cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Zinc and Amino Acids: Important Components of a Medium Promoting Growth of Monascus Purpureus

SUMMARY Monascus purpureus Went grew better in glucose-peptone-yeast extract broth than in any other natural medium tried, and did not grow nearly so well in a Czapek-Dox mineral-salts-glucose broth. A metal ion (zinc) and a particular combination of amino acids (glycine, leucine, and tryptophan) have been found to be important components of the richer medium responsible for the increased growth. A synthetic medium producing as good or better growth than the natural medium has been devised. Zinc has been shown to be an extremely important element in the nutrition of M. purpureus. Supplemental interactions of zinc with amino acids leading to increased growth responses were repeatedly noted in minimal media where glucose was also a source of carbon. The data presented suggest the involvement of zinc in regulatory mechanisms controlling interrelationships between carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism in this species. Went (1895), Piedallu (1909, 1910), Hagiwara (1924), Young (1930), Sato and Naito (1935), Schade (1937), and Lilly and Barnett (1962) have reported physiological studies on Monascus purpureus Went and related species. These investigators have mostly described: (1) some environmental conditions favorable for growth; (2) the relative efficiency of various carbon and nitrogen sources under different cultural conditions; and (3) some unusual substrates, such as various oils (Piedallu) and types of rubber (Schade) members of the genus utilize. However, no comprehensive nutritional study of M. purpureus has yet been made. The present investigation was initiated by the observation that M. purpureus grew better in glucose-peptone-yeast extract broth (40:10:5 g/liter) than in any other natural medium tried and did not grow nearly as well in a Czapek-Dox mineral-salts-glucose broth. The primary purpose was to determine the major constituents of the richer medium which stimulated the increased growth.
Reliability Allocation of CNC Machine Tools Based on Failure Information and Fuzzy Mathematics

Based on the fuzzy mathematics and the failure information,a reliability allocation method for CNC machine tools was proposed. First,the fault record data of a type of CNC machine tools were sorted out,and the whole machine system was divided into ten subsystems.Then,the reliability functions for the whole system and the subsystems were established according to the statistical collation of the failure records. An allocation model of the failure rate based on the fuzzy mathematics and entropy weight methods was thus developed with four factors considered. This method can solve the reallocation of the machine's reliability,thus enhancing the reliability of the whole system.
Modeling of terahertz images based on x-ray images: a novel approach for verification of terahertz images and identification of objects with fine details beyond terahertz resolution

In this work, terahertz images have been simulated from X-ray images. For this aim the terahertz raster scanning process is modeled by a two dimensional convolution of the modelled THz beam and the X-ray image. The mathematical model of the terahertz beam has been modeled by a Gaussian function. The variables in this function are frequency of the beam, lateral location and absorption coefficient of the object. The accuracy of the proposed approach has been verified by comparing the results with the actual terahertz images.
Childhood as a Metaphor: Motif and Narrative Device in Mason & Dixon

Referring at the close of his article “Plot, Ideology and Compassion in Mason & Dixon ” to the time of the novel, Tom Schaub designates it “the remembered futurity of a nation about to be born” (201). It is worth noting that since Romanticism the remembered futurity has been considered to be embodied in the image of the child. In what follows I will discuss the image of the child as a metaphor driving the narrative desire in Mason & Dixon . In my account I will rely on Peter Brooks’ approach to narrative in Reading for the Plot: Design and Intention in Narratives (1998).
Science Studies and Early Modern Ottoman Science

This short essay focuses on three issues: how science studies may facilitate the rapprochement between the philological study of scientific texts and Middle East history; how it may help us reconsider ambiguous if not “black-boxed” terms such as the “state,” “Islam,” and the “West”; and finally, how it may build thematic and theoretical bridges with other histories and geographies of science currently emerging from a more global, and not merely local, perspective.
Simultaneous Multi-Translational-Axis Motion used in the Evaluation of Product Component Frequency Response and Unit Load Stability

The motion of packaged product transport vehicles can be described with six axes of motion: three translational (vertical, lateral, longitudinal) and three rotational (pitch, yaw, roll). Laboratory simulation of six axis motion is complex and typically requires expensive equipment with many moving parts. For these reasons, the packaging industry has focused laboratory simulation on the one axis that contains the most energy, the vertical translation axis. Analysis of three axes translational motion in truck, rail, and air transport reveals that although the vertical motion often contains more overall energy, the lateral and longitudinal motion is equal, or even higher, in intensity than that of the vertical motion within particular frequency ranges. In this study, a relatively cost effective way of reproducing simultaneous three-axis-translational motion is used to evaluate the vibration frequency response of a product’s components. In addition, the stability effect of multi-translational-axis motion as compared to single-axis motion is evaluated on both a unit load and a single stack of packaged products. The value of simultaneous multi-translational-axis vibration testing is demonstrated through literature review and results from laboratory testing of unit loads, single stacks of packaged products, and the analysis of the frequency response of a product’s components.
Are price strategies effective in managing demand of high residential water users

ABSTRACTEncouraging water use efficiency and water conservation is one of the primary goals of water utility companies nationwide. This study estimates price elasticity of residential water demand to measure the responsiveness of water use to price changes, particularly for high water users. Household-level water use data for high residential water users from Central Florida were analysed using 3-stage least square (3SLS). Estimated price elasticity ranges between −0.07 and −0.14. This price elasticity estimate is below most of the estimates reported in the literature (in absolute value). The results imply that for price strategies to be effective in managing water demand of high residential water users, a significant price increase would be needed. Overall, this study highlights the importance of designing water conservation policies tailored to specific groups of customers, and the importance of using these strategies effectively and fairly for different customer groups.
Microbial Counts of Selected Hot-Boned Primals and Ground Beef.

Twenty-four dairy cows were slaughtered under commercial conditions, muscles were excised from one side within 3 h of slaughter and from the second side after 24 h chill at 3°C. Surface aerobic bacterial plate counts, (APC5, 20, and 35°C, that is, plates were incubated at 5, 20 and 35°C, respectively) obtained from the rounds immediately before deboning did not vary significantly between the hot and chilled carcasses. The APC (5, 20, and 35°C) increased (P<.01) during removal of rounds from both hot and chilled carcasses, and the magnitude of the increase was greater than one logarithm. The bacterial count on loins and rounds that were overwrapped and frozen generally was lower than on loins and rounds held at 3°C for 7 and 14 d before being frozen. The APC (5, 20, and 35°C) of fresh ground beef fabricated in 450-kg batches from trimmings of hot cow carcasses were not significantly different from that made from the chilled carcasses. Addition of chilled USDA Choice plates to increase the fat content and lower the temperature of the manufactured ground beef increased (P<.01) APC counts in most instances. The log count of the USDA Choice plates was about 5 to 6/cm2; whereas that of the cow beef was about 2 to 4/cm2. The mean counts of coliforms, fecal coliforms and Escherichia coli were usually less than one log, so significant treatment differences, when they did occur, were unimportant. Results of this research indicate that hot boning does not adversely affect the microbial quality of selected primals and ground beef.
On inverse probability-weighted estimators in the presence of interference

We consider inference about the causal effect of a treatment or exposure in the presence of interference, i.e., when one individual's treatment affects the outcome of another individual. In the observational setting where the treatment assignment mechanism is not known, inverse probability-weighted estimators have been proposed when individuals can be partitioned into groups such that there is no interference between individuals in different groups. Unfortunately this assumption, which is sometimes referred to as partial interference, may not hold, and moreover existing weighted estimators may have large variances. In this paper we consider weighted estimators that could be employed when interference is present. We first propose a generalized inverse probability-weighted estimator and two Hajek-type stabilized weighted estimators that allow any form of interference. We derive their asymptotic distributions and propose consistent variance estimators assuming partial interference. Empirical results show that one of the Hajek estimators can have substantially smaller finite-sample variance than the other estimators. The different estimators are illustrated using data on the effects of rotavirus vaccination in Nicaragua.
Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping Study of Deep Gray Matter Iron at 3T in Large Cohort of Multiple Sclerosis Patients (P4.162)

Objective: To investigate the differences of purported iron levels in a large sample of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) using the novel iron-sensitive MRI measure quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). Background: Previous research using a variety of MRI iron-detection sensitive methods has shown that MS patients tend to have increased iron levels, especially in the deep gray matter (DGM). Large scale case-control studies using the novel QSM method have, however, not been carried out to date. Methods: 985 MS patients (relapsing-remitting (RR): 709, secondary-progressive: 231, primary-progressive: 45) and 228 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited for the present study. QSM susceptibility was determined for DGM structures with higher susceptibility representing higher iron levels. Associations with clinical and MRI measures were explored using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. MS vs. HC comparisons were conducted using analysis of variance, while RR vs progressive MS were adjusted for age. Results: Susceptibility was significantly higher in MS patients in the caudate (p<.001), globus pallidus (p<.001), putamen (p=.006) and DGM (p=.022). Thalamic susceptibility, however, was lower in MS patients than in HCs (p<.001). Thalamic susceptibility was significantly lower (p<.001), while pallidus susceptibility was significantly higher (p=.026) in progressive MS patients compared to relapsing patients. In MS, higher DGM susceptibility was associated with EDSS (r=.127 - .263, p<.001), disease duration (r=.095 - .316, p<.001), T2 lesion load (r=.153 - .387, p<.001) and lower normalized whole brain (r=-.289 - -.366, p<.001) and DGM volumes (r= -.193 - -.408, p<.001). Correlations were strongest among RR MS patients. Conclusion: The present work utilized a large sample of MS patients and HC to investigate QSM susceptibility representing DGM iron levels. MS patients had elevated susceptibility levels, except in the thalamus where susceptibility levels were lower. Higher QSM susceptibility was associated with disability and other MRI inflammatory and neurodegenerative measures. Disclosure: Dr. Hagemeier has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ferdinand has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dwyer has received personal compensation for activities with Claret Medical and EMD Serono. Dr. Polak has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bergsland has nothing to disclose. Dr. Weinstock-Guttman has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec, Teva Neurosciences, EMD Serono, Pfizer, Novartis, Genzyme & Sanofi, Mylan, and Acorda. Dr. Zivadinov has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Neuroscience, Biogen Idec, EMD Serono, Novartis, Claret Medical Inc., and Genzyme Corporation as a speaker and/or consultant.
Metformin Use in Prediabetes Among U.S. Adults, 2005–2012

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of and characteristics associated with metformin use among U.S. adults with prediabetes using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2012. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The American Diabetes Association’s guidelines for metformin use in prediabetes have evolved, with 2017 recommendations suggesting metformin be considered in patients with prediabetes and additional risk factors (BMI ≥35 kg/m 2 , age 1c (HbA 1c ). We estimated the age-adjusted prevalence of metformin use among individuals with prediabetes (defined by HbA 1c 5.7–6.4%, fasting glucose 100–125 mg/dL, 2-h poststimulated glucose 140–199 mg/dL, or self-report) and used multivariate logistic regression to evaluate characteristics associated with metformin use. RESULTS Of 22,174 adults, 7,652 had prediabetes. The age-adjusted prevalence of metformin use among those with prediabetes was 0.7%. Metformin use was associated with higher mean BMI (35.1 kg/m 2 vs. 29.6 kg/m 2 , P P = 0.03; 2-h poststimulated glucose 155 mg/dL vs. 128 mg/dL, P = 0.003; and HbA 1c 6.0% [42 mmol/mmol] vs. 5.6% [38 mmol/mmol], P 2 , a group for whom metformin use is recommended. Metformin use did not vary by race, poverty-to-income ratio, or education. CONCLUSIONS Metformin use was
Duality in nonsupersymmetric M-theory QCD

The curves that describe the M-theoretic extension of type IIA string configurations with non-supersymmetric field theories on their surface exhibit a duality map. The map suggests a continued link between an $\mathrm{SU}(N)$ gauge theory with $F$ flavors and an $\mathrm{SU}(F\ensuremath{-}N)$ gauge theory with $F$ flavors (the duality of supersymmetric QCD) even when the gaugino mass is taken to infinity. Within the context of the field theory such a duality only continues to make sense if the scalar fields remain light. We discuss the difficulties of decoupling the scalars within this framework.
Cardiovascular pathology in hyperlipoproteinemia. Anatomic observations in 42 necropsy patients with normal or abnormal serum lipoprotein patterns.

Abstract Certain clinical and cardiovascular necropsy findings are described in 28 patients with known hyperlipoproteinemia and 14 patients known to have a normal lipoprotein pattern. Of the 42 patients, 28 had symptomatic ischemic heart disease: 20 of these had hyperlipoproteinemia (9 type II, 2 type III, and 9 type IV), and 8 had a normal lipoprotein pattern. The average age at death in the 20 patients with hyperlipoproteinemia and symptomatic ischemic heart disease was 48 years, and in the 8 with a normal lipoprotein pattern and ischemic heart disease, 46 years. The degree of coronary arterial luminal narrowing was severe in all patients with ischemic heart disease whether their lipoprotein pattern was normal or abnormal. In all 28 patients with symptomatic ischemic heart disease, the lumen of at least 1 of the 3 major coronary arteries was narrowed more than 75 percent by old atherosclerotic plaques, and in 25 of these all 3 major coronary arteries were narrowed to this extent. With the exception of 1 of the 2 patients with a type III pattern, the composition of the coronary atherosclerotic plaques was similar among patients with type II, III and IV hyperlipoproteinemia and among those with a normal lipoprotein pattern. Attention is called to the unique type of valvular aortic stenosis that frequently develops in the homozygote with a type II pattern and also to the reversed distribution of the aortic atherosclerotic plaquing in the homozygote with a type II pattern. In these patients the amount of plaquing appears to be greater in the ascending than in the abdominal portion of the aorta. Lipid plaques were observed on left atrial endocardium in 2 patients: One had type I hyperlipoproteinemia without associated coronary or aortic atherosclerosis; the second had a type III pattern with extensive coronary and aortic atherosclerosis. These left atrial endocardial lipid deposits may be unique to these hyperlipoproteinemias. In conclusion, it appears clear that atherosclerosis is accelerated or occurs prematurely in patients with type II, III and IV hyperlipoproteinemia, but that hyperlipoproteinemia is not a prerequisite for premature development of severe atherosclerosis.
The Occulted Woman In Russian Silver Age Decadent Poetry

The article outlines the cultural context of Russian women who contributed to the development of decadent poetry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most now forgotten or “occulted” (eclipsed, crowded out). Given the importance of gender theories and “feminine” discursive space in the Silver Age, this phenomenon must be examined; it is not just a typical example of women written out of literary history. The article suggests reasons why decadence may have appealed to women as well as why Russian women who adopted a specifically decadent position might not have been taken seriously. It ends by suggesting why more famous Russian poets (especially Axmatova and Cvetaeva, whose reputations have lasted and grown) achieved more lasting influence thanks to their occulted female predecessors.
Glucose metabolic phenotyping of bone and soft tissue sarcomas in the pediatric population

510 Objectives Previous studies support a strong glycolytic phenotype by FDG PET/CT in more than 90% of soft tissue and bone sarcomas with no difference between osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma in adults. The current study aimed at defining the glycolytic phenotype of sarcomas in the pediatric population. Methods We included 23 patients (19 males, 4 females; mean age 12 ± 5.0 years) with newly diagnosed (20) and recurrent (3) soft tissue (n=9) or bone (n=14) sarcomas. 70% of patients underwent PET/CT scans while 30% had a dedicated PET. The PET/CT imaging protocol included a low dose CT protocol. Tumor FDG uptake was quantified by SUVmax and tumor to liver ratios (SUVmaxT/SUVmeanL) for better comparability between PET/CT and PET. SUVs were compared using unpaired T-test. Results 9 patients had soft tissue sarcomas and 14 had bone sarcoma (osteosarcoma: n=8; Ewing sarcoma: n=6) without metastatic disease. The tumors were localized in the extremities (n=13), abdomen/pelvis (n=7), head/neck (n=2) and trunk (n=2). Tumor size was determined by the largest diameter and ranged from 0.6 to 29 cm (mean: 10.4±6.4 cm; p=NS between bone and soft tissue sarcomas). SUVmaxT/SUVmeanL averaged 2.75±2.0 in soft tissue sarcomas and 4.1±2.7 in bone sarcomas (p= 0.21). Among the primary bone tumors, Ewing sarcoma had a lower SUVmaxT/SUVmeanL than osteosarcoma (2.0±0.8 vs 5.7±2.5; p= 0.0049). SUVmax averaged 5.2±7.2 in soft tissue sarcomas 7.4±5.4 in bone sarcomas (p= 0.41). The SUVmax averaged 3.2±1.3 and 10.6±5.0 in Ewing and osteosarcoma, respectively (p= 0.0044). Conclusions All sarcomas were visualized by FDG-PET/CT imaging. In contrast to the adult population, a stronger glycolytic phenotype was observed in osteosarcoma than in Ewing sarcoma. This finding differs from previous reports in adult patients. The glycolytic phenotype of pediatric sarcomas suggests that FDG-PET/CT should be use for staging and therapy assessments in these patients
Language model size reduction by pruning and clustering.

Several techniques are known for reducing the size of language models, including count cutoffs [1], Weighted Difference pruning [2], Stolcke pruning [3], and clustering [4]. We compare all of these techniques and show some surprising results. For instance, at low pruning thresholds, Weighted Difference and Stolcke pruning underperform count cutoffs. We then show novel clustering techniques that can be combined with Stolcke pruning to produce the smallest models at a given perplexity. The resulting models can be a factor of three or more smaller than models pruned with Stolcke pruning, at the same perplexity. The technique creates clustered models that are often larger than the unclustered models, but which can be pruned to models that are smaller than unclustered models with the same perplexity.
Candidate Images: Stereotyping and the 1976 Debates

The process of formation and change in images of political candidates is described in terms of stereotyping of candidate attributes and issues. Four stereotyping components are described and examin...
Pretreatment with Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Protects the Neonatal Brain against the Effects of Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury.

Introduction: Though the human fetus is exposed to placentally-derived human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) throughout gestation, the role of hCG on the fetal brain is unknown. Review of the available literature appears to indicate that groups of women with higher mean levels of hCG during pregnancy tend to have offspring with lower cerebral palsy (CP) risk. Given that newborn cerebral injury often precedes the development of CP, we aimed to determine whether hCG may protect against the neurodegenerative effects of neonatal brain injury. Methods: We utilized the Rice-Vannucci model of cerebral hypoxia-ischemia (HI) in neonatal postnatal day 7 mice to examine whether intraperitoneal administration of hCG 15-18 hrs prior, 1-hr after or immediately following HI decrease brain tissue loss 7 days after injury. We next studied whether hCG has pro-survival and trophic properties in neurons by exposing immature cortical and hippocampal neurons to hCG in vitro and examining neurite sprouting and neuronal survival prior and after glutamate receptor-mediated excitotoxic injury. Results: We found that intraperitoneal injection of hCG 15 hours prior to HI, but not at or 1 hr after HI induction, resulted in a significant decrease in hippocampal and striatal tissue loss 7 days following brain injury. Furthermore, hCG reduced NMDA-mediated neuronal excitotoxicity in vitro when neurons were continuously exposed to this hormone for 10 days or when given at the time and following neuronal injury. In addition, continuous in vitro administration of hCG for 6-9 days increased neurite sprouting and basal neuronal survival as assessed by at least a 1-fold increase in MAP2 immunoreactivity and a 2.5-fold increase in NeuN+ immunoreactivity. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that hCG can decrease HI-associated immature neural degeneration. The mechanism of action for this neuroprotective effect may partly involve inhibition of NMDA-dependent excitotoxic injury. This study supports the hypothesis that hCG during pregnancy has the potential for protecting the developing brain against HI, an important cerebral palsy risk factor.
PO013 Management of suspected herpes simplex virus encephalitis in a district general hospital – putting guidelines into practice?

There are clear national guidelines on the management of suspected herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis,1 but adherence has been suboptimal.2 We reviewed case notes of 22 adults who received acyclovir for suspected HSV encephalitis over a one-year period. 18 (82%) patients had a lumbar puncture (LP), which was delayed (>6 hours after clinical suspicion) in 12 (67%) of them. Median (range) time from when encephalitis was suspected to performing LP was 22 (1–168) hours. 21 (95%) patients had a CT scan prior to an LP; only 1 had contraindication to an immediate LP. 16 (73%) patients were started on acyclovir within 6 hours from when encephalitis was suspected. In other patients, acyclovir was delayed by between 12 to 72 hours. HSV-PCR (polymerase chain reaction) was sent in all cerebrospinal fluid samples and was positive in one. In this patient, HSV encephalitis was suspected late and her LP was delayed due to brain oedema. One patient had positive PCR for varicella zoster virus but there was no delay in LP or acyclovir. There is need for better awareness and implementation of guidelines. Improved LP training could expedite it being performed in a timely fashion. References 840 Solomon, T. 2012. 841 Backman, Ruth. 2015.
Multimodal Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms in Children: Clinical Case Series and Review of the Literature.

Background The management of intracranial aneurysms in the pediatric population presents unique challenges. Cases are rare and tend to be of higher complexity compared with aneurysms in adults. Outcomes in long-term follow-up are not well-characterized. Here we present illustrative case examples to demonstrate key concepts in managing these lesions in the context of the modern neurovascular era. Methods Four institutional databases of neurovascular procedures from 2012 to 2017 were reviewed. Patients Results Ten cases of intracranial aneurysms in 9 children were identified. Management included direct clipping, trapping and bypass, endovascular coil embolization, endovascular vessel sacrifice, and flow diversion. Conclusions The management of intracranial aneurysms in pediatric patients requires special considerations, from the diagnostic phase to treatment methods and follow-up regimen. These are ideally considered by a multidisciplinary team, with expertise from pediatric neurosurgeons, cerebrovascular neurosurgeons, and neurointerventionalists.
Alcohol Effects on the Aggressive Behaviour of Squirrel Monkeys and Mice are Modulated by Testosterone

A number of recent reviews of the literature have noted and critically examined the correlational statistics that link alcohol, more than any other drug, to a high incidence of violence and aggression (e.g. Brain 1986; Miczek 1987). The acute or chronic consumption of alcohol is associated with high rates of homicides, suicides, physical assaults toward others, especially family members and associates, and sexual assaults, particularly rape (e.g. Abel and Zeidenberg 1985; Corenblum 1983; Frankel et al. 1976; Johnson et al. 1978; Leonard et al. 1985; Rada 1975; Tinklenberg et al. 1974). These statistics focus attention on an extremely serious problem for which the environmental and social determinants have only begun to be studied and no neurobiological mechanisms have been identified.
Validation of a Dietary Screening Tool in a Middle-Aged Appalachian Population

Proactive nutrition screening is an effective public health strategy for identifying and targeting individuals who could benefit from making dietary improvements for primary and secondary prevention of disease. The Dietary Screening Tool (DST) was developed and validated to assess nutritional risk among rural older adults. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility and validity of the DST to identify nutritional risk in middle-aged adults. This cross-sectional study in middle-aged adults (45–64 year olds, n = 87) who reside in Appalachia, examined nutritional status using an online health survey, biochemical measures, anthropometry, and three representative 24-h dietary recalls. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) was calculated to describe overall diet quality. Adults identified by the DST with a nutrition risk had lower HEI scores (50 vs. 64, p < 0.001) and were much more likely to also be considered at dietary risk by the HEI (OR 11.6; 3.2–42.6) when compared to those not at risk. Those at risk had higher energy-adjusted total fat, saturated fat, and added sugar intakes and lower intakes of dietary fiber, and several micronutrients than those classified as not at risk by the DST. Similarly, the at-risk group had significantly lower serum levels of α-carotene, β-carotene, cryptoxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin but did not differ in retinol or methylmalonic acid compared with those not at risk. The DST is a valid tool to identify middle-aged adults with nutritional risk.
Deep EEG super-resolution: Upsampling EEG spatial resolution with Generative Adversarial Networks

Electroencephalography (EEG) activity contains a wealth of information about what is happening within the human brain. Recording more of this data has the potential to unlock endless future applications. However, the cost of EEG hardware is increasingly expensive based upon the number of EEG channels being recorded simultaneously. We combat this problem in this paper by proposing a novel deep EEG super­resolution (SR) approach based on Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). This approach can produce high spatial resolution EEG data from low resolution samples, by generating channel-wise upsampled data to effectively interpolate numerous missing channels, thus reducing the need for expensive EEG equipment. We tested the performance using an EEG dataset from a mental imagery task. Our proposed GAN model provided ∼104 fold and ∼102 fold reduction in mean-squared error (MSE) and mean-absolute error (MAE), respectively, over the baseline bicubic interpolation method. We further validate our method by training a classifier on the original classification task, which displayed minimal loss in accuracy while using the super-resolved data. The proposed SR EEG by GAN is a promising approach to improve the spatial resolution of low density EEG headset.
Let's Fix It: Fixed-b Asymptotics versus Small-b Asymptotics in Heteroskedasticity and Autocorrelation Robust Inference

In the presence of heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation of unknown forms, the covariance matrix of the parameter estimator is often estimated using a nonparametric kernel method that involves a lag truncation parameter. Depending on whether this lag truncation parameter is speci…ed to grow at a slower rate than or the same rate as the sample size, we obtain two types of asymptotic approximations: the small-b asymptotics and the …xed-b asymptotics. Using techniques for probability distribution approximation and high order expansions, this paper shows that the …xed-b asymptotic approximation provides a higher order re…nement to the …rst order small-b asymptotics. This result provides a theoretical justi…cation on the use of the …xed-b asymptotics in empirical applications. On the basis of the …xed-b asymptotics and higher order small-b asymptotics, the paper introduces a new and easy-to-use asymptotic F test that employs a …nite sample corrected Wald statistic and uses an F-distribution as the reference distribution. Finally, the paper develops a bandwidth selection rule that is testing-optimal in that the bandwidth minimizes the type II error of the asymptotic F test while controlling for its type I error. Monte Carlo simulations show that the asymptoticF test with the testing-optimal bandwidth works very well in …nite samples.
A utility‐based Bayesian phase I–II design for immunotherapy trials with progression‐free survival end point

Immunotherapy has been hailed as the biggest breakthrough for treating cancer since the first development of chemotherapy. The new features of immunotherapy make the traditional clinical trial paradigm increasingly inefficient and dysfunctional. We propose a Bayesian phase I–II design for immunotherapy trials called BDFIT to find the optimal biological dose (OBD). We jointly model the toxicity outcome, progression‐free survival (PFS) and immune response. PFS and toxicity are used as the primary end points to determine the OBD, whereas the immune response is used as an ancillary end point to screen out futile doses quickly and to predict the PFS when needed. A utility function is formulated to account for the risk–benefit trade‐off and to quantify the desirability of the dose. During the trial, based on accumulating data, the estimates of the model and dose desirability are continuously updated and used to guide the dose assignment and to select the OBD. The simulation study shows that the BDFIT design has desirable operating characteristics.
Disorder in the Court: Cluster B Personality Disorders in United States Case Law.

Previous research has shown that antisocial, borderline, narcissistic and histrionic personality disorders, also known as the Cluster B personality disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manua...
Karst and Sustainability

The modern sustainability movement focuses on the maintenance of a sound human society while sustaining healthy environments, sound economic systems, and social justice. Several major themes in this movement emerged in recent years including the development of sustainability indices and benchmarking tools that evaluate an individual or organizational environmental footprint. Such measurements take into account a variety of factors including energy use, water consumption, building practices, transportation, economic health, social variables, and innovative practices to preserve and protect the environment and natural resources. There are a number of ways that the study of karst landscapes intersects with sustainability assessments. Karst should be considered when measuring the sustainability of energy resources, water supply, building materials, agricultural and food practices, land preservation and management, tourism, and greenhouse gas management. Specifically, this chapter discusses how karst contributes to sustainability and sustainable development and highlights instances where the current use of karst landscapes may be unsustainable.
Dyslexia in Bilinguals

Bilingualism may be viewed as an experiment of nature given to the neurolinguist, not unlike agenesis of the corpus callosum, in order to clarify questions of brain-language correlations. Thus I approach the study of alexia in bilinguals with the assumption that it will tell about hew the brain handles reading, in monolinguals as well as bilinguals. For example, using monolingual subjects it has proven impossible so far to determine whether, in the early stages of reading, at the letter identification stage, there is phonological processing going on in addition to letter name labeling. If one studies bilingual subjects who read two alphabets which share phonemes, but not graphic representations of them, as Shanon and Balzano (1980) have done with Hebrew-English readers, one can determine whether the phonological or the naming characteristics are primary, and the extent to which they interact.
An Anonymous Self-Stabilizing Algorithm for 1-Maximal Matching in Trees.

We present an anonymous self-stabilizing algorithm for finding a 1-maximal matching in trees, and rings of length not divisible by 3. We show that the algorithm converges in O(n) moves under an arbitrary central daemon.
Compressive Sensing on Storage Data: An Effective Solution to Alleviate I/0 Bottleneck in Data- Intensive Workloads

The gap between computation speed and I/O access on modern computing systems imposes processing limitations in data-intensive applications. Employing high-end memory has proven not to enhance the performance for I/O bound applications, given the low utilization of memory bandwidth in such applications, as highlighted in recent studies. Despite several solutions to improve the performance of storage, none of them is able to shift the bottleneck from the I/O access to the memory subsystem for I/O bound applications. In this paper, we show that in the case of data-intensive multimedia applications, by using Compressive Sensing (CS), a lossy data compression method, the bottleneck is lifted from the storage, increasing the bandwidth utilization of the memory to gain further performance improvement from a high-end memory. The reconstruction of compressed data is however time and memory consuming. To address this challenge, we employ and compare the hardware and software acceleration of Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP), a greedy algorithm, which solves the problem by choosing the most significant variable to reduce the least square error. Our implementation results show that CS increases memory bandwidth utilization by 1.4x and using high bandwidth memory results in 24% performance improvement. Overall, the proposed solution of CS of storage data with FPGA accelerator achieves up to 45% speedup in an end-to-end implementation by only 4.6% accuracy degradation.
Of Mice or Men: Management of Federally Funded Innovation Portfolios With Real Options Analysis

The aerospace industry is a rich source of innovation and novel technologies. However, structural drivers, such as product complexity and stringent performance requirements, inhibit the uptake of new technologies and present challenges to portfolio management specific to technology-rich environments. Although project risk is often managed through staged funding processes associated with intermediate milestones, this process is typically decoupled from portfolio valuation. In this paper, we use a simple real options binomial tree model to value the National Aeronautics and Space Administration portfolio funded through the Small Business Innovation Research program, accounting quantitatively for the funding stages and future opportunities accompanying technology infusion. For the 2009 portfolio, the average net project investment is $166k, suggesting the important role that early-stage funding plays in launching innovation efforts. We study the staged architecture to offer insight to managers of commercial and public portfolios alike.
Passive Demonstrations of Light-Based Robot Signals for Improved Human Interpretability

When mobile robots navigate crowded, human-populated environments, the potential for conflict arises in the form of intersecting trajectories. This study investigates the use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged along the chassis of a robot in an arrangement similar to a turn signal on a car as a non-anthropomorphic, yet familiar signal to convey the intended path of a mobile service robot. We study the scenario of a human and a robot heading directly toward each other in a hallway, which may give rise to the familiar human experience in which both parties step to the right, then the left, then the right, continuing to block each other's paths until they are able to coordinate their movements and pass each other. We conducted a pilot study which revealed that people do not always interpret this signal as one may expect, which would be similar to how a car uses its turn signal. This motivated a 2 × 2 experiment in which the robot either does or does not use LEDs to indicate its intended direction of travel, and in which study participants either are able to or unable to witness the robot's “lane-changing” behavior further down the hallway prior to coming into direct proximal contact with the robot. The results demonstrate that exposing participants to the robot's use of the LED signal only once prior to passing each other in the hallway is sufficient to disambiguate its meaning to the user, and thus greatly enhances its utility in-situ, with no direct instruction or training to the user. These findings suggest a paradigm of passive demonstration of such signals in future applications.
Internet Webcams Provide Opportunities for College Student Research on Animal Behavior and Ecology: An Example with Birds

Live-streaming Internet webcams focused on animal subjects generally are targeted at public audiences, but have the potential to be utilized by college students for studies on animal behavior and ecology. I describe how a bird feeder webcam provided a flexible and quality visual interface for students to record video samples for an ornithology class research project. Details on the operational aspects of the webcam are provided, and factors to be considered in evaluating webcams for potential student research are discussed.
Smartphone Use and Interest in a Spine Surgery Recovery Mobile Application Among Patients in a US Academic Neurosurgery Practice.

BACKGROUND Mobile applications (apps) are serving an increasingly important role in healthcare for patients and providers alike. In addition to streamlining active communication of patient-reported outcomes regarding quality of life, pain, and opioid consumption, smartphones equipped with activity tracking afford the opportunity to passively and objectively measure mobility, a key metric of recovery in spine surgery. However, app development is a resource-intensive process. OBJECTIVE To survey adult neurosurgery patients regarding access to and interest in this platform. METHODS In June and July 2017, a paper-based anonymous survey was distributed to patients in the waiting room of the adult neurosurgery clinic of a large US academic medical center. Patients' smartphone use and interest in using a mobile app following spine surgery were the primary and secondary outcomes, respectively. RESULTS Of 146 included responses, 102 patients (70%) regularly used a smartphone, and this number increased to 77% among patients with a history of spine surgery (n = 66, 45% of respondents). Seventy-one percent of patients with previous spine surgery expressed an interest in using a postoperative monitoring and communication app, compared to 81% of patients without prior spine operations (n = 80, 55%). CONCLUSION Among neurosurgery patients, there is a high level of access to and interest in smartphone apps to aid postoperative recovery. These results are useful for other neurosurgeons considering mobile app development for this purpose.
As If I Am There: A New Video Chat Interface Design for Richer Contextual Awareness

We introduce a novel video chat interface with a 360° photo as background in order to offer richer contextual and background information. We conduct a preliminary user evaluation in a lab setting. Paired participants were randomly assigned to two conditions, using regular interface or 360° photo interface. Each pair video chatted in pairs, then completed a post-study survey and answered several questions about their experience. Participants reported to have less behavioral interdependence and more inclusion using 360° photo video chat interface. They also reported having strong interest in employing it in long-distance intimate relationship, and made some suggestions for design iterations.
Indeterminate-Depth Burn Injury—Exploring the Uncertainty

In the management of indeterminate-depth burns (IDB), common challenges include the ability to predict time to healing and regenerative potential, risk of burn wound progression, and timing of excision. Several technologies exist to aid in determination of the depth of a burn injury, yet surgeons continue to rely on the naked eye-visual assessment-as the standard of care. Newer and improved imaging technologies are closing in on the goal of inexpensive, accurate, noninvasive modalities for depth determination. Likewise, management of IDB is becoming more sophisticated as newer wound healing technologies continue to be developed. By describing what is meant by "indeterminate" depth burns, and their associated challenges, we hope to stimulate interest in research to develop new therapies and management strategies. The ultimate goal is to treat IDB without the need for autografts.
Shame, Sin, Mental Illness, and a Feminist Theology of Agency

AbstractTraditional theology demonstrates pervasive failure not only to distinguish shame from guilt but also to distinguish sin from illness. A profoundly harmful effect of these entanglements is ...
Sovereign Citizens in Court

Chapter six explores the behavior of sovereign citizens in court. Many defendants, who claim to be sovereign citizens, refuse to participate in the legal proceedings and or espouse unusual beliefs that may appear to be delusional in nature. Research about mental health and competency issues will be reviewed. Court records are used to elucidate and identify, some of the more common courtroom tactics used by sovereign citizens.
Guidance Documents: The Sirens of the Cannabis Odyssey

The growing cannabis industry in the United States has presented both economic opportunity and legal complexity. States that allow medical or recreational cannabis conflict with federal regulations and lawyers who represent cannabis businesses are caught in an ethical maze. This article discusses an often-overlooked cause of this complexity: guidance documents from the Department of Justice. The rapid growth of the cannabis industry correlates with a series of memos issued by the Department of Justice, one of which is known as the “Cole Memorandum”, and all of which have been rescinded. The ambiguities and shortcomings of current administrative law have played a large part in creating the confusing legal status of the cannabis industry. Resolutions must reflect this reality to adequately address the ethical, financial, and legal problems in the cannabis industry.
Abstract 2798: CD73 suppresses anti-cancer immunity and promotes glycolysis, resulting in poor prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

CD73 is a cell surface enzyme involved in adenosine metabolism by converting extracellular adenosine-triphosphate to adenosine together with CD39. Accumulated extracellular adenosine is known to play pro-cancer role, by promoting angiogenesis, leading immune suppression, accelerating tumor growth, and metastasis in some types of malignancies. However, its role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. In this study, we investigated clinical significance and possible roles of CD73 in PDAC by bioinformatical using publicly available cohorts (TCGA, E-MTAB, ICGC) and experimental approaches using murine pancreatic and human pancreatic cancer cells. First, we found that PDAC patients with high CD73 expression showed worse prognosis in all three PDAC patient cohorts (overall survival (OS) in TCGA; P=0.002, disease-free survival (DFS) in TCGA; P=0.012, E-MTAB; P Citation Format: Eriko Katsuta, Mariko Asaoka, Tao Dai, Li Yan, Subhamoy Dasgupta, Kazuaki Takabe. CD73 suppresses anti-cancer immunity and promotes glycolysis, resulting in poor prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2798.
Building Bridges: Primary Care and Mental Health Providers’ Perspectives on a Behavioral Health Collaborative Intervention Among Underserved Populations

Behavioral health interventions that support low-income children and their families in under-resourced communities have a positive impact on child development; however, few interventions exist that highlight approaches providers use to contribute to this positive development. To identify key strategies used by pediatric primary care physicians (PCP) and specialty mental health providers to improve access to and engagement in mental health services for low-income children and their families engaged in behavioral health services. Using the inductive constant comparative approach, researchers conducted 11 semistructured interviews with six PCPs, one staff member from a federally qualified health center (FQHC), and three mental health providers and one staff member from two local mental health clinics. Three main themes were identified that were used by PCPs and specialty mental health providers to improve access to and engagement in mental health services for low-income children and their families. These themes highlight how PCPs and specialty mental health providers engage in critical strategies to support their efforts to improve access to and engagement in mental health services for low-income children and their families. The present study offers evidence that identifying effective strategies for providers to improve access to and engagement in mental health services for low-income children and their families is an important step toward the national priority of integrating mental and behavioral health services into pediatric primary care.