarker discovery and as a therapeutic target in inflammation and cancers. Considering the recent advances in understanding the underlying mechanisms of tumor formation, more preclinical and clinical research is required to validate the potential of using mdig as a novel biological target of therapeutic and diagnostic value. Summary: Expression level of mdig influences the prognosis of several human cancers especially cancers of the breast and lung. Evaluation of mdig in cancers can offer novel biomarker with potential therapeutic interventions for the early assessment of cancer development in patients. Citation Format: Chitra Thakur, Fei Chen. Mdig gene-environment interaction in human cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Opportunities and Challenges of Exploiting Synthetic Lethality in Cancer; Jan 4-7, 2017; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2017;16(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B22.
Nonlinear Methods for Design-Space Dimensionality Reduction in Shape Optimization

In shape optimization, design improvements significantly depend on the dimension and variability of the design space. High dimensional and variability spaces are more difficult to explore, but also usually allow for more significant improvements. The assessment and breakdown of design-space dimensionality and variability are therefore key elements to shape optimization. A linear method based on the principal component analysis (PCA) has been developed in earlier research to build a reduced-dimensionality design-space, resolving the 95% of the original geometric variance. The present work introduces an extension to more efficient nonlinear approaches. Specifically the use of Kernel PCA, Local PCA, and Deep Autoencoder (DAE) is discussed. The methods are demonstrated for the design-space dimensionality reduction of the hull form of a USS Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. Nonlinear methods are shown to be more effective than linear PCA. DAE shows the best performance overall.
Recent Advances in the Genetics of Schizophrenia

The last decade brought tremendous progress in the field of schizophrenia genetics. As a result of extensive collaborations and multiple technological advances, we now recognize many types of genetic variants that increase the risk. These include large copy number variants, rare coding inherited and de novο variants, and over 100 loci harboring common risk variants. While the type and contribution to the risk vary among genetic variants, there is concordance in the functions of genes they implicate, such as those whose RNA binds the fragile X-related protein FMRP and members of the activity-regulated cytoskeletal complex involved in learning and memory. Gene expression studies add important information on the biology of the disease and recapitulate the same functional gene groups. Studies of alternative phenotypes help us widen our understanding of the genetic architecture of mental function and dysfunction, how diseases overlap not only with each other but also with non-disease phenotypes. The challenge is to apply this new knowledge to prevention and treatment and help patients. The data generated so far and emerging technologies, including new methods in cell engineering, offer significant promise that in the next decade we will unlock the translational potential of these significant discoveries.
Protein Loop Modeling Using Deep Generative Adversarial Network

Biology and medicine have a long-standing interest in computational structure prediction and modeling of proteins. There are often missing regions or regions that need to be remodeled in protein structures. The process of predicting particular missing regions in a protein structure is called loop modeling. In this paper, we propose a generative adversarial network (GAN) in deep learning for loop modeling using the idea of image inpainting. The generative network is to capture the context of the loop region and predict the missing area. The adversarial network is to make the prediction look real and provide gradients to the generative network. The proposed network was evaluated on a common benchmark for loop modeling. Experiments show that our method can successfully predict the loop region and has achieved better performance than the state-of-the-art tools. To our knowledge, this work represents the first attempt of using GAN for any bioinformatics studies.
An experimental demonstration of avoided crossings with masses on springs

We experimentally demonstrate an avoided crossing by coupling two harmonic oscillators. Each harmonic oscillator consists of a mass connected to a stationary wall by a spring. The two harmonic oscillators are coupled by a spring connecting the two masses. An avoided crossing is experimentally demonstrated in two ways: first, by adjusting the spring constant of one oscillator, and then by separately adjusting the mass of the oscillator. In both cases, the adjusted parameter is held constant for the second oscillator. Additionally, we examine the effects from altering the coupling between the two oscillators. These experimental results are shown to be consistent with theoretical predictions.
Genetic Predispositions for Hematologic and Lymphoid Disorders

A wide spectrum of inherited and sporadic genetic abnormalities predisposes individuals to increased risks of developing hematopoietic and lymphoid disorders. Each of these genetic abnormalities is associated with a syndrome with characteristic clinical and laboratory features. These predispositions to hematolymphoid disorders may be placed into one of two board categories: (1) bone marrow (BM) failure syndromes; and (2) primary immune deficiency syndromes. The majority of individuals in either of these two groups will have an inherited genetic abnormality. The disorders predisposing to hematolymphoid neoplasias addressed in this chapter are presented in Table 2.1. An attempt was made to include in this table the processes where there is sufficient documentation of increased risks of developing hematologic or lymphoid neoplasms. This table also attempts to group the different hematolymphoid predisposition entities by major function of their mutated gene’s normal counterpart. This is not an entirely satisfying approach. For example, patients with Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) and a mutation of DKC1 will have an abnormal dyskerin, the normal counterpart of which is involved in RNA biogenesis and telomerase activity. Similarly, some disorders like Ataxia–telangiectasia (AT) or Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome are included in classifications of primary BM failure syndromes as well as in those of primary immune deficiency diseases. Space does not allow for providing an extensive discussion of the clinical and laboratory features of each of entities to be presented, but this information is available in many current reviews and texts.
On Christoffel Functions and Related Quantities for Compactly SupportedMeasures

Let μ be a compactly supported positive measure on the real line, with associated orthogonal polynomials p n . Without any global restrictions such as regularity, we discuss convergence in measure for
Integrating pesticides and biocontrol of mites in agricultural systems

Integration of a biocontrol agent into most agricultural systems will not be successful unless the natural enemy can survive the pesticides used in that crop system. Knowledge of pesticide selectivity to beneficial arthropods is important to their utility in IPM programs. Phytoseiid mites are effective as biocontrol agents in California’s fruit crop systems. Galendromus occidentalis and Phytoseiulus persimilis are among the most important – the first species is native to the western US, the latter has become established in coastal California. Our previous research has shown that pyrethroids, in particular, affect the abundance of G. occidentalis in almond through both contact and residual activity. Harmful residues existed for over a year on bark, and for 5 months on treated leaves. Several new acaricides have been registered for use in the US since 2000. Abamectin, although registered for many sites prior to these other chemicals, has enjoyed dramatically increased use as replacement for the older products. Understanding the acute and side effects of these new products is important to their successful integration into conservation and augmentation programs. Our recent research was devoted to characterizing the direct and residual effects of a number of new acaricides on survival, fecundity and fertility of G. occidentalis and P. persimilis. Total effect on adult female reproductive potential was calculated and categories for persistence were assigned following IOBC guidelines. Of these acaricides, etoxizole and fenpyroximate had the greatest total effects on both species. Abamectin had the least total effect on G. occidentalis, and acequinocyl had the least total effect on P. persimilis.
Performance of Graph Analytics Applications on Many-Core Processors

Attaining good performance on graph analytics applications on modern day many-core processors is challenging, because these processors have complex pipelines to manage out of order execution of hundreds of instructions in flight. These pipelines have been optimized for high performance computing (HPC) applications, not for graph analytics. It is preferable to leave the task of attaining good performance to the system developers, and to separate the performance concern from the application programmer's concerns. In this paper, we show that the linear algebra formulation of graph-analytics effectively handles the aforementioned separation of concerns. This formulation is a better fit for many-core processors as the many-core processors are optimized for HPC applications which have a substantial linear algebra component. We show that on POWER8, a many-core processor, an eightfold performance advantage can be attained on the Graph500 benchmark by adopting the linear algebra formulation. We also present the CPI stack analysis of three graph analytics kernels, and show that the linear algebra implementations of these kernels make efficient use of the POWER8 core. Inhibitors to still better performance are discussed.
Differential gene expression and gene-set enrichment analysis in Caco-2 monolayers during a 30-day timeline with Dexamethasone exposure: A data modelling approach to understanding culture age as co-variate for differential expression in a non-renewing epithelial monolayer using a gene ontology-defined 250-plex nanostring probe panel

Abstract The Caco-2 cell line has served a historically important role as in vitro model for molecular and cellular biology of polarized intestinal epithelia, including for effects of glucocorticoid hormone Dexamethasone. Glucocorticoid hormones modulate the endogenous stress response and are important pharmaceuticals for inflammatory diseases including IBD, yet while they significantly affect immune cells, less is known about their specific effects upon epithelial cells and specific effect on epithelial permeability. Previous research showed that DEX exposure does not immediately produce a quantitative effect, but only after a prolonged treatment >10 days. Culture age itself causes marked effects in these non-renewing cell layers which acts as a confounding variable for observed DEX results. To improve resolution of GC-responsive gene expression in this context, we tested polarized Caco-2 monolayer cultures during at 30-day timecourse, with ~15-days of continuous Dexamethasone exposure. We tested differential gene expression using a 250-plex gene expression panel with the Nanostring nCounter® system, with multiple replicates collected periodically over the timecourse. Gene panel was selectively enriched a-priori for KEGG pathway annotations from tight-junction, actin cytoskeleton regulation, colorectal cancer pathways and others, allowing highly focused, gene-set pathway enrichment analyses. Nanostring nSolver™ data modelling algorithm uses an optimization algorithm and mixture negative binomial model to factor for Time and DEX covariate effects during determination of DE. Analysis identifies strong, culture age-associated “EMT-like” signature with upregulation of actomyosin contraction and integrins, while DEX treatment is associated with a subtler, yet significant counter-signal with suppression of actomyosin genes, and selective DE for different RTKs.
Constraints on a gravitational Higgs mechanism

We show that it is impossible to improve the high-energy behavior of the tree-level four-point amplitude of a massive spin-2 particle by including the exchange of any number of scalars and vectors in four spacetime dimensions. This constrains possible weakly coupled ultraviolet extensions of massive gravity, ruling out gravitational analogues of the Higgs mechanism based on particles with spins less than two. Any tree-level ultraviolet extension that is Lorentz invariant and unitary must involve additional massive particles with spins greater than or equal to two, as in Kaluza-Klein theories and string theory.
Open-loop policies in Bayesian dynamic pricing: Some counter-intuitive observations and insights

Abstract In this paper, we show some counter-intuitive observations regarding the open-loop policies in a Bayesian dynamic pricing problem. Specifically, while the common intuition that a policy incorporating more information performs better continues to hold under ample inventory for sale, it breaks down in the case where inventory is limited. This can be explained by the unique feature of selling a limited amount of inventory: information updating may stop prematurely when inventory is depleted, rendering certain demand information being inconsequential.
Interplay between resonant enhancement and quantum path dynamics in harmonic generation in helium

We present a theoretical study of the influence of resonant enhancement on quantum path dynamics in the generation of harmonics above and below the ionization threshold in helium. By varying the wavelength and intensity of the driving field from 425 to 500 nm and from 30 to 140 $\mathrm{TW}/\mathrm{cm}{}^{2}$, respectively, we identify enhancements of harmonics 7, 9, and 11 that correspond to multiphoton resonances between the ground state and the Stark-shifted $1s2p,\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}1s3p$, and $1s4p$ excited states. A time-frequency analysis of the emission shows that both the short and the long quantum path contributions to the harmonic yield are enhanced through these bound-state resonances. We analyze the subcycle time structure of the ninth harmonic yield in the vicinity of the resonances and find that on resonance the long trajectory contribution is phase shifted by approximately $\ensuremath{\pi}/4$. Finally, we compare the single atom and the macroscopic response of a helium gas and find that while the subcycle time profiles are slightly distorted by propagation effects, the phase shift of the long-trajectory contribution is still recognizable.
Coping Strategies of Female Holocaust Survivors

This paper describes how Holocaust survivors learned to help themselves and to reestablish their sense of community and self-worth. Sixteen female survivors were interviewed regarding their post-war adjustment. Data from the interviews revealed three themes which the women employed to cope with their post-war stress. These important factors in the adaptation process include establishing a family, building a community, and using work as therapy.
Dairy consumption with onset of overweight and obesity among U.S. adolescents (370.7)

Background: Current evidence relating dairy intake and long-term weight status for adolescents is inconclusive and insufficient. Objective: To evaluate the relationships between total dairy and dai...
Reduced cardiovascular fitness and ambulatory function in Black and White stroke survivors.

Objectives To test the hypothesis that quantitative measures of cardiovascular fitness and ambulatory function differ in Black and White hemiparetic stroke survivors. Design Cross-sectional analysis. Setting Outpatient academic medical center. Participants Total of 118 hemiparetic stroke survivors. Main outcome measures Cardiovascular fitness was measured as VO2 peak and ambulatory function using the six-minute walk distance and 30-foot walking velocity in medically screened, community-dwelling stroke survivors. Results In 118 subjects (56% Black and 44% White), no differences were seen in 1) VO2 peak between Black or White men (15.0+/-4.3 vs. 15.1+/-3.9 mL/kg/minute) or women (11.5+/-2.7 vs. 12.3+/-3.7 mL/kg/minute); 2) six-minute walk distance between Black or White men (223+/-112 m vs 226+/-132 m) or women (198+/-100 vs 157+/-93 m); or 3) 30-foot walking velocity between Black or White men (0.60+/-0.27 m/second vs 0.61+/-0.31 m/ second) or women (0.50+/-0.21 m/second vs 0.41+/-0.23 m/second). Conclusion No racial differences were seen in the degree of physical deconditioning in a selected population of community dwelling hemiparetic stroke survivors.
Noise radiation from the side edges of flaps

The recently observed phenomenon of high noise radiation from the side edges of flaps in flow is investigated by way of a simple two-dimensional model problem. The model is based upon a physical picture of boundary layer vorticity being swept around the edge by spanwise flow on the flap. The model problem is developed and solved and the resulting noise radiation calculated. Further, a mathematical condition for the vortex to be captured by the potential flow and swept around the edge is derived. The results show that the sound generation depends strongly upon the strength of the vorticity and distance from the edge and that it can be more intense than the more common trailing edge noise source in agreement with the experimental observations.
Multidisciplinary Practices: Must a Change to Model Rule 5.4 Apply to All Law Firms Uniformly?

At the American Bar Association 2000 annual meeting, delegates voted to reinforce Model Rule 5.4, prohibiting fee sharing and partnership between lawyers and non-lawyers in arrangements known as multidisciplinary practices. Nevertheless, the topic continues to be controversial, primarily because the Big Five accounting firms are hiring an increasing number of lawyers and expanding into services that many argue constitute the practice of law. This Note asserts that applying Rule 5.4 uniformly to law firms of all sizes is not in the best interest of the small firms and solo practitioners that comprise the majority of the legal profession; such firms and their clients would benefit if small firms were allowed to participate in MDPs. The author suggests, however, that such firms not be permitted to partner with public auditing firms, whose duty to disclose client activity to the public conflicts with the lawyer's duty to protect client confidences.
Chapter 23 Issues in the design of monetary policy rules

Abstract This chapter begins with a number of important preliminary issues including the distinction between rules and discretion in monetary policy; the feasibility of committed rule-like behavior by an independent central bank; and optimal control vs. robustness strategies for conducting research. It then takes up the choice among alternative target variables — with the most prominent contenders including price level, nominal income, and hybrid (inflation plus output gap) variables — together with the issue of growth-rate vs. growing-level target path specifications. One conclusion is that inflation and nominal income growth targets, but not the hybrid target, would have induced fairly similar policy responses in the US economy over 1960–1995. With regard to instrument choice, the chapter argues that both nominal interest rate and monetary base measures are feasible; this discussion emphasizes the basic conceptual distinction between nominal indeterminacy and solution multiplicity. Accordingly, root-mean-square-error performance measures are estimated for interest rate and base instruments (with nominal income target) in the context of a VAR model. Other topics emphasized in the chapter include the operationality of policy-rule specifications; stochastic vs. historical simulation procedures; interactions between monetary and fiscal policies; and the recently-developed fiscal theory of the price level.
Poetry for the Newborn Brain

A review of Terrence Deacon, 1997, The Symbolic Species: The Co-Evolution of Language and the Brain. New York: W. W. Norton.
Foundations of Social Inequality

Foundations of Social Inequality. T. Douglas Price and Gary M. Feinman. eds. New York: Plenum Press, 1995. 290 pp.
Haploidentical Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation with Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide in a Patient with Chronic Granulomatous Disease and Active Infection: A First Report.

Purpose We describe haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) with high-dose post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) in a boy with x-linked chronic granulomatous disease (CGD).
T2 mapping provides multiple approaches for the characterization of muscle involvement in neuromuscular diseases: a cross‐sectional study of lower leg muscles in 5–15‐year‐old boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Purpose Skeletal muscles of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) have enhanced susceptibility to damage and progressive lipid infiltration, which contribute to an increase in magnetic resonance proton transverse relaxation time (T2). Therefore, examining T2 changes in individual muscles may be useful for monitoring disease progression in DMD. In this study we utilized mean T2, percent elevated pixels, and T2 heterogeneity to assess changes in composition of dystrophic muscles. In addition, we used fat saturation (fatsat) to distinguish T2 changes due to edema and inflammation from fat infiltration in muscles.