cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cooperative Learning Environments: Effects on Academic Attitudes of Gifted Students

The attitudes of academically gifted students and the general cohort toward cooperative learning and academic school subjects were studied. Three hypotheses were tested: (a) in classes where cooperative learning is used, nonidentified children will exhibit more positive attitudes toward cooperative learning methods than their more academically able peers; (b) boys will exhibit more positive attitudes toward cooperative learning than girls; (c) Gifted children, in contrast to non-gifted peers, will exhibit more positive attitudes in settings where cooperative learning is seldom or never used than in settings where such instruction is frequently used. Data obtained from 28 classes of sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders in four schools generally supported hypotheses (a) and (b), but not (c). Although not a strong finding, overall attitudes toward school subjects were most positive in classes where cooperative learning was used sparingly as an instructional supplement.
High efficiency tandem organic photovoltaics incorporating small molecule blended squaraine donors and a fullerene acceptor

We demonstrate a high efficiency organic tandem cell based on a pair of sub-cells employing solution and vapor deposited donors and a fullerene acceptor. One sub-cell that absorbs primarily from the green into the near infrared consists of a solution-processed, solvent-vapor-annealed blended squaraine/C70 bilayer heterojunction, while the second, visible absorbing sub-cell consists of a vapor-deposited tetraphenyldibenzoperiflanthene (DBP):C70 planar-mixed heterojunction. The resulting stacked tandem device harvests photons of λ <; 800 nm while providing an open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.83 V and ηp = 7.8 ± 0.4 %.
Detecting rare functional variants using a wavelet-based test on quantitative and qualitative traits

We conducted a genome-wide association study on the Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 simulated unrelated individuals data using a multilocus score test based on wavelet transformation that we proposed recently. Wavelet transformation is an advanced smoothing technique, whereas the currently popular collapsing methods are the simplest way to smooth multilocus genotypes. The wavelet-based test suppresses noise from the data more effectively, which results in lower type I error rates. We chose a level-dependent threshold for the wavelet-based test to suppress the optimal amount of noise according to the data. We propose several remedies to reduce the inflated type I error rate: using a window of fixed size rather than a gene; using the Bonferroni correction rather than comparing to the maxima of test values for multiple testing corrections; and removing the influence of other factors by using residuals for the association test. A wavelet-based test can detect multiple rare functional variants. Type I error rates can be controlled using the wavelet-based test combined with the mentioned remedies.
Sound Lateralization Test Distinguishes Unimpaired MS Patients from Healthy Controls

There is an urgent need to develop a practical and reliable clinical measure of disease progression in early and mild MS. We hypothesized that a test of sound lateralization, which is exquisitely sensitive to transmission delays in auditory brainstem, could be more useful for detecting processing speed deficits in mildly impaired MS subjects than standard cognitive tasks. Objective. To develop a practical test of sound lateralization for the clinic and to compare performance of MS subjects with variable disability and healthy subjects on Sound Lateralization Test (SLT) and two speed-of-processing tasks. Design. 42 healthy controls and 90 subjects with clinically definite MS, divided into no, mild, and moderate disability strata, were administered the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), and 3-second Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT). Results. All of the tests showed an overall difference in performance between controls and the three MS groups, but only the SLT measured a significant difference between controls and the no disability group. Conclusion. SLT is rapidly applied, technically simple, and superior to standard processing speed tests for discriminating between healthy controls and nondisabled MS subjects. SLT should be investigated as an outcome measure in early-phase trials and for monitoring early disease progression in the clinic.
Personal value orientation and judgment of categories of creative behavior.

Ss classified on the basis of the Allport-Vernon-Lindzey Study of Values as either aesthetic, theoretical, or economic in value orientation rated for their creativity 48 behavior episodes classified on the basis of their reference to science, art, or business. A 3 × 3 analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated that both main effects and the interaction term were significant. These data were interpreted as indicating that persons are more likely to judge behaviors creative if they are congruent with their dominant value orientation. The relevance of these data for the criterion problem in research on creativity is briefly noted.
Side-chain structure and dynamics at the lipid-protein interface: Val1 of the gramicidin A channel

High resolution dynamics and structural information has been resolved from 2H solid-state NMR spectra of the Val-1 side-chain of the gramicidin channel in a lipid bilayer. Both powder pattern lineshapes and spectra from uniformly aligned samples of gramicidin in lipid bilayers have been analyzed to achieve a fully consistant interpretation of the data. Torsional motions about the C alpha C beta axis (chi 1) are shown to be three-state jumps in which the occupancy of the states is given by the ratio, 75:15:10 for the chi 1 angles of 184 degrees:304 degrees:64 degrees. The dominant conformer is also the most common conformation observed for valines in well defined protein structures. The distribution of conformational substates that represents the chi 1 dynamics appears to be largely independent of the lipid phase transition and the hydration of the sample. However, there is evidence that the residence time between jumps is dependent on the lipid phase transition. Although this time is shown to be approximately 1 microseconds below the phase transition temperature, it is in the fast exchange limit above the transition temperature.
Ethnic Differences Among Adolescents Beginning Treatment for Depression

This study examines ethnic/racial differences at the start of treatment among participants in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). African American and Latino youth were compared to Caucasian youth on symptom presentation and cognitive variables associated with depression. Contrary to hypothesis, there were no significant differences in symptom presentation as measured by the interview-based items of the Children’s Depression Rating Scale – Revised (CDRS-R). However, African American and Latino youth were both rated as demonstrating more severe symptoms on the observational items of the CDRS-R compared to Caucasian youth. In terms of cognitive variables associated with depression, African Americans reported fewer negative cognitive biases compared to Caucasians, but cognitive biases were significantly correlated with depression severity across ethnic groups.
The Validation of Computer Simulations for Design Guideline Dispute Resolution

In recent years, the accessibility of advanced computer simulation has increased to the point where it is appearing in every type of dispute resolution. The ability of computer imaging to facilitate visualization of both the literal and the abstract offers the prospect of significantly "opening" processes to public view that would have previously been restricted to only specifically trained professionals. As a consequence, computer simulation has emerged as an accurate means of reviewing design guidelines, whether proposed or in place. The fact that the accuracy of such simulations is rarely questioned focuses responsibility for the demonstration of their validity on the people who produce them. For computer simulations to be useful, they must be systematically validated during their creation and presented along with sufficient supporting information to the end users to allow an accurate assessment of their value. This article presents issues associated with simulation production for design guideline revi...
Comparison of Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery With Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Drug-Eluting Stents for Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Disease

Objectives This study evaluated the clinical outcomes of consecutive, selected patients treated with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) for unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease. Background Although recent data suggest that PCI with DES provides better clinical outcomes compared to bare-metal stenting for ULMCA disease, there is a paucity of data comparing PCI with DES to CABG. Methods Since April 2003, when DES first became available at our institution, 123 patients underwent CABG, and 50 patients underwent PCI with DES for ULMCA disease. Results High-risk patients (Parsonnet score >15) comprised 46% of the CABG group and 64% of the PCI group (p = 0.04). The 30-day major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) rate for CABG and PCI was 17% and 2% (p Conclusions Despite a higher percentage of high-risk patients, PCI with DES for ULMCA disease was not associated with an increase in immediate or medium-term complications compared with CABG. Our data suggest that a randomized comparison between the two revascularization strategies for ULMCA may be warranted.
Does Stone Entrapment With "Uro-Net" Improve Ho:YAG Laser Lithotripsy Efficiency in Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy and Cystolithopaxy?: an In Vitro Study

Purpose to test the effect of stone entrapment on laser lithotripsy efficiency. Materials and Methods Spherical stone phantoms were created using the BegoStone® plaster. Lithotripsy of one stone (1.0g) per test jar was performed with Ho:YAG laser (365µm fiber; 1 minute/trial). Four laser settings were tested: I-0.8J,8Hz; II-0.2J,50Hz; III-0.5J,50Hz; IV-1.5J,40Hz. Uro-Net (US Endoscopy) deployment was used in 3/9 trials. Post-treatment, stone fragments were strained though a 1mm sieve; after a 7-day drying period fragments and unfragmented stone were weighed. Uro-Net nylon mesh and wire frame resistance were tested (laser fired for 30s). All nets used were evaluated for functionality and strength (compared to 10 new nets). Student's T test was used to compare the studied parameters; significance was set at p < 0.05. Results Laser settings I and II caused less damage to the net overall; the mesh and wire frame had worst injuries with setting IV; setting III had an intermediate outcome; 42% of nets were rendered unusable and excluded from strength analysis. There was no difference in mean strength between used functional nets and non-used devices (8.05 vs. 7.45 lbs, respectively; p = 0.14). Setting IV was the most efficient for lithotripsy (1.9 ± 0.6 mg/s; p < 0.001) with or without net stabilization; setting III was superior to I and II only if a net was not used. conclusions Laser lithotripsy is not optimized by stone entrapment with a net retrieval device which may be damaged by high energy laser settings.
Fully developed viscous—flow heat transfer in curved circular tubes with uniform wall temperature

Fully developed forced-convective heat transfer to viscous flow of a constant-property Newtonian fluid in curved circular tubes was studied theoretically for a uniform-wall-temperature boundary condition. Numerical solutions were obtained over a wide range of Prandtl numbers for Dean numbers as large as 1,200. The curvature ratio (radius of bend/inside radius of tube) was included as an independent parameter and, for values as small as 10, was found to have a negligible effect on the peripherally averaged Nusselt number. The average Nusselt numbers for the important Prandtl number range of 0.7 to 5 were correlated by NNu = 0.836 NDe0.5 NPr0.1 for NDe ≥ 80.
Total ionizing dose and single event effect studies of a 0.25μm CMOS serializer ASIC

A 0.25 μm CMOS serializer ASIC, designed using radiation tolerant layout practice, was exposed to proton beam at various flux levels and accumulated fluence over 1.9times1015 protons/cm2 (100 Mrad (Si)). The ASIC survived this total ionizing dose (TID) with no degradation in function. Single event effect (SEE) cross-sections are also calculated.
Relative Concentration of Cry1A in Maize Leaves and Cotton Bolls with Diverse Chlorophyll Content and Corresponding Larval Development of Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Southwestern Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on Maize Whorl Leaf Profiles

To manage insect resistance to transgenic crops that express insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends a refuge-based insect resistance management strategy where a percentage of non-Bt (refuge) crop is grown in proximity to a Bt-expressing crop. An important requirement for this strategy is that the toxin exists at a high effective dose for control of the target pest(s), so that heterozygous individuals in the population do not reach adulthood. Factors that cause reduced levels of toxin in the plant are a threat to this strategy. We quantified Cry1Ab from different areas of the maize, Zea mays L., leaf. In general, the distal tip of the V7 maize leaf had a higher concentration of Cry1Ab compared with the middle section of the V7 leaf, and the middle section of the developing V9 leaf had the lowest concentration of Cry1Ab. When these sections of maize tissue were fed to fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), and southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella Dyar, there was not a reduction in development or an increase in mortality with tissue that had higher concentrations of toxin. Another study tested the relative concentration of Cry1Ab between the white-yellow, yellow-green, and green portions of the developing ninth leaf within the maize whorl. There were differences in Cry1Ab concentration among these leaf areas. The green tissue had the highest concentration of toxin followed by the yellow-green and white-yellow tissues. Correlations between concentration of Cry1Ab and 5-d fall armyworm larval weights among the three leaf color profiles were all significant and negative, i.e., decreased concentration of Cry1Ab in the leaf tissue resulted in increased 5-d larval weights. There was 100% mortality to the southwestern corn borer larvae fed Cry1Ab maize leaf tissue. Differences in the amount of Cry1Ab in the developing V9 leaf profiles did not alter the absolute susceptibility of the southwestern corn borer to the toxin. In cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., the amount of Cry1Ac was significantly lower in boll tips where flowers had remained attached compared with normal boll tips. Boll tips where the flowers remained attached are often the site where corn earworms, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), penetrate Bt cotton bolls. This study demonstrated that, in two diverse plant species, tissue that has low chlorophyll content does not fully express Cry1A. Photosynthesis regulating factors related to mRNA transcription and translation should be studied for their effect on Cry1A production and insect control.
Abstract 238: Causes Of Readmission In Congestive Heart Failure Patients: Analysis Of 2,536,439 discharges

Introduction: Congestive heart failure (CHF), a major cause of morbidity, is associated with a high 30-day re-admission rate and economic burden on health care. However, detailed description of the causes and preventability of readmissions after CHF are lacking. Determination of the causes of 30-day re-admissions can help hospitals to formulate strategies to reduce readmission and improve quality of life. This study was done to determine causes of re-admission within 30-days after index visit from CHF. Methods: We used Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality sponsored Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data to extract data. NIS represents 20% of all hospital data in US. Patients discharged with CHF during years 2009-2011 were identified using ICD 9 codes of 398.91, 428.0, 428.1, 428.20, 428.21, 428.22, 428.23, 428.30, 428.31, 428.32, 428.33, 428.40, 428.41, 428.42, 428.43 and 428.9. Patients readmitted within 30 days were identified and categorized based on admit...
Risk assessment in clinical trials: it don't mean an ethical thing if it ain't got that probability ring!

Since clinical trials are conducted in a context of inherent uncertainty, the assessment of risk is central to their scientific design and ethical conduct. Substantial evidence points to a pervasive misunderstanding of the concept of risk within the clinical research community that results in risk assessment being one of the least satisfactory parts of trial protocols. At its core, the problem rests with the fact that medicine, unlike the social sciences, economics, and philosophy which now pursue their respective scientific methodologies grounded in a probabilistic paradigm, remains wedded to a deterministic paradigm. However, it is from within the probabilistic rather than the deterministic paradigm that justification for conducting clinical research is to be found. Since prospectively their outcomes, including benefit and harm, are unknowable, clinical trials take place under conditions of uncertainty. In recognizing this, the Belmont Report (Belmont) [1] called for the assessment of risk involved in participating in clinical trials with three goals in mind. The first, for clinical researchers, is to determine whether the research design poses minimal risk of harm to participants. The second goal, for prospective participants, is to help them to decide whether to participate in the trial. The third goal, for institutional review boards (IRB’s), is to enable members to determine whether the risk of harm relative to the likelihood of benefit favors benefit over harm for trial participants. By way of confirmation, the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) declared that “risk is a central organizing principle, a filter through which protocols must pass” [2] if scientific validity, patient participation, and IRB approval are to be considered reasonable. But given the centrality of risk assessment to scientific validity, a patient’s informed consent to participation and IRB approval, why in a 2002 study would up to two-thirds of respondents find that trial protocols provide insufficient information regarding the likelihood of both risks and benefits [3]? Why is it that so few protocols pass through the NBAC filter and in the way envisaged by Belmont? Closer reading of Belmont also reveals that risk assessment requires a specific understanding of the concept of risk which: refers to a possibility that harm may occur. However, when expressions such as ‘small risk’ or ‘high risk’ are used, they usually refer (often ambiguously) both to the chance (probability) of experiencing harm and the severity (magnitude) of the envisioned harm [1, pg7]. (Cont.)
Russian politics and the Soviet past: Reassessing Stalin and Stalinism under Vladimir Putin

Abstract Evidence drawn from the intersection of historical memory and politics in Russia underline not only on-going framing battles over the Soviet past. The evidence suggests that the Kremlin is unwilling to develop and impose on society historical narratives which promote chauvinism, hypernationalism, and re-Stalinization. Although such an agenda has some support among incumbent elites and in society, it remains subordinate in terms of political influence as of early 2016. Instead, the regime is now extending support to groups in society and the political establishment which favor a critical assessment of the Soviet era, including Stalinism. This emerging criticism of the Soviet past serves a number of important goals of the leadership, including re-engagement with the West. To this end, the Kremlin recently approved new history textbooks critical of the Soviet past as well as a significant program that memorializes the victims of Soviet repressions. Yet the regime is unlikely to usher in thorough de-Stalinization which would threaten its power. Instead, the Kremlin is attempting to assemble a grand narrative that approves, as well as criticizes – in different measures – each of the regimes that existed in the 20th century (tsarist, communist, and post-communist). This incipient narrative constitutes a form of bricolage, which involves the retrieval and reassembly of diverse, often conflicting, elements to solve a problem. Here the problem is the long-standing, divisive issue of how to evaluate the history of 20th century Russia and its different regimes. The Kremlin now seeks to knit together the diverse identities of these regimes through the unifying historical thread of the Russian state. This act of bricolage also seeks to reconcile the contradictions within each regime: elements of the new narrative can be expected to condemn the inhumanity of Stalin and Stalinism while other facets will extol industrialization and the Great Patriotic War as the achievements of Russian-led Soviet society. From this perspective, neither re-Stalinization nor de-Stalinization is likely to occur in Putin's Russia. Nevertheless, if recent initiatives remain in place, critical assessments of Soviet foreign and domestic policies will become increasingly commonplace.
Revisión: datos sobre los apellidos hispanoamericanos en los estudios de biología humana

En esta investigacion se realizo un analisis de la genetica de apellidos y sus aplicaciones en hispanoamerica, asi tambien se presenta una sintesis de trabajos anteriores en las siguientes categorias: a) diferenciacion etnica, b) consanguinidad, c) relacion etnica. Uno de los paises que mas interes ha mostrado en esta area es Venezuela.
kBF: Towards Approximate and Bloom Filter based Key-Value Storage for Cloud Computing Systems

As one of the most popular cloud services, data storage has attracted great attention in recent research efforts. Key-value (k-v) stores have emerged as a popular option for storing and querying billions of key-value pairs. So far, existing methods have been deterministic. Providing such accuracy, however, comes at the cost of memory and CPU time. In contrast, we present an approximate k-v storage for cloud-based systems that is more compact than existing methods. The tradeoff is that it may, theoretically, return errors. Its design is based on the probabilistic data structure called “bloom filter”, where we extend the classical bloom filter to support key-value operations. We call the resulting design as the kBF (key-value bloom filter). We further develop a distributed version of the kBF (d-kBF) for the unique requirements of cloud computing platforms, where multiple servers cooperate to handle a large volume of queries in a load-balancing manner. Finally, we apply the kBF to a practical problem of implementing a state machine to demonstrate how the kBF can be used as a building block for more complicated software infrastructures.
Specificities of hyaluronidases formed by several groups of streptococci.

SummaryHyaluronidases produced by strains of Groups A and B streptococci are serologically distinct. Hyaluronidases produced by strains of Groups C and G are serologically indistinct. Each of the latter is distinctly different from hyaluronidases formed by strains of streptococci, Groups A and B.
Decentralized Water Allocation in Florida

For generations the predominate view toward water in Florida was to drain excess water in order to facilitate development. As drainage and development have expanded, increased demands have been placed on the state’s water supply. Simultaneously, Florida’s unique natural systems dependency on water is becoming more evident. As a result, temporary water shortages during drought periods have become commonplace, major investments are being made to offset the environmental impacts of previous drainage projects, and periodic water supply and use imbalances have developed in some areas. This paper describes the most serious water shortage (allocation) problem in Florida and describes newly proposed rules designed to alleviate the shortage. The new rules were formally adopted by the Southwest Florida Water Management District in November 1994. The voluntary reallocation provisions, phase-in periods for achieving increased water use efficiencies, irrigation credits system, lack of mandated technologies, and provision for alternative standby credits are all innovative provisions for Florida. There is still considerable uncertainty regarding how the voluntary reallocation provisions will ultimately be implemented. The potential water market activity will depend on the specific rights that can be traded and the level of transactions costs imposed on the market.
A Pilot Study to Evaluate Adherence to the 2010 Care Considerations for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) at Selected Clinics Identified by the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance Tracking and Research Network (MD STARnet) Sites. Phase 1:Clinic Director Survey (P3.168)

Objective:To evaluate adoption of the Care Considerations for DMD through a pilot survey of clinic directors identified by the MD STARnet sites. Background: Care recommendations for the management of patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) were developed by an international panel of experts convened and supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in 2010. In 2013, the CDC funded a pilot study to evaluate adherence to these recommendations by selected clinics treating dystrophinopathy patients. Methods:The pilot study included two-phases. In the first phase, a survey was distributed to 9 clinic directors identifiedby the MD STARnet sites in Arizona,Colorado, Iowa and western New York. The survey was comprised of questions about interdisciplinary management and perceived barriers to care at the patient, system, and provider levels.Item response categories were included to reflect recommended care practices and alternative approaches to patient management. The second phase includes medical record abstraction of patient records. Results: Completed surveyswere received from six clinics. Findings suggest all clinics offer multidisciplinary care, examine patients biannually, and offer all patients corticosteroidtreatment. Monitoring of pulmonary health was consistent with recommendations for non-ambulatory, asymptomatic patients. Monitoring of scoliosis and cardiac health consistent with recommendations were reported by 80[percnt] of clinic directors and over one-half reported neurocognitive/ neuropsychological evaluations.Prominent system barriers were funding for ancillary staff and care coordination. Barriers for families included distance to care, lack of resources and out-of-pocket expenses. Conclusions:A majority of surveyed clinics reported adherence to most of the care recommendations in their management practices. The next phase of the project includes medical record abstraction. The availability of both clinic surveys and medical record abstraction afford a unique perspective on assessing the use of the care recommendations when treating dystrophinopathy patients. Disclosure: Dr. Pandya has nothing to disclose. Dr. Caspers Conway has nothing to disclose. Dr. Trout has nothing to disclose. Dr. Westfield has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fox has nothing to disclose.
Solving the Nonlinear LTE Resource Allocation Problem with a Linear Approach

The LTE downlink resource allocation problem is usually formatted as a nonlinear integer programming problem. This brings difficulties to model implementation, numerical analysis, and performance simulation. In this paper, we derive an equivalent linear model. Then this model is implemented and the simulation results are presented.
Identifying the Client in a Corporate Family: The Overreliance on Corporate Affiliation in Attorney-Client Privilege

The attorney-client privilege is a well-established tenet of law that balances two competing interests—the need for a disclosure of facts that could lead to an equitable conclusion in litigation, and the need to protect communications between counsel and client to promote candid and comprehensive discourse that could lead to an equitable conclusion in litigation. The attorney-client privilege has evolved in time to evade obsolescence. This Comment discusses the evolution of the attorney-client privilege in the context of modern corporate law. This Comment addresses when it becomes appropriate to extend the privilege between separate corporations that are affiliated by ownership. Many courts focus the analysis on the degree of ownership, whether wholly owned, majority owned, or merely affiliated. Although the degree of affiliation carries pronounced import in the analysis, it alone should not be dispositive. A proper determination cannot be reached without consideration of other essential factors and the underlying policy.
Development and Clinical Implementation of Reverse Phase Protein Microarrays for Protein Network Activation Mapping: Personalized Cancer Therapy

Recently, whole genome mutational scanning analysis of a number of solid tumors has revealed that cancer is a protein pathway disease at the functional level. However, since genomic and transcript profiling likely cannot alone sufficiently predict protein pathway activation in each patient’s tumor, and it is these signaling pathways that represent the targets for new molecular guided therapeutics. Thus, it is critical that we begin to define human cancer at a functional pathway activation level. Post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation drive and underpin nearly all cell signaling processes that are aberrantly activated in cancer and are epigenetic events, and not necessarily directly predictable using genomic approaches. In fact, cancer, as a model for human disease, is a manifestation of deranged cellular protein molecular networks and cell signaling pathways that are underpinned by genetic changes. These pathways contain a large and growing collection of drug targets governing cellular survival, proliferation, invasion and cell death. We have developed a new type of technology, termed reverse phase protein microarray, to generate a functional map of known cell signaling networks or pathways for an individual patient using tissue obtained directly from a biopsy specimen. This patient-specific “circuit diagram” provides key information for individualized therapy. The identification of activated protein drug target networks can be used as patient selection and stratification: the realization of pathway biomarkers as perhaps the ultimate companion diagnostic assay for systems medicine.
Community Colleges and Employers: How Can We Understand their Connection?

This paper uses an original, nationally representative survey of manufacturing establishments to shed light on the interaction of employers with community colleges, including information on skill requirements and human resource practices. We test three hypotheses: that high-skill employers use community colleges, that community colleges are a substitute for employer-based training, and that community colleges are a complement to so-called 'high-road' or 'high-commitment' human resource practices. We find limited utilization of community colleges by employers, but those that do establish a relationship are generally satisfied. Employers that demand high skills are more likely to use community colleges, as are 'high-commitment' firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
SPALS: Fast Alternating Least Squares via Implicit Leverage Scores Sampling

Tensor CANDECOMP/PARAFAC (CP) decomposition is a powerful but computationally challenging tool in modern data analytics. In this paper, we show ways of sampling intermediate steps of alternating minimization algorithms for computing low rank tensor CP decompositions, leading to the sparse alternating least squares (SPALS) method. Specifically, we sample the the Khatri-Rao product, which arises as an intermediate object during the iterations of alternating least squares. This product captures the interactions between different tensor modes, and form the main computational bottleneck for solving many tensor related tasks. By exploiting the spectral structures of the matrix Khatri-Rao product, we provide efficient access to its statistical leverage scores. When applied to the tensor CP decomposition, our method leads to the first algorithm that runs in sublinear time per-iteration and approximates the output of deterministic alternating least squares algorithms. Empirical evaluations of this approach show significantly speedups over existing randomized and deterministic routines for performing CP decomposition. On a tensor of the size 2.4m by 6.6m by 92k with over 2 billion nonzeros formed by Amazon product reviews, our routine converges in two minutes to the same error as deterministic ALS.
Afternoon Napping and Cognition in Chinese Older Adults: Findings from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study Baseline Assessment

Objectives To examine the cross-sectional associations between self-reported postlunch napping and structured cognitive assessments in Chinese older adults. Design Cross-sectional cohort study. Setting China. Participants Individuals aged 65 and older from the baseline national wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) (N = 2,974). Measurements Interview-based cognitive assessments of orientation and attention, episodic memory, visuospatial abilities, and a combined global cognition score incorporating these assessments. Other self-reported or interview-based assessments included postlunch napping duration, nighttime sleep duration, demographic characteristics, health habits, comorbidities, functional status and social activities. According to reported napping duration, older adults were categorized as non-nappers (0 minutes), short nappers ( 90 minutes). Results Postlunch napping was reporting in 57.7% of participants for a mean of 63 minutes. Cognitive function was significantly associated with napping (P < .001). Between-group comparisons showed that moderate nappers had better overall cognition than nonnappers (P < .001) or extended nappers (P = .01). Nonnappers also had significantly poorer cognition than short nappers (P = .03). In multiple regression analysis, moderate napping was significantly associated with better cognition than non- (P = .004), short (P = .04), and extended napping (P = .002), after controlling for demographic characteristics, body mass index, depression, instrumental activities of daily living, social activities, and nighttime sleep duration. Conclusion A cross-sectional association was found between moderate postlunch napping and better cognition in Chinese older adults. The cross-sectional design and self-reported measures of sleep limited the findings. Longitudinal studies with objective napping measures are needed to further test this hypothesis.
Gene set selection via LASSO penalized regression (SLPR)

Gene set testing is an important bioinformatics technique that addresses the challenges of power, interpretation and replication. To better support the analysis of large and highly overlapping gene set collections, researchers have recently developed a number of multiset methods that jointly evaluate all gene sets in a collection to identify a parsimonious group of functionally independent sets. Unfortunately, current multiset methods all use binary indicators for gene and gene set activity and assume that a gene is active if any containing gene set is active. This simplistic model limits performance on many types of genomic data. To address this limitation, we developed gene set Selection via LASSO Penalized Regression (SLPR), a novel mapping of multiset gene set testing to penalized multiple linear regression. The SLPR method assumes a linear relationship between continuous measures of gene activity and the activity of all gene sets in the collection. As we demonstrate via simulation studies and the analysis of TCGA data using MSigDB gene sets, the SLPR method outperforms existing multiset methods when the true biological process is well approximated by continuous activity measures and a linear association between genes and gene sets.
Introduction: Sociality, Learning, and the Creative Unfolding of Human Existence

The introduction to the text outlines its approach to the study of learning and becoming, taking its lead from the interdependency that characterizes human existence throughout the entirety of the lifespan. Human sociality is seen as a readiness for learning that is already apparent in utero. This assertion in no way assumes a merely passive posture on the part of the developing person. Every human being evidences a degree of openness to learning in-the-world-with-others, the magnitude of which can be assessed on the basis of the learner’s relative enthusiasm for learning. It is argued that human beings are creatures for whom there is a necessary confluence of learning and imagination (envisioned as a synthetic power with creative potential) in the unfolding of human becoming.
Solving generalized semi-Markov decision processes using continuous phase-type distributions

We introduce the generalized semi-Markov decision process (GSMDP) as an extension of continuous-time MDPs and semi-Markov decision processes (SMDPs) for modeling stochastic decision processes with asynchronous events and actions. Using phase-type distributions and uniformization, we show how an arbitrary GSMDP can be approximated by a discrete-time MDP, which can then be solved using existing MDP techniques. The techniques we present can also be seen as an alternative approach for solving SMDPs, and we demonstrate that the introduction of phases allows us to generate higher quality policies than those obtained by standard SMDP solution techniques.
Sensitivity analysis of VERA-CS and FRAPCON coupling in a multiphysics environment

Abstract A demonstration and description of the LOCA Toolkit for US light water reactors (LOTUS) is presented. Through LOTUS, the core simulator VERA-CS developed by CASL is coupled with the fuel performance code FRAPCON. The coupling is performed with consistent uncertainty propagation with all model inconsistencies being well-documented. Monte Carlo sampling is performed on a single 17 × 17 fuel assembly with a three cycle depletion case. Both uncertainty quantification (UQ) and sensitivity analysis (SA) are used at multiple states within the simulation to elucidate the behavior of minimum departure from nucleate boiling ratio (MDNBR), maximum fuel centerline temperature (MFCT), and gap conductance at peak power (GCPP). The SA metrics used are the Pearson correlation coefficient, Sobol sensitivity indices, and the density-based, delta moment independent measures. Results for MDNBR show consistency among all SA measures, as well for all states throughout the fuel lifecycle. MFCT results contain consistent rankings between SA measures, but show differences throughout the lifecycle. GCPP exhibits predominantly linear relations at low and high burnup, but highly nonlinear relations at intermediate burnup due to abrupt shifts between models. Such behavior is largely undetectable to traditional regression or variance-based methods and demonstrates the utility of density-based methods.
Cultures and Contexts of Transfer: Social Origins and Support Systems

This chapter outlines the contexts and social situations in which transfer often operates, namely, learning contexts and cultural settings. The encapsulation of learning in a specific cultural situation is the broader paradigm for different transfer contexts. The mechanisms of transfer as well as the transfer spirit are shaped by the social, organizational, and group systems within which they take place. Children are an excellent example of the effects of cultures and contexts of transfer. During their first 5 years children learn within culturally meaningful ongoing contexts in which they receive immediate feedback on the successes or failures of their actions. Their learning is often mediated by their parents and peers, who not only serve as models for imitative learning, but who facilitate learning by providing structures and connections among their experiences. Learning in the workplace is a subset of learning contexts in general. A work context consists of roles, norms, cues, procedural knowledge, goals, reinforcement patterns, modeling behaviors and attitudes, meanings, and specific kinds of information that are part of the activities one engages in, as well as a host of other contextual factors that are an integral cognitive part of our carrying out a relevant task. These variables are constantly learned and applied through the direct observation and verbal communication with others.
Neuronal nitric oxide synthase regulation of skeletal muscle functional hyperemia: exercise training and moderate compensated heart failure.

Abstract Nitric oxide (NO) modulates oxygen delivery-utilization matching in resting and contracting skeletal muscle. Recent reports indicate that neuronal NO synthase (nNOS)-mediated vasoregulation during contractions is enhanced with exercise training and impaired with chronic heart failure (HF). Consequently, we tested the hypothesis that selective nNOS inhibition (S-methyl- l -thiocitrulline; SMTC, 2.1 μmol/kg) would produce attenuated reductions in muscle blood flow during moderate/heavy submaximal exercise in sedentary HF rats compared to their healthy counterparts. In addition, SMTC was expected to evoke greater reductions in exercising muscle blood flow in trained compared to sedentary healthy and HF rats. Blood flow during submaximal treadmill running (20 min/m, 5% grade) was determined via radiolabeled microspheres pre- and post-SMTC administration in healthy sedentary (Healthy + Sed, n = 8), healthy exercise trained (Healthy + ExT, n = 8), HF sedentary (HF + Sed, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) = 12 ± 1 mmHg, n = 8), and HF exercise trained (HF + ExT, LVEDP = 16 ± 2 mmHg, n = 7) rats. nNOS contribution to exercising total hindlimb blood flow (ml/min/100 g) was not increased by training in either healthy or HF groups (Healthy + Sed: 105 ± 11 vs. 108 ± 16; Healthy + ExT: 96 ± 9 vs. 91 ± 7; HF + Sed: 124 ± 6 vs. 110 ± 12; HF + ExT: 107 ± 13 vs. 101 ± 8; control vs. SMTC, respectively; p > .05 for all). Similarly, SMTC did not reduce exercising blood flow in the majority of individual hindlimb muscles in any group (p > .05 for all, except for the semitendinosus and adductor longus in HF + Sed and the adductor longus in HF + ExT; p
Training Needs and Online Learning Preferences of Early Childhood Professionals.

Providing early childhood professionals with professional development opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge can improve quality of care. For professional development to be valued by t...
Uncertainty quantification in multiscale simulation of woven fiber composites

Abstract Woven fiber composites have been increasingly employed as light-weight materials in aerospace, construction, and transportation industries due to their superior properties. These materials possess a hierarchical structure that necessitates the use of multiscale simulations in their modeling. To account for the inherent uncertainty in materials, such simulations must be integrated with statistical uncertainty quantification (UQ) and propagation (UP) methods. However, limited advancement has been made in this regard due to the significant computational costs and complexities in modeling spatially correlated structural variations coupled at different scales. In this work, a non-intrusive approach is proposed for multiscale UQ and UP to address these limitations. We introduce the top-down sampling method that allows to model non-stationary and continuous (but not differentiable) spatial variations of uncertainty sources by creating nested random fields (RFs) where the hyperparameters of an ensemble of RFs is characterized by yet another RF. We employ multi-response Gaussian RFs in top-down sampling and leverage statistical techniques (such as metamodeling and dimensionality reduction) to address the considerable computational costs of multiscale simulations. We apply our approach to quantify the uncertainty in a cured woven composite due to spatial variations of yarn angle, fiber volume fraction, and fiber misalignment angle. Our results indicate that, even in linear analysis, the effect of uncertainty sources on the material’s response could be significant.
Interpreting Precession-Driven δ18O Variability in the South Asian Monsoon Region

Speleothem records from the South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) region display variability in the ratio of O-18 and O-16 (δ O-18) in calcium carbonate at orbital frequencies. The dominant mode of variability in many of these records reflects cycles of precession. There are several potential explanations for why SASM speleothem records show a strong precession signal, including changes in temperature, precipitation, and circulation. Here we use an Earth system model with water isotope tracers and water-tagging capability to deconstruct the precession signal found in SASM speleothem records. Our results show that cycles of precession-eccentricity produce changes in SASM intensity that correlate with local temperature, precipitation, and δ O-18. However, neither the amount effect nor temperature differences are responsible for the majority of the SASM δ O-18 variability. Instead, changes in the relative moisture contributions from different source regions drive much of the SASM δ O-18 signal, with more nearby moisture sources during Northern Hemisphere summer at aphelion and more distant moisture sources during Northern Hemisphere summer at perihelion. Further, we find that evaporation amplifies the δ O-18 signal of soil water relative to that of precipitation, providing a better match with the SASM speleothem records. This work helps explain a significant portion of the long-term variability found in SASM speleothem records.
A Stable Neural Code for Birdsong.

Proteins, synapses, and neural connections are in constant flux, yet motor behaviors somehow remain stable. In this issue of Neuron, Katlowitz et al. (2018) show that temporally precise neural activity driving birdsong production is stable for weeks.
Molecular Mechanisms of Antioxidants in Male Infertility

The failure to conceive within 1 year occurs in approximately 15% of couples, and approximately 50% of problems related to conception is either caused entirely by the male or is a combined problem with the male and his partner. Male infertility continues to be a clinical challenge of increasing significance. While the etiology of suboptimal semen quality is currently not completely understood, oxidative stress has demonstrated ability to affect fertility. Oxidative stress is induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS in the form of superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radical are formed as a by-product of oxygen metabolism. The presence of excess ROS can cause oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA. Spermatozoa, like any other aerobic cell, are constantly trying to maintain that fine balance. Abnormal ROS formation is found in up to 40% of infertile patients, with some reports suggesting an inverse relationship between seminal ROS levels and spontaneous pregnancy outcomes of infertile couples. Many studies have attempted to define the relationship between seminal ROS and IVF but have met with conflicting results. Nevertheless, a growing body of knowledge on ROS and fertility makes testing for oxidants in the semen an important part of the infertile male evaluation.
Comparing Paired Observations

We often want to compare a pair of variables to learn if they plot on an approximately straight line or, in other words, if they are related through a simple linear regression. The method is explained in Statistical Analysis of Geological Data;1 you will also find an explanation in standard statistical textbooks.