cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reinforcement Learning based Output-Feedback Control of Nonlinear Nonstrict Feedback Discrete-time Systems with Application to Engines

A novel reinforcement-learning based output-adaptive neural network (NN) controller, also referred as the adaptive-critic NN controller, is developed to track a desired trajectory for a class of complex nonlinear discrete-time systems in the presence of bounded and unknown disturbances. The controller includes an observer for estimating states and the outputs, critic, and two action NNs for generating virtual, and actual control inputs. The critic approximates certain strategic utility function and the action NNs are used to minimize both the strategic utility function and their outputs. All NN weights adapt online towards minimization of a performance index, utilizing gradient-descent based rule. A Lyapunov function proves the uniformly ultimate boundedness (UUB) of the closed-loop tracking error, weight, and observer estimation. Separation principle and certainty equivalence principles are relaxed; persistency of excitation condition and linear in the unknown parameter assumption is not needed. The performance of this adaptive critic NN controller is evaluated through simulation with the Daw engine model in lean mode. The objective is to reduce the cyclic dispersion in heat release by using the controller.
Materials in superconducting quantum bits

Superconducting qubits are electronic circuits comprising lithographically defined Josephson tunnel junctions, inductors, capacitors, and interconnects. When cooled to dilution refrigerator temperatures, these circuits behave as quantum mechanical “artificial atoms,” exhibiting quantized states of electronic charge, magnetic flux, or junction phase depending on the design parameters of the constituent circuit elements. Their potential for lithographic scalability, compatibility with microwave control, and operability at nanosecond time scales place superconducting qubits among the leading modalities being considered for quantum information science and technology applications. Over the past decade, the quantum coherence of superconducting qubits has increased more than five orders of magnitude, due primarily to improvements in their design, fabrication, and, importantly, their constituent materials and interfaces. In this article, we review superconducting qubits, articulate the important role of materials research in their development, and provide a prospectus for the future as these devices transition from scientific curiosity to the threshold of technical reality.
Transfer Learning in Sign language

We build word models for American Sign Language (ASL) that transfer between different signers and different aspects. This is advantageous because one could use large amounts of labelled avatar data in combination with a smaller amount of labelled human data to spot a large number of words in human data. Transfer learning is possible because we represent blocks of video with novel intermediate discriminative features based on splits of the data. By constructing the same splits in avatar and human data and clustering appropriately, our features are both discriminative and semantically similar: across signers similar features imply similar words. We demonstrate transfer learning in two scenarios: from avatar to a frontally viewed human signer and from an avatar to human signer in a 3/4 view.
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the circadian clock of cyanobacteria.

The most well-understood circadian clock at the level of molecular mechanisms is that of cyanobacteria. This overview is on how solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has contributed to this understanding. By exciting atomic spin-½ nuclei in a strong magnetic field, NMR obtains information on their chemical environments, inter-nuclear distances, orientations, and motions. NMR protein samples are typically aqueous, often at near-physiological pH, ionic strength, and temperature. The level of information obtainable by NMR depends on the quality of the NMR sample, by which we mean the solubility and stability of proteins. Here, we use examples from our laboratory to illustrate the advantages and limitations of the technique.
Design of a linguistic statistical decoder for the recognition of continuous speech

Most current attempts at automatic speech recognition are formulated in an artificial intelligence framework. In this paper we approach the problem from an information-theoretic point of view. We describe the overall structure of a linguistic statistical decoder (LSD) for the recognition of continuous speech. The input to the decoder is a string of phonetic symbols estimated by an acoustic processor (AP). For each phonetic string, the decoder finds the most likely input sentence. The decoder consists of four major subparts: 1) a statistical model of the language being recognized; 2) a phonemic dictionary and statistical phonological rules characterizing the speaker; 3) a phonetic matching algorithm that computes the similarity between phonetic strings, using the performance characteristics of the AP; 4) a word level search control. The details of each of the subparts and their interaction during the decoding process are discussed.
A Psychology Curriculum of Alternative Major Theoretical Perspectives

A unique foundation for curriculum design is proposed to curb course proliferation, encourage flexible thinking, and to rekindle enthusiasm.
PTSD Symptoms and Sexual Harassment: The Role of Attributions and Perceived Control

Researchers have compiled significant evidence demonstrating that sexual harassment leads to psychological harm, including the full symptom picture of PTSD, but few have examined the psychological processes involved. Research on attributions among trauma victims would suggest that causal attributions and perceptions of control may be important predictors of outcomes. The authors discuss a study involving a path model that used data from 189 women involved in sexual harassment litigation. Results indicate that both self-blame and harasser blame were positively related to PTSD symptoms. Control over recovery and the perception that future harassment is unlikely were both related to fewer PTSD symptoms. Unexpectedly, perceived control over future harassment is related to higher levels of PTSD symptoms. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Fragmentation of mature dictyosome cisternae.

The formation of secretory vesicles is progressive across the stack of dictyosome cisternae from one of its faces to the other . As a cisterna matures, the secretion vesicles increase in size, and their contents change in staining characteristics, suggesting the accumulation or transformation of product. Vesicles are ultimately released at the maturing face of the dictyosome, apparently by a pinching off of the tubules which connect the secretory vesicles to the flattened, nonsecretory portions of the cisternae. The secretory vesicles migrate to the cell surface where they discharge their product to the cell exterior . These steps are well documented, but there is no information on the fate of the cisterna or cisternal fragments left behind. From the concept of the maturing face and forming face, we know that entire cisternae must be lost from the maturing face as new cisternae are produced at the opposite or forming face. This is emphasized by information that the number of dictyosome cisternae remain relatively constant during periods of active cisternal formation at the immature face and active secretory vesicle production at the mature face ; i.e.,the processes of cisternal formation and fragmentation are balanced . The morphological observations on maize root tips reported here suggest that nonsecretory portions of mature cisternae are sloughed from the dictyosomes at or about the same time that secretory vesicles are released into the cytoplasm (Figs . I and 2). These sloughed cisternae are frequently found near the mature faces of dictyosomes and are observed in various stages of decomposition . Their lifetime in the cytoplasm is probably short since recognizable cisternal fragments never accumulate. Morphological stages in the release and breakdown of cisternae at the distal face of the
Structure of YraM, a protein essential for growth of Haemophilus influenzae.

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae is an obligate human parasite that often causes middle ear infections in children and exacerbates chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. There are no effective vaccines available for this strain. The lipoprotein YraM (gene HI1655) was identified as essential for the growth and viability of H. influenzae but its function is unknown. Sequence comparisons showed that YraM is a fusion of two protein modules. We grew crystals of the carboxyl-terminal module of YraM comprising residues 257–573 (YraM-C), phased the diffraction data by the multiwavelength anomalous diffraction technique, and refined the model to a crystallographic R-factor of 0.16 (Rfree = 0.19) with data to 1.35 A resolution. The two-domain structure of YraM-C adopts a fold similar to that observed for the open, unliganded forms of several periplasmic binding proteins (PBPs) involved in bacterial active transport. Sequence alignments of YraM homologues from other Gram-negative species showed that the most conserved residues of YraM-C cluster between the two domains in the location where other PBPs bind their cognate ligand. Modeling of YraM-C into a closed conformation similar to the leucine-bound form of the Leu/Ile/Val-binding protein (LIVBP) shows a putative binding pocket larger than the leucine-binding site in LIVBP. The pocket has both polar and nonpolar surfaces, with the latter located in the same area where a leucine side chain binds to LIVBP. We discuss possible biological functions of YraM considering its predicted location in the outer membrane, a novel place for such a binding protein. Proteins 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Effects of Prenatal Administration of Azo Dyes on Testicular Development in the Mouse: A Structure Activity Profile of Dyes Derived from Benzidine, Dimethylbenzidine, or Dimethoxybenzidine

Abstract The Effects of Prenatal Administration of Azo Dyes on Testicular Development in the Mouse: A Structure Activity Profile of Dyes Derived from Benzidine, Dimethylbenzidine, or Dimethoxybenzidine. Gray, L. E., Jr., and Ostby, J. S. With technical assistance from E. R. Marshall (1993). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 20, 177-183. In mice and rats, prenatal exposure to the dye Congo red permanently reduces the number of germ cells in male and female offspring. In the current investigation, nine other dyes structurally related to Congo red were examined for developmental testicular toxicity. In this study, the structural component of the dyes responsible for the prenatal induction of germ cell aplasia was identified. We found that only benzidine-based dyes altered testicular development and caused hypospermatogenesis in mice during adulthood. Dimethyl- and dimethoxybenzidine-based dyes were without effect. Pregnant mice were dosed orally on Days 8-12 of gestation with a benzidine-, dimethlybenzidine-, or a dimethoxybenzidine-based dye and the testes of 45- to 50-day-old male offspring were examined. The testes of postpubertal male offspring exposed to the benzidine-based dyes, Congo red, diamine blue, and Chlorazol Black E, were small and contained some tubules completely devoid of germ cells, but the dimethlybenzidine-based dyes, trypan blue, Evans blue, and benzopurpurin 4B, and the dimethoxybenzidine-based dye, Chicago sky blue, did not alter testicular development in this manner. Azoic diazo component 48, a dimethoxybenzidine congener, and two other diazo dyes, naphthol blue black and Sudan III, were also without effect on the germ cells. Experiments with Chlorazol Black E (CBE) indicate that the period of susceptibility in the male fetus is limited to the period of primordial germ cell migration and division. When CBE was administered on Days 8-10 of gestation it reduced testis weight after puberty by 30%, while treatment after Day 13 did not affect testicular function. It is interesting to note that the structure-activity relationship of the dyes for developmental toxicity following oral administration differs considerably from that produced by maternal ip administration.
A comparison of male and female responses to inbreeding in Cucurbita pepo subsp. texana (Cucurbitaceae)

Accurate estimates of inbreeding depression are necessary in order to predict the evolutionary dynamics of a population, but many studies estimate inbreeding depression based solely on components of female function such as fruit set, seed set, and seed quality. Because total fitness is achieved through both male and female functions in hermaphroditic plants, estimates of both male and female fitness are needed to estimate accurately the magnitude of inbreeding depression. Seedlings of a wild gourd, Cucurbita pepo subsp. texana, with coefficients of inbreeding of 0 and 0.75 were planted in an experimental garden, and several components of male and female fitness were measured over the course of the growing season. Fitness in inbred plants was confounded by both maternal and genetic inbreeding effects. Inbred individuals produced significantly fewer fruits than outcrossed individuals, and percentage germination of seeds from inbred individuals was significantly lower than seeds from outcrossed individuals. Inbred plants also produced significantly fewer staminate flowers and marginally fewer and smaller pollen grains per flower. Pollen from inbred plants also grew significantly more slowly in vitro than pollen from outcrossed plants. Multiplicative estimates of inbreeding depression revealed inbreeding depression for both male and female functions in wild gourd, but inbreeding depression through female function was stronger than inbreeding depression through male function.
Analysis and Design of a 5 GS/s Analog Charge-Domain FFT for an SDR Front-End in 65 nm CMOS

This work describes the design of a 16 point analog domain FFT using a Charge Re-use Analog Fourier Transform (CRAFT) engine. The circuit relies on charge re-use to achieve 47 dB average output SNDR on an instantaneous input bandwidth of 5 GHz, and consumes only 3.8 mW (12.2 pJ/conv.). The CRAFT engine is used as a wide-band, low power RF front-end channelizer for software defined radio (SDR) applications. The paper also discusses the handling of circuit non-idealities for the CRAFT design: their significance, modeling, and circuit techniques for their mitigation. These techniques enable this implementation to achieve a large dynamic range even at high speeds.
Progressive Research on Degenerate Alliances

Our article (1990) on alliance dynamics in multipolarity, which John Vasquez criticizes, differs from some neorealist approaches by incorporating variables from the theory of the security dilemma, including perceptual factors. Nonetheless, our argument meets Imre Lakatos's criteria for a progressive problem shift insofar as it explains more than the original theory, does so parsimoniously, has been successfully applied to new domains, and does not introduce new assumptions that contradict the core of the original theory.
A Viscoplastic Constitutive Theory for Monolithic Ceramics — II

This paper, which is the first of two in a series, provides an overview of a viscoplastic constitutive model that accounts for time-dependent material deformation (e.g., creep, stress relaxation, etc.) in monolithic ceramics. Using continuum principles of engineering mechanics the complete theory is derived from a scalar dissipative potential function first proposed by Robinson (1978), and later utilized by Duffy (1988). Derivations based on a flow potential function provide an assurance that the inelastic boundary value problem is well posed, and solutions obtained are unique. The specific formulation used here for the threshold function (a component of the flow potential function) was originally proposed by Willam and Warnke (1975) in order to formulate constitutive equations for time-independent classical plasticity behavior observed in cement and unreinforced concrete. Here constitutive equations formulated for the flow law (strain rate) and evolutionary law employ stress invariants to define the functional dependence on the Cauchy stress and a tensorial state variable. This particular formulation of the viscoplastic model exhibits a sensitivity to hydrostatic stress, and allows different behavior in tension and compression.Copyright © 1996 by ASME
Acceleration of Low-Density Lipoprotein Catabolism in Man by Total Parenteral Nutrition

Since insulin enhances the catabolism of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) by cultured human cells, a potential role of insulin in the regulation of plasma LDL levels in man is suggested. To evaluate the possible effect of insulin on LDL catabolism in vivo, the disappearance rates of injected 125I-labeled autologous LDL were determined before and after endogenous hyperinsulinemia was evoked by total parenteral nutrition. Multicompartmental analysis of plasma decay curves showed a 26% increase in the fractional catabolic rate of LDL after total parenteral nutrition was started. An associated reduction of plasma cholesterol levels resulted from changes in both LDl and high-density lipoprotein. These results suggest that the reduction of LDL levels during total parenteral nutrition is at least partly accounted for by enhanced LDL catabolism. It is postulated that the enhanced LDL catabolism may result from the hyperinsulinemia that accompanies total parenteral nutrition, via insulin stimulation of receptor-mediated LDL catabolism.
The Aerobic Oxidation of a Pd(II) Dimethyl Complex Leads to Selective Ethane Elimination from a Pd(III) Intermediate

Oxidation of the PdII complex (N4)PdIIMe2 (N4 = N,N′-di-tert-butyl-2,11-diaza[3.3](2,6)pyridinophane) with O2 or ROOH (R = H, tert-butyl, cumyl) produces the PdIII species [(N4)PdIIIMe2]+, followed by selective formation of ethane and the monomethyl complex (N4)PdIIMe(OH). Cyclic voltammetry studies and use of 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) as a spin trap suggest an inner-sphere mechanism for (N4)PdIIMe2 oxidation by O2 to generate a PdIII-superoxide intermediate. In addition, reaction of (N4)PdIIMe2 with cumene hydroperoxide involves a heterolytic O–O bond cleavage, implying a two-electron oxidation of the PdII precursor and formation of a transient PdIV intermediate. Mechanistic studies of the C–C bond formation steps and crossover experiments are consistent with a nonradical mechanism that involves methyl group transfer and transient formation of a PdIV species. Moreover, the (N4)PdIIMe(OH) complex formed upon ethane elimination reacts with weakly acidic C–H bonds of acetone and terminal alkyn...
Verfahren zur Bestimmung der Aktivität der Glutathion-Dehydrogenase (EC 1.8.5.1). Vorkommen des Enzyms in verschiedenen Weizensorten

In 75% Athanol ist das 2,6-Dichlorphenol-indophenol stabiler als in wasriger Losung und die Ascorbinsaure reagiert wesentlich schneller als das Glutathion. Basierend auf diesen Beobachtungen erfolgt die Aktivitatsbestimmung der Glutathion: Dehydroascorbinsaure Oxydoreduktase uber eine photometrische Erfassung der bei der Katalyse entstehenden Ascorbinsaure. — Extrakte aus verschiedenen Weizensorten wurden getestet. Gefunden wurden relativ hohe Aktivitaten des Enzyms.
Red Algal Mitochondrial Genomes are More Complete than Previously Reported

The enslavement of an alpha-proteobacterial endosymbiont by the last common eukaryotic ancestor resulted in large-scale gene transfer of endosymbiont genes to the host nucleus as the endosymbiont transitioned into the mitochondrion. Mitochondrial genomes have experienced widespread gene loss and genome reduction within eukaryotes and DNA sequencing has revealed that most of these gene losses occurred early in eukaryotic lineage diversification. On a broad scale, more recent modifications to organelle genomes appear to be conserved and phylogenetically informative. The first red algal mitochondrial genome was sequenced more than 20 years ago, and an additional 29 Florideophyceae mitochondria have been added over the past decade. A total of 32 genes have been described to have been missing or considered non-functional pseudogenes from these Florideophyceae mitochondria. These losses have been attributed to endosymbiotic gene transfer or the evolution of a parasitic life strategy. Here we sequenced the mitochondrial genomes from the red algal parasite Choreocolax polysiphoniae and its host Vertebrata lanosa and found them to be complete and conserved in structure with other Florideophyceae mitochondria. This result led us to resequence the previously published parasite Gracilariophila oryzoides and its host Gracilariopsis andersonii, as well as reevaluate reported gene losses from published Florideophyceae mitochondria. Multiple independent losses of rpl20 and a single loss of rps11 can be verified. However by reannotating published data and resequencing specimens when possible, we were able to identify the majority of genes that have been reported as lost or pseudogenes from Florideophyceae mitochondria.
Hematogenous Calcaneal Osteomyelitis in Children: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Osteomyelitis in children commonly affects long bones such as the femur, tibia, and humerus. There have been relatively few documented studies of osteomyelitis at unusual locations, such as the cal...
Deciphering the Functions of Protein O-GlcNAcylation with Chemistry

O-GlcNAcylation is the modification of serine and threonine residues with β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) on intracellular proteins. This dynamic modification is attached by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and removed by O-GlcNAcase (OGA) and is a critical regulator of various cellular processes. Furthermore, O-GlcNAcylation is dysregulated in many diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. However, the precise role of this modification and its cycling enzymes (OGT and OGA) in normal and disease states remains elusive. This is partially due to the difficulty in studying O-GlcNAcylation with traditional genetic and biochemical techniques. In this review, we will summarize recent progress in chemical approaches to overcome these obstacles. We will cover new inhibitors of OGT and OGA, advances in metabolic labeling and cellular imaging, synthetic approaches to access homogeneous O-GlcNAcylated proteins, and cross-linking methods to identify O-GlcNAc-protein interactions. We will also discuss re...
Primary Care for Patients with HIV Infection: It's Not Who Should Provide It, It's How to Provide It.

The major challenge is not to address whether primary care clinicians without substantial HIV experience should provide HIV care, but to create a framework that allows all primary care clinicians to provide the best possible care for their patients living with HIV infection.
A driving simulator study to analyze the effects of portable changeable message signs on mean speeds of drivers

ABSTRACTIn the United States, between 2003 and 2012, excessive speed was a contributing factor in about one third of all fatal crashes. Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) with the potential to reduce speed and thereby improve safety are therefore of considerable interest. In this article, the mean speeds of drivers affected as a result of four different messages displayed on portable changeable message signs (PCMS) evaluated in an advance-warning area of a work zone are presented. A systematic examination of the combined effects of four sequentially placed PCMS was conducted using a driving simulator (DS). The four messages investigated include speed, state of traffic downstream, and the travel times to exit the work zone. The message sign “Prepare to Stop/Stopped Traffic Ahead” showed the largest reduction in speed relative to the other messages at a location just upstream of the lane closure. The message also showed the largest overall reduction (30.3 mph, 44.1%) in mean speed compared to a contro...
Machine-learning models for predicting drug approvals and clinical-phase transitions

We apply machine-learning techniques to predict drug approvals using drug-development and clinical-trial data from 2003 to 2015 involving several thousand drug-indication pairs with over 140 features across 15 disease groups. To deal with missing data, we use imputation methods that allow us to fully exploit the entire dataset, the largest of its kind. We show that our approach outperforms complete-case analysis, which typically yields biased inferences. We achieve predictive measures of 0.78, and 0.81 AUC (“area under the receiver operating characteristic curve,” the estimated probability that a classifier will rank a positive outcome higher than a negative outcome) for predicting transitions from phase 2 to approval and phase 3 to approval, respectively. Using five-year rolling windows, we document an increasing trend in the predictive power of these models, a consequence of improving data quality and quantity. The most important features for predicting success are trial outcomes, trial status, trial accrual rates, duration, prior approval for another indication, and sponsor track records. We provide estimates of the probability of success for all drugs in the current pipeline.
Can Emerging Trends in Animal Welfare Provide a Basis for Combating Climate Change

Climate change is rapidly altering our environment in ways that directly impacts animal wellbeing. At the same time international legal precedents are emerging that advance the rights and welfare of animals. This article explains recent developments in the advancement of animal welfare in international trade law, and then discusses how such advancements in animal welfare may provide an additional basis for combating anthropogenic causes of climate change.
Approaching $B \log ~(1+{\mathrm{ SNR}})$ With Direct Detection and Low-Order Asymmetric Bandpass Filtering

We analyze the performance of direct detection receivers with low-order bandpass filtering in terms of achievable rates. Such analysis is of interest in the context of millimeter-wave wireless systems as well as wired and wireless optical links, where low power and low cost are considered to be key requirements. By using a bandpass filter with asymmetric passband transfer function of low order ( $1/f$ roll-off rate) prior to the intensity detection device (a diode or photodiode), we show that the ideal Shannon data rate attainable with coherent receivers can still be asymptotically approached with simple filtering and direct detection. We also discuss practical aspects that partially limit this remarkable behavior, and show that gains are still possible compared with conventional direct detection.
Influence of Training and Experience on Skill Acquisition and Maintenance in Older Adults

Two important questions are addressed in this article. The first concerns whether performance of well-learned skills is maintained as individuals grow older. The second question concerns whether older adults are able to acquire new skills. The answer to both questions is “yes”; however, the acquisition rate and the final performance level for newly acquired skills is generally less for older adults than for younger adults. The article resolves an apparent puzzle of how it is that older adults are capable of successful performance of everyday activities, given noted declines in cognitive-ability-type tasks shown for performance in laboratory studies. A brief discussion of age-related training strategies to enhance skill learning is provided.
Effect of chronic low body temperature on feeding and gut passage in a plethodontid salamander.

Abstract Although feeding in some plethodontid salamander species, such as Dusky Salamanders ( Desmognathus , family Plethodontidae), occurs at short-term (acute) low temperature below 5 °C, it is unknown whether feeding, digestion, and gut passage continue to occur during periods of long-term (chronic) low temperature. We performed a controlled laboratory experiment to examine the effect of several chronic low environmental temperatures on both feeding and gut passage in semiaquatic Spotted Dusky Salamanders ( D. conanti ). We quantified salamander feeding and defecation for different experimental groups maintained for many weeks at a constant temperature of 4, 7, 10, or 13 °C. Although feeding frequency, number of prey items consumed per feeding, and defecation frequency were significantly less for individuals at 4 °C than for individuals at 10 or 13 °C, salamanders continued to feed, defecate, and maintain body mass for 12 weeks at 4 °C. The ratio of the number of fecal pellets produced to the number of prey items consumed each week by individuals did not significantly decrease at 4 °C, which indicates gut passage was sustained at this temperature. Because both time between feeding and time between defecation were similarly affected by prolonged low temperature, the significant decrease in feeding frequency at 4 °C may depend, in part, on a decrease in digestive function and an extended time for gut passage at low temperature. We conclude that most individuals of D. conanti can feed, digest, and maintain body mass for several months at constant low temperature down to 4 °C. Our results support a growing body of data that indicate some plethodontid salamanders may acquire energy at environmental temperatures only a few degrees above freezing.
Knowledge Development and Memory Performance

It is commonly accepted that memory development is accompanied by the acquisition of strategies such as rehearsal. This paper argues for focusing on children’s content knowledge base as a locus of development of strategic knowledge. The paper cites some direct and indirect evidence in favor of the view that cognitive development is largely the increment of content knowledge, both declarative and procedural, and further suggests that strategies might be generalized forms of specific content-related procedural knowledge.
Introduction to Chaos Theory

This chapter provides a short overview of Chaos theory. We will see how even simple systems that are modeled with nonlinear equations, that is, those containing polynomial or exponential terms, can show surprising behavior. A simple population growth model will demonstrate a chaotic system.
Randomizing phase to remove acousto-optic device wiggle errors for high-resolution optical tweezers

Acousto-optic (AO) devices have been used extensively in optical tweezers because of their flexibility and speed; however, these devices have trap positioning inaccuracies that limit their usefulness, especially for high-resolution applications. We show that these inaccuracies are due to interference patterns within the AO device sound fields. We have devised a method that removes these inaccuracies by reducing the coherence of the sound fields by directly controlling and randomizing the phase of the radio frequency voltage input signal. We demonstrate that the trapping inaccuracies are eliminated, for both constant trap position and force-ramp measurements, and that no additional noise is added. We show that this random phase method is applicable to both acousto-optic modulator and deflector type devices and can be easily integrated via software upgrade into existing instruments.
No news is bad news: Do PCAOB part II reports have an effect on annually inspected firms’ audit fees and audit quality?

Abstract We investigate the effect of the PCAOB’s Part II report on annually inspected firms’ audit fees and audit quality. The PCAOB replaced the peer review auditor program with an independent inspection of audit firms. Upon completion of each inspection, the PCAOB issued inspection reports that include a public portion (Part I) of identified audit deficiencies, and (in most cases) a nonpublic portion (Part II) of identified quality control weaknesses. The Part II report is only made public when the PCAOB deems that remediation was insufficient after at least 12 months have passed. Starting around the time of the 2007 Deloitte censure (Boone et al., 2015), the PCAOB shifted from a soft synergistic approach to an antagonistic approach, such that Part II reports were imminent, despite delays that ultimately led to their release one to four years later than expected. Our study spans the period from 2007 to 2015, and examines the effect on audit fees and audit quality at the earliest date that the Part II report could have been released – 12 months after the Part I report was issued. We find that following the 12 month period, that annually inspected audit firms eventually lost reputation by lower audit fees, while they concurrently made remedial efforts to increase the quality of their client’s financial reporting quality (abnormal accruals magnitude and restatements). However, three years after the Part II report was actually released, audit fees increased.
Ca2+ signalling in K562 human erythroleukaemia cells: effect of dimethyl sulphoxide and role of G-proteins in thrombin- and thromboxane A2-activated pathways

The human leukaemic cell line K562 is a pluripotent stem cell with the potential to mature along a megakaryocytic or erythroid line. In these cells, thrombin and U46619 (9,11-dideoxy-9 alpha, 11 alpha-methanoepoxy prostaglandin F2 alpha), a thromboxane A2 analogue, increased intracellular Ca2+ in a rapid and concentration-dependent manner. The peak transient observed with both thrombin and U46619 was preserved upon stimulation in the absence of extracellular calcium and blunted with phorbol myristate acetate, suggestive of activation of phospholipase C. Short-term treatment with leupeptin abolished the calcium response to thrombin, but did not alter that to U46619. Both pertussis toxin (PT) and DMSO pretreatment inhibited thrombin- but not U46619-stimulated intracellular calcium elevation, indicating that these agonists signal through different G-proteins. Western blot analysis of crude membranes from K562 cells revealed the presence of G12 alpha and G13 alpha; the other known PT-substrates, Gi1 alpha and G0 alpha, were not detected. Consistent with this observation, ADP-ribosylation experiments revealed the presence of two PT substrates which co-migrated with human erythrocyte G12 alpha and G13 alpha. An antibody raised against Gq/11 alpha, a subfamily of G-protein alpha subunits unmodified by PT, specifically recognized 42 kDa protein(s) in K562 cells. PCR amplification of reverse-transcribed K562 RNA followed by DNA sequencing showed that these cells express messages for both Gq alpha and G11 alpha. Treatment of K562 cells with DMSO reduced the levels of thrombin receptor mRNA, without simultaneous changes in the expression of G12 alpha and G13 alpha. We have thus identified Ca(2+)-mobilizing agonists and related G-proteins in K562 cells, together with changes induced by DMSO in this signalling pathway.
Marker-Assisted Breeding for Disease Resistance in Crop Plants

Breeding disease-resistant crop varieties is a cornerstone of disease management. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) incorporates a plethora of plant genomic resources into the process of breeding disease-resistant crops. Although there are species-specific and disease-specific considerations, much of the procedures and theory behind MAS are conserved. Using molecular markers is most likely to increase the efficiency of the breeding process in cases where disease resistance is controlled by one or few genes, and those genes have a large effect on the resistance phenotype. In cases where disease resistance is controlled by many genes of small effect, genomic selection (GS) may be more efficient than MAS or phenotypic selection. GS is an emerging technology, and many of the statistical principles and procedures are still being developed. This chapter should begin to inform breeders as to the potential and the details to consider if using a marker-assisted breeding tool in their plant breeding program.
Novel unconditioned prosocial behavior in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) as a model for empathy.

In this study, empathy is quantified using a novel social test. Empathy and prosocial behavior are linked to the expression of oxytocin in humans and rodent models. Specifically, prosocial behavior in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) has been linked to the expression of oxytocin in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. The animal’s behavior was considered empathic if it spends significantly more time attempting to remove a loos fitting restraint (tether) from the stimulus animal than time in contact with a, simultaneously presented, non-social object similar to the tether. The behavioral data was cross-referenced with the number of neurons expressing oxytocin and arginine vasopressin, as well as the density of dopaminergic neurons (identified by the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase), in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. These proteins influence empathic behavior in humans, non-human primates, rats, mice, and prairie voles. The consistency between neuroanatomical mechanisms linked to empathy, and the durations of time spent engaging in empathic contact, support the prediction that the empathic contact in this test is a distinct prosocial behavior, lacking prior behavioral training or the naturally occurring ethological relevance of other prosocial behaviors, and is a measure of empathy.
Toward Non-Intuition-Based Machine and Artificial Intelligence Ethics: A Deontological Approach Based on Modal Logic

We propose a deontological approach to machine (or AI) ethics that avoids some weaknesses of an intuition-based system, such as that of Anderson and Anderson. In particular, it has no need to deal with conflicting intuitions, and it yields a more satisfactory account of when autonomy should be respected. We begin with a "dual standpoint'' theory of action that regards actions as grounded in reasons and therefore as having a conditional form that is suited to machine instructions. We then derive ethical principles based on formal properties that the reasons must exhibit to be coherent, and formulate the principles using quantified modal logic. We conclude that deontology not only provides a more satisfactory basis for machine ethics but endows the machine with an ability to explain its actions, thus contributing to transparency in AI.
HIV-1 Is a Poor Inducer of Innate Immune Responses

ABSTRACT Effective host immune responses against viral infection rely on the detection of the virus, activation of downstream signaling pathways, and the secretion of interferons (IFNs) and other cytokines. Many viruses can potently stimulate these responses, whereas the immune response against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) remains relatively less well characterized. Here we show that HIV-1 infection with reporter viruses does not activate sensing pathways in cell lines and primary cells that are otherwise responsive to foreign nucleic acids. After entry into cells, reverse transcription and reporter expression occur without the virus ever being detected by cellular sensors or stimulating an interferon response. Using multiple methods, including the use of reporter cell lines for type I IFN and NF-κB pathway activation, quantifying mRNA levels for IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs), and assaying for markers of innate immune activation, we show that single-round pseudotyped HIV-1-based reporter viruses fail to induce innate immune responses. IMPORTANCE Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) continues to be a major burden to human health worldwide. How infected cells recognize and respond to HIV-1 infection is important in order to better understand the biology of the virus and the cellular pathways activated upon infection and to identify potential targets that interfere with viral replication. In this study, we investigated innate immune responses of different cell types following infection with single-cycle (replication-defective) HIV-1 reporter virus. We report that infection with a commonly used HIV-1 strain (lacking the env, nef, and vpr genes) does not measurably activate cellular defense mechanisms and that the virus is able to avoid recognition by cellular sensors.
Algérie, les écrivains dans la décennie noire: by Tristan Leperlier, Paris, CNRS Éditions, 2018, 344 pp., €25 (softcover), ISBN 978-2-271-12075-5

Whether one calls it a civil war or the ‘dark decade’, the period that began in the late 1980s and lasted through the early 2000s was an unstable and violent era in Algeria. For some journalists, h...
Beyond Schematic Capture: Meaningful Abstractions for Better Electronics Design Tools

Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design tools are critical in helping users build non-trivial electronics devices. While recent work recognizes deficiencies with current tools and explores novel methods, little has been done to understand modern designers and their needs. To gain better insight into their practices, we interview fifteen electronics designers of a variety of backgrounds. Our open-ended, semi-structured interviews examine both overarching design flows and details of individual steps. One major finding was that most creative engineering work happens during system architecture, yet current tools operate at lower abstraction levels and create significant tedious work for designers. From that insight, we conceptualize abstractions and primitives for higher-level tools and elicit feedback from our participants on clickthrough mockups of design flows through an example project. We close with our observation on opportunities for improving board design tools and discuss generalizability of our findings beyond the electronics domain.
Competency-based resident education: The United States perspective

Competency-based medical education is an educational paradigm that focuses on all trainees demonstrating the competencies required for effective function in their role prior to moving on to the next phase of training. Entrustable Professional Activities are an increasingly utilized framework for assessment as part of competency-based medical education. They can be best thought of as units of work for a physician, and they place assessment within the context of a clinical encounter by providing a holistic view of the degree of supervision that a learner requires for a given task. Entrustable Professional Activities were first defined for medical students in the United States as the Core Entrustable Professional Activities for Entering Residency from the Association of American Medical Colleges and have been expanded to the graduate medical education space. A core subset of Entrustable Professional Activities has been defined for general surgery and is currently being piloted by 26 institutions across the country. Along with outcomes from this pilot, considerations around implementation, faculty development, and shared mental models of the practice standard for each Entrustable Professional Activities will be important going forward.
Using the telecoupling framework to improve Great Lakes fisheries sustainability

Fisheries are coupled human and natural systems across space and time, involving movements of fish, money, and information in a globalized world. However, these social-ecological interactions over local to global scales are largely absent from the fisheries literature, as fisheries research to date has often been discipline- and location-specific. We analyzed this knowledge gap by using an emerging coupled human and natural systems research paradigm – the telecoupling framework – to investigate social-ecological interactions over distances (i.e. telecouplings) in the Great Lakes salmonine (i.e. Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch, Chinook Salmon O. tshawytscha) fishery. Since the 1960s, this fishery has involved telecoupled movements of fish, money, and information over relatively long distances facilitated by numerous individual and organizational agents. These telecouplings have been characterized by diverse social-ecological causes (e.g. decline of commercial fisheries, rising incomes and greater leisure time for recreational fishing) and effects (e.g. salmonine stocking, creation of angling- and tourism-based economies). Telecouplings are critical for fisheries professionals to consider because they promote holistic understanding of fisheries management while occasionally confounding conservation efforts (e.g. salmonine stocking spreads diseases and parasites and changes fish community structure and genetic integrity). Hence, fisheries professionals will benefit from using the telecoupling framework to optimize favorable and reduce unfavorable telecouplings and thereby enhance fisheries management programs. Overall, the telecoupling framework advances fisheries science by enabling fisheries professionals to systematically understand the causes and consequences of complex social-ecological fisheries interactions and develop informed strategies for sustainable fisheries management and governance throughout the Great Lakes and the world.
Activity and thermal biology of Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizards ( Gambelia sila ) in the San Joaquin Desert of California

Because lizards are ectotherms, their life-history traits are greatly influenced by variations in thermal regimes. The Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia sila) is an endangered lizard that dominates the lizard community in the San Joaquin Desert. Because of the protected status of the species, census protocols are in place to ensure that censuses are conducted during optimal times for lizard activity, but the protocols have not been evaluated by a detailed study. Also, because of changing thermal regimes as a result of climate change, there is concern for lizard species worldwide. I studied the activity and thermal biology of G. sila in 2003 and 2004 on the Lokern area of the San Joaquin Desert using data from radio-collared lizards. I also gathered thermal data from cloacal temperatures of G. sila in 1991 from the Elkhorn Plain in another part of the desert. From these data, I found that survey protocols do not set optimal times or temperatures to most effectively census this species, and that despite projected rising temperatures, G. sila may not become imperiled by a moderate change in thermal regime.
Identification of novel influenza A virus exposures by an improved high‐throughput multiplex MAGPIX platform and serum adsorption

Background The development of serologic assays that can rapidly assess human exposure to novel influenza viruses remains a public health need. Previously, we developed an 11-plex magnetic fluorescence microsphere immunoassay (MAGPIX) by using globular head domain recombinant hemagglutinins (rHAs) with serum adsorption using two ectodomain rHAs. Methods We compared sera collected from two cohorts with novel influenza exposures: animal shelter staff during an A(H7N2) outbreak in New York City in 2016-2017 (n = 119 single sera) and poultry workers from a live bird market in Bangladesh in 2012-2014 (n = 29 pairs). Sera were analyzed by microneutralization (MN) assay and a 20-plex MAGPIX assay with rHAs from 19 influenza strains (11 subtypes) combined with serum adsorption using 8 rHAs from A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) viruses. Antibody responses were analyzed to determine the novel influenza virus exposure. Results Among persons with novel influenza virus exposures, the median fluorescence intensity (MFI) against the novel rHA from exposed influenza virus had the highest correlation with MN titers to the same viruses and could be confirmed by removal of cross-reactivity from seasonal H1/H3 rHAs following serum adsorption. Interestingly, in persons with exposures to novel influenza viruses, age and MFIs against exposed novel HA were negatively correlated, whereas in persons without exposure to novel influenza viruses, age and MFI against novel HAs were positively correlated. Conclusions This 20-plex high-throughput assay with serum adsorption will be a useful tool to detect novel influenza virus infections during influenza outbreak investigations and surveillance, especially when well-paired serum samples are not available.