cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlation of radioactive hemin formation with morphologic alterations in cultures of human bone marrow.

A method for measurement of radioactive hemin formation has been applied to the in vitro system for culture of human erythroblasts previously described. The results of these measurements have been shown to correlate with a morphologic parameter of maturation, the increase of orthochromic cells, in the same in vitro cell culture system. The significance of these findings as well as the differences in the times of formation of heme and the increase of orthochromic cells has been discussed. It is proposed that both the formation of radioactive hemin and the increase of orthochromic cells may be useful in the measurement of different aspects of the effects of various plasmas on the maturation of normal and abnormal human erythroblasts.
Sensitivity and cross-resistance patterns to demethylation-inhibiting fungicides in California populations of Alternaria alternata pathogenic on pistachio

Alternaria late blight (ALB) caused by Alternaria spp. is an annual production concern for pistachio growers in California. In this study, isolates of Alternaria alternata collected from California pistachio orchards between 1998 and 2003 (population A, n = 46) and in 2010 (population B, n = 38) prior to the registration and use of sterol demethylation-inhibiting (DMI) fungicides for ALB control, were tested for their sensitivity to difenoconazole, propiconazole, and tebuconazole using an in vitro mycelial growth assay. The 50% effective dose (EC50) values for isolates in population A to difenoconazole, propiconazole, and tebuconazole, respectively, ranged from 0.02 to 0.82 μg/mL (mean = 0.17), 0.25–5.73 μg/mL (mean = 1.29), and 0.02–2.76 μg/mL (mean = 0.96), and from 0.02 to 0.93 μg/mL (mean = 0.21), 0.13–5.36 μg/mL (mean = 1.25), and 0.17–5.47 μg/mL (mean = 1.03) for those in population B. Among 65 isolates collected in 2012 from orchards with very limited exposure to difenoconazole, propiconazole or metconazole (population C, n = 65), the EC50 values for tebuconazole ranged from 0.02 to 2.99 μg/mL (mean = 0.51), while EC50 values for difenoconazole of 55 of these isolates varied from 0.01 to 0.44 μg/mL (mean = 0.06). The DMI-exposed population C was found to be on average two to four times less sensitive compared with the populations A and B. Pearson correlation analyses of EC50 values for the three fungicides showed significant positive correlations between the sensitivities of tebuconazole and propiconazole (P < 0.01, r = 0.32), tebuconazole and difenoconazole (P < 0.01, r = 0.26), and difenoconazole and propiconazole (P < 0.01, r = 0.40). Results indicate a clear difference in fungicide intrinsic activity, with difenoconazole being more active than the two other DMIs. Although wide variations in sensitivities for tebuconazole and propiconazole were observed in the non- and DMI-exposed Alternaria populations, efficacy of DMI products has been excellent against ALB. The data collected here will be crucial for the rational use of DMIs in fungicide spray programs for ALB management and serve as a reference to detect any shifts in A. alternata sensitivity to these fungicides in subsequent years as they become more frequently used in California pistachios.
Z-DNA and its Binding Proteins

Since the recent discovery of the left-handed Z conformation of DNA, many efforts have been directed toward uncovering its biological relevance. The Z-DNA conformation was first described in an atomic resolution X-ray diffraction crystal structure of the hexanucleotide d(CpGpCpGpCpG) (1).
Detection and modeling of transient audio signals with prior information

Many musical audio signals are well represented as a sum of sinusoids with slowly varying parameters. This representation has uses in audio coding, time and pitch scale modification, and automated music analysis, among other areas. Transients (events where the spectral content changes abruptly, or regions for which spectral content is best modeled as undergoing persistent change) pose particular challenges for these applications. We aim to detect abrupt-change transients, identify transient region boundaries, and develop new representations utilizing these detection capabilities to reduce perceived artifacts in time and pitch scale modifications. In particular, we introduce a hybrid sinusoidal/source-filter model which faithfully reproduces attack transient characteristics under time and pitch modifications. The detection tasks prove difficult for sufficiently complex and heterogeneous musical signals. Fortunately, musical signals are highly structured—both at the signal level, in terms of the spectrotemporal structure of note events, and at higher levels, in terms of melody and rhythm. These structures generate context useful in predicting attributes such as pitch content, the presence and location of abrupt-change transients associated with musical onsets, and the boundaries of transient regions. To this end, a dynamic Bayesian framework is proposed for which contextual predictions may be integrated with signal information in order to make optimal decisions concerning these attributes. The result is a joint segmentation and melody retrieval for nominally monophonic signals. The system detects note event boundaries and pitches, also yielding a frame-level sub-segmentation of these events into transient/steady-state regions. The approach is successfully applied to notoriously difficult examples like bowed string recordings captured in highly reverberant environments. The proposed transcription engine is driven by a probabilistic model of short-time Fourier transform peaks given pitch content hypotheses. The model proves robust to missing and spurious peaks as well as uncertainties about timbre and inharmonicity. The peaks' likelihood evaluation marginalizes over a number of observation-template linkages exponential in the number of observed peaks; to remedy this, a Markov-chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) traversal is developed which yields virtually identical results with greatly reduced computation.
Punctate Inner Choroidopathy

Punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC) is an idiopathic inflammatory disorder, which is more commonly affecting young, myopic females. Although the etiology is unknown, there are multiple proposed pathogenic mechanisms that have been suggested including autoimmune etiology or prior exposure to an infectious agent. The prognosis for vision is generally favorable aside from those who develop choroidal neovascular membranes involving the macula.
Ontology-based semi-supervised conditional random fields for automated information extraction from bridge inspection reports

Abstract A large amount of detailed data about bridge conditions and maintenance actions are buried in bridge inspection reports without being used. Information extraction and data analytics open opportunities to leverage this wealth of data for improved bridge deterioration prediction and enhanced maintenance decision making. This paper proposes a novel ontology-based, semi-supervised conditional random fields (CRF)-based information extraction methodology for extracting information entities describing existing deficiencies and performed maintenance actions from bridge inspection reports. The ontology facilitates the analysis of the text based on content and domain-specific meaning. The proposed semi-supervised CRF simultaneously captures the dependency structures as well as the distributions of labeled and unlabeled data in a concave machine-learning function. It learns from a small set of fixed labeled data and, at the same time, dynamically adapts itself to unseen instances by further learning from a large set of unlabeled data for both reduced human effort and high performance. The proposed algorithm achieved an average precision, recall and, F-1 measure of 94.1%, 87.7%, and 90.7%, respectively.
The Spontaneous Interconnection of Three Repertoires

A previous study (Epstein, Kirshnit, Lanza, & Rubin, 1984) showed that pigeons that had acquired two relevant behaviors (pushing a box toward targets, and climbing onto a box and then pecking a small facsimile of a banana) could solve the classic box-and-banana problem. A human-like solution emerged as a result of the manner in which the two repertoires became interconnected moment-to-moment in time (Epstein et al., 1984; Epstein & Medalie, 1983). In the current experiment, a pigeon acquired three separate behaviors: (a) climbing, (b) pushing toward targets, and (c) pecking the banana. When the pigeon was confronted with the problem, a swift but erratic and not especially “insightful” solution emerged. Some simple principles shed light on the differences between the performances generated by the interconnection of two repertoires and the interconnection of three repertoires in this situation.
The power of the imagination to affect peripersonal space representations

It is known that visual processing is altered for objects near the hands as well as for objects near the imagined position of the hands, indicating that the imagination can be used to remap peri-ha...
Maturing Patent Theory from Industrial Policy to Intellectual Property

We have always known that technological progress is important and this country has always aimed to promote it. A large part of that responsibility has fallen on the shoulders of the patent system. Embarrassingly, despite over two hundred years of experience, we still do not actually know if the patent system helps or hinders technological progress. This Essay argues that the problem is not the patent system but rather patent theory. Patent theory suffers from three linked problems: exceptionalness, indeterminacy, and animosity. First, patent law is seen as a necessarily unique exception to the overall market economy. By artificially making patenting a profitable activity, the patent system is a form of industrial policy that aims to encourage people to enter the risky business of inventing. Second, we have never confidently been able to conclude that the benefits of this industrial policy outweigh its costs. Third, and perhaps just as important, that story inherently creates animosity among important interest groups. The resulting ongoing indeterminacy and animosity have prevented the patent system from maturing into an accepted, stable legal institution.We can and must do better. We need an institution that is stable, reliable, and accepted. This Essay argues that we should reject the long-standing “legal incentive” narrative and begin looking for a better alternative. This Essay points toward an accepted, stable model sitting in plain sight: traditional property. We have (incorrectly) thought that traditional property and its economic system for exchange cannot provide guidance for the exotic nonrival world of the patent system. This Essay aims to show that those assumptions are wrong, and it begins outlining a patent narrative where patents are seen as an important and natural extension of traditional property and indeed the overall economy of tangible goods. There are good reasons to think that such a system might provide what current patent theory cannot: the basis for a determinate and accepted patent system.
Schizotypy, taxometrics, and disconfirming theories in soft science: Comment on Rawlings, Williams, Haslam and Claridge.

Among the most consistently replicated findings in literature addressing the latent structure of psychopathology is evidence for a discrete latent class of individuals who are vulnerable to schizophrenia (schizotypes). Rawlings, Williams, Haslam, and Claridge (2008) challenge these findings by subjecting schizotypy scale scores to taxometric analysis, using a data simulation technique to accommodate variable skew. The authors conclude that schizotypy reflects a latent dimension, and that evidence for discrete latent structure from previous studies is likely an artifact of skewed variables. In this comment, we discuss (a) the philosophical implications of disconfirming well replicated findings in soft science with a single study, (b) important considerations when defining the schizotypy construct, (c) intricacies in executing and interpreting a taxometric analysis, and (d) problems with drawing strong conclusions from null results. Considerable evidence suggests that schizotypy is a discrete latent class, a conclusion that is unlikely the result of skewed variables.
Temperature-dependent growth and consumption of young-of-the-year sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria: Too hot, too cold or just right?

Abstract Sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria are a highly valued, economically important groundfish in Alaska; however, estimated stock biomass has been in steady decline since the early 1990s, likely as a result of poor recruitment. Among several factors found to impact recruitment strength, ocean temperature often has been to affect early-life condition. Despite the importance of early-life condition in predicting cohort success, few studies have examined the thermal response of young-of-the-year (YOY) sablefish in regards to growth and development, and those focus on only a narrow size range. In this study, we measured the effects of temperature on growth and consumption rates of YOY sablefish (218–289 mm TL) in laboratory trials with fish held over 5 temperature treatments (5 °C, 8 °C, 12 °C, 16 °C and 20 °C) and maintained on ad libitum ration for 3 weeks. We compared growth, consumption, and body condition of fish between treatments. Specific growth rate (SGR; % wet weight gain (g) d −1 ) was used to derive a temperature-dependent growth model, and consumption rates were used to calculate species-specific parameters for the consumption function of a Wisconsin-type bioenergetics model. Daily growth in length varied from 0.13 mm d −1 to 1.74 mm d −1 and SGR ranged from 0.52 to 2.31. SGR peaked at 15.4 °C, remained high at 12 °C and 16 °C, and steadily declined as temperatures shifted outside this range. Residuals of length-weight regressions were positive at 12 °C and 16 °C, and negative at 5 °C, 8 °C, and 20 °C. Consumption rose sharply with temperature, peaking at 17.6 °C. The narrow thermal range facilitating higher than average condition and optimal SGR indicates that YOY sablefish growth and development may be dramatically influenced by relatively small shifts in water temperatures. Further, when compared to similar studies of smaller-sized sablefish, we observed a shift with size in thermal performance, with larger fish performing better at colder temperatures compared to smaller fish. The shift in thermal performance with size is an important consideration for understanding the result of environmental perturbation on recruitment. While traditional recruitment models rely heavily on information from a single life-stage, resource use and physiological requirements often change with development. Given the widespread occurrence of anomalous thermal events in the Gulf of Alaska, a life-stage specific understanding of the effects of varying temperatures is crucial.
Abdominal obesity, metabolic dysfunction, and metabolic syndrome in U.S. adolescents: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2016.

Abstract Purpose The objectives were to use National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data to (1) estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors (elevated blood pressure, triglycerides, blood glucose, and low HDL cholesterol); (2) estimate the prevalence of MetS using three common definitions; and (3) compare the odds of MetS risk factors/MetS when using different measures of abdominal obesity (sagittal abdominal diameter [SAD] versus waist circumference [WC]) among U.S. adolescents. Methods Analyses were performed on data collected from adolescents aged 12–19 years (n = 1214) participating in the 2011–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Prevalence of MetS risk factors and MetS were estimated. Unadjusted and adjusted binomial/multinomial logistic regressions were performed to test associations between WC and SAD z-scores and MetS risk factors/MetS. Analyses were performed for all participants and were stratified by sex as well as race/ethnicity. Results Males were more likely to have MetS risk factors. Depending on sex and the definition applied, the prevalence of MetS ranged from 2% to 11% and was lowest among females. Adjusted logistic regressions showed that one z-score increase in SAD and WC resulted in similar increased odds of MetS risk factors/MetS, but associations between abdominal obesity and MetS varied by the definition applied and race/ethnicity. Conclusions Metabolic dysfunction and MetS are prevalent among U.S. adolescents, and it is important to consider how MetS components and MetS are measured in population inference.
UNIT 6.1 One-Dimensional SDS Gel Electrophoresis of Proteins

Electrophoresis is used to separate complex mixtures of proteins (e.g., from cells, subcellular fractions, column fractions, or immunoprecipitates), to investigate subunit compositions, and to verify homogeneity of protein samples. It can also serve to purify proteins for use in further applications. In polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, proteins migrate in response to an electrical field through pores in a polyacrylamide gel matrix; pore size decreases with increasing acrylamide concentration. The combination of pore size and protein charge, size, and shape determines the migration rate of the protein. In this unit, the standard Laemmli method is described for discontinuous gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions, that is, in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Both full-size and minigel formats are detailed. Several modifications are provided for specific applications. For separation of peptides and small proteins, the standard buffers are replaced with either a Tris-tricine buffer system or a modified Tris buffer in the absence of urea. Continuous SDS-PAGE is a simplified method in which the same buffer is used for both the gel and the electrode solutions and the stacking gel is omitted. Other protocols cover the preparation and use of ultrathin gels and gradient gels, and the simultaneous preparation of multiple gels. Curr. Protoc. Cell Biol. 37:6.1.1-6.1.38. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: protein; electrophoresis; separation; polyacrylamide; SDS-PAGE
Evolutionary computation for improving malware analysis

Research in genetic improvement (GI) conventionally focuses on the improvement of software, including the automated repair of bugs and vulnerabilities as well as the refinement of software to increase performance. Eliminating or reducing vulnerabilities using GI has improved the security of benign software, but the growing volume and complexity of malicious software necessitates better analysis techniques that may benefit from a GI-based approach. Rather than focus on the use of GI to improve individual software artifacts, we believe GI can be applied to the tools used to analyze malicious code for its behavior. First, malware analysis is critical to understanding the damage caused by an attacker, which GI-based bug repair does not currently address. Second, modern malware samples leverage complex vectors for infection that cannot currently be addressed by GI. In this paper, we discuss an application of genetic improvement to the realm of automated malware analysis through the use of variable-strength covering arrays.
Creole Italian: Sicilian Immigrants and the Shaping of New Orleans Food Culture

Justin A. Nystrom. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 2018. x and 234 pp., maps, photos. $79.95 cloth (ISBN 978-0-8203-5356-2); $26.95 paper (ISBN 978-0-8203-5355-5); $26.95 electronic (ISBN ...
Сравнительная клиническая оценка эффективности лечения травматических поражений слизистой оболочки полости рта

Relevance. Treatment of traumatic lesions of the oral mucosa in individuals who use removable acrylic dentures is a pressing problem in dentistry. The goal is a comparative assessment of the treatment of traumatic prosthetic stomatitis in patients using acrylic dentures with the use of various drugs for local use. Material and methods. A comparative clinical observation of the treatment of traumatic prosthetic stomatitis in 52 people aged 61 to 79 years, using removable acrylic prostheses, with the use of local adhesive Solcoseril® dental adhesive paste (1 group) and gum gel with propolis ASEPTA® (group 2 ). To ensure the comparability of the obtained results and their reliability, a semi-quantitative method was used for visual assessment of the effectiveness of treating traumatic prosthetic stomatitis, which was assigned to each of the symptoms observed in patients that indicate the absence or severity of clinical symptoms. The results of the study. Methods have been developed for determining the severity of traumatic prosthetic stomatitis and methods for assessing the effectiveness of its treatment, based on consideration of the most significant clinical symptoms of this pathology. It was established that on day 10 in group 1 of the study, the effectiveness of treatment was 82,1%, in group 2 – 81,17%. Findings. A high effcacy of selected agents for the local treatment of traumatic lesions of the oral mucosa of prosthetic etiology has been shown.
Targeted Therapies for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive subtype of breast cancer. TNBC is a heterogenous subtype of breast cancer that is beginning to be refined by its molecular characteristics and clinical response to a targeted therapeutic approach. Until recently the backbone of therapy against TNBC has been cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, the breast oncology community is now seeing encouraging clinical activity from molecularly targeted approaches to TNBC. Recently, we have seen 3 newly approved targeted therapies for TNBC, including the PARP inhibitors olaparib and talazoparib for germline BRCA mutation associated breast cancer (gBRCAm-BC) and most recently the checkpoint inhibitor, atezolizumab in combination with nab-paclitaxel for programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1+) advanced TNBC. Improved biomarkers are needed to inform better patient selection for treatment with checkpoint inhibition. Higher response rates are seen when checkpoint inhibitors are combined with chemotherapy in the first-line setting and the use of these agents at an earlier stage of the disease does show promise. Antibody-drug conjugates are generating much excitement and may allow re-examination of prior cytotoxics that failed in development due to toxicity. Tumor sequencing is identifying potential molecular targets and ongoing studies are evaluating novel small molecule agents in this field such as AKT inhibition and many others. The treatment paradigm of chemotherapy as “one size fits all” approach for management of TNBC is changing based on molecular subtyping. Soon, the term TNBC may no longer be appropriate, as this heterogenous subtype of breast cancer is further refined by its molecular characteristics and clinical response to a targeted therapeutic approach.
Gazing at the Crystal Ball: Predicting the Future of Marine Protected Areas Through Voluntary Commitments

2015 saw a new era within the United Nations: the era of the Sustainable Development Goals. Built off the previous Millennium Development Goals, this new set of goals was expanded to 17 target areas. Fast forward to June 2017, at the United Nation’s Headquarters in New York City, a high-level conference surrounding Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Life Under Water convened. One aspect of goal 14 calls for 10% of the ocean conserved by the year 2020, through sub-target 14.5. That 10% fulfillment is often thought of in terms of marine protected areas (MPAs). While many objectives were laid out for this conference, one of the most prominent objectives was to build on existing partnerships and foster new collaborations. One way to achieve this target was through the creation of the voluntary commitment program. This “Call for Action” came from the heads of state and government, as well as high-level representatives from organizations and stakeholder groups. Under this “Call for Action”, twenty-two actions related to goal 14 were listed for stakeholders to partake in, including an appeal to create voluntary commitments surrounding the oceans. As of September 2017, 1,395 voluntary commitments were registered through the voluntary commitment portal process, spanning across organizations and disciplines. Here, we analyze these commitments, specifically those related to the fifth sub-target of SDG 14. Commitments were further refined through the focus on those under 14.5 that focused on different forms of resilience, resulting in 133 separate codes over 12 forms of resilience. Through analyzing commitments, we map out future plans and reveal different forms of marine protected areas. This research shows collaboration and co-production of knowledge linking across the SDGs. This work can be seen as a stepping-stone to the fulfillment of 10% conservation by 2020.
Research on Cross-Layer Routing Algorithm Based on Congestion Prediction

Wireless ad hoc network (MANET) is a kind of network that can communicate without infrastructure. It has the characteristics of dynamic topology, limited bandwidth and constrainted terminal energy, and so on. These characteristics make the MANET impose many specific and strict requirements on routing protocols. In order to solve the problem of high packet loss rate and network congestion, a cross-layer routing algorithm based on congestion prediction (CLRACP) is proposed. In this algorithm, a congestion prediction mechanism is proposed, which makes high-load nodes do not need to forward routing request messages and effectively avoids high-load nodes being selected as forwarding nodes. A cross-layer routing algorithm is also proposed, which combines underlying link quality information to choose and select routing to improve the routing timeliness.
Development of a β-HPV vaccine: Updates on an emerging frontier of skin cancer prevention

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are small, non-enveloped, doublestranded DNA viruses. Over 200 subtypes of HPV have been identified, organized into five major genera. β-HPVs are a group of approximately 50 HPV subtypes that preferentially infect cutaneous sites. While α-HPVs are primarily responsible for genital lesions and mucosal cancers, growing evidence has established an association between β-HPVs and the development of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. Given this association, the development of a vaccine against β-HPVs has become an important topic of research; however, currently licensed vaccines only provide coverage for genital HPVs, leaving β-HPV infections and their associated skin cancers unaddressed. In this review, we summarize the current advances in β-HPV vaccine development, including progress made in preclinical testing and limited clinical data. We also discuss novel findings in the viral pathomechanisms involved in β-HPV cutaneous tumorigenesis that may play a large role in future vaccine development. We hope that synthesizing the available data and advances surrounding β- HPV vaccine development will not only lead to increased dedication to vaccine development, but also heightened awareness of a future vaccine among clinicians and the public.
Acute impact of a single dose of Dynamine®, TeaCrine, caffeine, and their combination on systemic hemodynamics and associated measures in men and women

Background: Dietary supplements purported to improve focus and “energy” often contain stimulants, which elevate both heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP). We evaluated the safety profile of the purine alkaloid methylliberine (Dynamine®) with regards to resting HR, BP, respiratory rate (RR), and body temperature (BT). Methods: 6 men (aged: 24±4) and 6 women (aged: 22±3) ingested methylliberine (Dynamine®; Compound Solutions, Inc.) at 25mg (M25) and 100mg (M100), caffeine at 150mg (C150), M100+C150, M100 + theacrine (Teacrine®, Compound Solutions, Inc.) at 50mg (M100+T50), and M100+T50+C150. All conditions were assigned using a Latin square design, with approximately one week separating the six different assignments. HR, BP, RR, and BT were collected at baseline and 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 24, and 48 hours post-dose. Subjective mood was also recorded. Meal replacement bars and shakes were provided after hours 3 and 6. Results: For SBP and DBP, condition effects were noted (p<0.05), with all three caffeine conditions higher than those without caffeine. Condition effects were noted for attentive (p=0.02) and energetic (p=0.02), with M100+C150 greater than M100+T50; and moody (p<0.01), with M100 and M100+T50 greater than M100+C150. Main effects of time were noted for HR (p<0.001), BT (p<0.01), SBP (p<0.01), DBP (p<0.01), and focused (p=0.02), but no statistically significant interactions were noted. Conclusion: Methylliberine, alone or in combination with caffeine and/or theacrine, does not result in any significant increase in HR, BP, RR, or BT in healthy adults and has little impact on subjective mood. These findings should be considered with the understanding that subjects began testing in the early morning hours while in a fasted and rested state and were provided with two meals (hours 3 and 6) during the evaluation period, which may have impacted subjective mood.
Adopting locally the lessons learned globally: a call to action for academic medical centres in the USA

### Summary box The past 20 years have witnessed an exponential growth in the global engagement of academic medical centres (AMCs) in the United States (US). According to the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, the number of US academic institutions (including AMCs) with global heath partnerships grew from 6 in 2001 to over 80 in 2018.1 Global health funding from the US government (primarily through the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) and from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation exceeded US$16 billion in 20182 3; US universities and AMCs were major recipients of this funding. US AMCs engage globally primarily by devoting resources (funding and technology) and deploying expertise (faculty and students) to support research, …
Gender Gap and Bias in the Acquisition and Enforcement of Patents

Broadening the base of players who contribute to innovation is the key to creating and expanding the innovation ecosystem. In an endeavor to increase the contribution of minorities in the IP field (e.g., startups, women inventors, and women entrepreneurs) to innovation, there is an urgent need to mitigate the invisible barriers and create an environment that allows them to demonstrate their capabilities. This paper focuses on women inventors and analyzes the challenges and countermeasures. Although the number of women in science and engineering fields and entrepreneurs is steadily increasing, the number of women inventors is not rising as much as it should be. As a background, it turns out that there is a persistent gender gap in the acquisition and enforcement of patent rights. To broaden women’s activities in the field of intellectual property (IP), the cooperation of men is essential, as opportunities for joint research between men and women are growing. This analysis is based on assumed gender because patent applications do not contain gender information. The advent of more accurate methods for guessing gender information in the IP field will enable more precise analysis.
CIRA Guide to Custom Loss Functions for Neural Networks in Environmental Sciences - Version 1.

Neural networks are increasingly used in environmental science applications. Furthermore, neural network models are trained by minimizing a loss function, and it is crucial to choose the loss function very carefully for environmental science applications, as it determines what exactly is being optimized. Standard loss functions do not cover all the needs of the environmental sciences, which makes it important for scientists to be able to develop their own custom loss functions so that they can implement many of the classic performance measures already developed in environmental science, including measures developed for spatial model verification. However, there are very few resources available that cover the basics of custom loss function development comprehensively, and to the best of our knowledge none that focus on the needs of environmental scientists. This document seeks to fill this gap by providing a guide on how to write custom loss functions targeted toward environmental science applications. Topics include the basics of writing custom loss functions, common pitfalls, functions to use in loss functions, examples such as fractions skill score as loss function, how to incorporate physical constraints, discrete and soft discretization, and concepts such as focal, robust, and adaptive loss. While examples are currently provided in this guide for Python with Keras and the TensorFlow backend, the basic concepts also apply to other environments, such as Python with PyTorch. Similarly, while the sample loss functions provided here are from meteorology, these are just examples of how to create custom loss functions. Other fields in the environmental sciences have very similar needs for custom loss functions, e.g., for evaluating spatial forecasts effectively, and the concepts discussed here can be applied there as well. All code samples are provided in a GitHub repository.
Excitation Energy Transfer in Cryptomonas Ovata. Preillumination Dependent Changees in 77K Picosecond Time Resolved Fluorescence Emission Spectra

The cryptomonad algae contain phycobiliproteins used as accessory pigment protein antenna complexes. Cryptomonad phycobiliproteins are found densely packed in the thylakoid lumen (1). This is in contrast to the organization of phycobiliproteins in red algae and cyanobacteria, where they form macromolecular complexes (phycobilisomes) which are attached to the stromal side of the thylakoid membrane (2). The cryptomonads also contain integral membrane Chl-a/c2 carotenoid protein complexes (3). The organization of the integral membrane accessory pigment proteins with respect to excitation energy transfer to PSII and PSI is very similar to that of green plants and green algae where Chl-c2 appears to fill the role of Chl-b (4). Fluorescence excitation spectra show that the phycobiliproteins of cryptomonads transfer excitation energy preferentially to PSII, as compared with Chl-a (4). However, this preference is not as strong as it is in red algae or cyanobacteria (5).
Abstract P6-08-15: Deconstructing the TNM staging system for breast cancer

Background The TNM staging system is a standard classification for recording extent of disease in breast cancer. However, with progress in understanding tumor biology, it is unknown how new prognostic factors that will eventually be integrated with the TNM will affect its predictive ability. Our objective was to show the impact on 10-year survival rates for breast cancer as different combinations of prognostic factors are integrated into the TNM. Methods: Data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute for the years 1991 through 2000. After exclusions, 132,339 cases of female breast cancer were available. An ensemble clustering algorithm was used to calculate survival after including additional prognostic factors listed in SEER in the TNM. Combinations of the following 6 factors were sequentially added to the TNM: tumor grade, ER/PR status, age at diagnosis, racial/ethnic group, and histological tumor type. Results: Survival rates amongst some tumors with the same TNM stage varied as new factors were integrated into the TNM. Factors associated with favorable outcome usually were associated with better survival than factors associated with less favorable outcome for each stage group with varying degrees. There were 4 different tumor combinations that represented 4 different TNM stages that all corresponded to a 90% 10-year survival when additional factors were added to the TNM stage. Integration of additional prognostic factors led to a crossover in survival of some stage groups. In one combination (T1, N2, grade 1, ER+, PR+, age Conclusions: Integrating new prognostic factors into the TNM always changed the outcome. Survival rates, therefore, are relative and depend on the selection of prognostic factors. Adding new factors selected different cohorts from the population which had a heterogeneous population of cancer survivors. These cohorts usually had different survival rates compared with the overall population from which they were drawn. Integrating combinations of prognostic factors revealed frequent crossover of stage groups at 10 years, which is a violation of a staging system and could impact the interpretation of clinical trials. Citation Format: Jigar A Patel, Matthew T Hueman, Dechang Chen, Donald E Henson. Deconstructing the TNM staging system for breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-08-15.
Cytoplasmic-type 80 S Ribosomes Associated with Yeast Mitochondria I. EVIDENCE FOR RIBOSOME BINDING SITES ON YEAST MITOCHONDRIA

Abstract A class of 80 S ribosomes has been isolated from purified yeast mitochondria. These ribosomes are distinguished from cytoplasmic ribosomes of the postmitochondrial supernatant fraction by having a greater stability against the dissociating effect of 0.4 m KCl. These results confirm observations of Schmitt ((1969) Fed. Eur. Biochem. Soc. Lett. 4, 234–238). Ribosome dissociability has been examined as a function of the stage of cell growth. Free and membranebound cytoplasmic ribosomes of the postmitochondrial supernatant fraction and the 80 S ribosomes associated with mitochondria are all more resistant to the dissociating effect of 0.4 m KCl when isolated from log phase as compared with stationary phase cells. In all cases, however, 80 S ribosomes associated with mitochondria show resistance to KCl dissociation to a significantly larger degree than do the other classes of ribosomes. Three lines of evidence support the conclusion that the 80 S ribosomes (bound 80 S) we isolate from purified mitochondria are cytoplasmic-type ribosomes: (a) incorporation of 32Pi into rRNA of these 80 S ribosomes is insensitive to 15 µg per ml of ethidium bromide, (b) this class of 80 S ribosomes is found in the mitochondrial fraction from a cytoplasmic petite which lacks mtDNA, and, (c) poly(U)-directed phenylalanine incorporation catalyzed by purified preparations of 80 S ribosomes associated with mitochondria is sensitive to inhibition by cycloheximide but not by chloramphenicol. Evidence is presented that purified mitochondria have binding sites for the bound 80 S ribosomes; additional binding sites can be exposed by washing mitochondria with 2 mm EDTA. We observe at least two classes of binding sites with EDTA-washed mitochondria. "Low affinity" sites bind 260 µg of ribosomes per mg of mitochondrial protein and "high affinity" sites bind 116 µg of ribosomes per mg of mitochondrial protein. Ribosome binding sites on EDTA-washed mitochondria are labile; storage of mitochondria at 0° reduces their ability to bind exogenously added bound 80 S ribosomes in an apparent first order process with a half-life of 33 hours.
Curriculum at work: An educational perspective on the workplace as a learning environment

The term “curriculum” has been used almost exclusively in educational circles to refer to plans for the conduct of learning lessons in school classrooms. This paper argues that the concept can be productively expanded to describe learning processes in workplaces, including those in which learning is not the intentional outcome of an interaction. The article first reviews conventional conceptions of curriculum, and then draws on theories of cognition and learning base in phenomenology, symbolic interactionism and situated learning to identify some of the features of a naturally‐occurring curriculum in the workplace: the socio‐technical and pragmatic elements of the knowledge used in the work environment, the classification and framing of knowledge‐use, and the extent to which participants are expected to use the various forms of knowledge. That is, curriculum is essentially a socially‐constructed ordering of the knowledge‐use in a social context. These concepts are applied to two settings in which high school interns were supposed to be learning something: a history museum and a veterinary clinic.
Memantine for patients with Alzheimer disease.

To the Editor: Dr Tariot and colleagues reported that among patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer disease (AD) receiving stable doses of donepezil, memantine resulted in significantly better outcomes than placebo on measures of cognition, activities of daily living, global outcome, and behavior and was well-tolerated. However, the authors did not describe whether the caregivers of these patients noticed a difference or whether life was made better for them or for the patients. The cost for a month of memantine and donepezil together is about $300 in pharmacies in my area. It is unclear whether there is any real clinical benefit to patient or caregiver and, if there is, whether it is worth this cost.
Ultrastructure of the Cell Wall of Erwinia amylovora

Thin sectioned cells of Erwinia amylovora revealed two electron-dense layers in their walls when fixed at 24 to 27 C and three when fixed at 4 C.
Methods of Educational and Social Science Research: An Integrated Approach

I. THE NATURE OF RESEARCH. 1. An Introduction to Two Contrasting Research Styles. 2. The Variety of Research Methods. 3. From Findings into Knowledge. 4. The Research Chain of Reasoning. II. FOUNDATIONAL RESEARCH SKILLS. 5. Problem Finding. 6. Linking to Past Research: The Literature. III. FOUNDATIONAL RESEARCH CONCEPTS. 7. Casual Inference and Internal Validity. 8. Sampling, Representation and External Validity. 9. Other Criteria of Research to be Satisfied. 10. Ethics and Legal Constraints IV. THE CONTINUUM OF RESEARCH METHODS: QUALITATIVE END. 11. Overview of Qualitative Research Methods. 12. Fieldwork and Observation. 13. Interviewing. 14. Data Analysis. 15. Drawing Conclusions and Reporting. V. THE CONTINUUM OF RESEARCH METHODS: QUALITATIVE/QUANTITATIVE MIDDLE. 16. Survey Research: Questionnaires. V. THE CONTINUUM OF RESEARCH METHODS: QUALITATIVE END. 17. Descriptive Statistics. 18. Measurement, Testing, and Observation. 19. The Nature and Logic of Inferential Statistics. 20. Experimental Methods and Experimental Design. 21. Meta-analysis Section Seven: Other Research Fields Using Qualitative and/or Quantitative. 22. Historical Research. 23. Evaluation and Action Research Section Eight: The Larger Context of Research. 24. Optimizing Research Effectiveness Through Multiple Methods. 25. The Macrosystem of Educational and Social Science Research. Appendix: Writing a Research Proposal. Glossary. References. Name Index. Subject Index.
Morphometric and hydrologic characteristics of alligator holes in Everglades National Park, Florida from 1994 to 2007

Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) holes are a key feature in the Everglades landscape providing aquatic refuge for alligators and other aquatic organisms. The morphology of the hole as well as its location in the landscape may influence its function as an aquatic refugium. Morphologic and hydrologic characteristics and dynamics of 50 alligator holes in Everglades National Park, Florida were examined based on 1-m resolution digital images and field measurements from 1994 to 2007. Major morphometric parameters of alligator holes calculated for the study area included surface area, diameter, major axis orientation, basin depth, and circularity index. We used basin depth along with surface water modelling from the Everglades Depth Estimation Network to describe alligator hole hydroperiod and examine relationships among morphologic features, habitat, and hydrology. Alligator holes in this study were similar morphologically (pond surface area, basin depth, and sediment depth) among locations and habitats, and for the most part over time with the exception of holes in the Rocky glades. Alligator holes with greater surface area were not necessarily deeper holes. Hole hydroperiod was not correlated with surface area, and larger holes did not dry out less frequently than smaller holes. Although marsh hydroperiods varied by location and habitat, alligator hole hydroperiod did not, illustrating that across the landscape alligator holes provide aquatic refugia under a range of hydrologic conditions. Published in 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Acute seizures predict epilepsy after childhood stroke

Author(s): Fox, Christine K; Glass, Hannah C; Sidney, Stephen; Lowenstein, Daniel H; Fullerton, Heather J | Abstract: ObjectiveTo determine incidence rates and predictors of epilepsy after childhood stroke and compare these to published estimates of 3 to 5% cumulative epilepsy incidence by 5 years poststroke in adults.MethodsIn a retrospective population-based study of children with stroke (29 days-19 years) in an integrated health care system (1993-2007), poststroke seizures were identified through electronic searches and confirmed by chart review. Stroke and seizure characteristics were abstracted from medical records. Survival analysis was used to determine rates and predictors of remote seizures and active epilepsy (anticonvulsant treatment for remote seizure within prior 6 months) at last follow-up.ResultsFrom a population of 2.5 million children, we identified 305 stroke cases. Over a median follow-up of 4.1 years (interquartile range = 1.8-6.8), 49 children had a first unprovoked remote seizure. The average annual incidence rate of first remote seizure was 4.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.3-5.8) with a cumulative risk of 16% (95% CI = 12-21) at 5 years and 33% (95% CI = 23-46) at 10 years poststroke. The cumulative risk of active epilepsy was 13% (95% CI = 9-18) at 5 years and 30% (95% CI = 20-44) at 10 years. Acute seizures at the time of stroke predicted development of active epilepsy (hazard ratio = 4.2, 95% CI = 2.2-8.1). At last follow-up, ⅓ of the children with active epilepsy had a recent breakthrough seizure despite anticonvulsant usage.InterpretationUnlike adults, children are uniquely vulnerable to epilepsy after stroke. Children with acute seizures at the time of stroke are at particularly high risk.
The radiolysis and radioracemization of amino acids on clays.

The effects of the surfaces of kaolinite and bentonite clays on the radiolysis and radioracemization of L-leucine and its hydrochloride salt have been investigated experimentally. L-leucine and its hydrochloride salt were deposited on the clays and the amino acid/clay preparations were irradiated by a Co-60 gamma-ray source which induced 2-89 percent radiolysis. The efficiency of radiolysis and radioracemization were measured using gas chromatography. Results were obtained for leucine in 0.1 M aqueous solution for comparison with the clay-deposted leucine and leucine hydrochloride. It is found that radiolysis and radioracemization in the samples occurred according to a pseudo-first-order rate law. Comparison of the specific rate constants showed that leucine and its hydrochloride salt were the most resistant to both radiolysis and radioracemization, followed by leucine and its hydrochloride salt on kaolin. Leucine and its HCl salt on bentonite, and leucine in aqueous solution were found to be the least resistant to radiolysis and radioracemization. The experimental results are intepreted with respect to the Vester-Ulbricht mechanism for the origin of optical activity.
Reversible mesenteric vascular occlusion associated with oral contraceptives.

Reversible mesenteric vascular occlusion should be considered in young women on oral contraceptives who present with abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. A patient is described in whom these symptoms as well as small bowel changes on x-ray resolved spontaneously only after discontinuation of the contraceptives. During the acute illness, thickened mucosa with rigidity of the bowel loops, narrowing of the bowel lumen, and thumb printing were evident on small bowel series.