cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selective breeding for magnitude of methamphetamine-induced sensitization alters methamphetamine consumption.

Rationale Genetically determined differences in susceptibility to drug-induced sensitization could be related to risk for drug consumption.
Maximum a posteriori estimation of relative abundances of protein conformations

Estimation of mixture coefficients of protein conformations find applications in understanding protein behavior. We describe a method for maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation of the mixture coefficients of ensemble of conformations in a protein mixture solution using measured small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) intensities. The proposed method builds upon a model for the measurements of crystallographically determined conformations. Assuming that a priori information on the protein mixture is available and this prior follows a Dirichlet distribution we develop a method to estimate the relative abundances with MAP estimator. Adenylate kinase (ADK) protein is selected as the test bed due to its known conformations. Known conformations are assumed to form the full vector bases that span the measurement space. A subset selection method that chooses an identifiable subset from these bases is developed. Using the selected subset, in Monte Carlo simulations, mixture coefficient estimation performances of MAP and maximum likelihood (which assumes uniform prior on mixture coefficients) estimators are compared. The results show that prior knowledge improves estimation accuracy, but performance is sensitive to perturbations in the prior distribution parameters.
Synthesis and evaluation of titania powders for photodestruction of phenol

Abstract The flame synthesis of titania particles with special properties for the photooxidation of organic contaminants in water is investigated. Powders with high specific surface area (> 100 m 2 /g) and high anatase content were produced in a hydrocarbon flame reactor at various conditions. These powders were used for the photodegradation of phenol in non-aerated aqueous solutions under UV-irradiation. The reaction followed first order kinetics and the photodestruction rates of these powders were comparable with or better than those of commercially available titania powders.
Phylogenetic implications of ontogenetic data

Abstract The controversy concerning the value of ontogenicdata for phylogenetic reconstruction is briefly reviewed. Examples to illustrate the problem are presented from data concerning plethodontid salamanders, and include an analysis of ontogenetic trajectories in the genus Batrachoseps and modifications of early ontogeny in bolitoglossine salamenders. Some workers advocate using ontogenetic data to establish the polarity of characters that vary among taxa. This view is rejected. The entire ontogeny of a character is the focus of interest, for ontogenies evolve as wholes and any part is subject to change. Only outgroup analysis is of value in determining character polarity, and ontogenetic data alone can be misleading. Nevertheless, examples presented show that ontogenetic information can serve as the basis for the establishment of hypotheses concerning the history of groups and can provide insight into evolutionary dynamics.
Desire for and uptake of HIV tests by Ghanaian women: the relevance of community level stigma.

Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) has been recognized as the crux of HIV surveillance, prevention and treatment programs. Since 2000, Ghana government has launched a number of HIV prevention and treatment programs intended to increase VCT services. Despite these efforts, uptake of testing is still low, though many women reported interest in getting tested. The disconnect between intention and action is attributable to several factors, including HIV-related stigma. The study used data from the 2003 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey and fitted complementary log-log models to regress women’s desire for and uptake of an HIV test on levels of personal and community stigma. Consistent with findings from previous research, the study revealed significant associations between a number of socio-demographic and socio-cognitive variables and the desire for and uptake of an HIV test by Ghanaian women. Most significantly, the study showed that widespread stigma in the community exert greater negative effects on individuals who endorse stigmatizing beliefs and predispositions, compared to their peers with more favorable attitudes. Since community level educational and risk reduction programs have demonstrable influences on reducing HIV stigma, it is imperative that the Ghana government’s ongoing anti-stigma campaigns and other HIV prevention programs take cognizance of the role of community stigma in influencing HIV testing.
Improved model of HgCdTe's pseudo dielectric function for in-situ ellipsometry data analysis during MBE growth

A Woollam M88 spectroscopic ellipsometer was used to characterize the molecular beam epitaxy growth nucleation of Hg 1-x Cd x Te layers on CdZn 0.035 Te substrates and the substrate temperature prior to the growth. We developed a new approach to ellipsometry data analysis to better determine the substrate temperature. It is based on the accurate determination of the critical point energies and linewidths, which display strong temperature dependence in the CdZnTe system. The new model was able to resolve temperature differences of the order of +/-2.5 o C. We also show that ellipsometry can be used to characterize the nucleation of Hg 1-x Cd x Te on CdZnTe substrates. More work is in progress to assess the run-to-run reproducibility of our temperature measurement, and to further investigate Hg 1-x Cd x Te nucleation.
Levothyroxine dosage is associated with stability of thyroid-stimulating hormone values.

Abstract Objective In patients treated for hypothyroidism, the usual practice is to monitor thyroid-stimulating hormone values yearly once a therapeutic dosage of levothyroxine is determined. This study investigates whether there are any clinical predictors that could identify a subset of patients who might be monitored safely on a less frequent basis. Methods With the use of a retrospective study design, 715 patients treated for hypothyroidism who had a normal (ie, therapeutic) thyroid-stimulating hormone value in 2006 while taking levothyroxine were identified. All thyroid-stimulating hormone values were then obtained through December 31, 2012. By using a Cox proportional hazard model, gender, age, body mass index, history of chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, initial thyroid-stimulating hormone level, and levothyroxine dose were analyzed for time to first abnormal thyroid-stimulating hormone value. Results Age, gender, history of chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, and body mass index at the time of initial normal thyroid-stimulating hormone were not associated significantly with time to abnormal thyroid-stimulating hormone value. Levothyroxine dose >125 μg/day had an increased hazard ratio of 2.4 (95% confidence interval, 1.7-3.4; P 125 μg/day did. Transformed thyroid-stimulating hormone value (which represents a measure of how far the initial thyroid-stimulating hormone was from the midpoint of the normal range) also had an increased hazard ratio of 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.2; P Conclusions For patients receiving ≤125 μg/day of levothyroxine, we propose that a testing interval up to 2 years may be acceptable if their thyroid-stimulating hormone is well within the normal range.
Establishing Healthy Chest Register in Child Singers

Historically, teaching children to utilize their chest voice in singing has been actively discouraged. These admonitions arise from assumed rather than scientifically based conclusions regarding th...
LENIN'S RETURN

Even many radicals agree with liberals who quote conservatives who assure us that Lenin and his revolutionary communist perspectives were inhumane and authoritarian—but important new scholarship compellingly argues that such allegations are false. In the post-9/11 world, dominant ideologies are being undermined by political and social crises generating insurgent forces that may be ready to see a new relevance in Lenin. Varieties of conservatism, reformism, anarchism, and fundamentalism (secular as well as religious) have been tried, continue to be tried, and yet the times in which we live seem to grow more terrible. What masses of people are experiencing, feeling, and thinking today gives recent Lenin-influenced works a growing resonance, and so they may find a greater “market” than previously has been the case. With the appearance of such scholarship, each offering challenging interpretations, we may be on the eve of a Lenin revival.
Beyond bags of words: modeling implicit user preferences in information retrieval

This paper reports on recent work in the field of information retrieval that attempts to go beyond the overly simplified approach of representing documents and queries as bags of words. Simple models make it difficult to accurately model a user's information need. The model presented in the paper is based on Markov random fields and allows almost arbitrary features to be encoded. This provides a powerful mechanism for modeling many of the implicit constraints a user has in mind when formulating a query. Simple instantiations of the model that consider dependencies between the terms in a query have shown to significantly outperform bag of words models. Further extensions of the model are possible to incorporate even more complex constraints based other domain knowledge. Finally, we describe what place our model has within the broader realm of artificial intelligence and propose several open questions that may be of general interest to the field.
The developmental significance of adolescent romantic relationships: parent and peer predictors of engagement and quality at age 15.

From a longitudinal sample (n = 957; 49.9% male; 77.3% White/non-Hispanic) of participants studied from infancy through age 15, adolescents’ depth of engagement in, and quality of romantic relationships were predicted from early and contemporaneous parent–child interactive quality and peer social competence. High quality maternal parenting and peer experiences prior to and during adolescence tended to be negatively associated with the depth of engagement in this domain for the full sample, yet positively associated with the quality of adolescents’ romantic relationships for the sub-set of individuals currently dating at age 15. Results reconcile contrasting views of the origins of romantic relationship engagement and quality and the positive versus negative developmental salience of romantic relationships in adolescence.
α‐Tocopherol Content and Oxidative Stability of Egg Yolk as Related to Dietary α‐Tocopherol

Hens fed diets with 0.0, 7.5, 15.0, 30.0, 60.0 and 120.0 mg supplemental α-tocopherol/kg feed produced egg yolks with 25, 30, 35, 45, 50 and 75 μg/g yolk, respectively. The correlation coefficient between dietary α-tocopherol (mg/kg diet) and egg yolk α-tocopherol (μg/g egg yolk) after 28 days feeding was 0.99. The supplemented dietary α-tocopherol had an effect on the α-tocopherol in egg yolk (P<0.05). The oxidative stability of yolk was determined by measuring the oxygen and volatile compounds in the headspace of bottled yolk. α-Tocopherol had an effect on the stability of yolk as an antioxidant at 25, 45 and 50 μg/g yolk and a prooxidant at 75 μg/g or above (P<0.05). The addition of 60.0 mg α-tocopherol/ kg diet resulted in the best egg yolk stability. The correlation coefficient between headspace oxygen disappearance and volatile compound formation in the headspace of bottled egg yolk was 0.84.
A muscle hypertrophy condition in lamb (callipyge): characterization of effects on muscle growth and meat quality traits.

The present experiment was conducted to determine the effect of the callipyge phenotype on traits affecting muscle growth and meat tenderness. Dorset wethers (N = 40) that were either carriers or non-carriers were fed grain and slaughtered at 169 d of age. Callipyge phenotype did not affect (P > .05) slaughter weight, hot carcass weight, or weights of the heart, spleen, viscera, kidney-pelvic fat, head, and pelt; however, callipyge lambs had a higher dressing percentage and lighter lungs, liver, and kidneys (P .05) weights of infraspinatus or supraspinatus. Longissimus pH and temperature declines were not affected (P > .05) by phenotype. Longissimus myofibril fragmentation index was lower at 1 (27%), 7 (35%), and 21 (37%) d postmortem and Warner-Bratzler shear force was higher at 1, 7, and 21 d postmortem in the callipyge phenotype (P .05). Longissimus and semitendinosus RNA concentration, DNA content, RNA content, protein content, and the RNA:DNA ratio were higher (P < .05), but DNA concentration, protein concentration, and protein:DNA were not affected in the callipyge phenotype. The higher calpastatin activity associated with callipyge suggests that protein degradation may be reduced in the live animal. Additionally, the increased muscle DNA content associated with the callipyge phenotype suggests an increase in satellite cell proliferation, and results in an increased capacity of skeletal muscle to accumulate and maintain myofibrillar protein. These results suggests that both reduced rate of protein degradation and higher capacity for protein synthesis are consequences of the callipyge condition.
Depositional remnants, part 2: Examples from the Western Interior Cretaceous basin of North America

The Western Interior Cretaceous basin contains numerous examples of depositional remnants (partially preserved portions of originally extensive depositional systems). Emphasis is placed on examples of accommodation remnants (i.e., a type of depositional remnant whose overlying erosion surface displays little relief and is preserved in an area of locally increased accommodation). Variations in spatial accommodation have been attributed to synsedimentary tectonics, erosional topography, differential compaction, and salt dissolution and are commonly associated with basement faults. Remnants range in size from small to very large (basin-scale), and larger remnants commonly contain several smaller remnants. Remnants of shallow-marine sandstone encased in shale are an important and common type of stratigraphic trap. Failure to recognize deposits as only remnants of depositional systems has led to misinterpretations of depositional environment and inaccurate paleogeographic reconstructions.
Rolling of lymphocytes and neutrophils on peripheral node addressin and subsequent arrest on ICAM-1 in shear flow

We studied leukocyte interactions in shear flow with peripheral lymph node addressin (PNAd), a mixture of glycoproteins expressed on high endothelial venules (HEV) that is required for lymphocyte homing and has been shown to contain a ligand for L-selectin. T lymphocytes and neutrophils tether and roll on plastic-immobilized PNAd and E-selectin at 1.8 dyn/cm2 wall shear stress, but fail to interact with immobilized ICAM-1, a ligand for LFA-1 and Mac-1, at the same flow rate. Cells roll faster on PNAd than on P-selectin or E-selectin. L-selectin mAb inhibit T lymphocyte and neutrophil tethering to PNAd, but do not inhibit T lymphocyte tethering to purified E-selectin. If allowed to interact with ICAM-1 under static conditions, phorbol ester-treated T lymphocytes, but not resting T lymphocytes, are able to form stationary adhesions that withstand the detachment force generated by 36 dyn/cm2 wall shear stress. In contrast, a wall shear stress of 7.3 dyn/cm2 detaches 50% of resting T lymphocytes bound to PNAd. Incubating T lymphocytes on PNAd and ICAM-1 does not result in adhesion strengthening, suggesting that adhesion through PNAd by L-selectin does not stimulate lymphocyte LFA-1 avidity for ICAM-1. Chemoattractant stimulation of neutrophils or phorbol ester stimulation of lymphoblasts rolling on co-immobilized PNAd and ICAM-1 results in rapid arrest and firm sticking, extending the model of sequential selectin-mediated rolling and subsequent integrin-mediated firm arrest to lymphocytes and ligands expressed on HEV.
Systematic solution to homo-oligomeric structures determined by NMR.

Protein structure determination by NMR has predominantly relied on simulated annealing-based conformational search for a converged fold using primarily distance constraints, including constraints derived from nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs), paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE), and cysteine crosslinkings. Although there is no guarantee that the converged fold represents the global minimum of the conformational space, it is generally accepted that good convergence is synonymous to the global minimum. Here, we show such a criterion breaks down in the presence of large numbers of ambiguous constraints from NMR experiments on homo-oligomeric protein complexes. A systematic evaluation of the conformational solutions that satisfy the NMR constraints of a trimeric membrane protein, DAGK, reveals 9 distinct folds, including the reported NMR and crystal structures. This result highlights the fundamental limitation of global fold determination for homo-oligomeric proteins using ambiguous distance constraints and provides a systematic solution for exhaustive enumeration of all satisfying solutions.
Wound trauma mediated inflammatory signaling attenuates a tissue regenerative response in MRL/MpJ mice

Severe trauma can induce pathophysiological responses that have marked inflammatory components. The development of systemic inflammation following severe thermal injury has been implicated in immune dysfunction, delayed wound healing, multi-system organ failure and increased mortality. In this study, we examined the impact of thermal injury-induced systemic inflammation on the healing response of a secondary wound in the MRL/MpJ mouse model, which was anatomically remote from the primary site of trauma, a wound that typically undergoes scarless healing in this specific strain. Ear-hole wounds in MRL/MpJ mice have previously displayed accelerated healing and tissue regeneration in the absence of a secondary insult. Severe thermal injury in addition to distal ear-hole wounds induced marked local and systemic inflammatory responses in the lungs and significantly augmented the expression of inflammatory mediators in the ear tissue. By day 14, 61% of the ear-hole wounds from thermally injured mice demonstrated extensive inflammation with marked inflammatory cell infiltration, extensive ulceration, and various level of necrosis to the point where a large percentage (38%) had to be euthanized early during the study due to extensive necrosis, inflammation and ear deformation. By day 35, ear-hole wounds in mice not subjected to thermal injury were completely closed, while the ear-hole wounds in thermally injured mice exhibited less inflammation and necrosis and only closed partially (62%). Thermal injury resulted in marked increases in serum levels of IL-6, TNFα, KC (CXCL1), and MIP-2α (CXCL2). Interestingly, attenuated early ear wound healing in the thermally injured mouse resulted in incomplete tissue regeneration in addition to a marked inflammatory response, as evidenced by the histological appearance of the wound and increased transcription of potent inflammatory mediators. These findings suggest that the observed systemic inflammatory response of a severe thermal injury undoubtedly has an adverse effect on wound healing and tissue regeneration.
The Gravitational Perturbations of the Kerr Black Hole. IV. The Completion of the Solution

This paper eliminates the last remaining lacuna in the information that was needed to make the solution for the perturbations in the metric coefficients of the Kerr space-time fully explicit. The requisite information is obtained from a pair of equations which is complementary to the one considered in paper III; and the solution of the Newman-Penrose equations governing the perturbations is, thus, completed.
β-Catenin and K-RAS synergize to form primitive renal epithelial tumors with features of epithelial Wilms' tumors.

Wilms' tumor (WT) is the most common childhood renal cancer. Although mutations in known tumor-associated genes ( WT1, WTX , and CATNB ) occur only in a third of tumors, many tumors show evidence of activated β-catenin–dependent Wnt signaling, but the molecular mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. A key obstacle to understanding the pathogenesis of WT is the paucity of mouse models that recapitulate its features in humans. Herein, we describe a transgenic mouse model of primitive renal epithelial neoplasms that have high penetrance and mimic the epithelial component of human WT. Introduction of a stabilizing β-catenin mutation restricted to the kidney is sufficient to induce primitive renal epithelial tumors; however, when compounded with activation of K-RAS, the mice develop large, bilateral, metastatic, multifocal primitive renal epithelial tumors that have the histologic and staining characteristics of the epithelial component of human WT. These highly malignant tumors have increased activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase–AKT and extracellular signal–regulated kinase pathways, increased expression of total and nuclear β-catenin, and increased downstream targets of this pathway, such as c-Myc and survivin. Thus, we developed a novel mouse model in which activated K-RAS synergizes with canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling to form metastatic primitive renal epithelial tumors that mimic the epithelial component of human WT.
Database-support for continuous prediction queries over streaming data

Prediction is emerging as an essential ingredient for real-time monitoring, planning and decision support applications such as intrusion detection, e-commerce pricing and automated resource management. This paper presents a system that efficiently supports continuous prediction queries (CPQs) over streaming data using seamlessly-integrated probabilistic models. Specifically, we describe how to execute and optimize CPQs using discrete (Dynamic) Bayesian Networks as the underlying predictive model. Our primary contribution is a novel cost-based optimization framework that employs materialization, sharing, and model-specific optimization techniques to enable highly-efficient point- and range-based CPQ execution. Furthermore, we support efficient execution of top-k and threshold-based high probability queries. We characterize the behavior of our system and demonstrate significant performance gains using a prototype implementation operating on real-world network intrusion data and deployed as part of a real-time software-performance monitoring system.
A comparison of dynamic branch predictors that use two levels of branch history

Recent attention to speculative execution as a mechanism for increasing performance of single instruction streams has demanded substantially better branch prediction than what has been previously available. We [1,2] and Pan, So, and Rahmen [4] have both proposed variations of the same aggressive dynamic branch predictor for handling those needs. We call the basic model Two-Level Adaptive Branch Prediction; Pan, So, and Rahmeh call it Correlation Branch Prediction. In this paper, we adopt the terminology of [2] and show that there are really nine variations of the same basic model. We compare the nine variations with respect to the amount of history information kept. We study the effects of different branch history lengths and pattern history table configurations. Finally, we evaluate the cost effectiveness of the nine variations.
Synaptotagmin Regulation of Coated Pit Assembly

Synaptotagmins bind clathrin AP-2 with high affinity via their second C2 domain, which indicates they are involved in coated pit function. We now report that expression of synaptotagmins lacking either the second C2 domain or the entire cytoplasmic region potently inhibit endocytosis. Inhibition was dependent on two intramembrane cysteine residues that were found to be essential for synaptotagmin oligomerization. Cells expressing the wild-type, but not the mutant, truncated synaptotagmin fragment had a reduced number of clathrin-coated pits. These results suggest that the formation of synaptotagmin multimers is an important step in the regulation of coated pit assembly.
THE TWO INTERPRETATIONS OF THE BEVERIDGE–NELSON DECOMPOSITION

The Beveridge–Nelson decomposition calculates trend and cycle for an integrated time series. However, there are two ways to interpret the results from the decomposition. One interpretation is that the optimal long-run forecast (minus any deterministic drift) used to calculate the Beveridge–Nelson trend corresponds to an estimate of an unobserved permanent component. The other interpretation is that the optimal long-run forecast defines an observable permanent component. This paper examines some issues surrounding these two interpretations and provides empirical support for interpreting the Beveridge–Nelson trend as an estimate when considering macroeconomic data.
Excitation of normal modes on non-rotating and rotating earth models

Summary. The method of spectral decomposition for linear operators, formulated in Dirac's bra-ket notation, gives the excitation formulae for the normal modes of infinitesimal oscillations of a non-rotating earth. The formalism is then extended, in parallel with Lancaster's λ-matrix treatment, to obtain the corresponding formulae for a rotating earth. The algebraic structure of these formulae is carefully examined based in Chao's group-theoretical results, and some particular cases of earth models and sources are discussed.
Evidence-based management of deep wound infection after spinal instrumentation.

In this study, evidence-based medicine is used to assess optimal surgical and medical management of patients with post-operative deep wound infection following spinal instrumentation. A computerized literature search of the PubMed database was performed. Twenty pertinent studies were identified. Studies were separated into publications addressing instrumentation retention versus removal and publications addressing antibiotic therapy regimen. The findings were classified based on level of evidence (I–III) and findings were summarized into evidentiary tables. No level I or II evidence was identified. With regards to surgical management, five studies support instrumentation retention in the setting of early deep infection. In contrast, for delayed infection, the evidence favors removal of instrumentation at the time of initial debridement. Surgeons should be aware that for deformity patients, even if solid fusion is observed, removal of instrumentation may be associated with significant loss of correction. A course of intravenous antibiotics followed by long-term oral suppressive therapy should be pursued if instrumentation is retained. A shorter treatment course may be appropriate if hardware is removed.
Measuring recruitment of minute larvae in a complex field environment: The corallivorous nudibranch Phestilla sibogae (Bergh)

Abstract The nudibranch Phestilla sibogae feeds only on corals of the genus Porites. The nudibranch's minute (∼ 200 μm) larvae are specifically induced to settle and metamorphose by a chemical cue released by the coral, causing the larvae to recruit to reefs composed predominantly of Porites compressa. In this study, we investigated temporal and spatial patterns of recruitment of P. sibogae into coral reefs in Kaneʻohe Bay, HI. We collected heads of P. compressa at 3-week intervals for 3 years, brought them to the laboratory and maintained them in aquaria fed with filtered seawater for 2 weeks, and then examined them for the presence of juvenile P. sibogae that had grown large enough to be seen. We found that P. sibogae recruits to the Porites reefs of Kaneʻohe Bay sporadically and unpredictably throughout the year. Although most coral samples contained no or very few P. sibogae, three periods of intense recruitment (90–450 juvenile P. sibogae kg− 1 of coral) were recorded, all in different seasons. Size-frequency analysis of recruits on the coral revealed high rates of post-settlement mortality in the field, most likely due to predation. Given the short pre-competent larval period of P. sibogae, the low rate of flushing of Kaneʻohe Bay and the patterns of recruitment observed, we conclude that this population of P. sibogae is essentially a self-recruiting one. Two of the sampled reefs were characterized by unidirectional flow, allowing us to test a model of transport of larvae of P. sibogae responding to dissolved coral cue in turbulent, wavy flow. The model predicts that more larvae will be transported into upstream portions of a reef than into downstream portions, a prediction confirmed by analysis of the field-recruitment data. Furthermore, field releases of larval mimic particles also showed that most mimics landed in the upstream areas of reefs and down among the bases of coral branches, rather than at their tips.
IMU-RGBD camera 3D pose estimation and extrinsic calibration: Observability analysis and consistency improvement

In this paper, we address the problem of extrinsically calibrating an inertial measurement unit (IMU) with respect to an RGBD sensor. In particular, we study the observability of the nonlinear IMU-RGBD calibration system and prove that the calibration parameters are observable given observations to a single point feature. Moreover, we show that the system has four unobservable directions corresponding to the global translation and rotations about the gravity vector. Based on the results of the observability analysis, we design a consistency-improved, observability constrained (OC) extended Kalman filter (EKF)-based estimator for calibrating the sensor pair while at the same time tracking its pose and creating a 3D map of the environment. Finally, we validate the key findings of the observability analysis and assess the performance of the OC-EKF estimator both in simulation and experimentally.
Maker culture and Minecraft: implications for the future of learning

Collaborative learning environments found with gaming communities can provide excellent structures to study the way that learners act within informal learning environments. For example, many of these gaming communities encourage gamers to create videogames and virtual world walkthroughs and commentaries. Walkthroughs and commentaries provide gamers information that helps them in game play. We refer to this process of walkthrough creation as digital maker culture. This study explored the phenomena of digital maker culture through a multiple case study design by examining five Minecraft walkthrough creators who created walkthrough repositories on YouTube. Findings suggest multiple levels of experience are needed when players are involved in digital maker communities. These multiple levels of experience are (a) to engage in creating designs for immediate prototypes, (b) to belong to cultural environments that foster collaboration and sharing, and (c) use common design standards. This has implications that co...
Toward an effective two-parameter SOR method

Abstract Let A be a symmetric n by n matrix where B = I – A is the corresponding Jacobi matrix: We assume B has been re-ordered using the red/black ordering so that ) Using the Singular Value Decomposition of M, we are able to derive an equation for computing the eigenvalues of the two-parameter SOR iteration matrix Lω1,ω2. In addition, we give a method for computing the spectral norm of ) for any integer k. A numerical example shows that the spectral radius and the spectral norm are minimized for different values of ω1 and ω2.
Short Paper: Data Driven Pre-cooling for Peak Demand Reduction in Commercial Buildings

Reducing the operating energy costs of commercial buildings in the presence of complex tariff structures is an important problem facing several facility managers. In this paper, we explore the use of a data driven pre-cooling methodology for achieving this outcome. Our contributions are twofold. First, we propose a "gray box" approach to model the building thermal dynamics that imposes minimal data requirements from a building management system (BMS). Second, we illustrate how the model can be used to evaluate various "what-if" pre-cooling strategies to reduce peak demand by applying it to data obtained from a large commercial building located in Australia. The proposed approach enables facility managers to take informed decisions for improving the energy and cost footprints of their buildings. This paper sets the ground for a deeper study into using pre-cooling, driven by our gray box model, for energy cost optimization in commercial buildings.
Accountability for Atrocities: Moving Forward by Looking Backward

Atrocities cast a long shadow. In post-intervention societies, reestablishing security, reconstructing governance institutions, and reforming the justice system are all crucial steps in promoting the rule of law, but important as they are, they are rarely sufficient to grapple with the legacy of past abuses. In most of the post-conflict societies discussed in this book, severe abuses were widespread in the period prior to intervention. The Balkan wars, for instance, were characterized by brutal massacres, mass rapes, and ethnic cleansing. Sierra Leone's civil war was characterized by the forced recruitment of child soldiers, widespread rapes and murders, and the gruesome mutilation of civilians. Afghanistan, Iraq, and East Timor also have had bloody pasts marked by severe abuses. In such societies, the traumatization caused by widespread past atrocities does not end when the guns fall silent. Although nothing can undo the suffering caused by atrocities, ensuring that perpetrators face some reckoning may be critical to moving forward in countries recovering from violent conflict. Ensuring accountability may help victims move on and can also help signal to all members of post-conflict societies that, henceforth, such abuses will not be permitted to recur. Just as important, the process of ensuring accountability may, in some circumstances, reinforce broader efforts to reform the justice system. As with every challenge discussed in this book, however, “ensuring accountability” is more easily said than done.
Microbiology of common infections in the upper respiratory tract

The management of upper respiratory tract infections has become more difficult because of the recent increase in the number of penicillin-resistant organisms. The bacteria that predominate in otitis media and sinusitis can resist penicillin through the production of the enzyme beta-lactamase (Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis in acute infections and Staphylococcus aureus and Prevotella and Fusobacteria spp in chronic infections) or through changes in penicillin-binding sites (Streptococcus pneumoniae). beta-lactamase-producing bacteria can express their pathogenicity directly through their ability to cause infections and indirectly by production of the enzyme, thus protecting penicillin-susceptible pathogens from penicillins. This phenomenon may explain penicillin's failure in the treatment of Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) tonsillitis. An additional cause for penicillin failure is the absence among the normal tonsillar bacterial flora of streptococcal species that are capable of interfering with the growth of GABHS. Proper use of antimicrobial therapy, including those therapies that are effective against penicillin-resistant bacteria, is the cornerstone of management of upper respiratory tract infections.
Can Exotic Weeds Develop Host Plant Resistance to Introduced Insect Biological Control Agents

The question of the possibility of development of host plant resistance of exotic weeds to introduced insect biological control agents has been posed. Considering the importance of this valuable tool as a weed control, it is a natural point of concern in view of the numerous marked successes of host plant resistance breeding for insect control (i.e., Hessian fly resistant wheat, corn earworm resistance in corn, etc.).
A new model system for the study of wound healing.

SummaryAn acrylic cylinder model for the study of wound healing is described and compared with the stainless steel wire cylinder model. Histologically, the tissue from the two models are similar; however, less tissue is produced in the same time in the new model. The hyaluronic acid content is higher relative to the chondroitin sulfate in the acrylic cylinder tissue at a comparable time; in the same tissues, the hydroxyproline is lower in the acrylic tissue. It is concluded that the connective tissue in the acrylic model does not mature as rapidly as does tissue in the stainless steel model.
Abstract IA18: Development of targeted therapeutics using patient-derived xenografts

Clinically, breast cancers are divided into three distinct groups: those that express the estrogen hormone receptor (ER+) (which typically also express the progesterone hormone receptor (PR+), those that are amplified or overexpress the ErbB2 (HER2) oncogene (HER2+), and those that express none of these three markers (termed triple negative breast cancer TNBC). Unlike ER+ and HER2+ breast cancers, there are currently no targeted therapies against TNBC. Thus, the development of targeted therapies for TNBC is an active area of research. Entry into the clinical trial pipeline is a major milestone in the process of drug development. However, human clinical trials have several inherent limitations including high cost and long time horizon. Add to these limitations the fact that many promising targeted therapeutics enter into this pipeline without detailed knowledge of the patient population most likely to respond, and without knowledge of particular drug combinations that might be more efficacious than others. As a consequence, the inherent limitations combined with lack of knowledge leads to a high frequency of failure, with failure late in the process costing extraordinary amounts of time and money. In theory, many of the limitations of human trials can be overcome using an animal clinical trial platform that exploits collections of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models that recapitulate much of the biology of the tumor of origin in the patient. Our laboratory has developed a large collection of human breast cancer PDX with which we are evaluating a number of candidate targeted therapeutics alone and in various combinations, with a particular focus on overcoming chemotherapy resistance in TNBC. We show that animal clinical trials are feasible, and can be conducted efficiently, using minimal staff. Further, we demonstrate that results in animal clinical trials can be used to inform clinical trial design. We anticipate that insertion of animal clinical trials early in the drug development pipeline can streamline the drug development process and lead to more efficient evaluation of drug efficacy, saving both time and money. Ultimately, if robust genetic, epigenetic, or molecular predictors of differential treatment response can be identified in PDX models and applied clinically, it may be possible to avoid ineffective treatments, minimize exposure to cytotoxic agents, and ultimately increase survivorship. Citation Format: Michael T. Lewis. Development of targeted therapeutics using patient-derived xenografts. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research; Oct 17-20, 2015; Bellevue, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(2_Suppl):Abstract nr IA18.
Effects of alteration of biliary pressure on bile composition--a method for study: primate biliary physiology. V.

A method for inducing, maintaining, and measuring different biliary tract pressures was established in rhesus monkeys. A T-tube was placed in the common bile duct and two limbs were exteriorized. All bile was diverted to the exterior via one limb and common bile duct pressure measured through the other limb by a pressure transducer. Interruption of the enterohepatic circulation was controlled by passing the diverted bile through a “stream splitter” which collected a predetermined percentage of the bile and returned the remainder to the animal via a tube duodenostomy. Pressures from —10 to + 25 cm of saline were induced in the common bile duct and each pressure was maintained within the range of respiratory fluctuation for several hours. For purposes of illustration, preliminary data from 1 animal on the effect of biliary pressure on bile flow and secretion of biliary lipids are presented.
On representations of the elliptic quantum group E τ,η ( sl 2 )

We describe representation theory of the elliptic quantum groupE τ,η(sl 2). It turns out that the representation theory is parallel to the representation theory of the YangianY(sl 2) and the quantum loop group $$U_q (\widetilde{sl}_2 )$$ . We introduce basic notions of representation theory of the elliptic quantum groupE τ,η(sl 2) and construct three families of modules: evaluation modules, cyclic modules, one-dimensional modules. We show that under certain conditions any irreducible highest weight module of finite type is isomorphic to a tensor product of evaluation modules and a one-dimensional module. We describe fusion of finite dimensional evaluation modules. In particular, we show that under certain conditions the tensor product of two evaluation modules becomes reducible and contains an evaluation module, in this case the imbedding of the evaluation module into the tensor product is given in terms of elliptic binomial coefficients. We describe the determinant element of the elliptic quantum group. Representation theory becomes special ifNη=m+lτ, whereN,m,l are integers. We indicate some new features in this case.
Determinants of external patenting behavior among university scientists

Over the past 30 years, university patenting has grown dramatically as a result of the US Bayh–Dole Act (1980) and efforts among universities to encourage faculty to pursue intellectual property. Recent reviews of the literature show that university technology transfer is primarily conceptualized in terms a relatively linear process of disclosure, patenting, and licensing. While this is the general pattern for university patenting, many faculty inventions are also patented outside the university. Using data from a national survey of academic patenters, this paper estimates probit and negative binomial regression models to assess individual and organizational factors that contribute to patenting external to the traditional technology transfer process among university scientists. Findings indicate that external patenting is a function of the science, scientist’s training, and the lack of a department culture of encouraging patenting via technology transfer offices.
The Risk of a Lifetime: How, When, and Why Procreation May Be Permissible, by Rivka Weinberg

Personally, Weinberg believes ‘that life is … bad. Irredeemably bad. Even when it's good, it's bad’ [120]. However, she finds that there is ‘no accessible “objective” value of life experience for p...
Untangling cortical maps in mouse primary visual cortex

Local populations of neurons in mouse visual cortex exhibit diverse tuning preferences. We show this seeming disorder can be untangled -- the similarity of tuning between pairs of neurons is correlated better with the overlap between their receptive fields in visual space rather than with their distance in the cortex. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that salt-and-pepper maps arise from the lateral dispersion of clonally related neurons.
Using Infographics in Television News: Effects of Television Graphics on Information Recall About Sexually Transmitted Diseases

This experimental study (N = 113) examined the effects of the visual presentations of data in television news on young Americans’ recall of information about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as...
Outcomes of men on active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer at a safety-net hospital.

Abstract Purpose To characterize demographic, disease, and cancer outcomes of men on active surveillance (AS) at a safety-net hospital and characterize those who were lost to follow-up (LTFU). Methods From January 2004 to November 2014, 104 men with low-risk prostate cancer (PCa) were followed with AS at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG). Criteria for AS have evolved over time; however, patients with diagnostic prostate-specific antigen (PSA) 10 ng/mL or less, clinical stage T1/2, biopsy Gleason score 3 + 3 or 3 + 4, 33% or fewer positive cores, and 50% or less tumor in any single core were potentially eligible for AS. Men were longitudinally followed with a PSA or digital rectal examination or both every 3 to 6 months, and repeat prostate biopsy every 1 to 2 years. Clinical staging and grading were based on a physical examination and at least a 12-core biopsy, respectively. LTFU was defined as failure to successfully contact patients with 3 phone calls or any urology visit recorded within 18 months from a prior visit or biopsy. A secondary chart review was performed using the electronic medical record at ZSFG as well as EPIC Systems CareEverywhere which allows access to select non-ZSFG institutions to confirm that patients were truly LTFU. Results Among the 104 men on AS at ZSFG, the median age at diagnosis of PCa was 61.5 years (range: 44–81). The median follow-up period was 29 months (range: 0–186 months) during which 18 (17.3%) men were LTFU and 48 (46%) remained on surveillance. Men underwent a median of 7 (1–21) serum PSA measurements and an average of 2 prostate biopsies (1–5). In total, 22 (20.6%) men had definitive treatment with the median time from diagnosis to active treatment being 26 (range: 2–87) months. Radiation therapy was more common than radical prostatectomy (12.5% vs. 7.7%). There was 1 PCa–related death and 3 noncancer deaths. Initial adherence to AS was poor; however, men committed to AS initially were ultimately more compliant over time. Conclusion AS for low-risk PCa is challenging among a vulnerable population receiving care in a safety-net hospital, as rates of LTFU were high. Our findings suggest the need for AS support programs to improve adherence and follow-up among vulnerable and underserved populations.
Natural Product Drug Discovery and Development

Over the ages, humans have relied on nature for their basic needs for the production of foodstuffs, shelters, clothing, means of transportation, fertilizers, flavors and fragrances, and not least, medicines. Plants have formed the basis of sophisticated traditional medicine systems that have been in existence for thousands of years in countries such as China1 and India.2 These plant-basedsystems continue to play an essential role in health care, and it has been estimated by the World Health Organization that approximately 80% of the world’s inhabitants rely mainly on traditional medicines for their primary health care.3 Plant products also play an important role in the health care systems of the remaining 20% of the population mainly residing in developed countries. Analysis of data on prescriptions dispensed from community pharmacies in the United States from 1959 to 1980 indicates that about 25% contained plant extracts or active principles derived from higher plants, and at least 119 chemical substances, derived from 90 plant species, can be considered as important drugs currently in use in one or more countries.3 Of these 119 drugs, 74% were discovered as a result of chemical studies directed at the isolation of the active substances from plants used in traditional medicine. Well-known examples of plant-derived medicinal agents include: the antimalarial drug quinine, obtained from the bark of Cinchona officinalis; the analgesics, codeine and morphine from Papaver somniferum; the antihypertensive reserpine from Rauwolfia serpentina; and the cardiac glycoside, digoxin, from Digitalis purpurea.4