cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Central Nervous System Infections in Heart Transplant Recipients

Objective To study central nervous system infections after heart transplantations. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Cardiac Transplant Program at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Patients Three hundred fifteen consecutive patients who underwent heart transplantation from January 1988 through June 2006. Results Central nervous system infections developed in 8 patients (3%), all of whom presented within the first 4 years after transplantation. The most common presentations were acute or subacute confusion or headache (88%), often without the classic symptoms of fever and neck stiffness. Direct cerebrospinal fluid examination was unrevealing in most cases, though cerebrospinal fluid protein levels were elevated in all patients with infections. Diagnoses included cryptococcal meningitis (n = 3), progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (n = 2), varicella-zoster virus encephalitis (n = 2), and Aspergillus fumigatus infection (n = 1). Three of 8 patients died (38%) and 2 (25%) survived with mild sequelae. Central nervous system infection was a significant predictor of mortality (hazard ratio, 4.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.72-11.18; P = .002). Conclusions Central nervous system infections are rare but devastating complications of heart transplantations. Recognition of these infections is difficult owing to a paucity of clinical manifestations. We report here, for the first time, varicella-zoster virus central nervous system infection in heart transplantations. Published online October 8, 2007 (doi:10.1001/archneur.64.12.noc70065).
This month's cover: Carl Friedrich Gauss—200th anniversary

Two hundred years ago this month, on April 30, 1777, a boy was born to a poor laborer in Brunswick, Germany, who was destined to leave a lasting imprint on mathematics, physics, astronomy, geodesy, and geomagnetism. Young Carl showed extraordinary promise even at an early age. When Gauss was 10 years old-it is a famous story now—his class was assigned a long exercise in arithmetic, adding up all integers from 1 to 100. As soon as the teacher had finished giving the problem, Gauss wrote an answer on his slate and banged it down: ‘Ligget se,’ he exclaimed. ‘It lies down’ (the slate with the answer), or in other words, finished. Of course Gauss never bothered to carry out the addition; he just noticed that the numbers could be paired, 100 with 1, 99 with 2, etc., 50 pairs in all, each equal to 101, and one simple multiplication did the rest.
Internationalisation of Counseling Psychology: Constructing Cross‐National Consensus and Collaboration

Les analyses SWOT presentees par les auteurs dans cette edition speciale Perspectives internationales sur la psychologie du counseling proposent de nombreux elements en faveur de l’elaboration d’un plan strategique destinea la division «Psychologie du Counseling» de l’Association Internationale de Psychologie Appliquee. Condenser les multiples possibilites en un nombre limite de themes federateurs releve d’une avancee realiste et significative dans la conception d’un plan strategique pour la division 16. Les rubriques de ce plan pourraient etre les suivantes: a) definir la psychologie du counseling d’un point de vue international, b) cristalliser une identite professionnelle supranationale c) encourager l’avenement de modeles, methodes et connaissances propres a un pays et d) stimuler la collaboration internationale. The SWOT analyses presented by the authors in this special issue on International Perspectives on Counseling Psychology propose numerous possibilities for building a strategic plan for the new Counseling Psychology Division (16) in the International Association of Applied Psychology. Reducing multiple possibilities to a few common themes may suggest a realistic and meaningful way forward in formulating a strategic plan for Division 16. Elements of this plan might include (a) defining counseling psychology from an international perspective, (b) crystallising a cross-national professional identity, (c) encouraging construction of indigenous models, methods, and materials, and (d) promoting international collaboration.
Crystalline inclusions in Colladonus montanus (Van Duzee), a vector of Western X-disease virus.

Abstract Needlelike crystals, ranging in size from 3 μ by 69 μ to 20 μ by 295 μ, were found in the intestinal tracts of Colladonus montanus (Van Duzee) feeding on celery ( Apium graveolens var. ‘Utah Green’) plants infected with the peach yellow leafroll strain of Western X-disease virus. Crystals were not found in insects propagated on healthy plants, but were present in a high proportion of insects which had fed on diseased plants for 30 or more days. When insects from a diseased stock colony with a high incidence of crystals were transferred to healthy plants, the frequency of individuals with crystals decreased. Crystals possessed the properties of high bire-fringence. They were readily soluble in 0.01 N NaOH as well as in 0.01 M sodium carbonate (pH 10.2) and 0.01 M potassium phosphate (pH 8.0) buffers; but stable in 0.01 N HCl. They dissolved slowly in distilled water. The nature of the crystals is not yet known.
mlegp: statistical analysis for computer models of biological systems using R

Summary: Gaussian processes (GPs) are flexible statistical models commonly used for predicting output from complex computer codes. As such, GPs are well suited for the analysis of computer models of biological systems, which have been traditionally difficult to analyze due to their high-dimensional, non-linear and resource-intensive nature. We describe an R package, mlegp, that fits GPs to computer model outputs and performs sensitivity analysis to identify and characterize the effects of important model inputs. Availability: http://www.biomath.org/mlegp Contact: kdorman@iastate.edu Supplementary information: See http://www.biomath.org/mlegp for a user manual and examples.
Analytical solutions for 3-D flexural deformation of semi-infinite elastic plates

SUMMARY The theory of elastic-plate flexure has played a prominent role in isostatic studies and investigations of lithospheric deformation caused by vertical tectonism. Simple analytical, asymmetrical solutions exist when the boundaries of the plate are far removed from the area where the load is applied. When deformation is driven by end loads (i.e. bending moments and shear forces) the problem is usually simplified to yield a 2-D solution that approximates a cross-section of the 3-D solution. We present analytical Green's functions for the point-force response of semi-infinite elastic plates resting on an inviscid substratum and being acted upon by constant in-plane forces and arbitrary end loads. This solution may be used to study deformation and stresses caused by loads close to a free geological boundary (e.g. a trench or weak fracture zone). We also present Green's functions for the case when two semi-infinite plates of different rigidities are mechanically coupled and subject to a point load. This solution may be useful when studying deformation near mechanically strong fracture zones or at ocean-continent transitions. The analytical solutions provide simple alternatives to (and calibration of) complex numerical finite-element or finite-difference solutions, and furthermore give additional physical insight into the geological process to be examined. The analytical methods are used to demonstrate the different stress patterns that may arise near weak and strong geological boundaries. We also illustrate how the observed scatter in 2-D determinations of elastic thickness at subduction zones may partly have its origin in 3-D effects.
Quantitative follow-up of patients with multiple sclerosis using MRI: reproducibility.

The reproducibility of an automated method for estimating the volume of white matter abnormalities on brain magnetic resonance (MR) images of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients was evaluated. Twenty MS patients underwent MR imaging twice within 30 minutes. Measurement variability is introduced mainly by MRI acquisition and image registration procedures, which demonstrate significantly worse reproducibility than the image segmentation. The correction of partial volume artifacts is essential for sensitive measurements of overall lesion burden. The average lesion volume difference (bias) between two MR exams of the same MS patient (N 5 20) was 0.05 cm3, with a 95% confidence interval between 20.17 and 10.28 cm3, suggesting that the proposed measurement system is suitable for clinical follow-up trials, even in relatively small patient cohorts. The limits of agreement for lesion volume were between 21.3 and 11.5 cm3, implying that in individual patients changes in lesion load need to be at least this large to be detected reliably. This automated method for estimating lesion burden is a reliable tool for the evaluation of MS progression and exacerbation in patient cohorts and potentially also in individual patients. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 1999; 9:509‐518. r 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effect of Venous Flow on Frequency of Venous Vasomotion in the Bat Wing

Investigations indicated that an elevation in venous flow caused an increase in the frequency of rhythmic contractions of the small veins in the bat wing.
Interannual Variability of the North Pacific Subtropical Countercurrent and Its Associated Mesoscale Eddy Field

Interannual changes in the mesoscale eddy field along the Subtropical Countercurrent (STCC) band of 188‐258N in the western North Pacific Ocean are investigated with 16 yr of satellite altimeter data. Enhanced eddy activities were observed in 1996‐98 and 2003‐08, whereas the eddy activities were below average in 1993‐95 and 1999‐2002. Analysis of repeat hydrographic data along 1378E reveals that the vertical shear between the surface eastward-flowing STCC and the subsurface westward-flowing North Equatorial Current (NEC) was larger in the eddy-rich years than in the eddy-weak years. By adopting a 2Ω-layer reduced-gravity model, it is shown that the increased eddy kinetic energy level in 1996‐98 and 2003‐08 is because of enhanced baroclinic instability resulting from the larger vertical shear in the STCC‐NEC’s background flow. The cause for the STCC‐NEC’s interannually varying vertical shear can be sought in the forcing by surface Ekman
STUDY OF AFFINITIES BETWEEN SINGLE-WALLED NANOTUBE AND EPOXY RESIN USING MOLECULAR DYNAMICS SIMULATION

In the processing of carbon nanotube/polymer composites, the interactions between the nanotube and polymer matrix will occur at the molecular level. Understanding their interactions before curing is crucial for nanocomposites processing. In this study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were employed to reveal molecular interactions between (10, 10) single-walled nanotube and two kinds of epoxy resin systems. The two kinds of resin systems were EPON 862/EPI-CURE W curing agent (DETDA) and DGEBA (diglycidylether of bisphenol A)diethylenetriamine (DETA) curing agent. The MD simulation results show that the EPON 862, DETDA and DGEBA molecules had strong attractive interactions with single-walled nanotubes and their molecules changed their conformation to align their aromatic rings parallel to the nanotube surface due to π-stacking effect, whereas the DETA molecule had a repulsive interaction with the single-walled nanotubes. The interaction energies of the molecular systems were also calculated. Furthermore, an affinity index (AI) of the average distance between the atoms of the resin molecule and nanotube surface was defined to quantify the affinities between the nanotubes and resin molecules. The MD simulation results show that the EPON 862/EPI-CURE W curing agent system has good affinities with single-walled nanotubes.
Rules and Illusions: A Critical Study of Rips‘s ThePsychology of Proof

Human reasoning is a mystery. Is it at the core of the mind, or an accidental and peripheral property? Does it depend on a unitary system, or on a set of disparate modules that somehow get along together to enable us to make valid inferences? And how is deductive ability acquired? Is it constructed from mental operations, as Piagetians propose; is it induced from examples, as connectionists claim; or is it innate, as philosophers and “evolutionary psychologists” sometimes argue? Is deduction a matter of mobilizing formal rules of inference like those of a logical calculus, or of rules with a specific content like those of a computer “expert system”, or of remembered cases of valid reasoning like those exploited in other AI programs? Or could it depend on a grasp of meaning and of the fundamental semantic principle that a conclusion is valid if there are no cases in which the premises are true but it is false? Psychologists have been struggling with deduction for a century; cognitive scientists have recently honed in on it, and they have proposed explicit “information-processing” models of the process. Each of the positions in the list above has its defenders, and the controversy is hot. The Psychology of Proof presents a comprehensive theory that the mind is equipped with formal rules of inference. Lance Rips published an initial theory in 1983, and the present account is his summa theologicum. It defends deduction as a central cognitive ability; it defends formal rules as the basic symbol-manipulating operators of cognitive architecture; and it defends formal rules as the lower-level principles that guide deductive thinking. It describes a set of rules that for the first time accommodate reasoning with sentential connectives (such as if, and, and or) and quantifiers (such as all and some) within a psychological theory. Rips calls the system PSYCOP – nothing to do with the “thought police”, but an acronym from psychology of proof – and he has both implemented it in Prolog and tested it experimentally with some success. The book is a major achievement, and it
The Structure and the Logic of Proof in Trials

Logic alone does not dictate the structure of inference and proof in trials. Trials are part of a social process, and the structure of proof in trials is influenced by many factors other than logic. However, logic (of various kinds and varying degrees of formality) does usually influence proof in trials to some extent. The role of logic (broadly understood) in determining the structure of proof in trials is constrained by the character of the human being as an intelligent evolving organism. The structure of proof in a specific proof system may furnish hints and clues about the how such an organism can and should deliberate productively about evidence. The argument of the paper has an Aristotelian tinge. The argument also has a hyper-modern tinge because the paper draws on AI literature for inspiration. (The concept of an organism plays an important role in both Aristotelian philosophy and in some strands of hyper-modern AI theorizing.) One important implication of the premise that the human creature is an intelligent evolving organism is that evidential inference necessarily involves subterranean, or "tacit," sensory, cognitive, conceptual, and logical processes. Another important implication of a neo-Aristotelian vision of the human organism is that human "information processing" can and does both evolve and emerge (to some degree) into consciousness over time. A third important implication is that conscious deliberation can to some extent (but only to a limited extent) manage and coordinate the workings of submerged sensory, cognitive, and logical processes -- and there is no paradox in supposing that this is so. Whether human beings, human societies, and methods of factual proof in trials are gradually becoming more rational and inferentially efficient as well as more humane is unknowable. But there is reason to hope that this is the case.
Xap2, a Novel Hepatitis B Virus X-Associated Protein That Inhibits X Transactivation

The hepatitis B virus X protein is a promiscuous transcriptional transactivator. Transactivation by the X protein is most likely mediated through binding to different cellular factors. Using the yeast two-hybrid method, we have isolated a clone that encodes a novel X-associated cellular protein: XAP2. X and XAP2 interactions also occur in vitro. Antiserum raised against XAP2 recognizes a cytoplasmic protein with an apparent molecular mass of 36 kDa. The interaction between X and XAP2 requires a small region on X containing amino acids 13-26. From Northern blot analyses, XAP2 is ubiquitously expressed in both liver-derived and non-liver-derived cell lines as well as in normal non-liver tissues. In contrast, XAP2 is expressed in very low level in the normal human liver. In transfection assays, overexpression of XAP2 abolishes transactivation by the X protein. Based on these results, we suggest that XAP2 is an important cellular negative regulator of the X protein, and that X-XAP2 interaction may play a role in HBV pathology.
Pregnant patients' risk perception of prenatal test results with uncertain fetal clinical significance: ultrasound versus advanced genetic testing

OBJECTIVE A common concern of utilizing prenatal advanced genetic testing is that a result of uncertain clinical significance will increase patient anxiety. However, prenatal ultrasound may also yield findings of uncertain significance, such as 'soft markers' for fetal aneuploidy, or findings with variable prognosis, such as mild ventriculomegaly. In this study we compared risk perception following uncertain test results from each modality. METHODS A single survey with repeated measures design was administered to 133 pregnant women. It included 'intolerance of uncertainty' questions, two hypothetical scenarios involving prenatal ultrasound or advanced genetic testing, and response questions. The primary outcome was risk perception score. RESULTS Risk perception did not vary significantly between ultrasound and genetic scenarios (p = 0.17). The genetic scenario scored a higher accuracy (p = 0.04) but lower sense of empowerment (p = 0.01). Furthermore, patients were more likely to seek additional testing after an ultrasound than after genetic testing (p = 0.05). There were no differences in other secondary outcomes including perception of life-altering consequences and hypothetical worry, anxiety, confusion, or medical care decisions. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that uncertain findings on prenatal genetic testing do not elicit a higher perception of risk or anxiety when compared to ultrasound findings of comparable uncertainty. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
GLEAN: a computer-based tool for rapid GOMS model usability evaluation of user interface designs

Engineering models of human performance permit some aspects of usability of interface designs to be predicted from an analysis of the task, and thus can replace to some extent expensive user testing data. The best developed such tools are GOMS models, which have been shown to be accurate and effective in predicting usability of the procedural aspects of interface designs. This paper describes a computer-based tool, GLEAN, that generates quantitative predictions from a supplied GOMS model and a set of benchmark tasks. GLEAN is demonstrated to reproduce the results of a case study of GOMS model application with considerable time savings over both manual modeling as well as empirical testing.
Transcriptional enhancers in development and disease

Distal transcription enhancers are cis-regulatory elements that promote gene expression, enabling spatiotemporal control of genetic programs such as those required in metazoan developmental processes. Because of their importance, their disruption can lead to disease.
COMPACT PRODUCTS OF HANKEL OPERATORS

In this paper we completely characterize compact products of three Hankel operators on the Hardy space. We obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for that $$H_{f_1 }^* H_{f_2 } H_{f_3 }^* ,H_{f_2 }^* H_{f_1 } H_{f_3 }^* $$ , and $$H_{f_1 }^* H_{f_3 } H_{f_2 }^* $$ are simultaneously compact.
An Algorithm-Based Recovery Scheme for Extreme Scale Computing

We present an algorithm-based recovery scheme for Exascale computing, which uses both data dependencies and communication-induced redundancies of parallel codes to tolerate fault with low overhead. For some applications, our scheme significantly reduces checkpoint size and introduces no overhead when there is no actual failure in the computation. Fault tolerance Newton's method by tailoring our scheme to the algorithm is performed. Numerical simulations indicate that our scheme introduces much less overhead than diskless check pointing does.
Agnes Arber, née Robertson (1879–1960): Fragments of her Life, Including her Place in Biology and in Women's Studies

Abstract Born in London into a learned and artistic middle-class family, Agnes Arber, nee Robertson (23 Feb. 1879–22 Mar. 1960), was a renowned plant morphologist and anatomist, historian of botany, botanical bibliographer, and philosopher of biology. However, she played a minor role in the botany of Cambridge, where she lived for nearly 54 years, including the last 51 years of her life. Topics discussed include: Arber's place in biology; her publication record; her relationships with husband Edward Alexander Newell Arber (1870–1918), a palaeobotanist and geologist, daughter Muriel Agnes Arber (born 1913), a geologist, and friend and mentor Ethel Sargant (1863–1918), a plant morphologist; Arber's home in Cambridge (1909–61); the denial by the ‘botanical establishment’ of her 1921 presidency of Section K (Botany) of the British Association for the Advancement of Science; the establishment of her private laboratory in 1927; her concept of ‘quiet and independent research’ that fostered the erroneous notion of her being a recluse; her burial site in Girton; her place in women's studies; and archives for Arberiana. A table presented as a curriculum vitae gives a synopsis of biographical information for Arber. A second table analyses her 218 non-book publications (1892–1961), one edited book (Devonian floras) and four edited papers (1919–22) for Newell Arber, and eight books (1912–57) and their two later editions (1938, 1986), 13 reissues (1953–99), and five translations (1960–2002): Herbals(1912, 1938, 1986),Water plants (1920), Monocotyledons(1925), The Gramineae(1934),Goethe's botany (1946), The natural philosophy of plant form(1950), The mind and the eye(1954), and The manifold & the one(1957). Arber was sole author of all of her works except for six items (four papers, one note and one abstract) junior-authored early in her career. A third table details bibliographic information for Arber's books and their reissues and translations.
Assay for reactive oxygen species-induced DNA damage: measurement of the formamido and thymine glycol lesions

Abstract A 32 P-postlabeling assay has been developed for the simultaneous detection of the thymine glycol lesion and the formamido remnant of pyrimidine bases in DNA exposed to reactive oxygen species (ROS). The formamido lesion is a principal lesion produced in X-irradiated DNA oligomers when oxygen is available to mediate the damage process. Production of the well-known thymine glycol lesion is less dependent on the concentration of oxygen. These two lesions have the common property that they make the phosphoester bond 3′ to the modified nucleoside resistant to hydrolysis by nuclease P1. Our assay uses 32 P-postlabeling to measure these lesions in the form of modified dimers obtained from DNA by nuclease P1 digestion. Appropriate carriers and internal standards have been chemically synthesized to improve the reliability and accuracy of the assay. The measurements were accomplished on 1-μg samples of DNA.
Photon entanglement signatures in difference-frequency-generation.

In response to quantum optical fields, pairs of molecules generate coherent nonlinear spectroscopy signals. Homodyne signals are given by sums over terms each being a product of Liouville space pathways of the pair of molecules times the corresponding optical field correlation function. For classical fields all field correlation functions may be factorized and become identical products of field amplitudes. The signal is then given by the absolute square of a susceptibility which in turn is a sum over pathways of a single molecule. The molecular pathways of different molecules in the pair are uncorrelated in this case (each path of a given molecule can be accompanied by any path of the other). However, entangled photons create an entanglement between the molecular pathways. We use the superoperator nonequlibrium Green’s functions formalism to demonstrate the signatures of this pathway-entanglement in the difference frequency generation signal. Comparison is made with an analogous incoherent two-photon fluorescence signal.
The Effects of Common Names and Common FR Responses on the Emergence of Stimulus Equivalence Classes

Considerable efforts in recent years have been dedicated towards the specification of the conditions under which organisms learn to behave symbolically with two or more stimuli. Environmental stimuli are said to be “symbolic” for one another when they are shown to be equivalent; in other words, the stimuli function interchangeably for one another in the absence of a history of direct conditioning (Sidman & Tailby, 1982). The research program on stimulus equivalence has repeatedly shown that when research participants experience a series of reinforced conditional discriminations, the stimuli are ultimately shown to be related to one another in indirect and often surprising ways. For example, if reinforcement is provided contingent upon the selection of stimulus B1 in the presence of stimulus A1 and for the selection of stimulus C1 in the presence of stimulus B1, most participants, even those with only rudimentary verbal repertoires, will subsequently demonstrate the emergence of novel, untrained relations in the absence of direct conditioning: They will now select stimulus A1 given B1 and C1, stimulus C1 given B1, and stimulus B1 given C1. Upon this finding, the stimuli are said to have entered into an equivalence class (Sidman, 1994), and are thus symbolically related to one another. It is worth noting that symbolic behavior refers only to the bidirectional nature of human verbal behavior. Verbally-able humans respond to one event in terms of the other: The
Investigating Corruption in American Higher Education: The Methodology

Higher education in the US may be characterized by the complexity and plurality of forms of organization, governance, management, financing, and property. Higher education institutions serve the industry. In this sense, community colleges are not less linked to businesses than major research universities. Financial flows in the higher education industry, including educational loans, governmental grants, and returns on endowments are plentiful. As in any other industry, organizational complexity, unclear nature of the final product, and significant financial flows serve as necessary grounds for corruption. Few authors address corruption in the US higher education industry. Their works often lack cohesive theoretical frameworks, synthesis, and carefully thought out policy implications, but nevertheless would be of high interest for policymakers, managers, and theorists. Policymakers, university administrators, and business managers will appreciate good description of forms of cooperation of industries and universities as well as problems that such cooperation creates or exacerbates and some of the prescriptions, offered by the authors, whereas theorists will find wealth of material on which to build some concepts and theories of social and ethical responsibility versus commercialization and perhaps even some interesting niches for possible corrupt activities in higher education.
Cooperative Play: Anticipating the Problem of Copyright Infringement in the New Business of Live Video Game Webcasts

Live streaming video games webcasts are a growing industry. Led by tech giant Amazon with its service Twitch.tv, the size of viewership is huge with over 100 million viewers a month. Amazon bought Twitch for $1.1 billion dollars in 2014, and with the influx of money comes more legal scrutiny. It consists of Streamers, those who webcast their gameplay, along with entertaining or informative commentary, and the webcasting platform, which generates revenue from advertising and subscriptions and shares it with the Streamer. Even though the service almost necessarily depends on using a game developer's creative work, Copyright Holders are left out of the equation when it comes time to get paid.By doing so, Twitch leaves their users individually liable for copyright infringement and themselves open to Napster-level infringement litigation and Grokster-style infringement liability. So, what's to be done about it? This note attempts to answer that question.Statutory solutions are unlikely and undesirable. Using the music industry as a model, we can see how statutory licenses would be undesirable for video games. Litigation would be long and painful for all parties involved. The Napster litigation made the music industry villains while the company was destroyed by its obvious liability. With the launch of Google's competing service YouTube Gaming, it becomes even more clear that the best way to allow the industry to grow without incident is for these services to license the copyrights they use. Not only will it give Twitch and its users peace of mind, but the benefits of exclusivity in an increasingly competitive marketplace will act as a control, reining in the incentives required to attract popular Streamers.This note also takes a look at how, more specifically, Streamers may be liable for copyright infringement, how the DMCA Safe Harbor provision does or does not protect Twitch, and how fair use operates in this context.
Novel dielectric films with high energy density

Capacitive energy storage devices are essential components in modern electronics for power conditioning, conversion and renewable integration. The state-of-the-art bi-axially oriented polypropylene dielectric film has a breakdown strength of >730 MV/m and low dielectric loss of <0.0002 at 1kHz, but suffers a low dielectric constant of 2.2. Rational development of high permittivity polymers is undertaken with the guidance of a high throughput, first principles computation-based polymer design space search engine, parallelized with chemical synthesis and high field electrical characterizations. Further understanding of the correlation between materials' molecular and microscopic structures and electrical characteristics under high fields is essential to the rational design of new dielectric materials. In this paper, the electrical characteristics of a newly synthesized thiourea-etheramine copolymer with a dielectric constant of 5.5 were systematically investigated by a combination of broadband dielectric spectroscope, modified Sawyer-Tower polarization loop tester and pre-breakdown conduction measurements, to provide critical feedback for the rational design of polymers with high dielectric constant and low loss.
Effect of hyperthermia on NF-κB binding activity in cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis

Although the pancreatic heat shock response has already been reported to confer protective effects during experimental pancreatitis, the mechanism of action remains unknown. We investigated the effects of hyperthermia in cerulein-induced pancreatitis. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression in rats was induced by a 20-min period of water immersion (42 degrees C). The severity of pancreatitis as well as the pancreatic expression of cytokines, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), and inhibitory factor kappaB-alpha (IkappaB-alpha) were evaluated in the presence and absence of hyperthermia. We found that hyperthermia resulted in time-dependent expression of HSP70 within the pancreas associated with a reduction in the severity of acute pancreatitis. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression was significantly reduced in the presence of hyperthermia. Moreover, NF-kappaB activity was delayed in the presence of hyperthermia whereas IkappaB-alpha was stabilized in the cytoplasm. These results suggest that hyperthermia decreases the severity of cerulein-induced pancreatitis by decreasing cytokine expression in the pancreas through the modulation of NF-kappaB activity.
Failure detection system design methodology

The design of a failure detection and identification system consists of designing a robust residual generation process and a high performance decision making process. The design of these two processes are examined separately. Residual generation is based on analytical redundancy. Redundancy relations that are insensitive to modelling errors and noise effects are important for designing robust residual generation processes. The characterization of the concept of analytical redundancy in terms of a generalized parity space provides a framework in which a systematic approach to the determination of robust redundancy relations are developed. The Bayesian approach is adopted for the design of high performance decision processes. The FDI decision problem is formulated as a Bayes sequential decision problem. Since the optimal decision rule is incomputable, a methodology for designing suboptimal rules is proposed. A numerical algorithm is developed to facilitate the design and performance evaluation of suboptimal rules.
Whose Equality? The Discouraging Politics of American Education (and What We Might Do about It)

Ever since 1954, when a unanimous Supreme Court declared that education is “a right that must be made available to all on equal terms,” Americans have been debating the meaning of educational equality, how it might be attained, and through what instrumentalities of government. Brown v. Board of Education was arguably the most important Supreme Court decision of the twentieth century, not only because it ended legal segregation in schools but also for incorporating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as a tool to promote racial equality in other aspects of American life. Brown also thrust the federal courts deeply into primary and secondary education and opened the door to further federal intervention in a sphere of government that historically belonged to the states and localities. Debates over federalism, separation of powers, policy alternatives, and the role of government in promoting educational and social equality remain very much alive today as the Obama administration puts forth its education agenda, states struggle with its demands, and Congress reconsiders the contours of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
The Value of Soil Insect Control in Iowa Corn, 1951–70

Iowa corn yield data from 132 comparisons of soil treatment with plots receiving no soil insecticide collected over a 20-year period indicated an 8.0 bu/acre increase in favor of aldrin or heptachlor treatment plots of corn following corn. In fields of corn following a crop other than corn, the treated plots averaged 8.7 bu/acre increase in 56 comparisons. In a series of empirical comparisons involving producers from a cross section of the representative soil types of Iowa, information from 939 fields of first-year corn indicated a 9.3 bu/acre increase in favor of aldrin treatment vs. no treatment. These increases occurred on the best as well as on the poorest soils. A 1964 sampling of corn growers throughout Iowa indicated that most soil insecticide users farmed more acres than did their nonuser neighbors. In the 30–39 age group, this was an increase of 62% in favor of users of soil insecticides.
Some New Methods for an Old Problem: Modeling Preference Changes and Competitive Market Structures in Pretest Market Data

Despite the enormous amounts of resources devoted to concept and product testing and the continued use of pretest market (PTM) modeling procedures, estimates of new product failures are still alarm...
μ→ e +γ and τ→μ+γ decays in string models with E 6 symmetry

${\mathit{E}}_{6}$ string models for which (i) ${\mathrm{E}}_{6}$ breaks to [SU(3)${]}^{3}$ at the Planck scale, (ii) [SU(3)${]}^{3}$ breaks to SU(3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}SU(2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1) at an intermediate scale ${\mathit{M}}_{\mathit{I}}$ triggered by a (mass${)}^{2}$ ${\mathit{m}}^{2}$0 where \ensuremath{\lesssim}1 TeV, and (iii) the model possesses a matter-parity invariance lead to the new-physics signals of \ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}e\ensuremath{\gamma} and \ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\gamma} decays which may be accessible experimentally. The outgoing lepton is nearly 100% right handed and the \ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\gamma} branching ratio about ${10}^{5}$ times larger than the \ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}e\ensuremath{\gamma}. Possible ways of detecting these decays are discussed.
Indoor Environmental Effects on Individual Wellbeing

A growing literature demonstrates the impact of the built environment on human health and wellbeing. A wide range of factors such as daylight exposure, ambient noise and air quality may alter an individual's instantaneous state of wellbeing. Instantaneous state of wellbeing has been associated with variability in the physiological stress response. Our research goal is to capture the effect of indoor environment changes on short-term stress response of individuals. At an early stage in this research project, we demarcate our problem by posing three questions: (a) "Which are the indoor environmental factors that correlate with heart rate variability"? (b) "Can episodic stress levels be identified using stress response patterns"? (c) "Can we optimize the overall wellbeing of individuals at workspace by controlling indoor environment"?. We briefly discuss our ongoing study setup and interim results. Thereafter, we propose a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) based framework to address the second question. Addressing the first two questions provides a foundation to address the third question which is the end goal of this study.
Specific Delivery of MiRNA for High Efficient Inhibition of Prostate Cancer by RNA Nanotechnology

Both siRNA and miRNA can serve as powerful gene-silencing reagents but their specific delivery to cancer cells in vivo without collateral damage to healthy cells remains challenging. We report here the application of RNA nanotechnology for specific and efficient delivery of anti-miRNA seed-targeting sequence to block the growth of prostate cancer in mouse models. Utilizing the thermodynamically ultra-stable three-way junction of the pRNA of phi29 DNA packaging motor, RNA nanoparticles were constructed by bottom-up self-assembly containing the anti-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) RNA aptamer as a targeting ligand and anti-miR17 or anti-miR21 as therapeutic modules. The 16 nm RNase-resistant and thermodynamically stable RNA nanoparticles remained intact after systemic injection in mice and strongly bound to tumors with little or no accumulation in healthy organs 8 hours postinjection, and subsequently repressed tumor growth at low doses with high efficiency.
On the Reform of Higher Education and Construction of Green University

During the current program of higher education, more and more people have focused their attention on the concept of “green". The universities have changed their point of view about education, including the management of university, training of talents and campus culture construction, and so on. At present, the Establishing green university has become a important way of education reform in some universities, but we must face the fact that how to make the strategies from laying down policies to taking action to promote the establishing green university, so that the thought of green education with wealthy contents may fuse into the tidal wave of reform of higher education.
Stereospecific (3H)(minus)-alprenolol binding sites, beta-adrenergic receptors and adenylate cyclase.

Abstract The binding of [ 3 H](−)-alprenolol (a potent β-adrenergic antagonist) to sites in frog erythrocyte membranes has been studied by a centrifugal assay. The specificity of the binding sites is strikingly similar to what might be expected of the β-adrenergic receptor binding sites which mediate stimulation of adenylate cyclase by catecholamines in these membranes. The sites bind β-adrenergic antagonists and agonists with affinities which are directly related to their antagonist or agonist potency on the frog erythrocyte membrane adenylate cyclase. Binding shows strict stereospecificity with (−)-isomers exhibiting two orders of magnitude higher affinities than (+)-isomers. Dissociation constants for potent β-adrenergic antagonists are in the range of 10 −9 – 10 −8 M whereas those for β-adrenergic agonists are about two orders of magnitude higher (≥ 10 −6 M).
Neurologic implications of the pathologically open bladder neck.

AbstractNormally the bladder neck remains closed except during voiding. We reviewed 550 consecutive patients who underwent synchronous video/flow/pressure/electromyography studies to identify whether neurologic factors are involved in the pathogenesis of an abnormally open bladder neck. A total of 33 patients who had not undergone prior bladder neck surgery had an open bladder neck at rest. The prevalence of neurologic lesions in patients with an open bladder neck was significantly greater than in those with a normal bladder neck. However, there was no correlation between any specific lesion and the incidence of an open bladder neck. Patients with myelodysplasia had an inordinately high incidence of open bladder neck. We conclude that abnormalities of bladder neck innervation may result in a pathologically open bladder neck.
STRENGTH EXERCISES COMBINED WITH DRY NEEDLING WITH ELECTRICAL STIMULATION IMPROVE PAIN AND FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ROTATOR CUFF TENDINOPATHY: A RETROSPECTIVE CASE SERIES

Background and purpose Rotator cuff tendinopathy (RTCT) is regularly treated by the physical therapist. Multiple etiologies for RTCT exist, leading an individual to seek treatment from their provider of choice. Strengthening exercises (SE) have been reported to be effective in the treatment of RTCT, but there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of dry needing (DN) for this condition. The purpose of this retrospective case series was to investigate DN to various non-trigger point-based anatomical locations coupled with strengthening exercises (SE) as a treatment strategy to decrease pain and increase function in healthy patients with chronic RTC pathology. Case descriptions Eight patients with RTCT were treated 1-2 times per week for up to eight weeks, and no more than sixteen total treatment sessions of SE and DN. Outcomes were tested at baseline and upon completion of therapy. A long-term outcome measure follow up averaging 8.75 months (range 3 to 20 months) was also performed. The outcome measures included the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Quick Dash (QD). Outcomes Clinically meaningful improvements in disability and pain in the short term and upon long-term follow up were demonstrated for each patient. The mean VAS was broken down into best (VAS(B)), current (VAS(C)), and worst (VAS(W)) rated pain levels and the mean was calculated for the eight patients. The mean VAS(B) improved from 22.5 mm at the initial assessment to 2.36 mm upon completion of the intervention duration. The mean VASC improved from 28.36 mm to 5.0 mm, and the mean VAS(W) improved from 68.88 mm to 13.25 mm. At the long-term follow up (average 8.75 months), The mean VAS(B), VAS(C), and VAS(W) scores were 0.36 mm, 4.88 mm, and 17.88 mm respectively. The QD(mean) for the eight patients improved from 43.09 at baseline to 16.04 at the completion of treatment. At long-term follow-up, the QD(mean) was 6.59. Conclusion Clinically meaningful improvements in pain and disability were noted with the intervention protocol. All subjects responded positively to the intervention and reported quality of life was improved for each subject. The results of this case series show promising outcomes for the combination of SE and DN in the treatment of chronic RTCT. Level of evidence Level 4.
Neural networks and differential dynamic programming for reinforcement learning problems

We explore a model-based approach to reinforcement learning where partially or totally unknown dynamics are learned and explicit planning is performed. We learn dynamics with neural networks, and plan behaviors with differential dynamic programming (DDP). In order to handle complicated dynamics, such as manipulating liquids (pouring), we consider temporally decomposed dynamics. We start from our recent work [1] where we used locally weighted regression (LWR) to model dynamics. The major contribution of this paper is making use of deep learning in the form of neural networks with stochastic DDP, and showing the advantages of neural networks over LWR. For this purpose, we extend neural networks for: (1) modeling prediction error and output noise, (2) computing an output probability distribution for a given input distribution, and (3) computing gradients of output expectation with respect to an input. Since neural networks have nonlinear activation functions, these extensions were not easy. We provide an analytic solution for these extensions using some simplifying assumptions. We verified this method in pouring simulation experiments. The learning performance with neural networks was better than that of LWR. The amount of spilled materials was reduced. We also present early results of robot experiments using a PR2. Accompanying video: https://youtu.be/aM3hE1J5W98
Use of the Harmaline and α1 Knockout Models to Identify Molecular Targets for Essential Tremor

Essential tremor affects the hands during actions and can be disabling. Although common, no medications for it have emerged from basic research. Animal tremor models offer an approach to identify targets for drug development. In one model, the drug harmaline induces whole-body tremor in a rodent that lasts at least 1.5 h. In another model, the α1 subunit of the γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor is knocked out, leading to tremor that is best seen when the mouse is picked up by the tail. Each model has limitations and does not perfectly predict drug efficacy for essential tremor. Nonetheless, they offer a useful starting point to test hypotheses on what may suppress tremor. In this chapter, we describe the models and review progress to date. The models suggest that drugs that block neuronal gap junctions or T-type calcium channels, or activate certain GABA receptors, might be useful for tremor.
Outcomes of Concurrent Breast and Gynecologic Risk Reduction Surgery.

Background Women considering risk reduction surgery after a diagnosis of breast/ovarian cancer and/or inherited cancer gene mutation face difficult decisions. The safety of combined breast and gynecologic surgery has not been well studied; therefore, we evaluated the outcomes for patients who have undergone coordinated multispecialty surgery.