cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A high-resolution computational model of the deforming human heart

Modeling of the heart ventricles is one of the most challenging tasks in soft tissue mechanics because cardiac tissue is a strongly anisotropic incompressible material with an active component of stress. In most current approaches with active force, the number of degrees of freedom (DOF) is limited by the direct method of solution of linear systems of equations. We develop a new approach for high-resolution heart models with large numbers of DOF by: (1) developing a hex-dominant finite element mixed formulation and (2) developing a Krylov subspace iterative method that is able to solve the system of linearized equations for saddle-point problems with active stress. In our approach, passive cardiac tissue is modeled as a hyperelastic, incompressible material with orthotropic properties, and mixed pressure-displacement finite elements are used to enforce incompressibility. Active stress is generated by a model with force dependence on length and velocity of muscle shortening. The ventricles are coupled to a lumped circulatory model. For efficient solution of linear systems, we use Flexible GMRES with a nonlinear preconditioner based on block matrix decomposition involving the Schur complement. Three methods for approximating the inverse of the Schur complement are evaluated: inverse of the pressure mass matrix; least squares commutators; and sparse approximate inverse. The sub-matrix corresponding to the displacement variables is preconditioned by a V-cycle of hybrid geometric–algebraic multigrid followed by correction with several iterations of GMRES preconditioned by sparse approximate inverse. The overall solver is demonstrated on a high-resolution two ventricle mesh based on a human anatomy with roughly 130 K elements and 1.7 M displacement DOF. Effectiveness of the numerical method for active contraction is shown. To the best of our knowledge, this solver is the first to efficiently model ventricular contraction using an iterative linear solver for the mesh size demonstrated and therefore opens the possibility for future very high-resolution models. In addition, several relatively simple benchmark problems are designed for a verification exercise to show that the solver is functioning properly and correctly solves the underlying mathematical model. Here, the output of the newly designed solver is compared to that of the mechanics component of Chaste (‘Cancer, Heart and Soft Tissue Environment’). These benchmark tests may be used by other researchers to verify their newly developed methods and codes.
A sharp-interface immersed boundary method with improved mass conservation and reduced spurious pressure oscillations

A method for reducing the spurious pressure oscillations observed when simulating moving boundary flow problems with sharp-interface immersed boundary methods (IBMs) is proposed. By first identifying the primary cause of these oscillations to be the violation of the geometric conservation law near the immersed boundary, we adopt a cut-cell based approach to strictly enforce geometric conservation. In order to limit the complexity associated with the cut-cell method, the cut-cell based discretization is limited only to the pressure Poisson and velocity correction equations in the fractional-step method and the small-cell problem tackled by introducing a virtual cell-merging technique. The method is shown to retain all the desirable properties of the original finite-difference based IBM while at the same time, reducing pressure oscillations for moving boundaries by roughly an order of magnitude.
Cloud-based mobile augmented reality, pitfalls and strategies in a realtime deployment

With the rise of Google Glass, etc., the era is now ripe for deeply context-aware Mobile Augmented Reality. With well-positioned cameras, 4G(+) connectivity, and public clouds, continuous (strong) computer vision is a possibility. Many research prototype mobile augmented reality systems assume and leverage a powerful backend system to alleviate resource-constrained mobile devices, often prescribed to be a ``cloud" service. This architecture, while promising and useful, introduces new complications to a practical deployment. For augmented reality, latency is a key limiting factor to the user's perception of quality. Latency, however, is nontrivial even with the massive, worldwide public cloud deployments available today. A second limiting factor is cost. Computational resources while ``cheap" in public clouds are not free. In this talk, I will discuss an example Mobile Augmented Reality system that deploys a realtime, latency-sensitive (AR) application with cloud backend processing in the critical path. In this system, we seek to dampen these challenging effects through a hybrid mobile-plus-cloud architecture that leverages both sensing and cloud-based strategies for mitigation.
Neonatal anthropometric measurements to predict birth weight by ultrasound

Objective To develop a more accurate ultrasound birth weight (BW) model using neonatal anthropometric measurements. Study design Two hundred thirty-one newborns were evaluated. Measurements included weight; head, chest, and abdominal circumferences (umbilicus and liver), humerus, and femur lengths. Infants were randomly assigned into two groups (G(1) and G(2)). Anthropometric measurements that are obtainable by ultrasound were generated from G(1). Stepwise regression and a bootstrap analysis were used to create the prediction models. The models were validated using G(2). Results The final stepwise regression model included FL and circumferences of the head, chest, and abdomen. The correlations were: G(1): R(2)=0.91, p Conclusion Neonatal anthropometric models are strongly predictive of actual BW. This model will be tested prospectively using ultrasound to predict fetal weight.
Corrigendum to “Actions of the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I and some DNA glycosylases on chemically stable analogues of N7-methyl-2′-deoxyguanosine” [Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 21 (2013) 6886–6892]

Template dNTP Km (lM) kcat (% s ) kcat/Km (% lM 1 s ) fmis dG dCTP 1.152 ± 0.186 170 ± 10 150 1 dG dATP 308.1 ± 80.5 99 ± 13 0.32 2.1 10 3 dG dGTP 87.17 ± 15.71 3.7 ± 0.2 0.042 3.0 10 4 dG dTTP 40.27 ± 14.79 8.4 ± 0.8 0.21 1.4 10 3 dG dCTP 1.180 ± 0.427 65 ± 8 55 1 dG dATP 196.9 ± 120.9 47 ± 10 0.24 4.3 10 3 dG dGTP 74.87 ± 26.58 10 ± 1 0.14 2.5 10 3 dG dTTP 46.05 ± 25.62 6.4 ± 0.9 0.14 2.5 10 3 dG dCTP 0.562 ± 0.129 38 ± 2 68 1 dG dATP 64.85 ± 30.78 9.5 ± 0.8 0.15 2.2 10 3 dG dGTP 56.89 ± 19.54 2.6 ± 0.2 0.046 6.6 10 4 dG dTTP 49.59 ± 10.57 7.2 ± 0.3 0.15 2.2 10 3
Developmental changes in resting and functional cerebral blood flow and their relationship to the BOLD response

Our understanding of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the healthy developing brain has been limited due to the invasiveness of methods historically available for CBF measurement. Clinically based studies using radioactive tracers with children have focused on resting state CBF. Yet potential age-related changes in flow during stimulation may affect the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) response used to investigate cognitive neurodevelopment. This study used noninvasive arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging to compare resting state and stimulus-driven CBF between typically developing children 8 years of age, 12 years of age, and adults. Further, we acquired functional CBF and BOLD images simultaneously to examine their relationship during sensory stimulation. Analyses revealed age-related CBF differences during rest; the youngest group showed greater CBF than 12-year-olds or adults. During stimulation of the auditory cortex, younger children also showed a greater absolute increase in CBF than adults. However, the magnitude of CBF response above baseline was comparable between groups. Similarly, the amplitude of the BOLD response was stable across age. The combination of the 8 year olds' elevated CBF, both at rest and in response to stimulation, without elevation in the BOLD response suggests that additional physiological factors that also play a role in the BOLD effect, such as metabolic processes that are also elevated in this period, may offset the increased CBF in these children. Thus, CBF measurements reveal maturational differences in the hemodynamics underlying the BOLD effect in children despite the resemblance of the BOLD response between children and adults.
SELECTIVE AREA DEPOSITION OF CONDUCTING PALLADIUM FILMS ON POLYIMIDE RESINS

We have demonstrated that the selective area deposition of palladium on polyimide substrates is possible through the U.V. photolysis of (π-allyl)(π-cyclopentadienyl) palladium. This photolytic deposition process did not result in any apparent damage to either the Ultem 1000 (polyetherimide) or Kapton substrates (polyimide substrates). The resistivity of the palladium films (< 0.lum) suggests that the films are porous.
THE FRAGILE AMERICAN: Hardship and Financial Troubles in the 21st Century

Rising economic insecurity at the turn of the 21st century made Americans increasingly vulnerable to financial distress. Studies of bankruptcy records show that personal hardships like health problems, divorce, job loss, and income disruption are the major reasons Americans fall into financial ruin. This article uses nationally representative data from the Survey of Consumer Finances to study the relationship between hardship and a range of financial troubles including bankruptcy, default, and credit access. We differentiate this analysis by class, expecting that debt troubles fall especially hard on middle-income families. Our results show that while the middle class is distinctly vulnerable, multiple financial troubles accompany hardship for all classes.
Can a Theory that Integrates the Natural Systems Sciences Help Systems Engineering of Defense against Security Threats

Citation of a range of security attacks across several scalar levels suggests shared commonalities of systems form and dynamics. These commonalities imply that one of the most powerful approaches to defense would be design that disrupts these pervasive underlying processes. We use a new, allegedly more comprehensive system of systems processes (SoSP) theory that enables expansion on just one of the key systems processes common to current security attacks, self-organization. We describe several words used in different disciplines that may be confused with self-organization and inhibit needed communication. We describe ten components of selforganization and seven linkage propositions that describe interactions between other systems processes and selforganization to increase resolution on this one vulnerable commonality of security attack. We suggest that the immense attention now given to "translating" lab results in medicine to new clinical treatments needs to be replicated in this domain. We need a "translational," topdown system of systems pathology to address widespread security attacks. We try to provide a glimpse of how the increased detail on just self-organization might help formulate better design of security systems. This serves as a case study of the even more fertile potential of using the 100+ systems processes and many linkage propositions from a unified SoSP as a rich source for security design.
Duplicated fie Genes in Maize Expression Pattern and Imprinting Suggest Distinct Functions

Two maize genes with predicted translational similarity to the Arabidopsis FIE (Fertilization-Independent Endosperm) protein, a repressor of endosperm development in the absence of fertilization, were cloned and analyzed. Genomic sequences of fie1 and fie2 show significant homology within coding regions but none within introns or 5′ upstream. The fie1 gene is expressed exclusively in the endosperm of developing kernels starting at ∼6 days after pollination. fie1 is an imprinted gene showing no detectable expression of the paternally derived fie1 allele during kernel development. Conversely, fie2 is expressed in the embryo sac before pollination. After pollination, its expression persists, predominantly in the embryo and at lower levels in the endosperm. The paternal fie2 allele is not expressed early in kernel development, but its transcription is activated at 5 days after pollination. fie2 is likely to be a functional ortholog of the Arabidopsis FIE gene, whereas fie1 has evolved a distinct function. The maize FIE2 and sorghum FIE proteins form a monophyletic group, sharing a closer relationship to each other than to the FIE1 protein, suggesting that maize fie genes originated from two different ancestral genomes.
Magnitude and Directional Effects of Marital Sex-Role Incongruence on Marital Adjustment

The direction of differences in marital sex-role attitudes was estimated to play an important role in determining the direction of differences on the marital adjustment of husbands and wives. The more egalitarian in marital sex-role orientation the husband was relative to his wife, the better the marital adjustment of both spouses. The less egalitarian he was relative to his wife, the poorer the adjustment. This finding was examined within the historical context of differences in the social power of husbands and wives. A “magnitude-only” measure of marital sex-role attitude incongruence was not related to marital adjustment.
Avoiding oddification to simplify MPEG-1 decoding with LNS

Low-precision logarithmic number system (LNS) arithmetic can reduce the power consumption for MPEG decoding compared to conventional fixed-point techniques. Although this introduces small numeric errors, which violate the IEEE-1180 standard for the inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT), the visual effects of such error may be tolerable for portable battery-powered devices, like videophones, that have limited-resolution displays. The MPEG standard achieves video compression by quantization of the data fed to the IDCT. The MPEG decoder must multiply this data by dequantization factors. Such multiplication, by itself, is trivial with LNS since adding logarithms is equivalent to multiplication. The IEEE-1180 standard suggests oddification, where fixed-point data is forced to become odd after dequantization to minimize IDCT mismatch between the encoder and the decoder. Oddification poses an implementation problem for data in LNS format. This paper suggests that the visual effect of LNS without oddification is nearly indistinguishable from LNS with oddification, meaning that the benefits of LNS in MPEG are even greater than previously expected.
Path profile guided partial redundancy elimination using speculation

While programs contain a large number of paths, a very small fraction of these paths are typically exercised during program execution. Thus, optimization algorithms should be designed to trade off the performance of less frequently executed paths in favor of more frequently executed paths. However, traditional formulations to code optimizations are incapable of performing such a trade-off. The authors present a path profile guided partial redundancy elimination algorithm that uses speculation to enable the removal of redundancy along more frequently executed paths at the expense of introducing additional expression evaluations along less frequently executed paths. They describe cost-benefit data flow analysis that uses path profiling information to determine the profitability of using speculation. The cost of enabling speculation of an expression at a conditional is determined by identifying paths along which an additional evaluation of the expression is introduced. The benefit of enabling speculation is determined by identifying paths along which additional redundancy elimination is enabled by speculation. The results of this analysis are incorporated in a speculative expression hoisting framework for partial redundancy elimination.
Induction-Linac Based Free-Electron Laser Amplifiers For Plasma Heating

We describe an induction-linac based free-electron laser amplifier that is presently under construction at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. It is designed to produce up to 2 MW of average power at a frequency of 250 GHz for plasma heating experiments in the Microwave Tokamak Experiment. In addition, we shall describe a FEL amplifier design for plasma heating of advanced tokamak fusion devices. This system is designed to produce average power levels of about 10 MW at frequencies ranging from 280 to 560 GHz.
Geometric morphometric analysis discriminates native and non-native species of Caprellidae in western North America

Characteristics of the second gnathopod are traditionally used to distinguish between species of caprellid amphipods. However, these distinctions are often subjective and can be variable within a species. Geometric morphometrics were used to quantitatively assess shape variation of the second gnathopod propodus of three species of caprellids in North America, including the non-native Caprella mutica. Gnathopod shapes of C. mutica specimens from different latitudes revealed distinct morphologies; the factors responsible for the shape variations are unknown. Allometric change of propodus shape was observed in C. mutica. Larger individuals showed a wide array of possible propodus morphologies. Despite this variability, there were clear differences between large specimens of C. mutica and two species native to North America: C. alaskana and C. kennerlyi. The use of geometric morphometrics and the thin-plate spline method can serve to both complement descriptions using traditional keys and aid in identification of non-native species in novel geographical regions.
Sequence and annotation of the Wizard007 mycobacterium phage genome

Material and methods The Wizard007 bacteriophage was isolated from a soil sample taken at N36° 49’36.8” W87° 29’42.5” in Hopkinsville, KY. It was plaque purified on Mycobacterium smegmatis and DNA was isolated using the Promega Wizard DNA purification kit. The DNA was sequenced at the Virginia Commonwealth University by Roche 454 DNA sequencing. The genome quality was confirmed in Consed [1] and found to be 51,034 bp in length. Genes were called from the assembled sequence with a workflow consisting of Glimmer [2], GeneMark [3], tRNAscan [4], and SDFinder to identify potential gene features. Gbrowse [5], Apollo [6], and BLAST [7] were used to call and annotate genes. A 10 base 3’ overhang was found at the ends by ligating the genomic DNA and sequencing a PCR product produced across the ligated ends.
GDNF protects against aluminum-induced apoptosis in rabbits by upregulating Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL and inhibiting mitochondrial Bax translocation.

Direct (intracisternal) injection of aluminum complexes into rabbit brain results in a number of similarities with the neuropathological and biochemical changes observed in Alzheimer's disease and provides the opportunity to assess early events in neurodegeneration. This mode of administration induces cytochrome c release from mitochondria, a decrease in Bcl-2 in both mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, Bax translocation into mitochondria, activation of caspase-3, and DNA fragmentation. Coadministration of glial cell neuronal-derived factor (GDNF) inhibits these Bcl-2 and Bax changes, upregulates Bcl-XL, and abolishes the caspase-3 activity. Furthermore, treatment with GDNF dramatically inhibits apoptosis, as assessed by the TUNEL technique for detecting DNA damage. Treatment with GDNF may represent a therapeutic strategy to reverse the neuronal death associated with Alzheimer's disease and may exert its effect on apoptosis-regulatory proteins.
Delay time reduction of high power microwave surface flashover using metallic initiators

High power microwave (HPM) surface flashover can be rapidly induced by introducing metallic points on to the dielectric surface with negligible effect on the transmission properties. An experimental setup comprised of a magnetron operating at 2.85 GHz to produce a 4.5 MW, 3 μs pulse is used for observing surface flashover in various atmospheric conditions. An active pulse sharpening mechanism is used to reduce the pulse rise time in order to apply the electric field in tens of nanoseconds. For a system in which HPM transmission must be quickly suppressed, field enhancing geometries can provide a way for flashover to develop rapidly while keeping insertion loss at a minimum (<0.01 dB). Initial experiments utilizing 0.2 mm2 aluminum points with a spatial density of 25/cm2 have increased the global effective electric field by a factor of ∼1.5. This increase in electric field has sharply reduced delay times for surface flashover (i.e. the time between the application of the HPM pulse and a sharp drop in transmitted power). For an environment consisting of air at 155 torr, for instance, the delay time is reduced from 455 ns to 101 ns. Presented in this paper is a comparison of various field-enhancing geometries and how they relate to flashover development. Also, an analysis of time resolved images will be given along with an estimation of field enhancement factors.
Antiferromagnetic State in the Chrome Alums

The molecular field method is applied to the magnetic interactions in the chrome alums to describe the ordered state that occurs at low temperatures. An antiferromagnetic Curie point is predicted even in the absence of any exchange between the chromium ions. The predicted critical temperature is ${T}_{c}=1.7\ensuremath{\tau}(\ensuremath{\sigma}+v)$, where $\ensuremath{\tau}$ is the characteristic temperature, $\frac{15N{\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}}{k}$, $v$ represents the exchange interaction between nearest neighbors in units of the magnetic interaction, and $\ensuremath{\sigma}=0.78$ is a sum of $\frac{(1\ensuremath{-}3{cos}^{2}\ensuremath{\theta})}{{r}^{3}}$ over lattice points. The entropy and susceptibility are calculated as functions of the temperature and applied field. The variation of the zero-field susceptibility with entropy below the critical temperature fits the observed results if $v$ is put equal to -0.13, and this value of $v$ gives a critical temperature within the range of observed values.
Safety and tolerability of chikungunya virus-like particle vaccine in healthy adults: a phase 1 dose-escalation trial

Summary Background Chikungunya virus—a mosquito-borne alphavirus—is endemic in Africa and south and southeast Asia and has recently emerged in the Caribbean. No drugs or vaccines are available for treatment or prevention. We aimed to assess the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of a new candidate vaccine. Methods VRC 311 was a phase 1, dose-escalation, open-label clinical trial of a virus-like particle (VLP) chikungunya virus vaccine, VRC-CHKVLP059-00-VP, in healthy adults aged 18–50 years who were enrolled at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (Bethesda, MD, USA). Participants were assigned to sequential dose level groups to receive vaccinations at 10 μg, 20 μg, or 40 μg on weeks 0, 4, and 20, with follow-up for 44 weeks after enrolment. The primary endpoints were safety and tolerability of the vaccine. Secondary endpoints were chikungunya virus-specific immune responses assessed by ELISA and neutralising antibody assays. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01489358. Findings 25 participants were enrolled from Dec 12, 2011, to March 22, 2012, into the three dosage groups: 10 μg (n=5), 20 μg (n=10), and 40 μg (n=10). The protocol was completed by all five participants at the 10 μg dose, all ten participants at the 20 μg dose, and eight of ten participants at the 40 μg dose; non-completions were for personal circumstances unrelated to adverse events. 73 vaccinations were administered. All injections were well tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported. Neutralising antibodies were detected in all dose groups after the second vaccination (geometric mean titres of the half maximum inhibitory concentration: 2688 in the 10 μg group, 1775 in the 20 μg group, and 7246 in the 40 μg group), and a significant boost occurred after the third vaccination in all dose groups (10 μg group p=0·0197, 20 μg group p Interpretation The chikungunya VLP vaccine was immunogenic, safe, and well tolerated. This study represents an important step in vaccine development to combat this rapidly emerging pathogen. Further studies should be done in a larger number of participants and in more diverse populations. Funding Intramural Research Program of the Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and National Institutes of Health.
The inflation‐devaluation‐inflation hypothesis in Nicaragua

This article employs a computable general equilibrium model for Sandinista Nicaragua to argue that a foreign exchange constrained economy does not necessarily fall prey to the inflation‐devaluation‐inflation vicious cycle characteristic of more mature Keynesian economies. It is seen that when the economy is shocked by a devaluation, prices do not rise proportionately. Output increases and the distribution of income can actually improve. These results support Sandinista policy of raising wages along with devaluation, a policy widely criticised as counterproductive. When the model is structured to account for the combined effects of Sandinista policies, however, including rising government expenditure and multiple effective exchange rates, a host of macroeconomic problems experienced by the regime arise. Stagflation sets in, income distribution deteriorates and the incentives for export production seriously diminish.
IFN-free combination of sofosbuvir and simeprevir for treatment of genotype 1 hepatitis C infection

This review will focus on the efficacy and tolerability of the combination of sofosbuvir and simeprevir in genotype 1 chronic HCV infection. The goal of HCV therapy is to attain cure, which is defined by the US FDA as a sustained virologic response (SVR) or undetectable HCV RNA 12 weeks after HCV therapy, based on data confirming that over 99% patients who achieve this milestone have durable clearance of the infection. SVR12 (undetectable HCV RNA 12 weeks post-treatment) is the mostly commonly used end point to evaluate effectiveness of HCV therapy and will be used interchangeably with SVR in this review. Some of the data presented in this paper are from peer reviewed abstracts presented in major international conferences and are not yet published as manuscripts.
Competent systems: a prescriptive approach to knowledge-based advisors

A prescriptive approach to system design is outlined which breaks from standard expert systems research on two key points. First, the performance of a well-defined task analysis is taken to be a prerequisite for system design. It is the domain, then, and not the manner in which people cope with it, that guides the design phase. Second, an epistemological hierarchy, which recognizes expertise as a (high) range on a competence scale, helps identify the parts of a domain that are relevant to different types of users. This removes knowledge-based systems from the sole proprietorship of experts, and suggests using them as widely available advisors or decision support systems. >
Onshore industrial wind turbine locations for the United States up to March 2014

Wind energy is a rapidly growing form of renewable energy in the United States. While summary information on the total amounts of installed capacity are available by state, a free, centralized, national, turbine-level, geospatial dataset useful for scientific research, land and resource management, and other uses did not exist. Available in multiple formats and in a web application, these public domain data provide industrial-scale onshore wind turbine locations in the United States up to March 2014, corresponding facility information, and turbine technical specifications. Wind turbine records have been collected and compiled from various public sources, digitized or position verified from aerial imagery, and quality assured and quality controlled. Technical specifications for turbines were assigned based on the wind turbine make and model as described in public literature. In some cases, turbines were not seen in imagery or turbine information did not exist or was difficult to obtain. Uncertainty associated with these is recorded in a confidence rating.
Invited talk: Counting Rankings

In this talk, I present a recursive algorithm to calculate the number of rankings that are consistent with a set of data (optimal candidates) in the framework of Optimality Theory (OT; Prince and Smolensky 1993).1 Computing this quantity, which I call r-volume, makes possible a simple and effective Bayesian heuristic in learning – all else equal, choose candidates that are preferred by the highest number of rankings consistent with previous observations. This heuristic yields an r-volume learning algorithm (RVL) that is guaranteed to make fewer than k lg k errors while learning rankings of k constraints. This log-linear error bound is an improvement over the quadratic bound of Recursive Constraint Demotion (RCD; Tesar and Smolensky 1996) and it is within a logarithmic factor of the best possible mistake bound for any OT learning algorithm. Computing r-volume: The violations in an OT tableau can be given as a [n × k] array of integers in which the first row t1 corresponds to the winner. Following Prince (2002), the ranking information can be extracted by comparing t1 with each ‘losing’ row t2, ..., tn to create an Elementary Ranking Condition as follows: erc(t1, ti) = 〈α1, ..., αk〉 where αj = L if t1,j ti,j , and αj = e otherwise. The meaning of α is that at least one constraint associated with W dominates all those associated with L. input C1 C2 C3 candidate t1 * ** winner candidate t2 ** * erc(t1, t2) = 〈W, L, e 〉 i.e. t1 beats t2 if C1 outranks C2 candidate t3 ** erc(t1, t3) = 〈L, L, W〉 i.e. t1 beats t3 if C3 outranks C1 and C2 candidate t4 *** * erc(t1, t4) = 〈L, W, W〉 i.e. t1 beats t4 if C2 or C3 outranks C1 For a set E of length-k ERCs, E−wi denotes a set E′ derived from E by removing ERCs with W in column i and removing column i. r-vol ( Ek ) = ∑ 1≤i≤k ⎧⎨ ⎩ 0 if xi = L for any x ∈ E (k − 1)! if xi = W for all x ∈ E r (E − wi) otherwise Mistake bounds: To make predictions, RVL selects in each tableau the candidate that yields the highest r-volume when the ERCs that allow it to win are combined with E (the ERCs for past winners). To establish a mistake bound, assume that the RVL chooses candidate e when, in fact, candidate o was optimal according to the target ranking RT . Assuming e = o, the rankings that make o optimal must be half or fewer of the rankings consistent with E or else RVL would have chosen o. Because all rankings that make candidates other than o optimal will be eliminated once the ERCs for o are added to E, each error reduces the number of rankings consistent with all observed data by at least half and thus there can be no more than lg k! errors. Applications: The r-volume seems to encode ‘restrictiveness’ in a way similar to Tesar and Prince’s (1999) r-measure. As a factor in learning, it predicts typological frequency (cf. Bane and Riggle 2008) and priors other than the ‘flat’ distribution over rankings can easily be included to test models of ranking bias. More generally, this research suggests the concept of g-volume for any parameterized model of grammar. Full bibliography available on the Rutgers Optimality Archive (roa.rutgers.edu) with the paper Counting Rankings.
Half-life ofTa180

A search has been made for $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays emitted following the electron-capture and/or ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ decay of $^{180}\mathrm{Ta}$. No excess of counts above background was observed in the vicinity of any of the expected $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray energies. From these results, lower limits on the partial half-lives of $^{180}\mathrm{Ta}$ against electron-capture and ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ decay have been determined to be \ensuremath{\ge}5.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{13}$ and \ensuremath{\ge}5.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{13}$ yr, respectively.RADIOACTIVITY $^{180}\mathrm{Ta}$: measured ${I}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$; deduced lower limits for ${T}_{\frac{1}{2}}$, $log\mathrm{ft}$. Enriched source, Ge(Li) detectors.
A simple fractionation method for preparation of fluorescein-labeled gamma globulin.

SummaryA relatively simple method for separation of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled gamma globulin from serum has been presented. The procedure has been applied to a number of labeled anti-bacterial and anti-viral sera, and the labeled gamma globulin obtained gave definite specific fluorescence when used in the staining procedure with markedly low background fluorescence.The authors wish to acknowledge the technical assistance of Mrs. F. Malone.
Exploratory Studies of Self-Destruction:

Data related to the nature of self-destructive behavior are presented from three exploratory studies of 106, 213, 61 adult students. Results suggest the value of further research emphasizing the social bases of and cognitive support for such behavior.
Evaluation on the comprehensive intervention of anti-HIV/AIDS discrimination campaign(in colleges and universities) with the participation of HIV/AIDS patients

Objective To evaluate the immediate effect of the comprehensive intervention of anti-HIV/AIDS discrimination campaign(in colleges and universities) with the participation of HIV/AIDS patients.Methods Organizing a total of four universities in Nanchang,with 300 students participating in this HIV/AIDS anti-discrimination campaign,using anonymous questionnaire to investigate and compare the difference before and after intervention by statistical methods.Results The students' HIV/AIDS awareness increased from 62.67% before the intervention to 85.20% after the intervention,the difference was statistically significant;students had significant improvement in discriminatory attitudes on HIV / patients after intervention,tended to be more reasonable and tolerant.Conclusion Colleges and universities anti-HIV/AIDS discrimination campaign involving HIV/AIDS patients had positive immediate intervention results.
Targeting immune checkpoints in unresectable metastatic cutaneous melanoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 agents trials.

Anti‐cytotoxic T lymphocyte‐associated antigen‐4 (CTLA‐4) and anti‐programmed cell death‐1 (PD‐1) inhibitors have been shown to significantly improve survival in patients with metastatic cutaneous melanoma. However, there was some heterogeneity as well as some variation in the degree of benefit across studies. We reviewed randomized trials and performed a meta‐analysis to determine the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in comparison with conventional regimens. Eligible studies were limited to randomized controlled trials comparing anti‐CTLA‐4 or anti‐PD‐1 inhibitors to chemotherapy or vaccination treatment in adult patients with unresectable cutaneous metastatic melanoma. Progression‐free survival (PFS) rate at 6 months was 28.5% versus 17.7% (RR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.76–0.93), overall survival (OS) rate at 1 year was 51.2% versus 38.8% (RR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59–0.88), and overall response rate (ORR) at 6 months was 29.6% versus 17.7% (RR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.76–0.95) favoring immune check point inhibitors over chemotherapies or vaccination. Immune check point inhibitors were associated with more frequent immune‐related adverse events at 13.7% versus 2.4% of treated patients (RR: 6.74, 95% CI: 4.65–9.75). Subgroup analyses demonstrated significant PFS (RR: 0.92 vs. 0.74, P < 0.00001) and ORR (RR: 0.95 vs. 0.76, P = 0.0004) improvement with anti‐PD‐1 treatment compared to anti‐CTLA‐4 when each of them was compared to control treatments. Collectively, these results demonstrate that immune checkpoint inhibitors have superior outcomes compared to conventional chemotherapies or vaccination, and support the results of recent randomized trials that showed superior outcomes with anti‐PD‐1 agents over ipilimumab in unresectable metastatic cutaneous melanoma patients.
Residency board certification requirements and preoperative surgical home activities in the United States: Comparing anesthesiology, family medicine, internal medicine, and surgery

Thus, any of these specialties could take the lead in provid-ing perioperative care.However, the 2014 Institute of Medicine report on gradu-ate medical education in the United States noted that there is “a gap between new physicians’ knowledge and skills and the competencies required for current medical practice.”
Limiting Recombination in Si Concentrator Solar Cells

Several recent papers have discussed the ultimate limits to the efficiencies of Si concentrator solar cells due to the effects of fundamental bulk Auger recombination [1]. Experimental results from backside point contact concentrator solar cells indicate that this Auger recombination is already impacting efficiencies by reducing the quantum efficiencies at high concentrations of sunlight ELS well as imposing upper limits to the open circuit voltage [2]. In this paper, a device is presented which was designed to measure this recombination using open circuit voltage decay and steady state illuminated measurements. The Auger coefficient was found to be 1.66×10-30 cm6/sec in the carrier density range of interest to solar cells, 1015 to 2×l017 carriers/cm3. This is 4 times higher than commonly assumed and will impact the design and performance of Si solar cells.
Addition of phytochemical-rich plant extracts mitigate the antimicrobial activity of essential oil/wine mixtures against Escherichia coli O157:H7 but not against Salmonella enterica

Abstract Marinades for preparing raw meats for cooking are frequently made of wine and herbs. We simulated several formulations of potential antimicrobial marinades with these components and other food compatible/food derived extracts. Red wine formulations containing essential oils from oregano or thyme, or their primary active components carvacrol and thymol, respectively, and a mixture of plant extract powders from phytochemical-rich apple skin, green tea, and olive, were evaluated for inhibitory activity against the foodborne pathogens Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica . Red wine alone exhibited low activity, as did the plant extract suspended in the wine. Surprisingly, the high activity of oregano or thyme essential oils in red wine was reduced in E. coli , but not in Salmonella , by addition of the plant extract. This study shows that essential oils in red wine can be an effective antimicrobial in food, however the possibility exists that phytochemicals, added to the treatment solution or natively present in the food itself, could adversely impact the antimicrobial activity and should be addressed with future studies.
Strategic incorporation of fluorine into taxoid anticancer agents for medicinal chemistry and chemical biology studies

This account exemplifies our recent progress on the strategic incorporation of fluorine and organofluorine groups to taxoid anticancer agents and their tumor-targeted drug delivery systems (TTDDSs) for medicinal chemistry and chemical biology studies. Novel 3'-difluorovinyltaxoids were strategically designed to block the metabolism by cytochrome P-450, synthesized, and evaluated for their cytotoxicity against drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant (MDR) human cancer cell lines. 3'-Difluorovinyltaxoids exhibited impressive activities against these cancer cell lines. More significantly, a representative 3'-difluorovinyltaxoid exhibited 230-33,000 times higher potency than conventional anticancer drugs against cancer stem cell-enriched HCT-116 cell line. Studies on the mechanism of action (MOA) of these fluorotaxoids were performed by tubulin polymerization assay, morphology analysis by electron microscopy (EM) and protein binding assays. Novel 19F NMR probes, BLT-F2 and BLT-S-F6, were designed by strategically incorporating fluorine, CF3 and CF3O groups into tumor-targeting drug conjugates. These 19F-probes were designed and synthesized to investigate the mechanism of linker cleavage and factors that influence their plasma and metabolic stability by real-time 19F NMR analysis. Time-resolved 19F NMR study on probe BLT-F2 revealed a stepwise mechanism for the release of a fluorotaxoid, which might not be detected by other analytical methods. Probe BLT-S-F6 were very useful to study the stability and reactivity of the drug delivery system in human blood plasma by 19F NMR. The clean analysis of the linker stability and reactivity of drug conjugates in blood plasma by HPLC and 1H NMR is very challenging, but the use of 19F NMR and suitable 19F probes can provide a practical solution to this problem.
Pharmacokinetics (PK) of blinatumomab and its clinical implications.

3048 Background: Blinatumomab is an investigational, bispecific, single-chain T cell engaging (BiTE) antibody of 55 kD that targets CD19 on B cells and CD3 on T cells. Blinatumomab induces polyclon...
Sequential Movement Pattern of Firm Births and Deaths Over the Business Cycles

This paper documents, at business cycle frequencies, the sequential pattern of firm births and deaths and the aggregate economic condition in the US. On the aggregate level, firm formation leads economic conditions and positively affects subsequent firm deaths, suggesting that startups have a delayed crowding-out effect. The pattern is mainly driven by young firms and it is observed in all major sectors. Then, a simple, tractable theoretical model is built, featuring the role of imperfect information, to illustrate how standard firm dynamics models can accommodate these new findings.
Intelligent Process Monitoring by Interfacing Knowledge-Based Systems and Multivariate SPC Tools

Abstract An intelligent process monitoring and fault diagnosis environment has been developed by interfacing multivariate statistical process monitoring (MSPM) techniques and knowledge-based systems (KBS) for monitoring multivariate process operation. In particular, the real-time KBS G2 and its Diagnostic Assistant (GDA) tool are used with multivariate SPM methods based on canonical variate state space (CVSS) process models. Fault detection is based on T 2 charts of state variables, contribution plots in G2 are used for determining the process variables that have contributed to the out-of-control signal indicated by large T 2 values, and GDA is used to diagnose the source cause of the abnormal process behavior. The MSPM modules developed in Matlab are linked with G2 and GDA. This setup extends the Statistical Process Control (GSPC) library of GDA significantly and permits the use of MSPM tools for autocorrelated data and multivariable processes. The presentation will focus on the structure and performance of the integrated system. On-line SPM of multivariable processes will be illustrated by simulation studies.
Frontal alpha asymmetry predicts inhibitory processing in youth with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Abstract Introduction Atypical asymmetry in brain activity has been implicated in the behavioral and attentional dysregulation observed in ADHD. Specifically, asymmetry in neural activity in the right versus left frontal regions has been linked to ADHD, as well as to symptoms often associated with ADHD such as heightened approach behaviors, impulsivity and difficulties with inhibition. Clarifying the role of frontal asymmetry in ADHD-like traits, such as disinhibition, may provide information on the neurophysiological processes underlying these behaviors. Method ADHD youth (ADHD: n = 25) and healthy, typically developing controls (TD: n = 25) underwent an electroencephalography (EEG) recording while completing a go/no-go task—a commonly used test measuring behavioral inhibition. In addition, advanced signal processing for source localization estimated the location of signal generators underlying frontal alpha asymmetry (FA) during correct and incorrect trials. Results This is the first study in ADHD to demonstrate that the dorsal-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) may be responsible for generating frontal alpha. During failed inhibition trials, ADHD youth displayed greater FA than TD youth. In addition, within the ADHD group, frontal asymmetry during later processing stages (i.e., 400–800 ms after stimulus) predicted a higher number of commission errors throughout the task. Conclusions These results suggest that frontal alpha asymmetry may be a specific biomarker of cognitive disinhibition among youth with ADHD.
Photosynthesis and Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation in Phaseolus Vulgaris L.

More than 40 years ago, Wilson et al. emphasized the importance of photosynthesis for symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legumes by increasing N2 fixation with CO2-enrichment techniques.1 Since that time numerous experiments have suggested a connection liqetween those processes by demonstrating that defoliation,2 surgical treatment,3 supplemental light,4 and grafting a second shoot on a rootstock5 produced changes in symbiotic N2 reduction with paralleled changes in net photosynthesis. More recent experiments with CO2 enrichment of field-grown legumes have shown that both the total amount of N2 fixed and the proportion of nitrogen derived from N2 as opposed to soil nitrogen increased.6
Radiation Therapy for Optic Pathway and Hypothalamic Low-Grade Gliomas in Children

Purpose The long-term survival of pediatric patients with optic pathway or hypothalamic low-grade glioma (LGG) who receive radiation therapy (RT) has not been previously assessed. Methods and Materials A retrospective study was performed of all patients with optic-hypothalamic pediatric LGG treated with RT at a single institution. Eligible patients were aged ≤21 years at the time of RT and had localized LGG diagnosed by neuroimaging or histology. The median RT dose was 54 Gy, delivered in 30 fractions. Event-free survival (EFS) was defined as survival without progression or secondary high-grade glioma. Days were counted from the first day of RT. Results Eighty-nine patients were included in the study, with a median follow-up period of 12.5 years. Of the patients, 14 had neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1). The 10-year EFS rate was 61.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 31.2%-82.1%) for patients with NF-1 and 67.5% (95% CI, 54.8%-77.3%) for those without NF-1. The 10-year overall survival rate was 92.3% (95% CI, 56.6%-98.9%) for patients with NF-1 and 98.4% (95% CI, 89.1%-99.8%) for those without NF-1. Pre-RT chemotherapy (which was more commonly given to younger patients) was associated with reduced EFS, whereas younger age was associated with reduced overall survival. Possible RT-induced neoplasms developed in 8 patients, including 4 with NF-1. The 10-year cumulative incidence of clinically significant vasculopathy was 7.1% (95% CI, 2.9%-13.9%); vasculopathy did not develop in any child aged >10 years at the commencement of RT. Conclusions RT is an effective treatment for optic-hypothalamic LGG. Older children without NF-1 have a low risk of late toxicity. RT can be considered for selected younger patients or individuals with NF-1 as a salvage treatment after progression.