cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
fREDUCE: Detection of degenerate regulatory elements using correlation with expression

Background: The precision of transcriptional regulation is made possible by the specificity of physical interactions between transcription factors and their cognate binding sites on DNA. A major challenge is to decipher transcription factor binding sites from sequence and functional genomic data using computational means. While current methods can detect strong binding sites, they are less sensitive to degenerate motifs. Results: We present fREDUCE, a computational method specialized for the detection of weak or degenerate binding motifs from gene expression or ChIP-chip data. fREDUCE is built upon the widely applied program REDUCE, which elicits motifs by global statistical correlation of motif counts with expression data. fREDUCE introduces several algorithmic refinements that allow efficient exhaustive searches of oligonucleotides with a specified number of degenerate IUPAC symbols. On yeast ChIP-chip benchmarks, fREDUCE correctly identified motifs and their degeneracies with accuracies greater than its predecessor REDUCE as well as other known motiffinding programs. We have also used fREDUCE to make novel motif predictions for transcription factors with poorly characterized binding sites. Conclusion: We demonstrate that fREDUCE is a valuable tool for the prediction of degenerate transcription factor binding sites, especially from array datasets with weak signals that may elude other motif detection methods.
`True Love Ways': The Subjective Experience and Communication of Romantic Love

Whereas previous research into romantic love has focused upon the traits of love objects, beliefs about love and/or types of loving relationships, these two studies examine the subjective experience of love and the manners in which love is communicated. In Study I seventy-six respondents participated in face-to-face interviews. Responses were content and cluster analysed. Cluster analysis revealed six `ways of romantic love': Collaborative Love, Active Love, Secure Love, Intuitive Love, Committed Love and Traditional Romantic Love. In Study 11185 respondents completed a questionnaire version of the Study I interview. Respondents then employed the six love clusters in self-coding their responses, providing representational validity for the previous cluster analysis. Further, a confirming cluster analysis - using a subset of the Study II data - provided construct validity for four of the six love clusters. A fifth cluster split into two new clusters. These studies support two general conclusions. First, lov...
Multiplexed Immunoassay Panel Identifies Novel CSF Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis and Prognosis

Background Clinicopathological studies suggest that Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology begins ∼10–15 years before the resulting cognitive impairment draws medical attention. Biomarkers that can detect AD pathology in its early stages and predict dementia onset would, therefore, be invaluable for patient care and efficient clinical trial design. We utilized a targeted proteomics approach to discover novel cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers that can augment the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of current leading CSF biomarkers (Aβ42, tau, p-tau181).
Mg-IV-V chalcopyrites in thin film tandem photovoltaic cells

Tandem cells made out II-IV-V chalcopyrites consisting of alloys and compounds of (Mg,Zn,Cd)(Si,Ge,Sn)(P,As) 2 are a unique set of candidate materials, that can potentially be optimal for solar cell design. While the Zn- and Cd- based compounds have all been synthesized, little is known about the Mg compounds. We analyze the energy band structure theoretically using a recently developed Quasiparticle Self-consistent GW theory, which enables us to accurately address the electronic structure from first principles.
Energetic Inert Gas Atom Impact Effects During Ion Beam Multilayer Deposition

New magnetic field sensors and non-volatile magnetic random access memories can be built from giant magnetoresistive multilayers with nanoscale thickness. The performance of these devices is enhanced by decreasing the atomic scale interfacial roughness and interlayer mixing of the multilayers. During ion beam sputtering, inert gas neutrals with energies between 50 and 200 eV impact the growth surface. A molecular dynamics method has been used to study the effects of these impacts on the surface roughness and interlayer mixing of model nickel/copper multilayers. The results indicate that impacts with energy above 50 eV cause mixing due to the exchange of Ni atoms with Cu atoms in an underlying Cu crystal. The extent of the mixing increases with impact energy, but decreases as the number of the Ni monolayers above the Cu crystal increases. While Xe and Ar impacts have a similar mixing effect at low energies, heavier Xe ions/neutrals induce more significant mixing at high energies.
Response of sample covariance based MVDR beamformer to imperfect look and inhomogeneities

The sample covariance based (SCB) minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer has desirable properties under ideal homogeneous data conditions with perfect look. Such properties include maximum-likelihood optimality yielding an unbiased asymptotically efficient estimate of the signal parameter. When target array response mismatch exists and inhomogeneities are present, however, its performance can degrade considerably. Exact means and variances are given for the SCR MVDR beamformer output accounting simultaneously for finite sample support, imperfect look, and inhomogeneities demonstrating biased signal estimates and potentially extreme vulnerability to undernulled interference and surprise jammers.
Medicean Moons Sailing Through Plasma Seas: Challenges in Establishing Magnetic Properties

Jupiter's moons, embedded in the magnetized, flowing plasma of Jupiter's mag- netosphere, the plasma seas of the title, are fluids whose highly non-linear interactions imply complex behavior. In a plasma, magnetic fields couple widely separated regions; consequently plasma interactions are exceptionally sensitive to boundary conditions (often ill-specified). Per- turbation fields arising from plasma currents greatly limit our ability to establish more than the dominant internal magnetic field of a moon. With a focus on Ganymede and a nod to Io, this paper discusses the complexity of plasma-moon interactions, explains how computer simulations have helped characterize the system and presents improved fits to Ganymede's internal field.
Suboptimal minimax design of constrained parabolic systems with mixed boundary control

The paper concerns minimax control problems for linear multidimensional parabolic systems with distributed uncertain perturbations and control functions acting in mixed (Robin) boundary conditions. The main goal is to design a feedback control regulator that ensures the required state performance and robust stability under any feasible perturbations and minimize an energy-type functional under the worst perturbations from the given area. We design and justify an easily implemented suboptimal structure of the feedback boundary regulator and compute its optimal parameters ensuring the required state performance and robust stability of the nonlinear closed-loop control system on the infinite horizon.
Activation of NMDA receptors linked to modulation of voltage-gated ion channels and functional implications.

Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) cone horizontal cells containN-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, the function of which has yet to be determined. In the present study, we have examined the effect o...
Nanostructured Electrodes for Improved Neural Recording

We present a new method of increasing the effective electrode surface for improved neural recording. To optimize the electrode, the impedance can be decreased by introducing surface roughness or nanostructures on the electrode. High aspect ratio pillar-like polysilicon nanostructures are created in a reactive ion etch. Nanostructure robustness in cell culture is examined.
Repo Redo: Repurchase Agreements after the Real Estate Bubble

The financial crisis of 2008-09 introduced the general public to an alphabet soup of exotic sounding investment vehicles such as CDO’s (collateralized debt obligations), SIV’s (Structured Investment Vehicles) and CDS’s (credit default swaps). At first blush, it may seem surprising, therefore, that the first financial firm bankruptcies after the bursting of the speculative bubble generated a number of cases involving a financing device that, in comparison, seem mundane and unfashionable – so 1990's. These are repurchase agreements or “repos”. Moreover, these cases involved an issue that seemed to have been settled long ago by statutory and case law: that is, how should repos be characterized? Upon further reflection, however, these cases are directly related to the market for sub-prime mortgages and the development of CDO’s et alia in that in all three, the collateral was not the type of investment securities traditionally used in repos, but interests in mortgages and mortgage backed securities (“MBS’s”). Two of these cases arose in the bankruptcy of American Home Mortgage and involve interpretation of little noted amendments to the Bankruptcy Code added by Title IX (“Title IX”) of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (“BAPCPA”). This was the culmination of three movements in debtor-creditor law and the securities markets. The first was a long Federal government campaign starting with legislation in 1984 designed to promote home ownership by making it easier to securitize consumer mortgages. The second was a movement to coordinate two different regimes for administering insolvencies – FDIC receiverships, in the case of insolvent banks and other federally insured depositary institutions, and bankruptcy in the case of other firms. The third was the explosion in the market for asset backed securities (“ABS’s”), generally, including mortgage-backed securities (MBS’s) and CDO’s, specifically, that was encouraged by the Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In retrospect, from a post-Great Recession perspective, these developments hardly seem to have been untrammeled goods. Nevertheless, in this Article I concentrate not on the broad issue of Federal housing policy, but on narrower, technical points. Title IX and the recent repo cases reflect disturbing trends in commercial law – the elevation of form over substance and the proliferation of exceptions to the automatic stay and other provisions of the Bankruptcy Code designed to protect creditors generally. This trend has been exacerbated by the expansive interpretation given to this new legislation, that sweeps a broader class of transactions within the statutory safe harbors then Congress probably intended.
Molecular Basis of Steroid Action in the Prostate.

Androgens acting via androgen receptor (AR) play essential roles in the prostate development, growth and pathogenesis of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer. Over the last three decades, intensive studies have been carried out to elucidate the molecular basis of androgen action in the prostate. It has been realized that there are two natural potent androgens in the mammal including humans. Although testosterone is the major androgen secreted from the testes, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the main androgen in the prostate to mediate the androgen action via the AR. Only one AR has been identified up to date, a member of the steroid/nuclear receptor superfamily, which is a ligand-dependent nuclear transcription factor. When androgens bind to the AR, this results in a conformational change within the AR, leading to the recruitment of co-regulators and transcription factors which mediate androgen-target gene expression. Androgen actions in the prostate can also be modulated by other hormones such as estrogens via estrogen receptors (ER). There are two known isoforms of the ER, ERα and ERβ, which are both co-expressed with AR in the prostate and prostate tumor cells, which provides an anatomical basis for a direct interplay between AR and ER. Although it is well known that androgens are important for prostate development and for the pathogenesis of BPH and prostate cancer, the precise mechanisms as to how androgens control these processes are not yet fully understood. Furthermore, evidence for the direct modulation of androgenAR actions by other hormones within the prostate or prostate tumor cells is emerging, and the clinical implications of these hormones is being explored. In this article, we will assess the importance of androgens, and especially DHT, in prostate physiology and in the pathogenesis of BPH and prostate cancer. We will also review the molecular nature of the interactions between AR and ER and their respective ligands in prostate cells, as well their potential clinical implications.
Expression, purification and biochemical characterization of a family 6 carboxylesterase from Methylococcus capsulatus (bath).

The genome of Methylococcus capsulatus (bath) encodes a protein R-est6 that is annotated as a lipase family 3 protein. The phylogenetic and the sequence analyses linked this protein to the family 6 carboxylesterase. The gene encoding R-est6 was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant 6x-His tagged protein was purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The buffers used in the purification were modified by adding 1% glycerol instead of the salt to prevent the protein aggregation. Far UV-CD spectrum and gel filtration chromatography of the purified R-est6 confirmed that the protein was well folded like a typical α/β hydrolase and had the quaternary structure of a tetramer, in addition to a compact monomer. The optimum pH was in the range of 7.0-9.0 and the optimum temperature was at 55 °C for the hydrolysis of pNP-butyrate. As expected, being a member of the family 6 carboxylesterase, R-est6 hydrolyzed triglycerides, pNP esters of the small and the medium fatty acid chain esters and an aryl ester-phenyl acetate. However, R-est6 was also found to hydrolyze the long-chain fatty acid ester which had never been reported for the family 6 carboxylesterase. Additionally, R-est6 was stable and active in the different water-miscible organic solvents. Therefore, the broad substrate range and the structural stability of R-est6 would be advantageous for its application in industrial processes.
Nanoscale Metal–Organic Frameworks for Real-Time Intracellular pH Sensing in Live Cells

Real-time measurement of intracellular pH in live cells is of great importance for understanding physiological/pathological processes and developing intracellular drug delivery systems. We report here the first use of nanoscale metal–organic frameworks (NMOFs) for intracellular pH sensing in live cells. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was covalently conjugated to a UiO NMOF to afford F-UiO NMOFs with exceptionally high FITC loadings, efficient fluorescence, and excellent ratiometric pH-sensing properties. Upon rapid and efficient endocytosis, F-UiO remained structurally intact inside endosomes. Live cell imaging studies revealed endo- and exocytosis of F-UiO and endosome acidification in real time. Fluorescently labeled NMOFs thus represent a new class of nanosensors for intracellular pH sensing and provide an excellent tool for studying NMOF–cell interactions.
Silent Brain Infarction in Patients With Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Atherosclerotic Disease

Background and Purpose— The relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and ipsilateral silent brain infarction (SBI) is unclear. We tested the hypothesis that extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis is associated with a greater prevalence of SBI in the cerebral hemisphere ipsilateral to ICA disease compared with the unaffected, contralateral side. Methods— We identified patients with unilateral extracranial ICA stenosis ≥50% on angiography by standard imaging criteria. We included patients with recent brain magnetic resonance imaging who had no previous history of stroke or transient ischemic attack. Blinded readers ascertained the presence of anterior circulation SBIs. SBI was defined as either a cavitary lacunar infarction in the white or deep gray matter or cortical infarction defined by T2 hyperintense signal in cortical gray matter. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare SBI in the cerebral hemispheres and Cohen κ to assess inter-rater reliability of SBI evaluation. Results— Among 104 patients, we found a higher prevalence of SBIs ipsilateral to ICA disease (33%) compared with the contralateral side (20.8%; P =0.0067). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of lacunar SBIs (including both white and deep gray matter) between hemispheres ( P =0.109), but there was a significantly higher prevalence of cortical SBIs occurring downstream from ICA disease ( P =0.0045). High inter-rater reliability was observed ( κ =0.818). Conclusions— Patients with asymptomatic ICA disease demonstrate a higher prevalence of SBI downstream from their ICA atherosclerotic disease compared with the contralateral side but only of the cortical and not lacunar SBI subtype.
Television's Mixed Messages: Choose the Best and Mute the Rest

Media consistently influences peoples' choices from what to buy, to the state of the social world, to treatment choices for people with mental health problems or autism. This study investigated television networks' (i.e., National Broadcasting Company, American Broadcasting Company, and Columbia Broadcasting System) representation of non-scientifically and scientifically supported treatments for autism. Transcripts (N = 312) from 2000 to 2012 were analyzed for the inclusion of autism treatment keywords and negative or positive comments about treatments. Results indicated that networks used the most keywords about applied behavior analysis (ABA), with diet therapies a close second. Trends over the 12-year span showed increased coverage of non-scientifically supported treatments. Similar positive and negative descriptive words were used for both ABA and non-scientifically supported treatments with trends decreasing over the 12 years for both positive and negative terms about ABA. The results indicate that parents continue to receive inaccurate information about effective treatments for children with autism. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reversal of potassium channel deficiency in cells from failing hearts by adenoviral gene transfer: a prototype for gene therapy for disorders of cardiac excitability and contractility

Heart failure is a common, often lethal disorder in which conventional pharmacologic strategies have achieved limited success. Failing hearts exhibit a delay of electrical repolarization which predisposes to fatal arrhythmias. To explore the feasibility of gene therapy for this condition, we isolated myocytes from normal and failing dog hearts and quantified electrophysiologic and contractile parameters in primary culture. Action potentials were prolonged in failing cells as a result of diminished potassium currents. Exposure to AdShK, an adenovirus that overexpresses potassium channels, reversed the action potential prolongation of failing cells. The precise phenotype varied as a function of the density of expressed channels; modest increases in potassium current sufficed to mimic the non-diseased state most faithfully, while more robust expression of the transgene excessively abbreviated excitation and contraction. Our results demonstrate that viral gene transfer can modify the electrical properties of adult mammalian heart cells in a manner appropriate to reverse a fundamental disorder of excitability. Realistic application of this form of therapy will need to include a sensitive mechanism for control of the level and distribution of transgene expression.
Measuring Services Characteristics for Descriptive Research

The growing services literature has seen numerous hypotheses, including some which are contradictory. Despite this high level of conceptualization, little empirical research has been accomplished. As an encouragement to empirical research, this study illustrates a method for designing valid and reliable measures of services characteristics, and develops scales of four service characteristics suitable for utilization in survey research.
Animal in vitro fertilization and embryo development.

There are considerable disparities in the quality and quantity of information available on fertilization and embryonic development in mammals compared with invertebrates (Bavister, 1980). In invertebrates, the availability of vast numbers of gametes and embryos for experimental studies and the natural occurrence of external fertilization greatly simplify duplication of normal events under laboratory conditions. By contrast, minute numbers of eggs and embryos are produced in each cycle by female mammals, and their development in the protected environment afforded by the female reproductive tract presents a formidable obstacle to research. It is remarkably difficult to elucidate the precise nature of the environment provided to the gametes and embryos by the female tract, and thus to duplicate these conditions in the laboratory. As a result, most attempts to examine mammalian gamete interactions and early embryo development under experimental conditions have utilized some form of culture solution that has been devised empirically or one that is appropriate for culture of somatic cells. Such conditions are most likely less than optimal for supporting normal fertilization and embryogenesis. This chapter examines some of the major problems inherent in experimental studies of mammalian early development and reviews some recent attempts to increase understanding of fertilization mechanisms using in vitro techniques. As much as possible, results of in vitro experiments are related to the natural situation in which fertilization and embryonic development take place.
Self-definition as resistance: Understanding identities among LGBTQ emerging adults

ABSTRACTScholars have questioned the relevance of existing identity categories and labels for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth and emerging adults. Little is understood, however, about the ways in which LGBTQ emerging adults perceive their own identities and self-define the aspects of themselves that are most relevant to who they are. This study qualitatively explored descriptions and depictions of identities and aspects of self among a group of LGBTQ-identified emerging adults. Findings suggest that emerging adults' uses of socially constructed identities are contextually specific, intersectional, and make use of agency. In addition, participants identified aspects of themselves that they saw as emerging from and existing in relation to their LGBTQ-specific identities. These identities are used to resist the social stigma and limitations placed on them as LGBTQ-identified young people, and may serve as sources of resilience.
The Exilic-Utopian Imagination and Literary Discourse in Modernism and Postmodernism

We have seen that the exilic-utopian imagination is operative during most of the historical periods that cultural historians associate with early Western civilization, from the archaic period to classical Greece. As I pointed out in Chapter 3, Section 3.3, a history of the exilic-utopian imagination in subsequent ages would trace its avatars within several cycles of modernity, including the Modern Age (since 1800), which I have called a phase of “high modernity.” Modernism clearly belongs to such a phase. One can argue that the modernist exilic-utopian imagination has played a significant role in, and has in turn been stimulated by major sociopolitical developments during the 20th century—one of the bloodiest periods in world history. Among such sociopolitical developments one may cite the massive human dislocations as a result of two World Wars; the division of the political world into various antagonistic ideological camps in the wake of these Wars; and, more recently, the breakdown and fragmentation of the binary global power system that emerged after World War II, where a number of postcolonial and fundamentalist religious and nationalistic forces vie for local or regional hegemony with the remaining “superpower.”
Cooperative Effects in Plasmonics

In this chapter, we present our results on cooperative effects in hybrid plasmonic system involving a large number of fluorophores, e.g., dye molecules or semiconductor quantum dots, situated near a plasmonic nanostructure, e.g., metal nanoparticle. The optical properties of such complex systems are governed by the plasmon-mediated coupling between the fluorophores that leads to drastic changes in the system optical properties. Specifically, we consider in some detail two manifestations of plasmon-assisted cooperative behavior near a spherical nanoparticle: (a) superradiance by an ensemble of emitters and (b) cooperative energy transfer from an ensemble of donors to an acceptor.
Prostatic Specific Antigen and Prostatic Acid Phosphatase in the Monitoring and Staging of Patients with Prostatic Cancer

AbstractSerum prostatic specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase levels were measured retrospectively and evaluated in 357 men with benign prostatic hypertrophy and in 209 men with various stages of prostatic carcinoma. Although prostatic specific antigen values were elevated in 21 per cent of the patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy, the elevations usually were low and did not interfere with clinical interpretation. Prostatic specific antigen was elevated in 98 per cent of 86 men with active stage D2 disease; in 22 per cent of the men prostatic specific antigen was the only elevated marker. In contrast, prostatic acid phosphatase was the only elevated marker in 1 per cent of the patients with stage D2 disease and neither marker was elevated in 2 per cent. Among 74 patients in whom prostatic specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase determinations were made before radical prostatectomy, prostatic specific antigen was elevated substantially (greater than 10ng. per ml.) in 59 per cent (26...
Optical Quantification of Intracellular pH in Drosophila melanogaster Malpighian Tubule Epithelia with a Fluorescent Genetically-encoded pH Indicator

Epithelial ion transport is vital to systemic ion homeostasis as well as maintenance of essential cellular electrochemical gradients. Intracellular pH (pHi) is influenced by many ion transporters and thus monitoring pHi is a useful tool for assessing transporter activity. Modern Genetically Encoded pH-Indicators (GEpHIs) provide optical quantification of pHi in intact cells on a cellular and subcellular scale. This protocol describes real-time quantification of cellular pHi regulation in Malpighian Tubules (MTs) of Drosophila melanogaster through ex vivo live-imaging of pHerry, a pseudo-ratiometric GEpHI with a pKa well-suited to track pH changes in the cytosol. Extracted adult fly MTs are composed of morphologically and functionally distinct sections of single-cell layer epithelia, and can serve as an accessible and genetically tractable model for investigation of epithelial transport. GEpHIs offer several advantages over conventional pH-sensitive fluorescent dyes and ion-selective electrodes. GEpHIs can label distinct cell populations provided appropriate promoter elements are available. This labeling is particularly useful in ex vivo, in vivo, and in situ preparations, which are inherently heterogeneous. GEpHIs also permit quantification of pHi in intact tissues over time without need for repeated dye treatment or tissue externalization. The primary drawback of current GEpHIs is the tendency to aggregate in cytosolic inclusions in response to tissue damage and construct over-expression. These shortcomings, their solutions, and the inherent advantages of GEpHIs are demonstrated in this protocol through assessment of basolateral proton (H+) transport in functionally distinct principal and stellate cells of extracted fly MTs. The techniques and analysis described are readily adaptable to a wide variety of vertebrate and invertebrate preparations, and the sophistication of the assay can be scaled from teaching labs to intricate determination of ion flux via specific transporters.
Double-ring optical resonator gyroscopes using 3×3 fiber couplers

A theoretical analysis of this little-studied resonator is performed, including a study of its sensitivity as a gyroscope and of transmission spectrum properties. When all its free parameters are optimized (the coupling ratio of the 3x3 coupler, the probe laser wavelength, and the length mismatch between the rings), this sensor is predicted to have the exact same maximum possible rotation sensitivity as a resonant fiber optic gyroscope (RFOG) with the same ring radius and fiber loss, for either a triangular or a planar a 3x3 fiber coupler. Changing the length mismatch (and re-adjusting the coupling ratio to maximize the sensitivity) has very little impact on the best sensitivity: all it does is redistribute the circulating light between rings, but the total number of recirculations is essentially unchanged, and so is the sensitivity. A second type of double-ring resonator is studied in which the output is collected via a 2x2 coupler placed on one of the rings. This two-coupler double-ring resonator gyroscope is found to have a larger rotation sensitivity than a two-coupler RFOG. For exceedingly small loss, the sensitivity enhancement is vanishingly small. For a ring loss of 1 dB, the enhancement is 1.8-fold. As the loss is increased, the enhancement increases asymptotically to either ~2.11 (triangular coupler) or ~1.78 (planar coupler), but the loss is then too high for either sensor to be practical. For small loss, the sensitivity of a two-coupler RFOG is 4 times lower than that of a conventional (one-coupler) RFOG. A two-coupler double-ring resonator gyroscope therefore never surpasses a single-coupler RFOG in sensitivity, but for applications requiring an additional 2x2 coupler, a two-coupler double-ring resonator has a higher rotation sensitivity than a twocoupler RFOG.
EPANCHEMENTS GAZEUX ANORMAUX DE L'ABDOMEN DU NOURRISSON

Many unusual and uncommon abnormal gas collections within the abdomen may be encountered. This paper reviews the reported causes for unusual gas collections in the abdomen and describes several new causes of abnormal bowel gas collections.
Computer modelling of acquisition orders in child language

Abstract This paper presents the result that a computer program can mimic the acquisition by children of a selected set of grammatical morphemes. Roger Brown [Brown, 1973] studied the acquisition of 14 morphemes, and showed how a set of partial order relations describes this aspect of child language learning. We show that these relations can be given a computational basis. They follow directly from a class of Boolean learning algorithms which have three simple constraints in the manner in which they consider hypotheses. I will call these three constraints the CAM constraints. CAM constraint 1 is to increase the length of the conjuncts one term at a time. The second CAM constraint is to consider all hypotheses of the same length simultaneously. Finally, CAM constraint 3 is to collect all single-term hypotheses involving noun features into a single conjunction prior to Boolean learning.
Coupled Inductor Based Hybrid DC Circuit Breaker Topologies for DC Grid Application

Reliability of DC grid is measured in terms of fault interruption time of the switchgear. Unlike AC systems, DC systems do not encounter zero crossing of fault current. Hence the DC circuit breaker should be capable of very fast fault interruption and isolation. Solid state circuit breakers (SSCB) exhibit fast fault interruption at the expense of substantially large conduction power loss due to on-state drop of semiconductor devices. Hybrid circuit breakers yield better performance in terms of efficiency although the principal hurdle remains in demagnetization of network inductance after mechanical breaker is completely turned off. This paper proposes two hybrid DC circuit breaker (DCCB) topologies using coupled inductor to mitigate this issue. The coupled inductor forms a resonant circuit with a commutation capacitor during the fault to turn off the mechanical switch at zero current. Commutation capacitor is charged through the circuit elements; hence the requirement for external pre-charging circuit is eliminated. Moreover, the capacitor is charged to unipolar DC voltage only, enabling use of electrolytic capacitor. Proposed topologies do not require surge arrester to demagnetize the DC network once fault is cleared. One of the proposed circuit breaker topologies is designed for bidirectional power flow, implying its use in multi terminal DC transmission system or DC micro-grid. Detailed analysis and design of the proposed circuit breakers are presented in this paper and validated through simulation and experimental results.
From the hospital to the clinic: The impact of mindfulness on symptom reduction in a DBT partial hospital program

Objective Preliminarily findings suggest dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)-informed partial hospital (PH) programs can reduce patient symptoms. The present study assessed changes in various mental health symptoms as well as mindfulness skill acquisition in relation to these outcomes in a DBT-informed PH program. Method Participants included 212 adults, ages 18-66 (Mean = 35.63, Standard Deviation = 12.39). The sample was predominantly female (N = 140, 66.00%) and Caucasian (N = 185, 87.30%). Results Findings showed significant symptom reduction (i.e., depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and degree of suffering) from intake to discharge. Overall mindfulness skill acquisition significantly increased from intake to discharge, and specific scales of mindfulness acquisition accounted for significant proportions of the variance in symptom reduction for depression and anxiety. Conclusions Mindfulness skill acquisition may be a mechanism by which DBT impacts symptom reduction in PH settings. Future studies might examine mindfulness practice to determine optimum doses.
Algorithms for Sequential Optimization of Control Systems

Publisher Summary An algorithm for the solution of the linear problem has been developed, and computer simulation resulted in fast convergence to within the desired limits of accuracy. It has been found that it is necessary that the initial values of the adjoint variables ϕ (0) = λ must be within a given region to ensure convergence. Two methods have been programmed to ensure this condition. Both include first running the unbounded-control problem and then using the optimal λs found for the initial conditions on the bounded-control problem. The first method varies the bounds sequentially using the final λs from one bounded problem as the initial values for a more restricted bound until the desired bounded problem is reached. The second method utilizes the continuity of the optimal lambdas with the control bounds and a curve-fitting routine to predict the desired initial values after running the unbounded case and two slightly bounded cases. The application of the linear-problem approach to the nonlinear control problem appears feasible. Preliminary studies in the algorithm for control iteration have indicated convergence for simple problems. Considerable programming and further study are necessary to verify the application to nonlinear problems.
Observing Aqueous Proton Transfer Dynamics.

Proton hopping between hydronium and water is revealed by 2D IR spectroscopy and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations.
"I Need Child Care!": Using Funds of Knowledge, Addressing Challenges, and Developing Literacies with a Classroom Community of Adult ESL Learners.

Many immigrants and refugees in the United States must confront different linguistic and cultural contexts in their everyday life. As part of a larger ethnographic study related to refugee families...
Securing state reconstruction under sensor and actuator attacks: Theory and design

This paper discusses the problem of reconstructing the state of a linear time invariant system when some of its actuators and sensors are compromised by an adversarial agent. In the model considered in this paper, the adversarial agent attacks an input (output) by manipulating its value arbitrarily, i.e., we impose no constraints (statistical or otherwise) on how control commands (sensor measurements) are changed by the adversary other than a bound on the number of attacked actuators and sensors In the first part of this paper, we introduce the notion of sparse strong observability and we show that is a necessary and sufficient condition for correctly reconstructing the state despite the considered attacks. In the second half of this work, we propose an observer to harness the complexity of this intrinsically combinatorial problem, by leveraging satisfiability modulo theory solving. Numerical simulations illustrate the effectiveness and scalability of our observer.
Algebraic Systems, Trellis Codes, and Rotational Invariance

Publisher Summary The major goal of coding theory is the design of error-correction codes, a type of code used to transmit information reliably over an unreliable medium. This chapter introduces notation and concepts related to error-correction coding and trellis codes. It addresses the structural aspects of trellis codes. The chapter illustrates diagramming techniques, the concepts of equivalence, minimality, and the finite input memory systems of trellis codes. It also focuses on the error-correcting functions of trellis codes. The techniques used for maximum likelihood decoding, calculation of free Euclidean distance, and heuristic code design are briefly reviewed in the chapter. Furthermore, the chapter reviews prior results and present several new results on the structure and behavior of finite group homatons (FGHs), focusing on their relevance to trellis codes. The chapter also explores the way to find new trellis codes using FGHs. It is important to note that the chapter focuses mainly on the structure of the encoder, rather than on the constellation.
National Trends and Cost Burden of Surgically Treated Gunshot Wounds in the US.

Introduction Gun violence remains a major burden on the US healthcare system with annual costs exceeding $170 billion. Literature regarding the national trends in costs and survival of gun violence victims requiring operative interventions is lacking. Study Design All adults admitted with a diagnosis of gunshot wound (GSW) requiring operative intervention(s) were identified using the 2005-16 National Inpatient Sample (NIS). The International Classification of Diseases Injury Severity score (ICISS), a validated prediction tool, was used to quantify the extent of traumatic injuries. Survey-weighted methodology was employed to provide national estimates. Hospitalizations exceeding the 66th percentile of annual costs were considered as high cost tertile (HCT). Multivariable logistic regressions with stepwise forward selection were used to identify factors associated with mortality and HCT. Results Over the study period, 262,098 admissions met inclusion criteria with a significant increase in annual frequency and decrease in ICISS scores. A decline in mortality (8.6% to 7.6%, P-trend=0.03) was accompanied by increasing mean costs ($25,900 to $33,000, NP- trend Conclusion Over the past decade, the increase in gun violence and severity has resulted in higher costs. Operations involving selected surgical treatments incurred higher in-hospital costs. Given the profound economic and social impact of surgically treated GSWs, policy and public health efforts to reduce gun violence are imperative.
Motivational Strategies in English as Foreign Language Teaching: a research review

The paper aims to review and synthesize the research literature relating to the use and effectiveness of motivational strategies in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching. First, an overview is presented of the prestigious empirical studies (10) across the world that provided evidence for the impact of motivational strategies on enhancing students’ English learning motivations. Then, different research methodologies are assessed, effective motivational strategies both across different cultural contexts and culture-dependent are identified and the outcomes of the applications of motivational strategies are discussed. Finally, the limitations of the related research are explored and implications for future motivational strategies research are provided.
Cannabidiol reduces soman-induced lethality and seizure severity in female plasma carboxylesterase knockout mice treated with midazolam.

Abstract Cannabidiol, approved for treatment of pediatric refractory epilepsy, has anti-seizure effects in various animal seizure models. Chemical warfare nerve agents, including soman, are organophosphorus chemicals that can induce seizure and death if untreated or if treatment is delayed. Our objective was to evaluate whether cannabidiol would ameliorate soman-induced toxicity using a mouse model that similar to humans lacks plasma carboxylesterase. In the present study, adult female plasma carboxylesterase knockout (Es1-/-) mice were pre-treated with cannabidiol (20−150 mg/kg) or vehicle 1 h prior to exposure to a seizure-inducing dose of soman and evaluated for survival and seizure activity. The muscarinic antagonist atropine sulfate and the oxime HI-6 were administered at 1 min after exposure, and the benzodiazepine midazolam was administered at 30 min after seizure onset. Cannabidiol (150 mg/kg) pre-treatment led to a robust increase in survival rate and attenuated body weight loss in soman-exposed mice treated with medical countermeasures, compared to mice pre-treated with vehicle. In addition, mice pretreated with cannabidiol (150 mg/kg) had a modest reduction in seizure severity after midazolam treatment compared to vehicle-pretreated. These findings of improved outcome with cannabidiol administration in a severe seizure model of soman exposure provide additional pre-clinical support for the benefits of cannabidiol against exposure to seizure-inducing chemical agents and suggest cannabidiol may augment the anti-seizure effects of midazolam.
Estimated economic burden of cancer associated with suboptimal diet in the United States

Suboptimal diet is a preventable cause of cancer. We aimed to estimate the economic burden of diet-associated cancer among US adults. We used a Comparative Risk Assessment model to quantify the number of new cancer cases attributable to seven dietary factors among US adults ages 20 + years. A Markov cohort model estimated the 5-year medical costs for 15 diet-associated cancers diagnosed in 2015. We obtained dietary intake from 2013 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, cancer incidence, and survival from 2008 to 2014 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, and medical costs from 2007 to 2013 linked SEER-Medicare data. The estimated 5-year medical costs of new diet-associated cancer cases diagnosed in 2015 were $7.44 (2018 US$). Colorectal cancer had the largest diet-related 5-year medical costs of $5.32B. Suboptimal consumption of whole grains ($2.76B), dairy ($1.82B), and high consumption of processed meats ($1.5B) accounted for the highest medical costs. Per-person medical costs attributable to suboptimal diet vary by gender, race, and age group. Suboptimal diet contributes substantially to the economic burden of diet-associated cancers among US adults. This study highlights the need to implement population-based strategies to improve diet and reduce cancer burden in the US.
Assessing Generalization of SGD via Disagreement

We empirically show that the test error of deep networks can be estimated by simply training the same architecture on the same training set but with a different run of Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD), and measuring the disagreement rate between the two networks on unlabeled test data. This builds on -- and is a stronger version of -- the observation in Nakkiran & Bansal '20, which requires the second run to be on an altogether fresh training set. We further theoretically show that this peculiar phenomenon arises from the \emph{well-calibrated} nature of \emph{ensembles} of SGD-trained models. This finding not only provides a simple empirical measure to directly predict the test error using unlabeled test data, but also establishes a new conceptual connection between generalization and calibration.
Validation of the Griffin application for TREAT transient modeling and simulation

Abstract The Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) at Idaho National Laboratory is a graphite-moderated, air-cooled facility that was restarted in 2018 and is specifically built to conduct transient reactor tests. The Department of Energy focused modeling and simulation efforts between 2015 and 2019 on obtaining multiphysics solutions using the Griffin reactor physics application. This research has: (1) developed a consistent analysis method that automatically maps the neutronics data generated with Serpent onto the Griffin model, (2) improved the predictive capability of the traditional MCNP and Point Kinetics models that are commonly used in TREAT modeling and the preparation of engineering calculations, (3) determined the average recoverable energy in TREAT fuel per fission event, and (4) calculated a dynamic energy coupling factor that demonstrates the dependency of the energy deposition in the experiments during transients. Three experiments conducted in 2018 form the basis for the validation of Griffin for the transient modeling of TREAT. The first two experiments are 1.5% and 2.6% Δ k / k transient prescription experiments with flux wires placed in the M8CAL test rig. The third experiment is a 0.6% Δ k / k with the Minimal Activation Retrievable Capsule Holder (MARCH) test rig and the Separate Effect Test Holder (SETH) capsule, a light-water reactor rodlet in dry conditions. The core behavior predicted by Griffin for the transient prescription transients agrees well with the measured core power, peak power, and reactor feedback. The exception is the total energy deposition, which is underpredicted. The core behavior for the MARCH-SETH transient is significantly influenced by delayed neutrons since the reactivity insertion is delayed critical (i.e. ρ β eff ). The Griffin model experiences a stronger temperature feedback, leading to a lower peak power and total energy deposition. Increasing the number of temperature tabulation points significantly improves the solution for the MARCH-SETH transient. In addition, updating the 1.5% Δ k / k transient model to ENDF/B-VIII.r0 data resolves the discrepancy in the prediction of the power tail and the total energy deposition. This is attributed to the new graphite S( α , β ) data, which leads to lower values of the temperature coefficient of reactivity. The predicted energy coupling factors in both wire and rodlet experiments is the paramount parameter for TREAT modeling and simulation. In both cases, the Griffin predictions compare very well with measured values and exhibit consistent behavior, which is not observed in MCNP predictions. This work shows that Griffin is able to resolve the time-dependent effects from the control rod movement and the core heat-up in both the core and experiments.