cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A weighted projection measure for robust speech recognition

Results of experiments involving a class of low-complexity projection measures which demonstrably improve recognition performance in the presence of background noise are described. The projection measure is used in a continuous density hidden Markov model (HMM) recognition system. The cepstral representation and a perceptually based melcepstral representation for the speech are investigated. The feature vector representation is augmented to include a set of time-differential (delta) parameters, which improved recognition accuracy an average of 10-23%. Of the two representations, the melcepstral showed the greatest improvement. At a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 10 dB, the projection measure resulted in improvement over the standard weighted Euclidean distance in recognition accuracy from 21.8% to 80% for the melcepstral representation and from 35.9% to 70.6% for the cepstral representation. >
Addition of Sodium Fluoride to Whole Blood Does Not Stabilize Plasma Homocysteine But Produces Dilution Effects on Plasma Constituents and Hematocrit

Interest in total plasma homocysteine (Hcy) measurements has increased with the availability of evidence that even mild hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (1). Consequently, the variability of current Hcy results has been the subject of considerable research (2)(3)(4). Whole blood stored at room temperature after phlebotomy shows an increase in Hcy concentrations of ∼10% per hour, apparently because of Hcy synthesis and release from erythrocytes (5)(6). Previous studies have shown that the best method for avoiding falsely high Hcy results is prompt postphlebotomy centrifugation and separation of the plasma from the red blood cells (6) or storage of whole blood samples at 0 °C if prompt centrifugation is not feasible (3). The use of anticoagulants as preservatives in whole blood has also been advocated (2)(3)(4); among these, sodium fluoride (NaF) in particular has been described as useful when added to whole blood at suggested concentrations of up to 4 g/L (95 mmol/L) (4)(7). Many laboratories, therefore, now use NaF as a preservative in the blood collection tubes used for Hcy assays. We measured plasma Hcy, using a modified version of the HPLC method with fluorescence detection introduced by Refsum and co-workers (8), after the addition of pure NaF (2.5 g/L, 60 mmol/L) to heparinized whole blood. The studies were approved by the University of Washington Institutional Review Board and involved the donation of blood from men and women after informed consent. We found minimal inhibition of the time-dependent increase in Hcy concentrations. We also investigated the preservative abilities of Na2EDTA (1.5 g/L, 4.0 mmol/L), EGTA (1.5 g/L, 3.9 mmol/L), and thymol (1.0 g/L, 6.6 mmol/L), again added in pure form to heparinized whole …
What's wrong is right: A response to the state of the discipline

In the June issue ofSociological Forum, several authors addressed the question, “What's Wrong with Sociology.” Answers included increased fragmentation of the discipline, and the lack of an identifiable cumulative core of sociological knowledge. This paper examines many of the claims made by the contributors to the June 1994Sociological Forum, reframes their arguments, and by placing debates regarding the problems in sociology in a broader perspective, identifies many of the recent advances made by the discipline. Focusing on such notable contributions to the field as feminist and postmodern scholarship, we locate the positive side of multiple perspective research.
Relationship between exposure time and injury in football

This study investigated the relationship between exposure time and injury in football and the trends associated with these relationships. Data were collected at all practice sessions and games participated in by the University of Illinois varsity football team during the 1976 and 1977 seasons. Subjects consisted of the varsity football team at the University of Illinois. The 54 members of the traveling squad were the subjects used in the collection of game and injury data. Games were divided into three intervals and practice into five 25-min intervals in order to analyze the data. A likelihood ratio test was used to test the data for statistical significance. An inverse relationship was found between exposure time and injuries for game data for both years. A curvilinear relationship, slightly skewed to the right, was found between exposure time and injury for the practice data for both seasons.
A constant power limit feedforward control circuit for flyback converters

A new feedforward pulse width modulator (FF-PWM) control circuit for AC-DC flyback converters is proposed in this paper. By using the proposed circuit, the DC converter input voltage with the AC line voltage is proportional to the reference voltage. In addition, the proposed FF-PWM can be easily implemented on chip by using a transconductance amplifier, Wilson current source and current mirror. Simulation and experimental results show that the maximum power change ratio of the flyback converter adopting the proposed feedforward PWM modulator is within 20% at the universal input voltage ranging from 85VAC to 265VAC.
Assessing the Situation Awareness of Pilots Engaged in Self Spacing

We measured situation awareness (SA) of pilots in a simulation of an approach to a large metropolitan airport (DFW), using both SAGAT and SPAM probe techniques. Both methods of SA measurement signi...
Analysis of handoff interference along arbitrary trajectories in cellular networks

We introduce an important system performance measure related to handoff called handoff interference, which characterizes the additional interference noise induced by the handoff process. The handoff interference experienced by a mobile unit is determined by the parameters of the handoff algorithm and is critical for accurate evaluation of the wireless system capacity in the context of multiple cell and user scenarios. We develop an efficient numerical procedure to compute the handoff interference along arbitrary trajectories in a cellular network. We present numerical results showing the tradeoff between the handoff interference and the number of handoffs along a given trajectory, which should be taken into account in dimensioning the handoff parameters to optimize system performance.
Response of Orthotropic Sandwich Plates to Concentrated Loading

Sandwich plates are often analyzed with either classical or first order shear deformation theory. However experiments have shown that for lower stiffness cores and with concentrated loadings, these theories omit important features of the response. Recently a higher order theory for sandwich beams and plates has appeared in the literature that appears to better predict the response of sandwich structures. This theory treats the faces of the sandwich as independent orthotropic plates, coupled together by means of a simplified elasticity solution for the core that includes shear deformation and through-the-thickness strains. Analytical solutions for transverse static loading of plates can be obtained for simply-supported boundary conditions, analogous to the Navier solution. However the accuracy of this theory has not been sufficiently examined. In this paper the exact elasticity solution available for this problem is used to compare with the higher order sandwich theory. The results show that classical and ...
Merleau-Ponty and the Sense of Sexual Difference

While Merleau-Ponty does not theorize sexual difference at any great length, his concepts of the flesh and the institution of a sense suggest hitherto undeveloped possibilities for articulating sexual difference beyond the male–female binary. For Merleau-Ponty, flesh is a “pregnancy of possibilities” which gives rise to masculine and feminine forms through a process of mutual divergence and encroachment. Both sexes bear “the possible of the other,” and neither represents the first or generic form of the human; each sex bears the possibility of the other. By approaching sexual difference in terms of intersubjectively distributed possibilities rather than interlocking forms or types, we may grasp sexual difference in terms of both a developmental process in which bodies become sexed (and sometimes re-sexed) over time, and in terms of a social-historical process in which patterns of relation and exchange between sexed bodies shift over time, altering the very sense of sexual difference.
Chemoattractant receptor‐specific differences in G protein activation rates regulate effector enzyme and functional responses

The hypothesis that disparate neutrophil functional responses to various chemoattractants are regulated by receptor-specific rates of G protein activa- tion was examined in HL-60 granulocytes. The initial rates of G protein activation and the affinity of receptor- stimulated G proteins for GTP-yS in HL-60 membranes stimulated by fMet-Leu-Phe, C5a, and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) differed significantly among the chemoattractants, with a rank order of fMet-Leu-Phe > C5a > LTB4. Equilibrium GTP'yS binding showed that all three chemoattractants activated a common pooi of G proteins. Stimulation of phospholipase D activation, measured as phosphatidylethanol generation, and superoxide release in intact cells also occurred with a rank order of fMet- Leu.Phe > C5a > LTB4. On the other hand, the rank order of receptor affinities for ligand and of the EC50 of chemoattractant stimulation of GTP'yS binding was C5a > LTB4 > fMet-Leu-Phe. C5a and LTB4 receptor densities were similar but were less than formyl peptide receptor density. Graded pertussis toxin treatment proportionally reduced superoxide release and phospholi- pase D activation to all three chemoattractants. The results suggest that receptor-specific differences in G pro- tein affinity for guanine nucleotides lead to different rates of guanine nucleotide exchange and, thereby, contribute to disparate effector enzyme and functional responses. J. Leukoc. Biol. 57: 679-686; 1995.
Esrrb-Cre excises loxP-flanked alleles in early four-cell embryos

Among transgenic mice with ubiquitous Cre recombinase activity, all strains to date excise loxP-flanked (floxed) alleles either at or before the zygote stage or at nondescript stages of development. This manuscript describes a new mouse strain, in which Cre recombinase, integrated into the Esrrb locus, efficiently excises floxed alleles in pre-implantation embryos at the onset of the four-cell stage. By enabling inactivation of genes only after the embryo has undergone two cleavages, this strain should facilitate in vivo studies of genes with essential gametic or zygotic functions. In addition, this study describes a new, highly pluripotent hybrid C57BL/6J x 129S1/SvImJ mouse embryonic stem cell line, HYB12, in which this knockin and additional targeted alleles have been generated.
The Meniscus-Deficient Knee: Biomechanics, Evaluation, and Treatment Options

Meniscal tears are the most common knee injury, and partial meniscectomies are the most common orthopaedic surgical procedure. The injured meniscus has an impaired ability to distribute load and resist tibial translation. Partial or complete loss of the meniscus promotes early development of chondromalacia and osteoarthritis. The primary goal of treatment for meniscus-deficient knees is to provide symptomatic relief, ideally to delay advanced joint space narrowing, and ultimately, joint replacement. Surgical treatments, including meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT), high tibial osteotomy (HTO), and distal femoral osteotomy (DFO), are options that attempt to decrease the loads on the articular cartilage of the meniscus-deficient compartment by replacing meniscal tissue or altering joint alignment. Clinical and biomechanical studies have reported promising outcomes for MAT, HTO, and DFO in the postmeniscectomized knee. These procedures can be performed alone or in conjunction with ligament reconstruction or chondral procedures (reparative, restorative, or reconstructive) to optimize stability and longevity of the knee. Complications can include fracture, nonunion, patella baja, compartment syndrome, infection, and deep venous thrombosis. MAT, HTO, and DFO are effective options for young patients suffering from pain and functional limitations secondary to meniscal deficiency.
Using feminist leadership to build a performance-based, peer education program:

This article explores the experiences of six college students learning and using feminist leadership techniques for the creation and implementation of a performance-based, peer education, sexual assault prevention program. The program was established and governed through the use of two models for feminist leadership, Visions; Building a Feminist Community and Theatre for Community, Conflict, and Dialogue. Both models emphasize a collaborative leadership style and process, which includes a strengths focus, ethic of care, and modeling responsibility to the group. Data were collected via in-depth interviews, field notes, and written evaluations focusing on the group experience. Data reveal how the creation and implementation of this program impacts students’ engagement with feminist leadership practices and how this shapes them as leaders. Data also illustrate valuable implications for future practice, policy, and research development.
Nonlinear conformation response in the finite channel: Existence of a unique solution for the dynamic PNP model

The standard PNP model for ion transport in channels in cell membranes has been widely studied during the previous two decades; there is a substantial literature for both the dynamic and steady models. What is currently lacking is a generally accepted gating model, which is linked to the observed conformation changes on the protein molecule. In [SIAM J. Appl. Math. 61 (2000), no.3, 792–802], C.W. Gardner, the author, and R.S. Eisen- berg suggested a model for the net charge density in the infinite channel, which has connections to stochastic dynamical systems, and which predicted rectan- gular current pulses. The finite channel was analyzed by these authors in [J. Theoret. Biol. 219 (2002), no. 3, 291–299]. The finite channel cannot, in general, be analyzed by a traveling wave approach. In this paper, a rigorous study of the initial-boundary value problem is carried out for the deterministic version of the finite channel; an existence/uniqueness result, with a weak maximum principle, is derived on the space-time domain under assumptions on the inital and boundary data which confine the channel to certain states. Significant open problems remain and are discussed
Specific Sorting of Single Bacterial Cells with Microfabricated Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting and Tyramide Signal Amplification Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization

When attempting to probe the genetic makeup of diverse bacterial communities that elude cell culturing, researchers face two primary challenges: isolation of rare bacteria from microbial samples and removal of contaminating cell-free DNA. We report a compact, low-cost, and high-performance microfabricated fluorescence-activated cell sorting (μFACS) technology in combination with a tyramide signal amplification fluorescence in situ hybridization (TSA-FISH) to address these two challenges. The TSA-FISH protocol that was adapted for flow cytometry yields a 10-30-fold enhancement in fluorescence intensity over standard FISH methods. The μFACS technology, capable of enhancing its sensitivity by ~18 dB through signal processing, was able to enrich TSA-FISH-labeled E. coli cells by 223-fold. The μFACS technology was also used to remove contaminating cell-free DNA. After two rounds of sorting on E. coli mixed with λ-phage DNA (10 ng/μL), we demonstrated over 100,000-fold reduction in λ-DNA concentration. The integrated μFACS and TSA-FISH technologies provide a highly effective and low-cost solution for research on the genomic complexity of bacteria as well as single-cell genomic analysis of other sample types.
Estate Tax Elections and Valuation Thresholds

Missed election opportunities, especially in estate tax elections, may expose fiduciaries to tortuous liability. In this article, the author outlines some of the unique challenges in enforcement and compliance posed by estate tax elections conditioned on valuation thresholds.
Analysis on Factors of Household Non-farming Labor Supply

Non-farming labor supply plays an important role in household. This paper applies data of rural household in Sichuan and Anhui to analyze factors that affect the time of non-farming labor supply in household. The result shows that age of household members , average education of household, initial capital and ratio of male and female are important factors affect the time allocation of non-farming labor supply and lack of land is the key factor influence the supply of labor in farming. The paper suggests that the government should improve system completion in education and training programs, credit support, and communication facilities and so forth to increase time of non-farming labor supply in family.
Review: Neo-historical East Berlin: Architecture and Urban Design in the German Democratic Republic, 1970–1990 by Florian Urban

Florian Urban. Neo-historical East Berlin: Architecture and Urban Design in the German Democratic Republic, 1970–1990 . Farnham, England, and Burlington, Vt.: Ashgate Publishing, 2009, x + 294 pp., 94 b/w illus., and 3 diagrams. $124.95, ISBN 9780754676164 For most of its existence, the German Democratic Republic was committed to mass-produced housing, pragmatic modernism, and socialist universalism. Having built a sea of prefab high-rises and slabs, during the 1970s the government turned to neohistorical architecture and the renovation of historical neighborhoods, especially in the capital, Berlin. In Neo-historical East Berlin: Architecture and Urban Design in the German Democratic Republic, 1970–1990 , Florian Urban offers the first systematic exploration of this paradox.1 The explanation, he suggests, lies in a mixture of pragmatism, provisional decisions that were later amplified into lasting policy, and shifting cultural attitudes. The paradox might have been only apparent, as Urban argues that neohistoricism was not always antipodal to modernism. What Urban calls neohistorical architecture comprises refurbishment, reconstruction, and new structures. His examples are showcase projects located in the center of the city, all somehow exceptional: spaces aimed at tourism, or at representing the GDR to an international public, or located in areas famous for their vibrant alternative culture. The resulting buildings and neighborhoods do not necessarily abide by visual or material authenticity, but rather evoke a “historical character” or “feel” through the use of past architectural forms and the staging of history “in period shops and restaurants”(74). The most notorious example is the Nikolaiviertel, a patch of winding streets and old-looking buildings, which Urban calls a “prefab old town” in reference to the concrete plates used in a large portion of the reconstruction. The area was at the heart of medieval Berlin, but most of it lay in ruins in the postwar era—including the Nikolaikirche, one of Berlin’s oldest structures. The Nikolaiviertel’s central location and history made it attractive to the GDR government not only as a site for tourism, but also to boost claims to German national …
Resonance and Non-Resonance Raman Optical Activity in Pharmaceutical Analgesic Molecules

Raman optical activity (ROA)1, the difference in Raman scattering intensity for right and left circularly polarized incident and/or Raman scattered radiation, has emerged as a technique for investigating the solution structure of chiral molecules, and has been applied to biomolecules in aqueous solution. 1, 2 Resonance Raman spectroscopy is well established as a technique for probing the structure and dynamics of appropriate chromophores in biomolecules. However, resonance Raman optical activity (RROA) has not been reported. Recently, the theory of Raman optical activity has been extended to the case of strong resonance with a single electronic state.3 The theory predicts that, in this limit, the RROA bands will all have the same sign (opposite in sign to the pure electronic circular dichroism of the resonant electronic transition) and will be proportional in intensity to the parent resonance Raman bands. We provide here evidence for both resonance and non-resonance ROA in the spectra of the analgesics naproxen and ibuprofen in basic and nonaqueous solution.
Efficient detection of anomolous HTTP payloads in networks

Anomalous payloads in network packets are a potential source for intrusion in computer networks. In this paper we come up with an efficient machine learning approach to detect anomalous payloads. The approach uses n-gram preprocessing to extract words included in the payload. Bayesian inference is used to learn normal and anomalous traffic patterns from the words extracted during training. During the operational phase each incoming network packet is evaluated by the learning algorithm and the payload is declared as normal or anomalous based on the patterns previously learnt. This approach is tested on CSIC 2010 HTTP Dataset. Experimental results demonstrate that this approach is efficient and robust and can achieve high detection accuracy with high true positives, and low false positives, across a variety of attacks.
Phosphodiesterase Type-1 Regulates Transient BK Currents and Contractility of Human Urinary Bladder Smooth Muscle

Large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels are critical regulators of urinary bladder smooth muscle (UBSM) function. We aimed to investigate phosphodiesterase type 1 (PDE1) interactions with BK channels in human UBSM to determine the mechanism by which PDE1 regulates human urinary bladder function. A combined electrophysiological, functional, and pharmacological approach was applied using human UBSM specimens obtained from open bladder surgeries. The perforated whole cell patch-clamp technique was used to record transient BK currents (TBKCs) and the cell membrane potential in freshly-isolated human UBSM cells in combination with the selective PDE1 inhibitor, 8-methoxymethyl-3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (8MM-IBMX). Isometric tension recordings were used to measure spontaneous phasic and electrical field stimulation (EFS)-induced contractions in human UBSM isolated strips. Selective pharmacological inhibition of PDE1 with 8MM-IBMX (10 μM) increased TBKC activity in human UBSM cells, which was abolished by subsequent inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA) with H-89 (10 μM). The stimulatory effect of 8MM-IBMX on TBKCs was reversed upon activation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors with carbachol (1 μM). 8MM-IBMX (10 μM) hyperpolarized the UBSM cell membrane potential, an effect blocked by PKA inhibition. 8MM-IBMX significantly decreased spontaneous phasic and nerve-evoked contractions of human UBSM isolated strips.The results reveal that pharmacological inhibition of PDE1 attenuates human UBSM excitability and contractility by activating BK channels via a PKA-dependent mechanism. The data also suggest interactions between PDE1 and muscarinic signaling pathways in human UBSM. Overall, our data provide mechanistic evidence that pharmacological inhibition of PDE1 can be a useful therapeutic approach for the treatment of overactive bladder syndrome by attenuating UBSM excitability and contractility. These investigations are an important step in validating PDE1 as a potential novel therapeutic target for overactive bladder.Supported by NIH R01DK106964 and R01DK084284 to Georgi V. Petkov.
In welchem ich über letzte Dinge nachsinne, die im ernsthaften wissenschaftlichen Diskurs tabu sind, nämlich über Witz, die Beziehung zwischen Wissenschaft und Religion, über die Existenz Gottes, darüber, ob dieser Gott in den Lauf der Dinge eingreifen kann, über den Tod meines Mentors und über die Dinge, mit denen ich mich derzeit herumschlage

Paul Gauguins bewegendes Meisterwerk D’ou venons nous? Que sommes-nous? Ou allons-nous?, das er in seinen letzten Lebensjahren auf Tahiti malte, fasst die drei Fragen, die mich umtreiben, perfekt zusammen: Woher kommen wir – Menschen, Hunde und andere empfindungsfahige Wesen? Wer sind wir? Wohin gehen wir? Ich bin Naturwissenschaftler. Ich habe ein tief sitzendes Bedurfnis, Antworten auf diese Fragen zu finden und das physikalische Universum wie auch das Bewusstsein zu begreifen. Ich versuche, all das zu verstehen – nicht, wie es ein Mystiker tut, in der Art ekstatischer Erfahrung, die ich manchmal habe, wenn ich stundenlang hoch oben in den San Gabriel Mountains laufe, sondern in einer rationalen, intellektuellen Weise.
Study protocol: improving the transition of care from a non-network hospital back to the patient’s medical home

The process of transitioning Veterans to primary care following a non-Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitalization can be challenging. Poor transitions result in medical complications and increased hospital readmissions. The goal of this transition of care quality improvement (QI) project is to identify gaps in the current transition process and implement an intervention that bridges the gap and improves the current transition of care process within the Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS). We will employ qualitative methods to understand the current transition of care process back to VA primary care for Veterans who received care in a non-VA hospital in ECHCS. We will conduct in-depth semi-structured interviews with Veterans hospitalized in 2015 in non-VA hospitals as well as both VA and non-VA providers, staff, and administrators involved in the current care transition process. Participants will be recruited using convenience and snowball sampling. Qualitative data analysis will be guided by conventional content analysis and Lean Six Sigma process improvement tools. We will use VA claim data to identify the top ten non-VA hospitals serving rural and urban Veterans by volume and Veterans that received inpatient services at non-VA hospitals. Informed by both qualitative and quantitative data, we will then develop a transitions care coordinator led intervention to improve the transitions process. We will test the transition of care coordinator intervention using repeated improvement cycles incorporating salient factors in value stream mapping that are important for an efficient and effective transition process. Furthermore, we will complete a value stream map of the transition process at two other VA Medical Centers and test whether an implementation strategy of audit and feedback (the value stream map of the current transition process with the Transition of Care Dashboard) versus audit and feedback with Transition Nurse facilitation of the process using the Resource Guide and Transition of Care Dashboard improves the transition process, continuity of care, patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. Our current transition of care process has shortcomings. An intervention utilizing a transition care coordinator has the potential to improve this process. Transitioning Veterans to primary care following a non-VA hospitalization is a crucial step for improving care coordination for Veterans
Modeling the paleo-seawater radiogenic strontium isotope record: A case study of the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous

Abstract While uniformitarianism underlies many aspects of the Earth sciences, modeling geochemical cycles throughout Earth history requires critically assessing the reliability and constancy of projecting modern fluxes and their isotope ratios into deep geologic time. In this study, we develop an iterative technique for modeling the radiogenic strontium isotope composition (R87 = 87Sr/86Sr) of seawater (sw) during the Phanerozoic utilizing as a constraint the composite record of McArthur et al. (2012) (McArthur, J. M., Howarth, R. J., & Shields, G. A. (2012). Strontium isotope stratigraphy. In F. M. Gradstein, J. G. Ogg, M. Schmitz, & G. Ogg (Eds.), The Geologic Time Scale 2012 (pp. 127–144): Elsevier). The model yields estimates for the Sr isotope composition of the riverine, submarine groundwater discharge, and diagenetic input fluxes. We use the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous segment of the marine Sr isotope record as a case study to demonstrate the efficacy of the new method. To begin, 87Sr/86Sr ratios are calculated for a combined riverine and submarine groundwater discharge flux (tw = total weathering) using a prescribed time-variable d dt R 87 , sw determined from the LOWESS FIT 5 of McArthur et al. (2012). The calculated R87,tw values are checked against the range of R87,sw for the time interval of interest, as well as older carbonates available for weathering, to determine the reasonableness of the estimates. From these estimates, different prescribed R87,tw values are tested to identify the best match with target seawater 87Sr/86Sr ratios and the range of d dt R 87 , sw . For model runs focusing on long time intervals (≳ 10 Myr), a single prescribed R87,tw value does not produce a reasonable match to the Sr isotope record. Testing the frequency of variation in R87,tw indicates that during the Early Cretaceous, R87,tw varied at least every 5 Myr, if not more frequently. The minimum frequency at which R87,tw changes likely varied throughout the Phanerozoic, as it depends on the variability of d dt R 87 , sw and residence time of Sr. Model results also demonstrate the significance of estimating variation in the total hydrothermal (high and low temperature) input flux of Sr along with seawater Sr concentrations in the geologic past, which are key for properly estimating R87,tw.
Taste, Neural Basis of

The sense of taste is located at the interface between the varied chemical environment around us and the controlled biochemical environment within. It serves to select from among the vast array of candidates, those chemicals that satisfy the biochemical needs and to identify those that have proven toxic, that they might be avoided. This is accomplished through transduction mechanisms at the receptor level that permit the recognition of sugars, salts, acids, alkaloids, amino acids, and perhaps fats and complex carbohydrates. Peripheral taste nerves carry the signal to the hindbrain, where it activates reflexes for swallowing nutrients or for rejecting toxins, and on to the cortex and ventral forebrain for recognition and for hedonic analysis. Taste cells are divisible into subtypes that correspond to the basic taste qualities of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. The code for taste quality may be carried in the relative rates of activity among these neuronal subtypes.
Inner Experience from Hypomania to Depression

We have seen that there are some striking similarities among the cases of John, Michelle, Susan, and Diane with respect to the relationship between depression and inner experience, and we will elaborate on those similarities here. The four cases are instructive because they represent points spaced widely along the range of affect: slightly manic (John in his Slightly Hypomanic Period); normal affect (Michelle during her Normal Affect Period, as well as the first six subjects in the previous book [Hurlburt, 1990]); dysphoric mood (Michelle in her Dysphoric Period, John when “fatigued,” and Susan during her Brighter Affect Period); mild depression (Susan during her Mildly Depressed/Upset Period); and deep depression of clinical significance (Susan in her More Depressed Period and Diane).
Preoperative 3-Tesla Multiparametric Endorectal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings and the Odds of Upgrading and Upstaging at Radical Prostatectomy in Men With Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer

Purpose To investigate whether 3-T esla (3T) multiparametric endorectal MRI (erMRI) can add information to established predictors regarding occult extraprostatic or high-grade prostate cancer (PC) in men with clinically localized PC. Methods and Materials At a single academic medical center, this retrospective study's cohort included 118 men with clinically localized PC who underwent 3T multiparametric erMRI followed by radical prostatectomy, from 2008 to 2011. Multivariable logistic regression analyses in all men and in 100 with favorable-risk PC addressed whether erMRI evidence of T3 disease was associated with prostatectomy T3 or Gleason score (GS) 8-10 (in patients with biopsy GS ≤7) PC, adjusting for age, prostate-specific antigen level, clinical T category, biopsy GS, and percent positive biopsies. Results The accuracy of erMRI prediction of extracapsular extension and seminal vesicle invasion was 75% and 95%, respectively. For all men, erMRI evidence of a T3 lesion versus T2 was associated with an increased odds of having pT3 disease (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 4.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36-16.98, P =.015) and pGS 8-10 (AOR 5.56, 95% CI 1.10-28.18, P =.038). In the favorable-risk population, these results were AOR 4.14 (95% CI 1.03-16.56), P =.045 and AOR 7.71 (95% CI 1.36-43.62), P =.021, respectively. Conclusions Three-Tesla multiparametric erMRI in men with favorable-risk PC provides information beyond that contained in known preoperative predictors about the presence of occult extraprostatic and/or high-grade PC. If validated in additional studies, this information can be used to counsel men planning to undergo radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy about the possible need for adjuvant radiation therapy or the utility of adding hormone therapy, respectively.
Mothers' Adverse Childhood Experiences and Their Young Children's Development.

Introduction This study examined how mothers’ Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) relate to their children’s developmental risk and assessed how the association is mediated through mothers’ depressive symptoms and fair/poor health. Methods Mothers of children aged between 4 months and 4 years were recruited from the emergency department of a children’s hospital between March 2012 and June 2015 and interviewed about ACEs, mothers’ depressive symptoms and health status, and children’s developmental risk (screened via Parents’ Evaluations of Developmental Status [PEDS]). Between August and November 2016 a Cochran–Armitage test assessed trend of PEDS by ACEs. Multinomial regression models examined differences in PEDS by ACEs severity. Mediation by mothers’ depressive symptoms and self-rated health was also assessed. Results Of 1,293 mothers, 56.7% reported one or more ACEs. Mothers also reported developmental risk (20.4% overall): 120 (9.2%) reported one concern and 144 (11.2%) reported two or more concerns on the PEDS. Mothers who reported household substance use, mental illness, or an incarcerated household member during childhood were more likely to report at least one child developmental concern on the PEDS. After controlling for covariates, odds of one PEDS concern were 1.86 (95% CI=1.16, 3.00) for ACEs, one to three versus none, and 2.21 (95% CI=1.26, 3.87) for ACEs four or more versus none. Adjusted odds of two or more concerns were 1.70 (95% CI=1.07, 2.72) for ACEs, one to three versus none, and 1.76 (95% CI=1.02, 3.05) for ACEs, four or more versus none. Mothers’ depressive symptoms and self-rated health were potential mediators. Conclusions Mothers’ ACEs are significantly associated with their children’s developmental risk. If replicated, findings suggest that addressing intergenerational trauma through focus on childhood adversity among young children’s caregivers may promote child development.
Long Term Corrosion Performance Of Soil Reinforcement In Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls

Mechanically stabilized earth walls, MSEW, around Florida were instrumented through their concrete covers to survey corrosion rates of galvanized strip soil reinforcement by polarization measurements. The first broad survey was made 10 years ago as a baseline and a new survey is currently underway to assess long term corrosion rate trends. Initial results of an ongoing survey confirm low rates consistent with controlled backfill composition. BACKGROUND An MSEW is more advanced form of a retaining wall, often larger and being able to hold back more backfill. This is achieved by reinforcing strips or meshes (in the present case of galvanized steel) placed into the soil holding it in place by friction. The strips mechanically stabilize the earth while undergoing tension. The wall is covered with concrete medallions that connect to the reinforcements. The medallions have only a secondary structural role in holding up the wall but provide cover that protects the soil from washing away. This configuration exposes metal to the soil environment with associated corrosion risk. If the reinforcement were to degrade prematurely by corrosion the soil could shift resulting in potential structural risk. Present durability criteria by Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) establish a design service life of 75 years. To that end, FDOT specifies that the backfill in the walls meets electrochemical criteria (resistivity > 3 000 Ω•cm; 5 < pH < 10; soluble chloride < 100ppm; sulfate < 200ppm) chosen to minimize corrosion deterioration. Based on prior experience 1,2 those criteria are expected to limit corrosion rates of less than 1⁄2 mpy (13 μm/year) for the galvanized layers, which are consistent with tolerable residual reinforcement strength throughout the design life given usual reinforcement dimensions .
Foundations of American Law (An Undergraduate Course)

This is the first draft of an undergraduate introduction to law and legal systems. The text is still in a rough state, but I have used it to run two classes. I release it in case others are interested in helping to develop courses of this type. In its present form, it presents a challenging course, and engagement with the students in the seminar sessions is vital. The basic purpose of the course is to foster an understanding of our legal system and the means and merits of legal argument. Students will learn to appreciate the distinction between rhetorical argumentation on disputed issues, as might appear in editorial writing, and legal argumentation. Each weekly reading consists of an explanation of legal concepts paired with one or more important cases that either illustrate the concepts directly or provide a basis on which to discuss the concepts. Links to a companion podcast series are provided. The course culminates with a few weeks’ discussion concerning pending or recently decided Supreme Court cases so that students can appreciate the legal disputes of our time from the legal perspective.
On the direct synthesis of Cu(BDC) MOF nanosheets and their performance in mixed matrix membranes

Abstract High aspect-ratio nanosheets of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) hold promise for use as selective flakes in gas separation membranes. However, simple and scalable methods for the synthesis of MOF nanosheets have thus far remained elusive. Here, we describe the direct synthesis of Cu(BDC) (BDC2– = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) nanosheets with an average lateral size of 2.5 µm and a thickness of 25 nm from a well-mixed solution. Characterization of the nanosheets by powder and thin film X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and electron diffraction reveals pronounced structural disorder that may affect their pore structure. Incorporation of the Cu(BDC) nanosheets into a Matrimid polymer matrix results in mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) that exhibit a 70% increase in the CO2/CH4 selectivity compared with that of Matrimid. Analysis of new and previously reported permeation data for Cu(BDC) MMMs using a mathematical model for selective flake composites indicates that further performance improvements could be achieved with the selection of different polymers for use in the continuous phase.
Cranberry proanthocyanidin-chitosan hybrid nanoparticles as a potential inhibitor of extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli invasion of gut epithelial cells.

Abstract Chitosan interacts with proanthocyanidins through hydrogen-bonding, which allows encapsulation and development of stable nanoparticles via ionotropic gelation. Cranberry proanthocyanidins (PAC) are associated with the prevention of urinary tract infections and PAC inhibit invasion of gut epithelial cells by extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC). We determined the effect of cranberry proanthocyanidin-chitosan hybrid nanoparticles (PAC-CHTNp) on the ExPEC invasion of gut epithelial cells in vitro. PAC-CHTNp were characterized according to size, morphology, and bioactivity. Results showed a decrease in the size of the nanoparticles as the concentration of PAC was increased, indicating that PAC increases cross-linking by hydrogen-bonding on the surface of the chitosan nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were produced with diameters ranging from 367.3 nm to 293.2 nm. Additionally, PAC-CHTNp significantly inhibited the ability of ExPEC to invade the enterocytes by ~80% at 66 μg GAE/mL and by ~92% at 100 μg GAE/mL. Results also indicate that chitosan nanoparticles alone were not significantly different from controls in preventing ExPEC invasion of enterocytes (data not shown) and also there were not significant differences between PAC alone and PAC-CHTNp, suggesting that the new PAC-CHTNp could lead to an increase in the stability of encapsulated PAC, maintain the molecular adhesion of PAC to ExPEC.
Frictional Problems Involving Half-Spaces

It should be clear from Chaps. 7 and 8 that problems involving tangential loading are considerably simplified when they are uncoupled. If the contacting bodies can be approximated by half-spaces, this condition is satisfied if and only if Dundurs’ constant \(\beta \!=\!0\), as defined in Eq. ( 7.8), the most common case being that in which the two bodies are of similar materials. We shall assume that \(\beta \!=\!0\) through Sects. 9.1–9.4 of this chapter.
A Naturally Encoded Dipeptide Handle for Bioorthogonal Chan–Lam Coupling

Manipulation of biomacromolecules is ideally achieved through unique and bioorthogonal chemical reactions of genetically encoded, naturally occurring functional groups. The toolkit of methods for site-specific conjugation is limited by selectivity concerns and a dearth of naturally occurring functional groups with orthogonal reactivity. We report that pyroglutamate amide N-H bonds exhibit bioorthogonal copper-catalyzed Chan-Lam coupling at pyroglutamate-histidine dipeptide sequences. The pyroglutamate residue is readily incorporated into proteins of interest by natural enzymatic pathways, allowing specific bioconjugation at a minimalist dipeptide tag.
Repeated Morphine Prolongs Postoperative Pain in Male Rats.

BACKGROUND:Opioids are effective postoperative analgesics. Disturbingly, we have previously reported that opioids such as morphine can worsen inflammatory pain and peripheral and central neuropathic pain. These deleterious effects are mediated by immune mediators that promote neuronal hyperexcitabil
Demographic profile of newly detected refractive errors among schoolgoing children in Thrissur district of Kerala

Aim: This study aims to analyze the demographic profile of newly detected refractive errors among schoolgoing children in Thrissur district of Kerala. Materials and Methods: In this population-based cross-sectional study, 91,628 schoolgoing children between 6 and 17 years of age, from Thrissur district of Kerala were evaluated through school screening programs conducted at the respective schools. Demographic and clinical profiles of refractive errors among children with newly prescribed spectacles were analyzed. Statistical Analysis: Demographic data were represented as bar charts and pie diagrams. Subgroup analysis for type for the influence of age, sex, and rural–urban location on the pattern of refractive error was analyzed using odds ratio. Results: Out of the total 91,628 schoolgoing children, 1079 (1.18%) were newly prescribed with spectacles. Out of these, 549 (50.80%) were boys and 530 (49.20%) were girls. Myopic astigmatism was the most common refractive error (68.30%) in all the age groups taken together and individually. Simple myopia was seen in 13.81%, hypermetropic astigmatism in 13.07%, mixed astigmatism in 3.89%, and simple hypermetropia in 1.20% newly prescribed cases. In the 10–12 year age group, there was a significantly higher chance of occurrence of refractive errors of all types among the rural children in comparison to their urban counterparts. In the 6–9 years' age group, there was a significantly higher chance of occurrence of hypermetropia, hypermetropic astigmatism, and mixed astigmatism among the rural children when compared to the urban children. Conclusion: Prevalence of spectacle use was less than the need for spectacle correction among schoolgoing children in Thrissur district of Kerala. As the prevalence of uncorrected/undercorrected refractive errors was more among the rural upper primary and lower primary school children, targeted strategies to address this deficit in service delivery need to be formulated.
Classification of Cryosols

Soil classification schemes have moved from genetic or zonal systems to natural or technical systems with the publication of the Seventh Approximation (1960). Soils underlain by permafrost exist in a separate category at the highest level in the Canadian and WRB systems (cryosols) and Soil Taxonomy (ST) (Gelisols). In ST the primary criteria are the occurrence of gelic materials, which are organic or mineral materials that are subjective to cryoturbation, cryodesiccation, and ice segregation, as well as the existence of permafrost within 1–2 m of the ground surface. Other diagnostic horizons are found in Gelisols/cryosols but these play a lesser role than the presence of gelic materials.
NNO-HCN complex. Ab initio calculations with the coupled cluster method and first-order correlation orbitals

Abstract Four equilibrium conformers are identified for the NNO-HCN complex. Coupled cluster calculations with the first-order correlation orbitals indicate that the oxygen-hydrogen-bonded linear structure has the lowest energy, by 0.26 kcal/mol lower, than the experimentally characterized “slipped parallel” structure. The result lends support to suggestions that there should be at least two stable isomers of NNO-HCN in the gas phase.
Distributed Bayesian optimization of deep reinforcement learning algorithms

Abstract Significant strides have been made in supervised learning settings thanks to the successful application of deep learning. Now, recent work has brought the techniques of deep learning to bear on sequential decision processes in the area of deep reinforcement learning (DRL). Currently, little is known regarding hyperparameter optimization for DRL algorithms. Given that DRL algorithms are computationally intensive to train, and are known to be sample inefficient, optimizing model hyperparameters for DRL presents significant challenges to established techniques. We provide an open source, distributed Bayesian model-based optimization algorithm, HyperSpace, and show that it consistently outperforms standard hyperparameter optimization techniques across three DRL algorithms.
Variable Interest Rate: What Experiences Explain Differences in Interest in Computer Science Among Students?

The entire enterprise of computer science education is predicated on the ability to develop and sustain students' interest in the subject. Given how fundamental this aspect of the educational process is, our understanding of what experiences are actually driving the development of interest in computer science remains far from complete. This BOF session seeks to inform the direction of a new research project dedicated to investigating this question, by eliciting a discussion from expert practitioners about what they know from their experiences about how interest in CS develops.