cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computing with many spaces: Generalizing projections for the digital geohumanities and GIScience

The digital geohumanities---and geographic computation generally--- have advanced greatly by representing phenomena within geographic coordinate systems. More specifically, most visualizations and analyses only proceed once data are rendered into a single coordinate system via geolocation and one or more projections. But does it follow that geographic computation should require all phenomena to be represented in Euclidean or spherical geometry in a singular, absolute, Newtonian space?We suggest an approach to pluralizing the spaces available to geographic computation. We both supplement the technical architecture for projections and subtly reframe the purpose and meaning of projections. What we term numerical, generalized projections thereby become more central to GISystems. We suggest how existing libraries might be modified with minimal disruption (taking the widespread and foundational proj.4 library as example). We also envision modifications to existing OGC technical specifications for projections and coordinate systems. Finally, in conversation with the interpretative practice and nuanced spatialities of the digital geohumanities and critical geography, we further extend generalized projections to encompass spatial multiplicity, fragmented spaces, wormholes, and an expanded role for interruptions.This will facilitate: 1) interpretative approaches to scholarship and diverse constructions of space common in the humanities; 2) computational engagement with the ontological and epistemological commitments to relational space of critical human geography; and 3) scientific efforts to understand complex systems in the spaces and times that emerge from those systems' dynamics, revisiting a desire common in early quantitative geography; and 4) the desire for a broad basis of understanding geographic information in GIScience.
Frailty Testing Pilot Study: Pros and Pitfalls.

Background: Frailty can be defined as an inflammatory state with a loss of physiologic reserve in multiple systems that manifests as a decreased ability to respond to stressors that ultimately leads to an increased risk of adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine the ease of frailty testing in a pre-kidney transplant clinic and the resources required to do so. A secondary goal was to better understand the utility of frailty testing when evaluating potential kidney transplant recipients. Methods: Frailty testing was conducted at a pre-kidney transplant clinic in three phases using Fried’s frailty phenotype (shrinking, exhaustion, low physical activity, slowness, and grip strength). Results: A total of 132 frailty tests were completed on 128 patients. Frail patients had significantly higher rates of shrinking (26% vs. 8.5%, P < 0.05), exhaustion (82.6% vs. 27.6%, P < 0.05), low physical activity (78.2% vs. 19.0%, P < 0.05), slow walking (60.8% vs. 15.2%, P < 0.05), and grip strength (73.9% vs. 25.7%, P < 0.05). When comparing the listing of frail and non-frail patients for transplant, a significantly lower proportion of frail patients were listed compared to non-frail patients (30.4% vs. 57.6%, P < 0.05). Frailty testing was most complete when an examiner dedicated to frailty testing performed the testing. Conclusions: Frailty testing is feasible to complete in a pre-transplant clinic with an appropriate investment in personnel and resources. J Clin Med Res. 2018;10(2):82-87 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jocmr3203w
Voulez-vous jouer avec moi? Twelve-month-olds understand that foreign languages can communicate

Abstract Infants understand that speech in their native language allows speakers to communicate. Is this understanding limited to their native language or does it extend to non-native languages with which infants have no experience? Twelve-month-old infants saw an actor, the Communicator, repeatedly select one of two objects. When the Communicator could no longer reach the target but a Recipient could, the Communicator vocalized a nonsense phrase either in English (infants’ native language), Spanish (rhythmically different), or Russian (phonotactically different), or hummed (a non-speech vocalization). Across all three languages, native and non-native, but not humming, infants looked longer when the Recipient gave the Communicator the non-target object. Although, by 12 months, infants do not readily map non-native words to objects or discriminate most non-native speech contrasts, they understand that non-native languages can transfer information to others. Understanding language as a tool for communication extends beyond infants’ native language: By 12 months, infants view language as a universal mechanism for transferring and acquiring new information.
Computational algorithms and neural circuitry for compressed sensing in the mammalian main olfactory bulb

A major challenge for many sensory systems is the representation of stimuli that vary along many dimensions. This problem is particularly acute for chemosensory systems because they require sensitivity to a large number of molecular features. Here we use a combination of computational modeling and in vivo electrophysiological data to propose a solution for this problem in the circuitry of the mammalian main olfactory bulb. We model the input to the olfactory bulb as an array of chemical features that, due to the vast size of chemical feature space, is sparsely occupied. We propose that this sparseness enables compression of the chemical feature array by broadly-tuned odorant receptors. Reconstruction of stimuli is then achieved by a supernumerary network of inhibitory granule cells. The main olfactory bulb may therefore implement a compressed sensing algorithm that presents several advantages. First, we demonstrate that a model of synaptic interactions between the granule cells and the mitral cells that constitute the output of the olfactory bulb, can store a highly efficient representation of odors by competitively selecting a sparse basis set of "expert" granule cells. Second, we further show that this model network can simultaneously learn separable representations of each component of an odor mixture without exposure to those components in isolation. Third, our model is capable of independent and odor-specific adaptation, which could be used by the olfactory system to perform background subtraction or sensitively compare a sample odor with an internal expectation. This model makes specific predictions about the dynamics of granule cell activity during learning. Using in vivo electrophysiological recordings, we corroborate these predictions in an experimental paradigm that stimulates memorization of odorants.
Synthetic and Postsynthetic Chemistry of M4AuxAg44–x(p-MBA)30 Alloy Nanoparticles

Metal heteroatom substitution in molecular nanoparticles offers a unique opportunity to study alloying with an unprecedented level of detail and control, which may be important for applications in ...
Dew point pressure prediction based on mixed-kernels-function support vector machine in gas-condensate reservoir

Abstract Dew point pressure, at which the first condensate liquid comes out of solution in gas condensate reservoir, is a vital parameter for fluid characterization, field development, reservoir management and facility construction. Fast and accurate measurement of dew point pressure is always a challenge. Laboratory measurement can give accurate dew point pressure, but are expensive and time consuming. Equation of state is an alternative way, but can not converge in light oil and gas condensate reservoirs. Different empirical correlations have been built up between reservoir properties, fluid composition and dew point pressure. However, those correlations do not accurately reflect complex, non-linear relationships between them. With the development and improvement of artificial neural networks, different neural networks; such as multilayer perceptron neural network, radial basis function neural network, and gene expression programming can be used to describe complex relationships. Recently, one popular machine learning algorithm-(support vector machine) attracts attention due to its strong generalization ability. In this paper, we introduce a mixed kernel function based support vector machine (MKF-SVM), which has both strong interpolation and extrapolation abilities. This support vector machine model was trained and tested using 564 measurements of dew point pressure.The performance of this model is compared against four well known empirical correlations for dew point pressure calculation. The result, high R 2 = 0.9150 , low root mean square error RMSE = 476.392 and low average absolute percent relative error (AAPE = 7.01%) indicates good performance of mixed kernel function based support vector machine (MKF-SVM).
The role of bacterial DNA in autoantibody induction.

Antibodies to DNA (anti-DNA) are prototypic autoantibodies that occur prominently in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). These antibodies target sites on single- as well as double-stranded DNA and serve as markers of diagnostic and prognostic significance. In addition, anti-DNA play a direct role in disease pathogenesis, provoking renal injury through immune-complex deposition (Pisetsky 1992). Because of their close association with SLE, anti-DNA have been considered virtually synonymous with autoimmunity and key to understanding disease mechanisms (Eilat and Anderson 1994; Radic and Weigert 1994).
Prophylactic Antibacterial Therapy for Preventing Urinary Tract Infections in Spinal Cord Injury Patients

We conducted 202 trials in 161 male hospital patients to determine if prophylactic administration of ascorbic acid or antibacterials (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, nalidixic acid, methenamine hippurate or nitrofurantoin macrocrystals) would prevent bacteriuria infections in spinal cord injury patients who had had at least 1 bout of bacteriuria. None of the drugs tested appeared to be statistically effective in the doses used in preventing bacteriuria in these patients. Moreover, sensitivities were lost to several drugs other than those used prophylactically. We conclude that use of prophylactic doses of ascorbic acid or antibacterials has not proved to be beneficial in spinal cord injury patients free of indwelling catheters.
Functional Selectivity at Adrenergic Receptors

The adrenergic receptors have been a model for understanding the structure, function, regulation, and biology of GPCRs. They play a similar role with respect to ligand functional selectivity (or ligand-dependent differential signaling). The β-adrenergic receptor has provided key structural information about ligand binding and also rich biophysical data demonstrating that different ligands can produce different conformational states of the receptor. There is also substantial data in cell systems showing that ligands can produce distinct spectrums of response including differential roles of the Gi and Gs-type G proteins as well as contrasting agonist and inverse agonist actions at G protein-dependent and G protein-independent (largely β-arrestin-dependent) signals. There is also in vivo evidence for physiologically important roles for these different signals. The clinical importance of β-adrenergic blockers in cardiovascular disease and emerging evidence for ligand-specific vs. class-specific effects in clinical studies makes a full understanding of ligand functional selectivity very important. Challenges in the future will be to determine the unique receptor conformations produced by the binding of different ligands, show how those conformations interact with the complex cellular context and regulatory processes to result in unique signal output patterns, and finally to translate that basic knowledge into novel therapeutics that take advantage of the additional specificity provided by ligand functional selectivity.
Impact of patient reported functional limitation on overall survival in older adults undergoing autologous hematopoietic cell transplant (AutoHCT).

10030Background: The optimal means of assessing fitness for AutoHCT in older adults with hematologic malignancies is unknown. Few studies have evaluated the impact of patient reported function on A...
When Political Mega-Donors Join Forces: How the Koch Network and the Democracy Alliance Influence Organized U.S. Politics on the Right and Left

As economic inequalities have skyrocketed in the United States, scholars have started paying more attention to the individual political activities of billionaires and multimillionaires. Useful as such work may be, it misses an important aspect of plutocratic influence: the sustained efforts of organized groups and networks of political mega-donors, who work together over many years between as well as during elections to reshape politics. Our work contributes to this new direction by focusing on two formally organized consortia of wealthy donors that have recently evolved into highly consequential forces in U.S. politics. We develop this concept and illustrate the importance of organized donor consortia by presenting original data and analyses of the right-wing Koch seminars (from 2003 to the present) and the progressive left-leaning Democracy Alliance (from 2005 to the present). We describe the evolution, memberships, and organizational routines of these two wealthy donor collectives, and explore the ways in which each has sought to reconfigure and bolster kindred arrays of think tanks, advocacy groups, and constituency efforts operating at the edges of America's two major political parties in a period of intensifying ideological polarization and growing conflict over the role of government in addressing rising economic inequality. Our analysis argues that the rules and organizational characteristics of donor consortia shape their resource allocations and impact, above and beyond the individual characteristics of their wealthy members.
Is Weight Discrimination Associated With Physical Activity Among Middle Aged and Older Adults

Older adults (> 65) are less physically active than all other adult age groups. Although experiences of weight discrimination have been inversely associated with physical activity in several studies of middle-aged and older adults, the role of weight discrimination in this relationship has not been sufficiently explicated. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (a longitudinal panel study of U.S. adults aged 50 and older), we hypothesized that, among middle aged and older adults, weight discrimination would (a) be inversely related to respondents’ reported level of physical activity; and (b) partially mediate the relationship between BMI and physical activity. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, we found an inverse relationship between weight discrimination and vigorous physical activity (OR = 0.79; 95% CI [0.66, 0.94]), as well as between weight discrimination and moderate physical activity (OR = 0.76; 95% CI [0.62, 0.92]). Weight discrimination mediated 13% of the relationship between BMI and vigorous physical activity, as well as 9% of the relationship between BMI and moderate physical activity. Weight discrimination may thus pose a barrier to regular physical activity among middle aged and older adults. Future research and interventions should identify effective ways of mitigating barriers experienced because of weight discrimination in the promotion of physical activity among these age groups, as well as how we may effectively reduce the perpetration of weight discrimination in various settings.
Green infrastructure and urban sustainability: A discussion of recent advances and future challenges based on multiyear observations in New York City

Although the majority of urban green infrastructure (GI) programs in the United States, and elsewhere, are being driven by stormwater management challenges arising as a result of the impervious nat...
Prediction and Control of Macroscopic Fabrication Stresses in Hoop Wound, Fiberglass Rings

Macroscopic, residual (bending) stresses in hoop wound, fiberglass rings are predicted by analytically modeling each phase of their fabrication. Layer "migration" is found to be the manufacturing phase which contributes most significantly to the inducement of bending stresses, once the stress profile has been established by the winding phase. Variation of winding tension through the thickness of the ring is shown to be an effective means of controlling these stresses. This control is demonstrated by presenting numerical and experimental results for rings wound with three winding tension variations.
Worsening Renal Function in Cardiac Mechanical Support

Background Venous congestion in heart failure (HF) may lead to worsening renal failure (WRF). We hypothesised that WRF in patients hospitalised for left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is associated with increased 1-year mortality. There is limited data regarding WRF in HF patients with mechanical support. The objective of this paper is to determine whether WRF in HF patients hospitalised for LVAD implantation is associated with increased 1-year mortality and to identify risk factors for WRF. Methods We performed a single centre retrospective chart analysis of 162 patients who received an LVAD between August 2006 and December 2014 with pre-LVAD right heart catheterisation data. We stratified patients to those who demonstrated WRF and the use of haemodialysis (HD) or ultrafiltration (UF). Results Patients with a higher central venous pressure (CVP) >16 mmHg (17–24 mmHg range) developed WRF (29.7% vs. 14.1%, p=0.019). A CVP ≥16 and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) 16 increased the odds of requiring HD/UF. Conclusions Worsening renal failure is associated with a higher CVP at the time of LVAD implantation and increases the risk of 1-year mortality and the odds of requiring HD/UF. Careful evaluation of renal function and comorbid conditions during LVAD implantation is critical to reduce mortality and for risk stratification.
Analyzing non-verbal behavior throughout recovery in a sample of depressed patients receiving deep brain stimulation

Abstract Background Traditional rating scales for depression rely heavily on patient self-report, and lack detailed measurement of non-verbal behavior. However, there is evidence that depression is associated with distinct non-verbal behaviors, assessment of which may provide useful information about recovery. This study examines non-verbal behavior in a sample of patients receiving Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) treatment of depression, with the purpose to investigate the relationship between non-verbal behaviors and reported symptom severity. Methods Videotaped clinical interviews of twelve patients participating in a study of DBS for treatment-resistant depression were analyzed at three time points (before treatment and after 3 months and 6 months of treatment), using an ethogram to assess the frequencies of 42 non-verbal behaviors. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) were also collected at all time points. Results Factor analysis grouped non-verbal behaviors into three factors: react, engage/fidget, and disengage. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA showed that scores on the three factors change differently from each other over time. Mixed effects modelling assessed the relationship between BDI score and frequency of non-verbal behaviors, and provided evidence that the frequency of behaviors related to reactivity and engagement increase as BDI score decreases. Limitations This study assesses a narrow sample of patients with a distinct clinical profile at limited time points. Conclusions Non-verbal behavior provides information about clinical states and may be reliably quantified using ethograms. Non-verbal behavior may provide distinct information compared to self-report.
A Stochastic Birth-Death Model of Information Propagation Within Human Networks

The fixation probability of a mutation in a population network is a widely-studied phenomenon in evolutionary dynamics. This mutation model following a Moran process finds a compelling application in modeling information propagation through human networks. Here we present a stochastic model for a two-state human population in which each of N individual nodes subscribes to one of two contrasting messages, or pieces of information. We use a mutation model to describe the spread of one of the two messages labeled the mutant, regulated by stochastic parameters such as talkativity and belief probability for an arbitrary fitness r of the mutant message. The fixation of mutant information is analyzed for an unstructured well-mixed population and simulated on a Barabasi-Albert graph to mirror a human social network of \(N = 100\) individuals. Chiefly, we introduce the possibility of a single node speaking to multiple information recipients or listeners, each independent of one another, per a binomial distribution. We find that while in mixed populations, the fixation probability of the mutant message is strongly correlated with the talkativity (sample correlation \(\rho = 0.96\)) and belief probability (\(\rho = -0.74\)) of the initial mutant, these correlations with respect to talkativity (\(\rho = 0.61\)) and belief probability (\(\rho = -0.49\)) are weaker on BA graph simulations. This indicates the likely effect of added stochastic noise associated with the inherent construction of graphs and human networks.
Sickle Cell-Related Complications in Patients Undergoing Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Background We aimed to describe our experience with patients with sickle cell trait (SCT) and undergoing surgery on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods Data on all patients with SCT or sickle-α thalassemia who underwent surgery on CPB were collected (1996-2017). Results Overall, 46 patients were included, 37 (80%) had SCT and 9 (20%) had sickle-α thalassemia. A total of 4 (9%) developed a potential sickle cell-related complication. Patients with sickle cell-related complications were significantly older (median 14 years vs 14 months, P = .037) and heavier (median 54 kg vs 9 kg, P = .041). Complications occurred, although without statistical significance, in patients who underwent longer median CPB times (249 minutes vs 137 minutes, P = .069), lower median temperature (31.7 °C vs 33.3 °C, P = .094), and a higher percentage underwent deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (50% vs 7%, P = .053). A total of 30 (65%) patients underwent exchange transfusion (ET) pre-bypass. Patients who underwent ET were significantly older (median 4 years vs 7 months, P = .003) and heavier (median 16 kg vs 6 kg, P = .015) than patients who did not undergo ET. The incidence of complications was comparable between patients who underwent ET (10%) and those who did not (6%). Conclusions In this retrospective, single-center study, it has been shown that cardiac surgery requiring CPB in patients with SCT and sickle-α thalassemia had a low risk for sickle cell-associated complications. In this cohort of patients, older age, longer CPB times, lower median temperature, and the utilization of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest appear to play an important role in the development of complications.
Variation in Self-Perceived Fecundity among Young Adult U.S. Women.

Abstract Background Individuals’ perceptions of their fecundity, or biological ability to bear children, have important implications for health behaviors, including infertility help-seeking and contraceptive use. Little research has examined these perceptions among U.S. women. Methods This cross-sectional study examines perceptions of one's own fecundity among U.S. women aged 24 to 32 who participated in the 2009–2011 rounds of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1997) cohort. Analyses were limited to 3,088 women who indicated that they or their partners never received a doctor's diagnosis regarding fertility difficulties. Results Of the women in the sample, 67% perceived their hypothetical chances of becoming pregnant as very likely; the remainder perceived their chances as somewhat likely (13%), not as likely (15%), or provided a “don't know” response (6%). Twenty-six percent of Black women and 19% of Latina women perceived themselves as not very likely to become pregnant, compared with only 12% among non-Black/non-Latina women (p Conclusions Findings indicate that self-perceived fecundity differs systematically by demographic and other characteristics. This phenomenon should be investigated further to understand how it may influence disparities in health behaviors and outcomes.
Impact of treatment modality on overall survival in women with advanced endometrial cancer: A National Cancer Database analysis

Abstract Objective To evaluate overall survival (OS) in women with advanced endometrial cancer (EC) following chemotherapy alone (CT), neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval debulking surgery (NACT + IDS) or primary cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy (PCS + CT). Methods The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for patients with stage III/IV EC from 2004 to 2015. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses assessed the impact of treatment modality upon OS. Results Of 48,179 women identified, 5531 received CT (11.5%), 2614 NACT + IDS (5.4%) and 40,034 PCS + CT (83.1%). Median OS was 11.1 months for CT, 25.1 months for NACT + IDS and 60.9 months for PCS + CT (p Conclusions In women with advanced EC, PCS + CT is associated with improved OS compared to NACT + IDS or CT alone, regardless of stage or histology. Additionally, NACT + IDS is associated with superior OS in stage III type I and all stage IV EC compared to CT alone. Where feasible, surgery should be incorporated into treatment planning in women with advanced EC.
The effect of individual versus pair housing of dairy heifer calves during the preweaning period on measures of health, performance, and behavior up to 16 weeks of age.

ABSTRACT Pair housing of dairy heifer calves during the preweaning period helps meet the natural social needs of the calf and has been shown to improve growth and starter intake during the preweaning period as compared with individual housing. However, there is little evidence to suggest that pair-housed calves maintain their social and growth advantages past the weaning phase. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pair housing on measures of calf performance, health, and behavior up to 16 wk of age. Healthy Holstein and crossbred heifer calves were enrolled in the study after colostrum feeding, with the first calf randomly assigned to 1 of 2 housing treatments: pair (PR; 2 hutches with common outdoor space) or individual (INDV; 1 hutch plus outdoor space). All calves were bucket fed 4 L of milk replacer twice daily and weaned at 50 d of age. Weaned calves (6/group) remained with their treatment group until exit from the study at 16 wk. A venous blood sample was collected from each calf between 24 h and 7 d of age to test for serum total protein (g/dL). Body weights (kg) were obtained at birth, weaning, and 16 wk. Each enrolled calf was scored for health each week and calf health treatments were also collected. A hair sample was collected from the left shoulder at birth and 16 wk to assess hair cortisol (pg/mL). At enrollment, each calf was fitted with a triaxial accelerometer on the left hind leg for continuous recording of standing and lying time (min/24 h) for 16 wk. Latency to find feed, water, and lie down (min) at entrance to the weaned pen were recorded by continuous video observation. Open field testing with a novel object was performed at 5, 10, and 16 wk. Behaviors analyzed by video observation included latency to approach the object (s), vocalizations (n), and time spent immobile, walking, or running (s/10 min). Linear mixed models were used to determine the effect of treatment (INDV or PR) on calf growth, activity, and behavioral outcomes, which accounted for time, breed, the interaction of time and treatment, the random pen, and variability in testing day and repeated measurements within calf when appropriate. Twenty-four Holstein and crossbred calves (PR: n = 12, 6 pairs; INDV: n = 12) were enrolled from November 2 to December 23, 2018. The PR calves were 7.1 kg heavier at weaning and gained 0.15 kg/d more during the preweaning period as compared with INDV calves. In the 24 h after movement to the postweaning pen, PR calves lay down for longer periods of time (14.3 vs. 11.0 ± 0.4 h/d), and PR calves urinated more during novel object testing at 5 wk of age. Our study demonstrated benefits, such as better growth and increased lying time, of pair housing calves during the preweaning period.
The economics of fair value accounting: what did the US accounting profession know, and when did it know it?

This article reminds the reader that companies must produce their output efficiently or else they will become high-cost producers and get competed out of existence. This article quotes published research to show that adoption of models other than historical cost (including fair value accounting) moves companies away from efficient production of their output.
Effect of Source Application on Sonic Echo/Impulse Response Tests Applied to Steel H-Piles

AbstractThe sonic echo/impulse response (SE/IR) method is a versatile nondestructive method for evaluating the conditions of unknown bridge foundations. Previous studies have shown that the method ...
A Secure and Robust PUF-based Key Generation with Wiretap Polar Coset Codes

Millions of small and resource constrained devices are expected to connect in the fifth-generation (5G) network. To secure the devices, physical unclonable functions (PUFs) offer a practical solution of secret key generations. Polar codes have been considered in PUF-based key generation schemes to ensure robustness and security. However, we have proven that helper data errors have catastrophic effects on the hard-in min-sum based successive cancellation decoding in the scheme, which leads to decoding failures no matter how strong the polar codes are. In this paper, a new polar-based fuzzy extractor is proposed to securely and robustly generate secret keys from unstable and biased PUF bits. To handle the secrecy leakage caused by bias, we design an OR-based debiasing to control the resulting bias in $$[2-g,0.5]$$ , where $$g$$ is the golden ratio, and then the secrecy leakage caused by the resulting bias is hidden by wiretap polar coset codes. We evaluate the upper bound of the secrecy leakage using the Hamming weights of polar codewords and then determine the length of mask for meeting certain security and robustness requirements. In addition, we give a secure and robust polar construction algorithm for our key generation scheme based on Reed-Muller codes. Simulation results show that our design needs fewer PUF bits than other state-of-the-arts.
Reflecting on Paradise Lost via Reinforcement Learning and Resistance AI Literature

It is perfectly reasonable to ask why I am examining reinforcement learning through the eyes of John Milton, a dead white male poet and his magnum opus, Paradise Lost, which Sir Walter Raleigh called “a monument to dead ideas” . If the proposition to draw parallels between Machine Learning, and a 350 year-old poem seems outlandish, you are in good company. When I discussed this with other ML researchers, they listened mostly out of politeness. But this is not unchartered territory. Pearl and Mackenzie use the story of Adam and Eve to introduce causal learning . In my musings, a work in progress, I hope to compare Paradise Lost to reinforcement learning, and reflect Milton’s resistance through resistance AI literature.
Cost-Effectiveness of Lipid-Lowering Treatments in Young Adults.

Abstract Background Raised low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in young adulthood (aged 18-39 years) is associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) later in life. Most young adults with elevated LDL-C do not currently receive lipid-lowering treatment. Objectives This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of elevated LDL-C in ASCVD-free U.S. young adults and the cost-effectiveness of lipid-lowering strategies for raised LDL-C in young adulthood compared with standard care. Methods The prevalence of raised LDL-C was examined in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The CVD Policy Model projected lifetime quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), health care costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) for lipid-lowering strategies. Standard care was statin treatment for adults aged ≥40 years based on LDL-C, ASCVD risk, or diabetes plus young adults with LDL-C ≥190 mg/dL. Lipid lowering incremental to standard care with moderate-intensity statins or intensive lifestyle interventions was simulated starting when young adult LDL-C was either ≥160 mg/dL or ≥130 mg/dL. Results Approximately 27% of ASCVD-free young adults have LDL-C of ≥130 mg/dL, and 9% have LDL-C of ≥160 mg/dL. The model projected that young adult lipid lowering with statins or lifestyle interventions would prevent lifetime ASCVD events and increase QALYs compared with standard care. ICERs were US$31,000/QALY for statins in young adult men with LDL-C of ≥130 mg/dL and US$106,000/QALY for statins in young adult women with LDL-C of ≥130 mg/dL. Intensive lifestyle intervention was more costly and less effective than statin therapy. Conclusions Statin treatment for LDL-C of ≥130 mg/dL is highly cost-effective in young adult men and intermediately cost-effective in young adult women.
Conflict-free Collaborative Set Sharing for Distributed Systems.

Collaborative Data Sharing is widely noticed to be essential for distributed systems. Among several proposed strategies, conflict-free techniques are considered useful for serverless concurrent systems. They aim at making shared data be consistent between peers in such a way that their local data do not become equal at once, but they arrive at the same data eventually when no updates occur in any peer. Although the Conflict-free Replicated Data Type (CRDT) approach could be used in data sharing as well, it puts restrictions on available operations so as to concurrent updates never cause conflicts. Even for sets, popular operations such as insertion and deletion are not freely used, for example. We propose a novel scheme for Conflict-free Collaborative Set Sharing that allows both insertion and deletion operations. It will provide a new synchronization method for data sharing and gives a fresh insight into designing conflict-free replicated data types. We might consider that this becomes a substitute for CRDTs.
Investigation of optimal control with a minimum-fuel consumption criterion for a fourth-order plant with two control inputs - synthesis of an efficient suboptimal control.

Pontryagin optimal principle applied to minimum fuel satellite attitude control with two feedback controls
The value of ∝ α/i ∝ r in beta-decay theory

Previous evaluations of the ratio B of the nuclear matrix elements integral alpha and i r are discussed along with the implications of a conserved vector current theory of weak interactions. A new method of calculating B is given which uses an approach different from previous investigations. Results obtained are shown to agree with earlier work, and the experimental values of B are shown to be in agreement with the theoretical values for the nuclei Bi/sup 210/ and Ce/sup 141/ (auth)
Trends in Agriculture and Agribusiness

ABSTRACT There has been a major shift from agriculture to agribusiness. Trade liberalization, deregulation, consumerization, market homogeneity, vertical integration, genetically modified crops (GMCs), frankenfood, stewardship, decommodification interdependence, and sophistication are current trends that have reshaped the industry. This paper outlines these key changes illustrating that information is important and can provide a powerful competitive edge. An annotated list of Web resources is included to help librarians satisfy the increasing need for information on a wide variety of topics for anyone interested in current agricultural developments.
Why Equal Protection Trumps Federalism in the Same-Sex Marriage Cases

Federalism is once again at the forefront of the Supreme Court’s most contentious cases this Term. The cases attracting most attention are the two same-sex marriage cases that were argued in March. Facing intense public sentiment on both sides of the issue and the difficult questions they raise about the boundary between state and federal authority, some justices openly questioned whether to just defer to the political process. And while this is often a wise prudential approach in review of contested federalism-sensitive policymaking, it’s exactly the wrong course of action when the matter under review is an individual right.This very short essay is a federalism scholar’s take on why federalism isn’t the defining issue when it comes to the same-sex marriage cases. It shows how the federalism and equal protection issues are intertwined, and why the equal protection should issues trump by reference not only to federal civil rights supremacy but also to the underlying rights-protective function of structural federalism.
Sensors of External Conditions in Vertebrates

All animals have sensory systems for gathering information about the surrounding environment. Vertebrate animals possess many specialized sensory systems for detecting chemicals, light, vibrations in air and water, temperature and pressure on the skin, electrical signals, and even infrared and magnetic sources in the environment. Keywords: vision; hearing; chemosensory systems; somatosensory system; electroreception
Gender dimorphism in differential peripheral blood leukocyte counts in mice using cardiac, tail, foot, and saphenous vein puncture methods.

Background In many animal models that investigate the pathology of various diseases, there is a need to monitor leukocyte counts and differentials. However, various researchers use a range of different techniques in male and female laboratory animals to collect such blood variable information. These studies are then compared to one another without consideration of the possibility that different bleeding sites or techniques as well as gender may produce varying results. In light of this, the peripheral blood leukocyte counts and differentials of C57BL/6 male and female mice were determined using four blood-sampling techniques: cardiac, tail, foot, and saphenous vein punctures.
Blood circulating microparticle species in relapsing–remitting and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. A case–control, cross sectional study with conventional MRI and advanced iron content imaging outcomes

Abstract Background Although multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to represent an excessive and inappropriate immune response to several central nervous system (CNS) autoantigens, increasing evidence also suggests that MS may also be a neurovascular inflammatory disease, characterized by endothelial activation and shedding of cell membrane microdomains known as ‘microparticles' into the circulation. Objective To investigate the relationships between these endothelial biomarkers and MS. Methods We examined the relative abundance of CD31 + /PECAM-1, CD51 + CD61 + (αV–β3) and CD54 + (ICAM-1) bearing microparticles in sera of healthy individuals, patients with relapsing–remitting MS, and secondary-progressive MS. We also investigated the correlation among circulating levels of different microparticle species in MS with conventional MRI (T2- and T1-lesion volumes and brain atrophy), as well as novel MR modalities [assessment of iron content on susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI)-filtered phase]. Results Differences in circulating microparticle levels were found among MS groups, and several microparticle species (CD31 + /CD51 + /CD61 + /CD54 + ) were found to correlate with conventional MRI and SWI features of MS. Conclusion These results indicate that circulating microparticles' profiles in MS may support mechanistic roles for microvascular stress and injury which is an underlying contributor not only to MS initiation and progression, but also to pro-inflammatory responses.
Management in Transition: The Supervisor As Coach and Consultant

Nearly a century ago, an American engineer and efficiency expert, Frederick Taylor, championed "scientific man- agement" as the management style for the future. His 'breakthrough' method of management transformed a nation of cottage industries into the world's premier producer of mass- market goods and services. In pure Taylor style, the turn of the century managers made themselves functional experts, and sliced work processes into simple, repetitive tasks, and treated workers as interchangeable parts in the apparatus of production. For much of its history, American business has been organized on the principle that most of its employees do not need to know much to do the work that has to be done. This system may have worked until recently, but it will do so no longer. If we are to have a significant manufacturing or service industry, we will have to learn how to utilize the most important asset we have-our people. Many of the newly industrialized competing countries know the value of what they can learn from, and teach to their customers and suppliers, and what workers can learn from each other and from the work they perform. But the United States does not. In Thinking For A Living, Marshall and Tucker feel that "many factors have contributed to our own weak perfor- mance, but none is as important as our relative inattention to the quality of our human resources and our failure to make the most productive use of our human assets in the workplace. Workers learned that they did not have to know very much to make high wages, and management learned that the key to higher profits and increased productivity was investment in physical, not human capital" (ll. The biggest obstacle to change, therefore, became our past successes. Management was not about to turn their backs on a system that works. The traditional skills of management where managers do the thinking and the employees implement their ideas, is now being replaced by the new skills of the more progressive workplace. A workplace where managers act as 'coaches' and involve people in decisions to encourage idea generation and teamwork through employee empowerment. Pro- gressive companies have identified that old-style managers now face rapidly shrinking need for their services. While the transition from manager to coach is not the only change that must take place for our companies to remain competitive, it probably is the most difficult, and requires the biggest paradigm shift. The purpose of coaching is to help realize the potential of the employees, and the coach needs to find out why potential is under-utilized. Great coaches win consistently, thereby inspiring further performance increases. The winners in the next few decades will be the companies with the most empowered work forces. Empowerment is not another program like TQM, or JIT or even SPC, but the buzzword that puts continuous in continuous improvement. People, not man- agement systems, have the ability to hunt out new areas for improvement. Organizations can't succeed without sharing
Testing the Database of International Rehabilitation Research: using rehabilitation researchers to determine the usability of a bibliographic database.

Objectives: This study tested the usability of the Database of International Rehabilitation Research, a bibliographic database developed by the Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange (CIRRIE). Methods: Potential users, i.e., rehabilitation researchers, were asked to participate in a usability study. Test questions were designed to represent common tasks performed in a bibliographic database. Participants were asked to think aloud during the test so that both their actions and comments could be recorded. Results: This study identified common problems that participants had while searching the database and aspects of the database that needed improvement. Conclusions: Usability testing proved to be an effective method for evaluating database effectiveness and user satisfaction. The method used provided valuable information about how the database searchers approached their searches as well as how they performed them.
Sugar and Fat: Cravings and Aversions

Food cravings are extremely common, particularly among women. Cravings are frequently reported for specific types of foods, including chocolate and foods high in both sugar and fat. Cravings for specific macronutrients, such as carbohydrate, have been postulated to result from a physiological need to alter neurotransmitters in such states as eating disorders, affective disorders or obesity. However, studies of such cravings are often confounded by differing sensory properties of high and low carbohydrate foods. There is some evidence that sweet, high fat foods are preferred by women with binge-eating disorders and that those preferences are mediated by the endogenous opioid system. Aversion to fat is seen primarily in women with anorexia nervosa. However, it is possible that changes in fat preference may be achieved through behavioral or pharmacological approaches. An understanding of food cravings and aversions may lead to improved methods for the prevention and treatment of obesity and eating disorders.
3D modeling for realistic assessment of vital signs and lung water content

The Cardiopulmonary Stethoscope (CP-Stethoscope) system is a novel, low-cost, noninvasive microwave-based system for continuous assessment of vital signs such as respiration rate (RR), heart rate (HR) and also changes in lung water content (LWC). Continuous monitoring of these vital signs and in particular, changes in LWC are key to proactive prevention and management of chronic health conditions such as heart failure and lung diseases. Methods to assess LWC are invasive, costly and not suitable for continuous monitoring and to this end; the development of the CP-Stethoscope system is expected to provide unique and significant health care and patient monitoring benefits. The integrated system consists of coplanar waveguide (CPW)-based EM couplers that couples energy into the body, an RF transmission and reflection coefficient subsystem that eliminate bulky network analyzer, and microcontroller unit with DSP capabilities for real time extraction of vital signs from a single microwave measurement. A Bluetooth module has also been implemented to transmit data to a mobile device, and a mobile app has been developed to enable remote monitoring of patients.
Calbindin‐D28k Immunoreactivity is a Marker for a Subdivision of the Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus of the Preoptic Area of the Rat: Developmental Profile and Gonadal Steroid Modulation

Calbindin-D28k (calbindin) is a 28 kilodalton calcium binding protein which potentially plays a role in neuroprotection. We report here the normal development and gonadal steroid modulation of a sexually dimorphic group of calbindin immunoreactive cells within the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN) which we call the calbindin-immunoreactive SDN or CALB-SDN. Beginning on PN2, a faintly immunoreactive CALB-SDN is present, however, the volume is not sexually dimorphic. On PN4, the staining of the CALB-SDN appears more robust but the volume is still not sexually dimorphic. By PN8 and extending through PN12 and PN26, the latest age analysed, the volume of the CALB-SDN is larger in males by two- to fourfold. Cresyl violet counterstain reveals a similar developmental profile of the SDN as well as clusters of darkly staining calbindin immunonegative cells which lie around the CALB-SDN. Castration of males on PN0 decreases the volume of the CALB-SDN by PN12 and administration on the day of birth and PN1 of either testosterone propionate or oestradiol benzoate, but not dihydrotestosterone propionate to females increases the volume of the CALB-SDN by PN12. By demonstrating the sexual dimorphism and gonadal steroid modulation of the CALB-SDN, we hereby establish that calbindin is a specific marker of a subdivision of the SDN and can be used as such in future studies.