cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Logical topology augmentation for guaranteed survivability under multiple failures in IP-over-WDM optical network

The survivable logical topology mapping problem in an IP-over-WDM optical network is to map each link (u, v) in the logical topology (at the IP layer) into a lightpath between the nodes u and v in the physical topology (at the optical layer) such that failure of a physical link does not cause the logical topology to become disconnected. Kurant and Thiran [8] presented an algorithmic framework called SMART that involves successive contracting of circuits in the logical topology and mapping the logical links in the circuits into edge disjoint lightpaths in the physical topology. In a recent work [11] a dual framework involving cutsets was presented and it was shown that both these frameworks possess the same algorithmic structure. Algorithms CIRCUIT-SMART, CUTSET-SMART and INCIDENCE-SMART were also presented in [11]. All these algorithms suffer from one important shortcoming, namely, disjoint lightpaths for certain groups of logical links may not exist in the physical topology. Therefore, in such cases, we will have to augment the logical graph with new logical links to guarantee survivability. In this paper we address this augmentation problem. We first show that if a logical topology is a chordal graph then it admits a survivable mapping as long as the physical topology is 3-edge connected and the logical topology is 2-edge connected. We identify one such chordal graph. We then show how to embed this chordal graph on a logical topology to guarantee survivability. We also show how this augmentation approach can be generalized to guarantee survivability under multiple failures.
Maternal juvenile rheumatoid arthritis may be associated with preterm birth but not poor fetal growth

Maternal juvenile rheumatoid arthritis may be associated with preterm birth but not poor fetal growth
Plant Cell Shape: Trafficking Gets Edgy

Polyhedral-shaped plant cells have faces, corners, and edges that can have different material properties. As Kirchhelle et al. (2016) now show, RAB-A5c reveals a trafficking compartment that localizes to the edges where two cell walls meet, with a potential role in mediating local wall stiffness.
Exploring the relationship between parcelization metrics and natural resource managers’ perceptions of forest land parcelization intensity

A major challenge associated with forest land parcelization, defined as the subdivision of forest land holdings into smaller ownership parcels, is that little information exists on how to measure its severity and judge its impacts across forest landscapes. To address this information gap, an on-line survey presented field-based public natural resource managers in the Lake States of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan with four private forest ownership patterns, each containing the same total forest area, number of parcels, and average parcel size. Survey respondents ranked each landscape from most to least parcelized based on the degree to which each ownership pattern was perceived to adversely impact three forest-based goods and services: timber production, recreational access, and wildlife habitat. Using an exploded logit model, respondents' rankings of parcelization impact were found to be consistent, regardless of the forest good or service evaluated. Rankings were also not influenced by the respondent's professional discipline, location, length of professional experience, or employer. Of the four parcelization metrics evaluated, the Gini Coefficient and Adjusted Mean metrics appear to best capture the forest land ownership patterns that natural resource professionals are most concerned about, suggesting those metrics may be useful indicators by which to assess parcelization impact.
Biology of an Ash Borer, Podosesia syringae, in Green Ash in Mississippi

By tunneling in the trunks of green ash and other species of Oleaceae, larvae of Podosesia syringae (Harris) damage trees grown for timber and ornamental purposes. Open-grown trees are more heavily infested than those in dense stands. Life history studies revealed that moth emergence is heaviest during spring and occurs earliest from stems of smallest diameter. Females call, mate, and begin ovipositing on the day of emergence. They deposit ca. 400 eggs, mostly during the first 2 days. Larval galleries extend inward in the sapwood, then turn upward and back to the surface; they range from 7 to 32 cm in length. Woodpeckers, most important of the natural enemies, captured 67–81 % of the larvae in a young stand.
Adenomas of the large bowel after cholecystectomy. A case-control study.

Cholecystectomy has been reported to be more common in patients with colon cancer. Since adenomas are believed to be precursors of colon cancer, we evaluated the association of cholecystectomy and adenomas in a case-control study. Cases were 244 patients with one or more adenomas who underwent colonoscopy at the North Carolina Memorial Hospital between May 1983 and August 1985. Controls were 281 patients without adenomas. Overall, cholecystectomy was found in 11.9% of cases and 10.3% of controls. White women with adenomas, however, were more likely to have had previous cholecystectomy than controls [odds ratio (OR) 2.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–5.6]. Although women with adenomas were older and heavier than controls, the elevated odds ratio persisted after adjustment for these factors (OR 1.8; 95% CI 0.8–4.2). No association was observed for men or for nonwhite women. Cholecystectomy may predispose to colon adenomas and to colon cancer in some patients. Alternatively, common risk factors for gallstones, cholecystectomy, and colon cancer may explain the apparent risk of colon cancer or adenomas after cholecystectomy.
Primary study of recovery rate of undeveloped gas reservoir in Changxing Formation,Yuanba Gas Field

The Changxing reservoir in the Yuanba Gas Field is a deep-buried carbonate gas pool with high sulfur content,low porosity and low permeability.At present,the Changxing reservoir is undeveloped.Various methods such as empirical equation,analogy and material balance have been applied to determine the recovery rate of different calculation units.Technologically recoverable reserves have been calculated,providing an important basis for preparing development program scientifically and reasonably.
Amniotic fluid cortisol as an index of fetal lung maturity

Amniotic fluid cortisol concentration was compared with lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio, gestational age, and eventual birth-weight in a large series of normal and high-risk human pregnancies in an effort to determine whether cortisol could be used as a reliable indicator of fetal maturity. It appears that when used alone amniotic fluid cortisol is of limited clinical value as an antepartum predictor of fetal respiratory status because of unacceptable percentages of false positive and false negative predictions. Whether amniotic fluid cortisol can be used as an adjunct in the evaluation of high-risk pregnancies with "transitional" L/S ratios remains to be explored.
The FDA/CDRH Perspective on Device Innovation

FDA does not regulate the “practice of medicine.” We do, however, have oversight of the drugs, biologics, tobacco products, and medical devices that are used for treating or diagnosing patients. The staff of CDRH is committed to working with industry to bring novel technologies to market and to meet the vision of the Center. In doing so, we encourage early and continuous communication with the review staff. In the following sections, reference will be made to “Guidance” documents, which the FDA publishes to assist industry during device development and their interactions with the agency. As sponsors develop new products, or clinicians begin a study with a new device or for a new indication, it is imperative that you read and understand these guidance documents. They provide the best current thinking that the agency has on a specific topic, and if followed, provide a predictable pathway to getting to market. You may note that some guidance documents are categorized as “draft” guidance, which are published to allow for public comment on a particular issue. Draft guidance documents are not intended for implementation purposes. Additionally, information is located on the FDA website in a section entitled “Device Advice” (Device Advice: Comprehensive Regulatory Assistance. http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/DeviceRegulationandGuidance/. October 2014), which provides extensive information regarding device classification, content of submissions, and what to expect during the review process. Furthermore, the Division of Industry and Consumer Education (DICE) (Contact Us – Division of Industry and Consumer Education. http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/DeviceRegulationandGuidance/ContactUs--DivisionofIndustryandConsumerEducation/ucm20041265.htm. January 2015) is available as an educational resource to help those in the medical device industry and/or consumers understand FDA regulation and policies.
Habitsourcing: Sensing the Environment through Immersive, Habit-Building Experiences

Citizen science and communitysensing applications allow everyday citizens to collect data about the physical world to benefit science and society. Yet despite successes, current approaches are still limited by the number of domain-interested volunteers who are willing and able to contribute useful data. In this paper we introduce habitsourcing, an alternative approach that harnesses the habit-building practices of millions of people to collect environmental data. To support the design and development of habitsourcing apps, we present (1) interaction techniques and design principles for sensing through actuation, a method for acquiring sensing data from cued interactions; and (2) ExperienceKit, an iOS library that makes it easy for developers to build and test habitsourcing applications. In two experiments, we show that our two proof-of-concept apps, ZenWalk and Zombies Interactive, compare favorably to their non-data collecting counterparts, and that we can effectively extract environmental data using simple detection techniques.
Managing Non-traditional Human Capital in International Assignments: A Qualitative Analysis of the Talent and Innovation Gaps

As a company increasingly globalizes, so too does its human capital in terms of diversity and expertise. Accordingly, managing diversity has emerged as a major issue for international business (IB). Although historically the majority of the global expatriate workforce has been married white males with trailing female spouses and children, there has been a growing number of non-traditional expatriates, which include not only non-western and female expatriates, but also those with different sexual orientations (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender), family compositions (e.g., single parents, female breadwinners, multi-generational families), and from different religious groups (e.g., Christians, Muslims, Jews). Notwithstanding their growing importance in international staffing, non-traditional talents remain under-researched and thus under-represented in the current cross-cultural management literature in terms of their contributions, particularly regarding innovation. However, an increasing number of studies in recent years have shown that diverse and inclusive workplaces are more innovative and productive. This paper aims to fill this gap by exploring non-traditional expatriates’ international work experiences, with a particular focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) expatriates, using qualitative in-depth interviews. By analyzing four in-depth clinical cases of LGBT expatriates and identifying the issues they faced and the contributions they made in international assignments, this case study allows a better understanding of their particular competencies and challenges, with implications for multinationals that are hungry to attract talent, thereby enhancing the probability of innovation and firm performance.
Solution-Based Photo-Patterned Gold Film Formation on Silicon Nitride

Silicon nitride fabricated by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) to be silicon-rich (SiNx), is a ubiquitous insulating thin film in the microelectronics industry, and an exceptional structural material for nanofabrication. Free-standing <100 nm thick SiNx membranes are especially compelling, particularly when used to deliver forefront molecular sensing capabilities in nanofluidic devices. We developed an accessible, gentle, and solution-based photodirected surface metallization approach well-suited to forming patterned metal films as integral structural and functional features in thin-membrane-based SiNx devices—for use as electrodes or surface chemical functionalization platforms, for example—augmenting existing device capabilities and properties for a wide range of applications.
Fabrication and characterization of CPW transmission lines with CoFe 2 O 4 nanomagnetic thin films

In this paper, cobalt ferrite (CoFe 2 O 4 ) magnetic nanoparticles were deposited as 5 μm thick films on soda lime glass substrates based on a new fabrication method. Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) transmission lines with a characteristic impedance close to 70 Ω were fabricated on samples with and without the magnetic thin films. Measurements show an increase in the group delay for the magnetic films samples commensurate with their thickness as compared to lines with no magnetic film. We simulate the CPW lines with the magnetic nanofilms, and estimate the relative permeability of the magnetic films by matching the simulation results with the measurements.
EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INTERMITTENT EXERCISE-HEAT EXPOSURE PROTOCOL TO SUSTAIN HEAT ACCLIMATION ADAPTATIONS

Background Heat acclimation (HA) reduces the risk of exertional heat illnesses (EHI). However, HA adaptations are temporary and must be sustained to safely perform physical activity in hot environments. Objective To determine if intermittent exercise-heat exposures every fifth day mitigates HA decay, 25 days after initial HA (+25 d). Design Randomized pair-matched design. Setting Laboratory. Participants Sixteen non-heat acclimatized recreationally active males (age=22.7±3.4 y; weight=72.9±7.8 kg; VO 2max =55.0±5.5 ml·kg −1 ·min −1 ). Interventions All participants heat acclimated by completing 10–11 days of low-to-moderate intensity exercise (90–240 min; 40°C, 40%RH). A heat stress test (HST; 120 min, 45% VO 2max ) before (Pre) and after (Post) HA in similar hot conditions assessed HA status. Matched participants were randomly allocated into a control group receiving no heat exposure (CON; n=7) or treatment group receiving intermittent heat exposure (IHE; n=9). After the Post HA HST, participants completed an HST every fifth day for 25 days in either a hot (IHE; 40°C, 40%RH) or mild environment (CON; 24°C, 21%RH) with both groups exercising in the hot environment +25 d. Main Outcome Measurements Rectal temperature (T re ), heart rate (HR), and sweat rate (SR). Results Both groups accomplished HA after the 10–11 day initial protocol, as evidenced by lower post-exercise HR and T re , with higher SR compared to Pre HA (p≤0.05). Moderate-to-large between-treatment mean differences (MD; CON-IHE) and effect sizes (ES) were observed for HR (MD=28 bpm, 95% CI [8, 48], ES=1.41) and T re (MD=0.47°C, 95% CI [−0.24, 1.19], ES=0.68) but not SR (−0.13 L·hr −1 , 95% CI [−0.47, 0.21], ES=0.36). At +25 d, HA adaptation decay was greater in CON than IHE (T re : 87% vs. 2.7%; HR: 163% vs. 53%; SR: 77% vs. 70%). Conclusions Periodic exercise-heat exposures every five days after initial HA better sustained HR and T re in the IHE, suggesting periodic exercise-heat exposures may help reduce EHI risk for up to one month after initial HA.
Coverage and Connectivity in 3D Wireless Sensor Networks

A wireless sensor network (WSN) is categorized as three-dimensional (3D) when variation in the height of deployed sensor nodes is not negligible as compared to length and breadth of deployment field. The fundamental problem in such 3D networks is to find an optimal way to deploy sensor nodes needed to maintain full (or targeted degree of) coverage of monitored volume and reliable connectivity as desired by network designers. The solution should yield lower bound on number of nodes needed to achieve full coverage and connectivity. However, optimizing coverage and connectivity in 3D WSNs comes with its inherent complexities and intrinsic design challenges. 3D WSNs are not only difficult to visualize but their analysis is also computationally intensive. This literature summarizes major work conducted in the domain of coverage and connectivity in 3D WSNs. It studies different placement strategies, fundamental characteristics, modeling schemes, analytical methods, limiting factors, and practical constraints dealing with coverage and connectivity in 3D WSNs.
Relative deprivation, absolute deprivation, and homicide: testing an interaction between income inequality and disadvantage

Both relative and absolute deprivation have effects on crime. These two concepts may be complementary, but much scholarship has treated them as separate. The present study assesses whether the effe...
In support of the unambiguous neighborhood: a proposed size typology

The definition of neighborhood is often ambiguous. The purpose of this paper is to offer clarity on one important aspect of its definition: its size. While there is already a voluminous literature ...
Debugging tutor: preliminary evaluation

This paper discusses the continuing work related to an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) to teach introductory computer science students how to be better debuggers, including the first evaluation of the first completed phase of the system. This paper builds on previous work discussed in [3] and [4].
Depth Resolved Surface Coil Spectroscopy DRESS

Depth resolved surface coil NMR spectroscopy (DRESS) employs a slice selective excitation in conjunction with surface coil detection to localize NMR signals to a plane of preselected thickness and location. How and why DRESS came about is discussed in the first section. The two factors affecting the definition of the plane, the surface coil and the slice selection, are analyzed in detail in the description section, where the problems of shimming the magnetic field homogeneity, distortions introduced by delayed acquisition, and chemical shift artefact are also identified and addressed. Extensions and improvements of the technique, including point-resolved (PRESS), slice-interleaved (SLIT DRESS), point-resolved rotating gradient (PROGRESS), and hybrid adaptations to improve spatial characteristics are then explored, along with the incorporation of DRESS into sequences for measuring relaxation times and reaction kinetics via saturation transfer, and performing decoupling and solvent suppression. The scientific findings from 31P and 1H DRESS studies of the human brain and heart, including stroke, dementia, and myocardial infarction are summarized in the results section. It is concluded that many of the problems faced by DRESS are endemic to contemporary spectral localization techniques, and that identifying useful applications is key to the future of the technology in general.
DISTRIBUTION OF RESPIRATORY PIGMENTS AND THE ROLE OF ANAEROBIC METABOLISM IN THE LAMELLIBRANCH MOLLUSCS

ABSTRACT In the colonization of mesohaline waters, the intracellular hemoglobins found in the blood of primitive lamellibranch molluscs were abandoned, due to the osmotic fragility of the red blood cells and the oxygen affinity of the carrier. Adaptations of other processes such as feeding, locomotion and cell volume regulation resulted in a blood PO 2 regime that would not permit the functioning of a high oxygen affinity carrier. In other taxa this problem was solved by the evolution of a low oxygen affinity, extracellular carrier but the extracellular hemoglobins of the molluscs offer little or no physiological advantage. O 2 carriers disappeared from the blood. A capacity for the anaerobic production of alanine, which is poorly correlated with the tolerance of hypoxia, became more important among mesohaline species. Alanine became the chief intracellular osmolyte, and the use of taurine declined. Further penetration into the oligohaline zone required the evolution of an O 2 dependent process of NaCl absorption from the medium, which became an important function of the epithelium separating blood from mantle fluid.
The Advent of the Internet and Online Reverse Auctions

One of the first ways in which the Internet was leveraged in supply management was the online reverse auction, which represented my first exposure to modern-day electronic procurement. In this chapter, I trace this journey from the early experimentations with online reverse auctions to their current state. A common theme throughout the chapter is the provision of best practices and lessons learned. In addition, I will describe the mechanics of online reverse auctions and what benefits may be derived by suppliers.
Ocular manifestations of bartonellosis

Purpose of reviewTo review the systemic and ocular complications of Bartonella spp. infections specifically cat scratch disease, encompassing epidemiology, laboratory diagnostics, ophthalmic imagining, and treatment.Recent findingsRecent studies have shown that ocular manifestations occur in approxi
Extending Research on Neighborhoods and Crime: An Examination of Mortgage Fraud across Chicago Census Tracts

The purpose of this study is to extend research on communities and crime by assessing neighborhood variation in mortgage fraud. We use proprietary data to generate a measure of mortgage fraud for 2005 through 2008 for 793 census tracts in Chicago. We estimate maximum likelihood spatial regression models to assess the impact of tract-level structural variables and lending market characteristics on mortgage fraud. We find that concentrated disadvantage, percent black, and immigrant concentration are associated with greater levels of mortgage fraud. However, the impact of these factors is largely mediated by subprime lending. In addition, we find mortgages purchased by private entities also lead to greater levels of mortgage fraud. Contrary to expectations, changing loan values are unrelated to mortgage fraud. The findings suggest the relationship between neighborhood structural characteristics and mortgage fraud is partially due to a lack of public social control in disadvantaged minority neighborhoods. Future research should build on this study and examine a wider variety of crimes than are traditionally studied at the neighborhood level.
Lobectomy Is Associated with Better Outcomes than Sublobar Resection in Spread through Air Spaces (STAS)-Positive T1 Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Abstract Introduction Spread through air spaces (STAS) is a form of invasion wherein tumor cells extend beyond the tumor edge within the lung parenchyma. In lung adenocarcinoma (ADC), we investigated the (1) association between STAS and procedure-specific outcomes (sublobar resection and lobectomy), (2) effect of surgical margin-to-tumor diameter ratio in STAS-positive patients, and (3) potential utility of frozen sections (FSs) for detecting STAS intraoperatively. Methods We investigated 1497 patients who underwent lobectomy (n = 970) or sublobar resection (n = 527) for T1N0M0 lung ADC after propensity score matching. Outcomes were analyzed by using a competing risks approach. The effect of margin-to-tumor ratio on recurrence pattern (locoregional and distant) was investigated in patients who underwent sublobar resection. Five pathologists evaluated the feasibility of intraoperatively identifying STAS by using FSs (sensitivity, specificity, and interrater reliability). Results On multivariable analysis after propensity score matching (349 pairs/procedure), sublobar resection was significantly associated with recurrence (subhazard ratio = 2.84 [p Conclusions In patients with T1 lung ADC with STAS, lobectomy was associated with better outcomes than sublobar resection was. Pathologists can recognize STAS on FSs.
Strong geometric softening–hardening nonlinearities in an oscillator composed of linear stiffness and damping elements

Abstract A single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) oscillator grounded through a linear spring in parallel with a linear viscous damper, and two inclined pairs of linear spring–damper elements forming an initial angle of inclination, ϕ 0 , with the horizontal at equilibrium, is considered. It is assumed that there is no pre-compression in any element. An impulsive excitation is applied to this system, and it is shown that, depending on the system parameters, the intensity of the applied impulse and the initial angle of inclination, there are strong stiffness and damping nonlinearities in the transient response induced solely due to geometric effects; these strong nonlinearities occur even though all elastic and dissipative elements of the system are governed by linear constitutive laws. Preliminary numerical simulations indicate that in different regimes of the dynamics the geometric nonlinearities are of hardening, hardening–softening or softening type. An analytical study is then performed to reveal two bifurcations in the dynamics with respect to the initial angle of inclination and detect the critical energy beyond which the nonlinearity changes from hardening to softening. Another effect of the initial angle of inclination is that it “slows” the decay rate of the transient response. To investigate this effect analytically, the complexification-averaging method is applied to an approximate (truncated) equation of motion, to show that, for non-zero initial angle of inclination, the time-scale of the slow dynamics of the system is directly related to the initial angle of inclination. An experimental study is then performed to verify the analytical and numerical predictions. The experimental system consists of a beam clamped at one of its ends and grounded by the inclined linear spring element at its other end. System identification is performed to identify the (linear) modal properties of the beam and detect the linear stiffness and viscous damping characteristics of the inclined spring. The experiments are performed for several different initial angles and initial conditions in order to obtain sufficient measured time series to be able to verify the theoretical predictions. The experimental results confirm the theoretical findings. This study highlights the strong hardening–softening stiffness and damping nonlinearities that may be induced by geometric (and/or kinematic) effects in oscillating systems composed of otherwise linear stiffness and damping elements.
A tale of two genes: divergent evolutionary fate of haptoglobin and hemopexin in hemoglobinless Antarctic icefishes

ABSTRACT The evolution of Antarctic notothenioid fishes in the isolated freezing Southern Ocean has led to remarkable trait gains and losses. One of the most extraordinary was the loss of the major oxygen carrier hemoglobin (Hb) in the icefishes (family Channichthyidae). Although the mechanisms of this loss and the resulting compensatory changes have been well studied, the impact of Hb loss on the network of genes that once supported its recycling and disposal has remained unexplored. Here, we report the functional fate and underlying molecular changes of two such key Hb-supporting proteins across the icefish family – haptoglobin (Hp) and hemopexin (Hx), crucial in removing cytotoxic free Hb and heme, respectively. Hp plays a critical role in binding free Hb for intracellular recycling and absent its primary client, icefish Hp transcription is now vanishingly little, and translation into a functional protein is nearly silenced. Hp genotype degeneration has manifested in separate lineages of the icefish phylogeny with three distinct nonsense mutations and a deletion frame shift, as well as mutated polyadenylation signal sequences. Thus, Hb loss appears to have diminished selective constraint on Hp maintenance, resulting in its stochastic, co-evolutionary drift towards extinction. Hx binds free heme for iron recycling in hepatocytes. In contrast to Hp, Hx genotype integrity is preserved in the icefishes and transcription occurs at levels comparable to those in the red-blooded notothenioids. The persistence of Hx likely owes to continued selective pressure for its function from mitochondrial and non-Hb cellular hemoproteins.
Techno-Science, Integral Thought, and the Reality of Limits in Laudato Si’

"Reality" is a term that appears dozens of times in Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’. The term is not directly defined, but appears to signal for Francis a mysterious, relational, created order that imposes limits on humans while also evoking positive feelings like wonder and peace. Francis contrasts this vision of reality with perspectives on the world that are human-centered, fragmented, or reductionist. In this way, his account of reality grounds his sharp critique of narrow, techno-scientific perspectives on life and the world that entail a will to mastery and control. Francis’s critique of reductive, fragmentary perspectives is also connected to his concern with a category of humans and nonhuman others whom Francis designates “the excluded” in Laudato Si’. Distorted views of reality perpetuate neglect of these excluded others and prevent us from grasping the integral functioning of human, ecological, and social realms. I conclude by contrasting Francis’s version of integral ecology with other forms of integral thought that express naive enthusiasm for technology, and suggest a denial of human and natural limits.
Density, Market Share, Market Concentration, and Proximity: Comparing Measures of Competition in the Public School Sector

ABSTRACTSchool choice researchers have used a range of measures to capture competition between schools, but few have assessed the relative utility of these different measures. Using district-level ...
Introductory Remarks – Alan Delozier

Welcome to this special edition of the Journal of Archival Organization that focuses upon recent educational initiatives within the field of archival science. Each of the authors featured here has ...
Neural network alternatives toconvolutive audio models for source separation

Convolutive Non-Negative Matrix Factorization model factorizes a given audio spectrogram using frequency templates with a temporal dimension. In this paper, we present a convolutional auto-encoder model that acts as a neural network alternative to convolutive NMF. Using the modeling flexibility granted by neural networks, we also explore the idea of using a Recurrent Neural Network in the encoder. Experimental results on speech mixtures from TIMIT dataset indicate that the convolutive architecture provides a significant improvement in separation performance in terms of BSS eval metrics.
Alkaloid gramine to control algal invaders: Algae inhibition and gramine persistence

Abstract Algae cultivation has many applications, however, limiting system contamination is imperative. Algae competitors invading cultivation systems can negatively interfere. Here, we test the potential usefulness of an indole alkaloid allelochemical (gramine) to control invasions of Chlorella sorokiniana cultures by undesired Coelastrella sp. Chlorella sorokiniana and Coelastrella sp. cultures were exposed to 0, 4, 16, 32, and 64 mg gramine L−1 (n = 4) in test tubes in a rotator drum. Algae growth was measured by optical density at 750 nm and gramine concentration via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) over 16 days. C. sorokiniana growth was significantly inhibited at gramine concentrations above 16 mg L−1, while Coelastrella sp. responded to concentrations as low as 4 mg L−1. This shows that 4 mg L−1 gramine might aid Chlorella cultures when invaded by a competitor such as Coelastrella. HPLC results indicate that algae remove gramine from water, allowing algae cultures to recover.
Blue Mussel (Genus Mytilus) Transcriptome Response to Simulated Climate Change in the Gulf of Maine

The biogeochemistry of the Gulf of Maine (GOM) is rapidly changing in response to the changing climate, including rising temperatures, acidification, and declining primary productivity. These impacts are projected to worsen over the next 100 y and will apply selective pressure on populations of marine calcifiers. This study investigates the transcriptome expression response to these changes in ecologically and economically important marine calcifiers, blue mussels. Wild mussels (Mytilus edulis and Mytilus trossulus) were sampled from sites spanning the GOM and exposed to two different biogeochemical water conditions: (1) present-day conditions in the GOM and (2) simulated future conditions, which included elevated temperature, increased acidity, and decreased food supply. Patterns of gene expression were measured using RNA sequencing from 24 mussel samples and contrasted between ambient and future conditions. The net calcification rate, a trait predicted to be under climate-induced stress, was measured for each individual over a 2-wk exposure period and used as a covariate along with gene expression patterns. Generalized linear models, with and without the calcification rate, were used to identify differentially expressed transcripts between ambient and future conditions. The comparison revealed transcripts that likely comprise a core stress response characterized by the induction of molecular chaperones, genes involved in aerobic metabolism, and indicators of cellular stress. Furthermore, the model contrasts revealed transcripts that may be associated with individual variation in calcification rate and suggest possible biological processes that may have downstream effects on calcification phenotypes, such as zinc-ion binding and protein degradation. Overall, these findings contribute to the understanding of blue mussel adaptive responses to imminent climate change and suggest metabolic pathways are resilient in variable environments.
Recovery and chemical disinfection of foot-and-mouth disease and African swine fever viruses from porous concrete surfaces.

Aims Develop an effective laboratory method to consistently recover viral loads from porous concrete coupons sufficient for disinfectant efficacy testing. Investigate the role of concrete matrix pH on the recovery of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) and African Swine Fever virus (ASFV) from porous concrete. Compare parameters off FMDV and ASFV inactivation on porous and nonporous surfaces in quantitative carrier tests of a liquid chemical disinfectant. Methods and results Concrete test coupons were fabricated from commercial and industrial sources and carbonated by exposure to 5% CO2 in a humidified incubator, lowering the matrix pH. Neither dried FMDV nor ASFV were recovered from high-pH concrete control coupons. Recovery of infectious virus from lower pH carbonated concrete was similar to stainless steel coupon controls. Exposure to the liquid disinfectant Virkon™ S inactivated FMDV and ASFV on porous concrete. Conclusions Concrete matrix pH had a greater impact than surface porosity on the ability to recover viable virus from unsealed concrete. Significance and impact of the study Concrete is commonly found in environments where virus decontamination is required. This study demonstrates a reproducible method to recover sufficient viral loads from porous concrete coupons to facilitate quantitative carrier testing. This method provides a basis for evidence-based validation testing of chemical disinfectants to inactivate pH-sensitive viruses on unsealed concrete.
Retinoblastoma protein expression and its predictors in triple-negative breast cancer

Retinoblastoma protein (Rb) is a product of the RB tumor suppressor gene. Its expression is highly prevalent in luminal breast cancers and is critical to the success of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor therapy. Expression of Rb in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), tumors generally associated with basal biology, is not well known. However, heterogeneity among TNBC and presence of subtypes with luminal features are well described. The purpose of this study was to determine prevalence and predictors of Rb protein expression in BRCA1-associated and sporadic TNBCs. We studied 180 TNBC patients (70 BRCA1-associated and 110 sporadic). The clinical and pathologic features of these cases were previously assessed and reported. For this study, immunohistochemical stains for Rb were performed on tissue microarray sections. Details of treatment and outcome were abstracted from medical records. Fifty-one percent of TNBC were Rb positive (≥10% nuclei staining), and 85% of these cases had ≥50% nuclei staining. Rb expression was significantly associated with sporadic TNBC (71.4% vs 49.4%; p < 0.001), androgen receptor (AR) expression (16.5% vs 3.4%; p = 0.007), histologic grade 1 or 2 (9.9% vs 2.2%; p = 0.04), and first recurrence in bone (8.8% vs 1.1%; p = 0.03). Expression of p53 was not associated with Rb expression. Expression of Rb in TNBC was significantly associated with sporadic TNBC, AR expression, lower histologic grade, and metastasis to bone. These observations characterize a TNBC subtype with features suggestive of luminal-like biology and the potential to benefit from CDK 4/6 inhibition.
Can sleep protect memories from catastrophic forgetting

Continual learning remains an unsolved problem in artificial neural networks. The brain has evolved mechanisms to prevent catastrophic forgetting of old knowledge during new training. Building upon data suggesting the importance of sleep in learning and memory, we tested a hypothesis that sleep protects old memories from being forgotten after new learning. In the thalamocortical model, training a new memory interfered with previously learned old memories leading to degradation and forgetting of the old memory traces. Simulating sleep after new learning reversed the damage and enhanced old and new memories. We found that when a new memory competed for previously allocated neuronal/synaptic resources, sleep replay changed the synaptic footprint of the old memory to allow overlapping neuronal populations to store multiple memories. Our study predicts that memory storage is dynamic, and sleep enables continual learning by combining consolidation of new memory traces with reconsolidation of old memory traces to minimize interference.
Considerations for immunotherapy in patients with cancer and comorbid immune dysfunction

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been widely incorporated for cancer treatment in a variety of solid and hematologic malignancies. Multiple clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 axis inhibition in the metastatic and adjuvant settings. Due to the risks of autoimmune toxicity with these agents, stringent inclusion/exclusion criteria were employed in those initial clinical trials. These criteria led to exclusion or underrepresentation of a variety of patient populations with underlying immune dysfunction. These populations included patients with preexisting autoimmune diseases, solid organ or bone marrow transplant recipients, patients with HIV or viral hepatitis infections, patients receiving concurrent chronic steroid therapy, as well as patients who were elderly, pregnant, or had poor performance status. Thus, established guidelines on the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in these patients are lacking, and evidence to support efficacy or toxicity are overall limited to retrospective studies and case series. Fortunately, ongoing clinical trials are now including these patients and are shedding light on whether these underrepresented populations can also safely benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies. In this review, we summarize the most clinically relevant available data on the use of checkpoint inhibitors in immunocompromised patient groups with a primary focus on safety.
The Prevalence and Impact of Back and Neck Pain in Veterans With Upper Limb Amputation

Objective The aims of the study were (1) to describe frequency of back pain only, neck pain only, and co-occurring pain in veterans with upper limb amputation, (2) to examine changes in pain over 1 yr, and (3) to quantify the association of pain and health-related quality of life and disability. Design This is an observational cohort study with a survey of a sample of 792 veterans with upper limb amputation, with 1-yr reassessment of 585 (85.3%) of 777 eligible participants. Pain prevalence and intensity were examined. Logistic and linear regressions identified variables associated with pain and examined associations between intensity and veterans RAND-12 mental component score and physical component score and QuickDASH. Results At baseline, 52.3% had co-occurring pain, 20.0% had back pain, and 8.3% had neck pain. Persistent back and neck pain is present in 60.8% and 48.1% respondents, respectively. Pain intensity was unchanged for 59.1% with back pain and 61.3% with neck pain. Mental component score and QuickDASH were significantly worse with severe and moderate back and neck pain, compared with no pain. Severe/moderate back pain intensity was associated with lower physical component score. Conclusions Back and neck pain is highly prevalent and persistent in veterans with upper limb amputation. Pain intensity is negatively associated with health-related quality of life and disability. Pain prevention and intervention are needed in this population.
A Miniature High-Gain Low-VHF Antenna

This paper presents a miniature antenna design for practical applications in wireless low-power low-VHF communications. The proposed antenna is designed to achieve a high gain for a given size (41 cm × 30 cm × 20 cm including a ground plane). To design the electrically small and efficient antenna, closely-spaced multiple short monopoles, radiating fields that are in phase, are introduced. The in-phase radiation is enabled by an efficient, shared phase shifter which is formed by a capacitive load and air-core coils connected to each short monopole. A prototype optimized for a small ground robotic platform is designed and fabricated. Performance characterization based on simulation analysis and outdoor measurements demonstrates that the proposed approach allows for a higher gain yet more compact low-profile antenna compared with recently developed low-VHF antennas.
Bridging social capital theory and practice: Evidence from community-managed water treatment plants in Honduras

Abstract Since social capital permeated the conceptualization of “community” in the early 1990s, evidence has mounted as to its significance for water and sanitation projects. But understanding how to apply knowledge of social capital towards sustainable development has lagged far behind. To address this gap, we combined insights from household surveys, semi-structured interviews, performance evaluations, and extensive field observations into comparative case narratives of six community-managed drinking water treatment plants built through an NGO initiative in Honduras. The aim was to not only measure social capital but to use those measurements as a framework to understand how social capital affected each project. Our findings suggest that social capital amplified or hindered plant performance through three key mediating mechanisms: Resource mobilization; resilience to change and conflict; and participation and communication. Plant performance, in turn, influenced community social capital by affecting the relationship between the NGO and community and community residents' trust in the project. These mechanisms constitute a feedback loop by which relative levels of social capital and water system operation are mutually reinforcing. Drawing on our results, we propose four accessible proxies and four initial strategies practitioners can use to operationalize social capital scholarship and identify and disrupt negative patterns during the project cycle. We encourage additional translational research to leverage the ever-growing knowledge of social capital into improved outcomes in practice.
Associative Processes in Early Olfactory Preference Acquisition: Neural and Behavioral Consequences.

Acquisition of behavioral conditioned responding and learned odor preferences during olfactory classical conditioning in rat pups requires forward or simultaneous pairings of the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the unconditioned stimulus (US). Other temporal relationships between the CS and US do not usually result in learning. The present study examined the influence of this CS-US relationship upon the neural olfactory bulb modifications that are acquired during early classical conditioning. Wistar rat pups were trained from Postnatal Days (PN) 1–18 with either forward (odor overlapping temporally with reinforcing stroking) or backward (stroking followed by odor) CS-US pairings. On PN 19, pups received either a behavioral odor preference test to the odor CS or an injection of 14C 2-DG and exposure to the odor CS, or olfactory bulb single unit responses were recorded in response to exposure to the odor CS. Only pups that received forward presentations of the CS and US exhibited both a preference for the CS and modified olfactory bulb neural responses to the CS. These results, then, suggest that the modified olfactory bulb neural responses acquired during classical conditioning are guided by the same temporal constraints as those which govern the acquisition of behavioral conditioned responses.
Pathoclysis in aging human cerebral cortex: Evidence from in vivo MRI morphometry

Age-related differences in the cross-sectional area and volume of selected cortical regions were examined by using in vivo magnetic resonance morphometry. In two samples—healthy volunteers and patients with negative radiological findings—similar patterns of cortical aging emerged. The size of sampled regions of association cortices correlated negatively with age, whereas no significant correlations between the size of sensory cortices and age were found. In the first but not the second sample, some of the correlations were attenuated after statistical control for skull size and sex. Overall, small but consistent trends for leftward asymmetry of the white matter and rightward asymmetry of the gray matter were observed. The results of the reported studies support the notion of selective aging of cortical association areas accompanied by relative sparing of sensory cortices.
Performance of 500 A, 450 V parallel MOS-controlled thyristors (MCTs) in a resonant DC-link circuit

The performance of twelve parallel MOS-controlled thyristors (MCTs) in a resonant DC-link circuit is described. Each individual MCT device, with an active area of 0.4 cm/sup 2/, is rated at 80 A and 600 volts. Four MCTs were paralleled to form a switch for a resonant inverter circuit. The criteria for good static and dynamic current sharing are identified to be forward voltage drop and the turn-on voltage characteristic of the MCTs. The current rating of the MCT module was derated from 320 A (at discrete device level) to 200 A. Paralleling of three MCT modules leads to further degradation in current rating to 450 A. The nonuniform distribution of stray inductance present in the MCT switch and circuit is the major cause for the derating of MCTs at switch level. MCTs with various designs were fabricated and analyzed. An optimal design for low turn-on voltage and high current turn-off capability is identified. >