cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acyclic N-(azacycloalkyl)bisindolylmaleimides: isozyme selective inhibitors of PKCβ

Abstract The synthesis and structure–activity relationship (SAR) trends of a new class of N-(azacycloalkyl)bisindolylmaleimides 1, acyclic derivatives of staurosporine, is described. The representative compound for this series (1e) exhibits an IC50 of 40–50 nM against the human PKCβ1 and PKCβ2 isozymes and selectively inhibits the PKCβ isozymes in comparison to other PKC isozymes (α, γ, δ, e, λ, and η). The series is also kinase selective for PKC in comparison to other ATP-dependent kinases. A comparison of the PKC isozyme and kinase activity of the series is made to the kinase inhibitor staurosporine.
Measuring an artificial intelligence system’s performance on a Verbal IQ test for young children*

AbstractWe administered the Verbal IQ (VIQ) part of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III) to the ConceptNet 4 artificial intelligence (AI) system. The test questions (e.g. “Why do we shake hands?”) were translated into ConceptNet 4 inputs using a combination of the simple natural language processing tools that come with ConceptNet together with short Python programs that we wrote. The question answering used a version of ConceptNet based on spectral methods. The ConceptNet system scored a WPPSI-III VIQ that is average for a four-year-old child, but below average for 5–7 year olds. Large variations among subtests indicate potential areas of improvement. In particular, results were strongest for the Vocabulary and Similarities subtests, intermediate for the Information subtest and lowest for the Comprehension and Word Reasoning subtests. Comprehension is the subtest most strongly associated with common sense. The large variations among subtests and ordinary common sense strong...
Dynamic Linkages Between Monetary Policy And The Stock Market

This paper examines the dynamic linkages between the federal funds rate and the S&P500 index for the 1970-2003 period, decade by decade, using cointegration and error-correction methodologies. The results indicate absence of cointegration during the 1970s and the 1980s but presence of a dynamic, short-run relationship between the two variables only in the 1970s. Specifically for the 1990s, there seems to have been a disconnection between actions taken by the Fed and responses by the stock market or vice versa. Overall, the results seem to suggest that there was no concrete and consistent dynamic relationship between monetary policy and the stock market and that the nature of such dynamics was different in each of the three decades, which coincided with three different Fed operating regimes.
Analysis of fatal train-pedestrian collisions in metropolitan Chicago 2004–2012

The paper analyzes spatial and temporal data on fatal train-pedestrian collisions in the Chicago metropolitan area between 2004 and 2012. In comparing different municipalities within the region, the density of grade crossings and stations is found to increase the frequency of unintentional deaths. However, unintentional deaths do not increase with train volume suggesting that pedestrians may exercise more care around busier lines. The distribution of apparent intentional deaths is less strongly related to the density of crossings and stations suggesting that those intending self-harm will seek out a point of access. Apparent intentional deaths are more prevalent on lines with frequent passenger trains, and in municipalities with higher incomes and lower population densities. While most of the apparent intentional deaths (about 70%) are not associated with any copycat activities, the dataset contains possible clusters of intentional deaths that are proximate in both time and space. There was also a highly publicized suicide that led to a 95% increase in apparent intentional deaths throughout the region in the 18 weeks following the incident.
Morbidity, mortality and cost from HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer: Impact of 2-, 4- and 9-valent vaccines

Objective: The incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) related to human papillomavirus (HPV) is increasing at a dramatic rate, with men affected more commonly than women. Individ...
Principal subspaces of higher-level standard sl(3)̂-modules

Abstract We use the theory of vertex operator algebras and intertwining operators to obtain systems of q -difference equations satisfied by the graded dimensions of the principal subspaces of certain level k standard modules for s l ( 3 ) . As a consequence we establish new formulas for the graded dimensions of the principal subspaces corresponding to the highest weights i Λ 1 + ( k − i ) Λ 2 , where 1 ≤ i ≤ k and Λ 1 and Λ 2 are fundamental weights of s l ( 3 ) .
A Modular Framework for Building Variable-Input-Length Tweakable Ciphers

We present the Protected-IV construction PIV a simple, modular method for building variable-input-length tweakable ciphers. At our level of abstraction, many interesting design opportunities surface. For example, an obvious pathway to building beyond birthday-bound secure tweakable ciphers with performance competitive with existing birthday-bound-limited constructions. As part of our design space exploration, we give two fully instantiated PIV constructions, TCT 1 and TCT 2; the latter is fast and has beyond birthday-bound security, the former is faster and has birthday-bound security. Finally, we consider a generic method for turning a VIL tweakable cipher like PIV into an authenticated encryption scheme that admits associated data, can withstand nonce-misuse, and allows for multiple decryption error messages. Thus, the method offers robustness even in the face of certain sidechannels, and common implementation mistakes.
Meat Demand in the US During and After the Great Recession

Combining depth, length and breadth, the Great Recession is the worst economic downturn that the US economy has suffered since the Great Depression. Among other things, the recession reduced household income, caused significant changes in food prices and increased consumer uncertainties. These changes can potentially affect demand for such important food products as meat. Barten’s generalized demand model is used to study the demand for meat products during and after the recession. Structural change is observed in the demand for meat products in all the markets considered. The instability in the demand for the meat products is not general, but rather isolated in a subset of some demand variables. Expenditure and own-price and cross-price elasticities of demand during the recession are estimated and compared to those after the recession.
Comprehensive nucleosome mapping of the human genome in cancer progression

// Brooke R. Druliner 1,5 , Daniel Vera 1,6 , Ruth Johnson 2 , Xiaoyang Ruan 3 , Lynn M. Apone 4 , Eileen T. Dimalanta 4 , Fiona J. Stewart 4 , Lisa Boardman 5 and Jonathan H. Dennis 1,6,7 1 Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America 2 Department of Laboratory Medicine and Experimental Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America 3 Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America 4 New England Biolabs Inc., Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America 5 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America 6 The Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America 7 Institute of Molecular Biophysics, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America Correspondence to: Jonathan H. Dennis, email: // Keywords : cancer, chromatin, nucleosome, MNase, whole genome, Chromosome Section Received : December 18, 2015 Accepted : December 21, 2015 Published : December 31, 2015 Abstract Altered chromatin structure is a hallmark of cancer, and inappropriate regulation of chromatin structure may represent the origin of transformation. Important studies have mapped human nucleosome distributions genome wide, but the role of chromatin structure in cancer progression has not been addressed. We developed a MNase-Transcription Start Site Sequence Capture method (mTSS-seq) to map the nucleosome distribution at human transcription start sites genome-wide in primary human lung and colon adenocarcinoma tissue. Here, we confirm that nucleosome redistribution is an early, widespread event in lung (LAC) and colon (CRC) adenocarcinoma. These altered nucleosome architectures are consistent between LAC and CRC patient samples indicating that they may serve as important early adenocarcinoma markers. We demonstrate that the nucleosome alterations are driven by the underlying DNA sequence and potentiate transcription factor binding. We conclude that DNA-directed nucleosome redistributions are widespread early in cancer progression. We have proposed an entirely new hierarchical model for chromatin-mediated genome regulation.
Higgs decay to top quarks at hadron colliders

Abstract Higgs bosons which decay principally to top quarks, such as in the minimal supersymmetric model, produce a peak-dip structure in the gg→t t invariant-mass spectrum. This structure is potentially observable at the CERN Large Hadron Collider.
Molecular stripping in the NF-κB/IκB/DNA genetic regulatory network

Genetic switches based on the [Formula: see text] system are master regulators of an array of cellular responses. Recent kinetic experiments have shown that [Formula: see text] can actively remove NF-κB bound to its genetic sites via a process called "molecular stripping." This allows the [Formula: see text] switch to function under kinetic control rather than the thermodynamic control contemplated in the traditional models of gene switches. Using molecular dynamics simulations of coarse-grained predictive energy landscape models for the constituent proteins by themselves and interacting with the DNA we explore the functional motions of the transcription factor [Formula: see text] and its various binary and ternary complexes with DNA and the inhibitor IκB. These studies show that the function of the [Formula: see text] genetic switch is realized via an allosteric mechanism. Molecular stripping occurs through the activation of a domain twist mode by the binding of [Formula: see text] that occurs through conformational selection. Free energy calculations for DNA binding show that the binding of [Formula: see text] not only results in a significant decrease of the affinity of the transcription factor for the DNA but also kinetically speeds DNA release. Projections of the free energy onto various reaction coordinates reveal the structural details of the stripping pathways.
The maximum number of subset divisors of a given size

If s is a positive integer and A is a set of positive integers, we say that B is an s -divisor of A if � b � B b � s � a � A a . We study the maximal number of k -subsets of an n -element set that can be s -divisors. We provide a counterexample to a conjecture of Huynh that for s = 1 , the answer is ( n - 1 k ) with only finitely many exceptions, but prove that adding a necessary condition makes this true. Moreover, we show that under a similar condition, the answer is ( n - 1 k ) with only finitely many exceptions for each s .
Reaching the Poor: Cash Transfer Program Targeting in Cameroon

Identifying and selecting poor households with efficient targeting methods is essential for effective poverty alleviation programs. This paper assesses the ex-post performance of two popular targeting mechanisms, Proxy Means Testing (PMT) and Community-Based Targeting (CBT), in a pilot cash transfer program in Cameroon. Several indicators and metrics to measure each method’s performance in terms of inclusion of poor households and exclusion of non-poor households are employed. Results consistently show that CBT performs poorly in terms of selecting households with low per capita consumption when compared to PMT. CBT appears to select households with low physical and human capital, regardless of actual consumption level. However, CBT also shows more variability in the selection decision than PMT even when alternative poverty definitions are used as robustness tests. The PMT method used in the pilot slightly outperforms other targeting methods (hybrid, alternative PMT, and universal targeting with equal budget), but errors remain high when selecting 35% of the population for program participation. The results suggest caution is needed in employing CBT methods to select households with low per capita consumption in an environment where poverty levels are high and administrative capacities are limited. CBT performance may be improved through more uniform and consistent guidance on program selection criteria and process, including explicit criteria that enable CBT monitoring, as well as a better integration between PMT and CBT.
Spoils of war and peace: enemy adoption and queen-right colony fusion follow costly intraspecific conflict in acacia ants

Lay Summary Territorial fights between acacia ant colonies can alter their genetic composition via 2 processes: victorious colonies adopt former enemies or colonies fuse. Acacia ant colonies engage in lethal contests for resources, in which even eventual victors suffer heavy casualties. After fights, victorious colonies with diminished workforces are less able to defend vital resources. Costs of fighting appear to be offset, and recovery from conflict hastened, by the inclusion of nonrelatives into colonies.
Asymmetries arising from the space-filling nature of vascular networks

Cardiovascular networks span the body by branching across many generations of vessels. The resulting structure delivers blood over long distances to supply all cells with oxygen via the relatively short-range process of diffusion at the capillary level. The structural features of the network that accomplish this density and ubiquity of capillaries are often called space-filling. There are multiple strategies to fill a space, but some strategies do not lead to biologically adaptive structures by requiring too much construction material or space, delivering resources too slowly, or using too much power to move blood through the system. We empirically measure the structure of real networks (18 humans and 1 mouse) and compare these observations with predictions of model networks that are space-filling and constrained by a few guiding biological principles. We devise a numerical method that enables the investigation of space-filling strategies and determination of which biological principles influence network structure. Optimization for only a single principle creates unrealistic networks that represent an extreme limit of the possible structures that could be observed in nature. We first study these extreme limits for two competing principles, minimal total material and minimal path lengths. We combine these two principles and enforce various thresholds for balance in the network hierarchy, which provides a novel approach that highlights the tradeoffs faced by biological networks and yields predictions that better match our empirical data.
The Duty to Rescue in Genomic Research

Gliwa and Berkman (2013) focus their analysis of researcher obligations for incidental findings in genomic research on three criteria: (1) the benefit to the research participant, which requires st...
A Model to Update Accounting Curricula for Emerging Technologies

ABSTRACT: The prevailing model for accounting information systems (AIS) courses is decades old and needs to be modernized for cutting-edge technologies and demands for information services. New graduates in accounting require new perspectives and training to enter what is becoming an important subdiscipline in accounting that prepares accountants to serve effectively as data analysts, IT auditors, and participants in systems development. One hurdle preventing the adoption of these roles is a disconnect between AIS education and AIS practice. This article identifies relevant professional competencies and proposes some corresponding actions by the academy to combine accounting, management information systems, and computer technology. JEL Classifications: M4; L8.
Efficient Hand Articulations Tracking Using Adaptive Hand Model and Depth Map

Real-time hand articulations tracking is important for many applications such as interacting with virtual/augmented reality devices. However, most of existing algorithms highly rely on expensive and high power-consuming GPUs to achieve real-time processing. Consequently, these systems are inappropriate for mobile and wearable devices. In this paper, we propose an efficient hand tracking system which does not require high performance GPUs.
What makes the T c of FeSe/SrTiO 3 so high?

This paper reviews some of the recent progresses in the study of high temperature superconductivity in the interface between a single unit cell FeSe and SrTiO3. It offers the author's personal view of why Tc is high and how to further increase it.
Flux-Fusion Anomaly Test and Bosonic Topological Crystalline Insulators

We introduce a method, dubbed the flux-fusion anomaly test, to detect certain anomalous symmetry fractionalization patterns in two-dimensional symmetry-enriched topological (SET) phases. We focus on bosonic systems with ℤ_2 topological order and a symmetry group of the form G=U(1)⋊G′, where G′ is an arbitrary group that may include spatial symmetries and/or time reversal. The anomalous fractionalization patterns we identify cannot occur in strictly d=2 systems but can occur at surfaces of d=3 symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases. This observation leads to examples of d=3 bosonic topological crystalline insulators (TCIs) that, to our knowledge, have not previously been identified. In some cases, these d=3 bosonic TCIs can have an anomalous superfluid at the surface, which is characterized by nontrivial projective transformations of the superfluid vortices under symmetry. The basic idea of our anomaly test is to introduce fluxes of the U(1) symmetry and to show that some fractionalization patterns cannot be extended to a consistent action of G′ symmetry on the fluxes. For some anomalies, this can be described in terms of dimensional reduction to d=1 SPT phases. We apply our method to several different symmetry groups with nontrivial anomalies, including G=U(1)×ℤ^T_2 and G=U(1)×ℤ^P_2, where ℤ^T_2 and ℤ^P_2 are time-reversal and d=2 reflection symmetry, respectively.
Multilatinas as sources of new research insights: The learning and escape drivers of international expansion

Abstract This study reviews the literature on multilatinas, Latin American multinationals, and provides suggestions for using these firms as a laboratory for extending exiting theories and models of the multinational. Analyses of their behavior tend to discuss their upgrading of capabilities and their patterns of internationalization. An additional opportunity exists to contribute to the literature by analyzing how some of the unique characteristics of Latin American countries affect the internationalization of firms. The review explains how four characteristics of their home countries (political uncertainty, violence, pro-market reforms and reversals, and geographic isolation) can result in the foreign expansion of firms, either because managerial learning of the home country conditions facilitates internationalization (the learning driver), or because the home country conditions induce internationalization to escape those conditions (the escape driver).
The Catalytic, Formal Homo‐Nazarov Cyclization as a Template for Diversity‐Oriented Synthesis

Since the formal characterization of diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS), identification of effective examples of DOS remains an important endeavor for synthetic and pharmaceutical chemists requiring new strategies to generate broader skeletal diversity. Over the last decade, the formal homo-Nazarov cyclization has been an increasingly popular strategy for the concise assembly of functionalized six-membered rings due to the advent of catalytic methods to promote the transformation under milder reaction conditions. Moreover, using the formal homo-Nazarov cyclization as a mechanistic template, reactions can be strategically devised as an effort towards diversity-oriented synthesis. The resulting “homo-Nazarov-inspired” reactions are then demonstrated as a means to access broad structural diversity. This review discusses the development of these catalytic approaches and the successful implementation of the formal homo-Nazarov reaction as a viable template for diversity-oriented synthesis.
Quantum Imaging

Quantum imaging has demonstrated two peculiar features: (1) reproducing "ghost" images in a nonlocal manner, and (2) enhancing spatial resolution of imaging beyond diffraction limit. Both surprises come from the superposition of two-photon amplitudes, a non-classical entity corresponding to different yet indistinguishable alternative ways of triggering a joint photo-detection event.
Virtual memory

Virtual memory is the simulation of a storage space so large that programmers do not need to reprogram or recompile their works when the capacity of a local memory or the configuration of a network changes. The name, borrowed from optics, recalls the virtual images formed by mirrors and lenses--images that are not there but behave as if they are. The designers of the Atlas Computer at the University of Manchester invented virtual memory in the 1950s to eliminate a looming programming problem: planning and scheduling data transfers between main and secondary memory and recompiling programs for each change of size of main memory. Virtual memory is even more useful in the computers of the 1990s, which have more things to hide-on-chip caches, separate RAM chips, local disk storage, network file servers (q.v.), large numbers of separately compiled program modules, other computers on the local bus or local network, or the Internet. The story of virtual memory from then to now is a story about machines helping programmers solve problems in storage allocation, protection of information, sharing and reuse of objects, and linking of program components. Virtual memory, common in all computers and operating systems from the smallest microprocessor to the largest supercomputer, is now invading the Internet.
Computational modeling of the effects of counterfeit components

The problem of counterfeiting is of particular concern in the Department of Defense (DoD) supply chain, where it may lead to lack of assurance of reliability of complex systems, and it may endanger operational performance and safety. In this paper, we present a computational approach to studying complex socio-technical systems relevant to the analysis of the effects of counterfeit parts in the military supply chain. We illustrate our technique with the case study of Magellan GPS 315. Using the Stochastic Pi Machine (SPiM), we build a stochastic agent-based computational model to study the effects of counterfeit components in the performance of a complex multi-component system. We discuss the combinatorial complexity of the agent-based model. We implement a visualization of the system. Finally, statistical tests are performed to analyze the difference in multi-component systems' performance relative to the proportions verified and counterfeit components.We believe that computational models like this can contribute to identifying counterfeiting and studying its effects in the military supply chain.
Monte Carlo Simulations of HIV Capsid Protein Homodimer.

Capsid protein (CA) is the building block of virus coats. To help understand how the HIV CA proteins self-organize into large assemblies of various shapes, we aim to computationally evaluate the binding affinity and interfaces in a CA homodimer. We model the N- and C-terminal domains (NTD and CTD) of the CA as rigid bodies and treat the five-residue loop between the two domains as a flexible linker. We adopt a transferrable residue-level coarse-grained energy function to describe the interactions between the protein domains. In seven extensive Monte Carlo simulations with different volumes, a large number of binding/unbinding transitions between the two CA proteins are observed, thus allowing a reliable estimation of the equilibrium probabilities for the dimeric vs monomeric forms. The obtained dissociation constant for the CA homodimer from our simulations, 20–25 μM, is in reasonable agreement with experimental measurement. A wide range of binding interfaces, primarily between the NTDs, are identified in...
The Multiscale Laplacian Graph Kernel

Many real world graphs, such as the graphs of molecules, exhibit structure at multiple different scales, but most existing kernels between graphs are either purely local or purely global in character. In contrast, by building a hierarchy of nested subgraphs, the Multiscale Laplacian Graph kernels (MLG kernels) that we define in this paper can account for structure at a range of different scales. At the heart of the MLG construction is another new graph kernel, called the Feature Space Laplacian Graph kernel (FLG kernel), which has the property that it can lift a base kernel defined on the vertices of two graphs to a kernel between the graphs. The MLG kernel applies such FLG kernels to subgraphs recursively. To make the MLG kernel computationally feasible, we also introduce a randomized projection procedure, similar to the Nystro m method, but for RKHS operators.
A Simple Experimental Model to Investigate Force Range for Membrane Nanotube Formation

The presence of membrane tubules in living cells is essential to many biological processes. In cells, one mechanism to form nano-sized lipid tubules is via molecular motor induced bilayer extraction. In this paper, we describe a simple experimental model to investigate the forces required for lipid tube formation using kinesin motors anchored to 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) vesicles. Previous related studies have used molecular motors actively pulling on the membrane to extract a nanotube. Here we invert the system geometry; molecular motors are used as static anchors linking DOPC vesicles to a two-dimensional microtubule network, and an external flow is introduced to generate nanotubes facilitated by the drag force. We find that a drag force of approximately ≈7 pN is sufficient for tubule extraction for vesicles ranging from 1-2 um in radius. By our method, we find that the force generated by a single molecular motor is sufficient for membrane tubule extraction from a spherical lipid vesicle.
The Kinetics of the Vulcanization of Rubber

Abstract While engaged in the development of a sensitive test for mercury vapor, the writer made the observation that if sulfur were melted and then allowed to cool, a surface was formed that at first was very reactive to mercury vapor, as evidenced by the rapid formation of black mercuric sulfide. However, a day or so after preparation, the surface had lost its reactivity entirely, since even exposure to mercury vapor of high concentration at an elevated temperature failed to produce any blackening at all. It appeared as though an active but unstable form of sulfur had been produced when the sulfur was melted, which in short time had changed over into a non-reactive form. This curious behavior of sulfur seemed interesting enough to warrant a separate investigation, and a study was, therefore, made of the activity of various forms of sulfur toward mercury vapor, the details of which will be published in a separate paper. However, before stating the results that were obtained, a brief review of our present...
Sympathetic-Nerve Activity during Sleep in Normal Subjects

Background The early hours of the morning after awakening are associated with an increased frequency of events such as myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. The triggering mechanisms for these events are not clear. We investigated whether autonomic changes occurring during sleep, particularly rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, contribute to the initiation of such events. Methods We measured blood pressure, heart rate, and sympathetic-nerve activity (using microneurography, which provides direct measurements of efferent sympathetic-nerve activity related to muscle blood vessels) in eight normal subjects while they were awake and while in the five stages of sleep. Results The mean (±SE) amplitude of bursts of sympathetic-nerve activity and levels of blood pressure and heart rate declined significantly (P<0.001), from 100 ±9 percent, 90 ±4 mm Hg, and 64 ±2 beats per minute, respectively, during wakefulness to 41 ±9 percent, 80 ±4 mm Hg, and 59 ±2 beats per minute, respectively, during stage 4 of non-REM sl...
Level II Negotiations: Helping the Other Side Meet Its ”Behind the Table” Challenges

A long analytic tradition has explored the challenge of productively synchronizing “internal” with “external” negotiations, with a special focus on how each side can best manage internal opposition to agreements negotiated “at the table.” Implicit in much of this work has been the view that each side's leadership is best positioned to manage its own internal conflicts, often by pressing for deal terms that will overcome internal objections and by effectively “selling” the agreement to key constituencies. Far less frequently have analysts considered how each side can help the other side with its “behind-the-table” barriers to successful agreement. Following Robert Putnam's two-level games schema, I characterize such “behind-the-table” or “Level Two” barriers more broadly, offer several innovative examples of how each side can help the other overcome them, and develop more general advice on doing so most effectively. As a fuller illustration of a Level Two negotiator helping the other side with its formidable behind-the-table challenges, I pay special attention to the end-of-Cold-War negotiations over German reunification in which former American Secretary of State James Baker played a key role.
Oxidative Esterification of Aldehydes Using Mesoionic 1,2,3-Triazolyl Carbene Organocatalysts

The synthesis and catalytic activity of a new class of 1,2,3-triazolyl N-heterocyclic carbene organocatalysts is described. These new catalysts chemoselectively facilitate the oxidative esterification of aldehydes. NMR acidity studies show an inverse correlation between triazolium acidity and reactivity. Kinetic studies show that the resting state of the catalyst involves a NHC–aldehyde adduct. A catalytically active intermediate was synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction as the initial carbene–aldehyde adduct.
A New Theory of Free Will

This paper shows that the conjunction of several live philosophical and scientific hypotheses – including the holographic principle and multiverse theory in quantum physics, and eternalism and mind-body dualism in philosophy – jointly imply an audacious new theory of free will. This new theory, "Libertarian Compatibilism", holds that the physical world is an eternally existing array of two-dimensional information – a vast number of possible pasts, presents, and futures – and the mind a nonphysical entity or set of properties that "read" that physical information off to subjective conscious awareness (in much the same way that a song written on an ordinary compact-disc is only played when read by an outside medium, i.e. a CD-player). According to this theory, every possible physical “timeline” in the multiverse may be fully physically deterministic or physically-causally closed but each person’s consciousness still entirely free to choose, ex nihilo, outside of the physical order, which physically-closed timeline is experienced by conscious observers. Although Libertarian Compatibilism is admittedly fantastic, I show that it not only follows from several live scientific and philosophical hypotheses, I also show that it (A) is a far more explanatorily powerful model of quantum mechanics than more traditional interpretations (e.g. the Copenhagen, Everett, and Bohmian interpretations), (B) makes determinate, testable empirical predictions in quantum theory, and finally, (C) predicts and explains the very existence of a number of philosophical debates and positions in the philosophy of mind, time, personal identity, and free will. First, I show that whereas traditional interpretations of quantum mechanics are all philosophically problematic and roughly as ontologically “extravagant” as Libertarian Compatibilism – in that they all posit “unseen” processes – Libertarian Compatibilism is nearly identical in structure to the only working simulation that human beings have ever constructed capable of reproducing (and so explaining) every single general feature of quantum mechanics we perceive: namely, massive-multiplayer-online-roleplaying videogames (or MMORPGs). Although I am not the first to suggest that our world is akin to a computer simulation, I show that existing MMORPGs (online simulations we have already created) actually reproduce every general feature of quantum mechanics within their simulated-world reference-frames. Second, I show that existing MMORPGs also replicate (and so explain) many philosophical problems we face in the philosophy of mind, time, personal identity, and free will – all while conforming to the Libertarian Compatibilist model of reality.I conclude, as such, that as fantastic and metaphysically extravagant as Libertarian Compatibilism may initially seem, it may well be true. It explains a number of features of our reality that no other physical or metaphysical theory does.
Elemental Sulfur as a Plasticizer for Polysulfide Polymers and Other Polymers

In a recent publication from this laboratory it has been shown that the so-called elastic sulfur obtained by quick quenching molten sulfur from a temperature of 250°C. to a temperature of about −10°C. is really a mixture of polymeric sulfur and monomeric S8 sulfur, the latter in a metastable condition. The reason why quick quenched sulfur is elastic is because of the plasticizing effect of the liquid S8 sulfur on the polymeric sulfur. In this publication we show that large concentrations of S8 can exist dissolved in a liquid condition in other polymers where it also acts as a plasticizer. In many cases these compositions appear completely stable, i.e., there is no tendency for the dissolved sulfur to crystallize out. The best example is crosslinked polyethylene tetrasulfide polymers. We show that these polymers can retain 40% of dissolved sulfur in the form of liquid S8 over indefinitely long periods of time. We prove that the sulfur is in its elemental form by quantitative extraction with CS2. The specific volume of the dissolved sulfur shows it is in a liquid condition. The mechanical properties of the sulfur plasticized crosslinked polymers are just what would be expected from this type of structure. Preliminary information concerning sulfur in other polymers is presented.
The total non-protein nitrogen of the blood in nephritis and allied conditions

1. In a series of non-nephritic individuals the total non-protein nitrogen of the blood, determined by Folin's method, was found to lie between 15 and 43 milligrams per 100 cubic centimeters. From 50 to 60 per cent. of this was in the ammonia-urea fraction. 2. In cardiovascular disease with renal congestion, but without other renal lesion, there was no evidence of increase of non-protein nitrogen in the blood, nor of alteration of the ammonia-urea percentage. 3. In chronic nephritis with marked albuminuria and edema there was very little, if any, increase or alteration. 4. In chronic nephritis with hypertension the non-protein nitrogen was definitely increased, ranging from 40 to 180 milligrams per 100 cubic centimeters of blood. The percentage of the ammonia-urea fraction was usually higher than in non-nephritic cases. 5. Cases showing high non-protein nitrogen values were subject to rapid fluctuations in these values in the course of a few days. As a rule, clinical improvement was associated with a fall of the non-protein nitrogen figures to nearer the normal range. 6. Uremia was almost always accompanied by an increase of non-protein nitrogen in the blood, but no constant relation could be established between the degree of increase and the tendency to uremia. 7. Our cases have not yet been followed for a long enough period to admit of conclusions as to the possible relation between the degree of non-protein nitrogen retention and ultimate prognosis. 8. We believe this method to be a valuable aid in the clinical study of nephritis and that it can be readily carried out in any well equipped clinical laboratory.
Reactivity of damaged pyrimidines: DNA cleavage via hemiaminal formation at the C4 positions of the saturated thymine of spore photoproduct and dihydrouridine.

Described here are mechanistic details of the chemical reactivities of two modified/saturated pyrimidine residues that represent naturally occurring forms of DNA damage: 5-thyminyl-5,6-dihydrothymi...
The influence of pancreatic and duodenal extracts on the glycosuria and the respiratory metabolism of depancreatized dogs

Several dogs completely depancreatized by Hedon's method and eliminating glucose and nitrogen in Minkowski's ratio were treated by intravenous injection of pancreatic extract prepared by Knowlton and Starling's method.1 The urines collected in twenty-four hour periods exhibited an increase in the D: N ratio on the days immediately following. When the urine was collected in short periods after injection, a marked fall in the sugar output was witnessed lasting from four to ten hours but this was followed by a compensating rise which, in some instances, augmented the total for the twenty-four hour period, in others raised it only to the previous level.Much greater effects were obtained with a double extract of dog's pancreas and duodenal mucosa. The following experiment (No. II) is typical. The effect, however, cannot be ascribed to the organic extract from either the pancreas or the duodenum for the same Ringer's solution in which the tissues were extracted when made alkaline to about the same extent with N...
A Robust Camera-Based Method for Optical Distortion Calibration of Head-Mounted Displays

One of the problems in using HMDs is that the virtual images shown through the HMDs are usually warped due to their optical distortions. In order to correctly compensate the optical distortions through a predistortion technique, accurate values of the distortion parameters are required. Although several distortion calibration methods have been developed in prior work, these methods have some limitations. In this paper, we propose a method for accurately estimating the optical distortion parameters of both immersive and (optical) see-through HMDs, without the limitations. The proposed method is based on photogrammetry and considers not only the radial distortion but also the tangential distortion. Its effectiveness, including the effects of different coefficient orders of radial and tangential distortions, are evaluated through an experiment conducted with two different HMDs, an optical see-through head-mounted projection display (HMPD) and a commercially available immersive HMD. According to the experimental results, the proposed method showed significantly lower reprojection and line-fitting errors than a previous method proposed by Owen , and the radial distortion coefficients estimated by the proposed method were significantly more accurate than the nominal values obtained from the HMD optics prescription. In addition, when both the radial and tangential distortions were considered, the proposed method was significantly more effective than when only the radial distortion was considered. We also discuss an OpenCV-based simple implementation of a distortion correction method.
Gene Expression Changes in Glutamate and GABA-A Receptors, Neuropeptides, Ion Channels, and Cholesterol Synthesis in the Periaqueductal Gray Following Binge-Like Alcohol Drinking by Adolescent Alcohol-Preferring (P) Rats.

Background Binge drinking of alcohol during adolescence is a serious public health concern with long-term consequences, including increased pain, fear, and anxiety. The periaqueductal gray (PAG) is involved in processing pain, fear, and anxiety. The effects of adolescent binge drinking on gene expression in this region have yet to be studied. Methods Male adolescent alcohol-preferring (P) rats were exposed to repeated binge drinking (three 1-hour sessions/d during the dark/cycle, 5 days/wk for 3 weeks starting at 28 days of age; ethanol intakes of 2.5 to 3 g/kg/session). We used RNA sequencing to assess the effects of ethanol intake on gene expression. Results Ethanol significantly altered the expression of 1,670 of the 12,123 detected genes: 877 (53%) decreased. In the glutamate system, 23 genes were found to be altered, including reduction in 7 of 10 genes for metabotropic and NMDA receptors. Subunit changes in the NMDA receptor may make it less sensitive to ethanol. Changes in GABAA genes would most likely increase the ability of the PAG to produce tonic inhibition. Five serotonin receptor genes, 6 acetylcholine receptor genes, and 4 glycine receptor genes showed decreased expression in the alcohol-drinking rats. Opioid genes (e.g., Oprk1, Oprm1) and genes for neuropeptides linked to anxiety and panic behaviors (e.g., Npy1r) had mostly decreased expression. Genes for 27 potassium, 10 sodium, and 5 calcium ion channels were found to be differentially expressed. Nine genes in the cholesterol synthesis pathway had decreased expression, including Hmgcr, encoding the rate-limiting enzyme. Genes involved in the production of myelin also had decreased expression. Conclusions The results demonstrate that binge alcohol drinking during adolescence produces developmental changes in the expression of key genes within the PAG; many of these changes point to increased susceptibility to pain, fear, and anxiety, which could contribute to excessive drinking to relieve these negative effects.
MCNP6 Simulation of Reactions of Interest to FRIB, Medical, and Space Applications

The latest production-version of the Los Alamos Monte Carlo N-Particle transport code MCNP6 has been used to simulate a variety of particle-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus reactions of academic and applied interest to research subjects at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), medical isotope production, space-radiation shielding, cosmic-ray propagation, and accelerator applications, including several reactions induced by radioactive isotopes, analyzing production of both stable and radioactive residual nuclei. Here, we discuss examples of validation and verification of MCNP6 by comparing with recent neutron spectra measured at the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba, Japan; spectra of light fragments from several reactions measured recently at GANIL, France; INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Catania, Italy; COSY of the Julich Research Center, Germany; and cross sections of products from several reactions measured lately at GSI, Darmstadt, Germany; ITEP, Moscow, Russia; and, LANSCE, LANL, Los Alamos, USA. As a rule, MCNP6 provides quite good predictions for most of the reactions we analyzed so far, allowing us to conclude that it can be used as a reliable and useful simulation tool for various applications for FRIB, medical, and space applications involving stable and radioactive isotopes.
Opportunities and challenges for direct C–H functionalization of piperazines

Piperazine ranks within the top three most utilized N-heterocyclic moieties in FDA-approved small-molecule pharmaceuticals. Herein we summarize the current synthetic methods available to perform C-H functionalization on piperazines in order to lend structural diversity to this privileged drug scaffold. Multiple approaches such as those involving α-lithiation trapping, transition-metal-catalyzed α-C-H functionalizations, and photoredox catalysis are discussed. We also highlight the difficulties experienced when successful methods for α-C-H functionalization of acyclic amines and saturated mono-nitrogen heterocyclic compounds (such as piperidines and pyrrolidines) were applied to piperazine substrates.
Hyperextension Dislocation of the Cervical Spine

The purpose of this report is to describe hyperextension dislocation of the cervical spine and to illustrate its often subtle radiographic features. An analysis of the lateral cervical spine radiographs in 20 patients with hyperextension dislocation of the cervical spine revealed the combination of diffuse prevertebral soft-tissue widening together with normally aligned cervical vertebrae in all patients with this injury. In six (30%) of 20 patients, this combination of findings was the only radiographic sign. The preCise level of dislocation was indicated by a thin, transversely oriented avulsion fracture fragment arising from the anterior aspect of the inferior end-plate of the dislocated vertebra in 13 (65%) of 20 patients, by a vacuum defect in the intervertebral disk subjacent to the dislocated vertebra in three (15%), by a widened intervertebral disk space in three (15%), and by comminuted fracture of the spinous process in one (5%). Clinically, all 20 patients had facial trauma and all had some manifestation of the acute central cervical spinal cord syndrome.
On Implementing Real-Time Specification Patterns Using Observers

English language requirements are often used to specify the behavior of complex cyber-physical systems. The process of transforming these requirements to a formal specification language is often challenging, especially if the specification language does not contain constructs analogous to those used in the original requirements. For example, requirements often contain real-time constraints, but many specification languages for model checkers have discrete time semantics. Work in specification patterns helps to bridge these gaps, allowing straightforward expression of common requirements patterns in formal languages. In this work we demonstrate how we support real-time specification patterns in the Assume Guarantee Reasoning Environment AGREE using observers. We demonstrate that there are subtle challenges, not mentioned in previous literature, to express real-time patterns accurately using observers. We then demonstrate that these patterns are sufficient to model real-time requirements for a real-world avionics system.
Partially natural Two Higgs Doublet Models

It is possible that the electroweak scale is low due to the fine-tuning of microscopic parameters, which can result from selection effects. The experimental discovery of new light fundamental scalars other than the Standard Model Higgs boson would seem to disfavor this possibility, since generically such states imply parametrically worse fine-tuning with no compelling connection to selection effects. We discuss counterexamples where the Higgs boson is light because of fine-tuning, and a second scalar doublet is light because a discrete symmetry relates its mass to the mass of the Standard Model Higgs boson. Our examples require new vectorlike fermions at the electroweak scale, and the models possess a rich electroweak vacuum structure. The mechanism that we discuss does not protect a small CP-odd Higgs mass in split or high-scale supersymmetry-breaking scenarios of the MSSM due to an incompatibility between the discrete symmetries and holomorphy.
Martingale Transforms and the Hardy-Littlewood-Sobolev Inequality for Semigroups

We give a representation of the fractional integral for symmetric Markovian semigroups as the projection of martingale transforms and prove the Hardy-Littlewood-Sobolev (HLS) inequality based on this representation. The proof rests on a new inequality for the fractional Littlewood-Paley g–function.