cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The classification game: combining supervised learning and language evolution

We study the emergence of shared representations in a population of agents engaged in a supervised classification task, using a model called the classification game. We connect languages with tasks by treating the agents’ classification hypothesis space as an information channel. We show that by learning through the classification game, agents can implicitly perform complexity regularisation, which improves generalisation. Improved generalisation also means that the languages that emerge are well adapted to the given task. The improved language-task fit springs from the interplay of two opposing forces: the dynamics of collective learning impose a preference for simple representations, while the intricacy of the classification task imposes a pressure towards representations that are more complex. The push–pull of these two forces results in the emergence of a shared representation that is simple but not too simple. Our agents use artificial neural networks to solve the classification tasks they face, and a simple counting algorithm to learn a language as a form-meaning mapping. We present several experiments to demonstrate that both compositional and holistic languages can emerge in our system. We also demonstrate that the agents avoid overfitting on noisy data, and can learn some very difficult tasks through interaction, which they are unable to learn individually. Further, when the agents use simple recurrent networks to solve temporal classification tasks, we see the emergence of a rudimentary grammar, which does not have to be explicitly learned.
High resolution InP via holes for millimeter wave device applications

A Cl/sub 2/:HBr:BCl/sub 3/:Ar-based reactive ion etch process capable of producing high resolution via holes in InP has been developed. Tapered sidewall profiles are obtained using this process as a result of controlled photoresist mask erosion at an optimized etch condition. To demonstrate feasibility of this process for millimeter wave device applications, single-doped AlInAs/GaInAs/InP HEMTs with individually grounded source finger vias have been fabricated.
Non-linear interaction of binaural stimuli

Nonlinear interaction in the acoustic brainstem response can be demonstrated by subtracting the response to binaural stimulation from the sum of responses to monaural stimulation. The resulting binaural difference waveform is nonflat during peaks IV and/or V of the acoustic brainstem response. The nonlinearity probably arises at some neural elements which lie in the ascending auditory brainstem and which receive inputs from both ears. The growth of the binaural difference was tested in rats under an increasing-stimulus-level series and the results were compared with the responses of two hypothetical models that can account for the binaural difference generation. The data are in good agreement with one of the models, which assumes that binaural difference is generated from contralateral inhibition under binaural stimulation. >
PsfR, a factor that stimulates psbAI expression in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942.

In this paper a gene (psfR) is reported that regulates psbAI activity in Synechococcus elongatus, a unicellular photoautotrophic cyanobacterium that carries out oxygenic (plant-type) photosynthesis and exhibits global circadian regulation of gene expression. In S. elongatus, a family of three psbA genes encodes the D1 protein of the photosystem II reaction centre. Overexpression of psfR results in increased expression of psbAI, but does not affect the circadian timing of psbAI expression. psfR overexpression affected some, but not all of the genes routinely surveyed for circadian expression. PsfR acts (directly or indirectly) on the psbAI basal promoter region. psfR knockout mutants exhibit wild-type psbAI expression, suggesting that other factors can regulate psbAI expression in the absence of functional PsfR. PsfR contains two receiver-like domains (found in bacterial two-component signal transduction systems), one of which lacks the conserved aspartyl residue required for phosphoryl transfer. PsfR also contains a GGDEF domain. The presence of these domains and the absence of a detectable conserved DNA-binding domain suggest that PsfR may regulate psbAI expression via protein–protein interactions or GGDEF activity (the production of cyclic dinucleotides) rather than direct interaction with the psbAI promoter.
The human cytochrome b561 gene (CYB561) is located at 17q11-qter.

Cytochrome b561 is a major transmembrane protein that is specific to catacholamine and neuropeptide secretory vesicles of the adrenal medulla, pituitary gland, and other neuroendocrine tissues. This 30-kDa cytochrome is present in both the small synaptic vesicles and the large dense core vesicles (chromaffin granules) of the tissues. In this paper, we report that the human gene encoding cytochrome b561 (CYB561; GenBank Accession No. U06715) is localized to 17q11-qter.
Viral determinants of age-dependent virulence of Sindbis virus for mice.

Many alphaviruses cause more severe disease in young animals than in older animals. The age-dependent resistance to severe disease is determined primarily by maturation of the host, but strains of virus can be selected that overcome the increased resistance of mature animals. Sindbis virus (SV) strain AR339 causes fatal encephalitis in newborn mice and nonfatal encephalitis in weanling mice, whereas NSV, a neuroadapted strain of SV, causes fatal encephalitis in weanling as well as newborn mice. We have previously shown that the E2 glycoprotein of NSV contained His-55, whereas AR339 E2 had Gln-55 (S. Lustig, A. C. Jackson, C. S. Hahn, D. E. Griffin, E. G. Strauss, and J. H. Strauss, J. Virol. 62:2329-2336, 1988) and that SV with E2 containing Gly-172 was more virulent for newborn mice than SV with E2 containing Arg-172 (P. C. Tucker and D. E. Griffin, J. Virol. 65:1551-1557, 1991). Here we tested the vinrlence for both newborn and older mice of SV containing a number of different amino acids at E2 position 55 (His, Gln, Lys, Arg, Glu, Gly) in combination with both Gly-172 and Arg-172. All the viruses were virulent for newborn mice, but the residues at both 55 and 172 influenced the virulence of the virus, and there were differences in virulence observed among the various viruses. However, only viruses with His-55 were fully virulent for 14-day-old mice, and this virulence was independent of the residue at position 172. Virus with Lys-55 was virulent for 7-day-old mice, although slightly attenuated relative to His-55. Viruses with His-55 grew more rapidly and to higher titer in the brains of 7- and 14-day-old mice, in N18 neuroblastoma cells, and in BHK cells. Our data suggest that His-55 is important for neurovinrulence in older mice and acts by increasing the efficiency of virus replication.
Wham: Identifying Structural Variants of Biological Consequence.

Existing methods for identifying structural variants (SVs) from short read datasets are inaccurate. This complicates disease-gene identification and efforts to understand the consequences of genetic variation. In response, we have created Wham (Whole-genome Alignment Metrics) to provide a single, integrated framework for both structural variant calling and association testing, thereby bypassing many of the difficulties that currently frustrate attempts to employ SVs in association testing. Here we describe Wham, benchmark it against three other widely used SV identification tools–Lumpy, Delly and SoftSearch–and demonstrate Wham’s ability to identify and associate SVs with phenotypes using data from humans, domestic pigeons, and vaccinia virus. Wham and all associated software are covered under the MIT License and can be freely downloaded from github (https://github.com/zeeev/wham), with documentation on a wiki (http://zeeev.github.io/wham/). For community support please post questions to https://www.biostars.org/.
Reduction in homologous blood transfusions using a low prime circuit

Due to a low estimated blood volume, small adults (weight less than 70 kg) undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are at highest risk for low hematocrit and homologous blood transfusion (HBT). To determine whether reductions in HBT could be achieved we compared the use of a low prime circuit (1400 ml) with our standard (2200 ml) cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuit. Eighty consecutive adult patients (>age 18, <70 kg) undergoing non-emergent CPB were randomly divided into two groups. Group LP (n=40) was the low prime group and group SP (n=40) was the standard prime group. In Group LP, either of two low prime hollow fiber membrane oxygenators with a 3/ 8 X 3/8 inch A-V loop were utilized. Alternately, in Group SP, a larger membrane oxygenator with a 3/ 8 X 1/2 A-V loop was utilized. Circuits and CPB management were otherwise identical. Excluded from the study were those patients who had bleeding disorders, reoperations, ejection fractions of less than 30% and history of cerebral vascular insufficiency. Patients were closely matched for age, BSA, gender, preoperative risk and procedure. Mean weight (kg) was less in Group LP (59.2 vs 62.2, P<0.02). Pre-CPB hematocrits (HCT) were similar in both groups. Initial on CPB HCT was higher in Group LP (19.8 vs 18.4, P<0.04). Group LP had a higher frequency of initial on CPB HCTs of 20% or greater (55% vs 33%, P<0.04). Group LP had a lower packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusion rate on CPB (0.4 vs 0.9 units, P<0.03). Group LP had higher percentage of patients that did not require transfusion on CPB (78% vs 55%, P<0.03). Despite fewer transfusions, Group LP had a higher post CPB HCT (20.6 vs 19.3, P<0.04). A trend was noted with a lower total PRBC transfusion rate in Group LP (1.9 vs 2.4, P=.10). During the entire length of stay, fewer Group LP patients required any homologous transfusion (26/40 versus 34/40, P <0.04). Chest drainage, 24 hour HCT and discharge HCT were similar in both groups. Transfusion of platelets, fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate was similar in both groups. There were no deaths in either group. Patients with low blood volume are at high risk of homologous transfusion when undergoing CPB. A significant reduction in prime volume appears to be safe, simple and reduces HBTs in these individuals. Prime reduction should be part of a comprehensive multi-modality blood conservation program.
Response: The Limits of Our Practices

Responding to Professor Hauerwas' essay: “The Church and The Mentally Handicapped,” this paper interacts with several of the points made. Specifically, the notion of Christian community, justificat...
Mycoplasmal Studies in Infectious Mononucleosis

SummaryMycoplasma flora of the pharynx and anterior oral pool of 16 patients with early infectious mononucleosis did not differ significantly from that of 12 controls. Patient-derived strains of M. pharyngis, M. salivarium, M. hominis, and T-strain mycoplasma were employed in metabolic inhibition antibody tests of paired and single sera from patients and controls. The only difference observed was the presence of MI antibody titers of ≥1:4 to M. pharyngis in 40% of 42 patientsapos; sera compared to 14% to 22 sera from controls. Antibody responses to mycoplasmas were not observed during the course of illness.
Nonlinear Optimal Robot Hand-Eye Calibration

Nonlinear optimal robot hand-eye calibration based on maximum likelihood estimation is proposed.For the errors in both robot forward position kinematics and camera extrinsic calibration,the classical hand-eye transformation matrix equation often gets violated,thus the existing robot hand-eye calibration algorithms derived from the equation are sensitive to the measurement noise.The proposed strategy estimates the hand-eye transformation and the true measurements according to the noisy measurements to guarantee that the true measurements satisfy the hand-eye equation and the distance to the noisy measurements is minimal.Two classical hand-eye calibration methods are also implemented for comparison.Numerical simulations and real robot hand-eye calibration experiment are performed and the results show the proposed strategy has higher accuracy,sensitivity to motion numbers,and stability.
Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

C.S. is an older patient who presents to your office for an annual well visit. C.S. was advised by a relative, who is a physician, to be screened for an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
Uniformly most powerful distributed detection and its application in cooperative spectrum sensing

In this paper, a special class of distributed composite binary hypothesis testing problem with monotonic likelihood ratio is investigated. The sensor observations are assumed to be conditionally independent given a fixed but unknown parameter θ where θ ∈ Θ 1 under the H 1 hypothesis and θ = θ 0 under the H 0 hypothesis. The optimal form of sensor decision rule is established under both the Neyman-Pearson and Bayesian criteria. As an illustrative example, the design of an optimal cognitive radio rule for cooperative spectrum sensing is established.
Evolution of Visual Attention in Primates

Selective attention refers to the ability to voluntarily prioritize information that is chosen from competing inputs and is therefore different from the reflexive orienting to salient events in the environment. While orienting responses are mediated by the midbrain and are present in many species outside the mammalian line including reptiles, amphibians, and birds, the neural machinery needed for selective processing recruits a large-scale thalamocortical network. This network has primarily been studied in nonhuman and human primates and has emphasized the visual domain. We review the principles of attentional modulation in the primate visual system as well as the principles of attentional control exerted by higher-order cortex and the thalamus, emphasizing both commonalities and differences in mechanisms observed in the human and nonhuman primate brain.
Diazoalkanes in Low-Coordinate Iron Chemistry: Bimetallic Diazoalkyl and Alkylidene Complexes of Iron(II)

The addition of (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane and its conjugate base to iron β-diketiminate precursors gives novel dinuclear complexes in which the bridges are either diazomethane derivatives or an alkylidene. One product is an unusual bridging alkylidene complex containing two three-coordinate iron(II) centers. On the other hand, syntheses using the deprotonated diazomethane give two bridging diazomethyl species with binding modes that have not been observed in iron complexes previously. In the presence of a coordinating tetrahydrofuran solvent, a diiron(II) compound with μ-N bridges rearranges to a more stable isomer with μ-N,C bridges, a process that is accompanied by a 1,3-shift of a silyl group.
Errors in Computing the Normalized Protein Catabolic Rate due to Use of Single-pool Urea Kinetic Modeling or to Omission of the Residual Kidney Urea Clearance

Objectives The protein catabolic rate normalized to body size (PCRn) often is computed in dialysis units to obtain information about protein ingestion. However, errors can manifest when inappropriate modeling methods are used. Methods We used a variable volume 2-pool urea kinetic model to examine the percent errors in PCRn due to use of a 1-pool urea kinetic model or after omission of residual urea clearance (Kru). Results When a single-pool model was used, 2 sources of errors were identified. The first, dependent on the ratio of dialyzer urea clearance to urea distribution volume (K/V), resulted in a 7% inflation of the PCRn when K/V was in the range of 6 mL/min per L. A second, larger error appeared when Kt/V values were below 1.0 and was related to underestimation of urea distribution volume (due to overestimation of effective clearance) by the single-pool model. A previously reported prediction equation for PCRn was valid, but data suggest that it should be modified using 2-pool eKt/V and V coefficients instead of single-pool values. A third source of error, this one unrelated to use of a single-pool model, namely omission of Kru, was shown to result in an underestimation of PCRn, such that each ml/minute Kru per 35 L of V caused a 5.6% underestimate in PCRn. Conclusions Marked overestimation of PCRn can result due to inappropriate use of a single-pool urea kinetic model, particularly when Kt/V
What Is the Difference? Public Funding of For-Profit, Not-For-Profit, and Public Institutions

Postsecondary education in the United States is provided by for-profit, not-for-profit, and public institutions. A majority of students at the baccalaureate and above levels are enrolled at not-for-profit and public institutions, but a growing percentage are enrolled at for-profit institutions. This changing balance raises questions about the differences among the types of institutions and the public funding available to each. This paper outlines the legal and financial distinctions including the differences related to the requirement to serve the public good, access to revenue sources, and the applicability of the nondistribution constraint. The influence of these differences on students, particularly students who are eligible to receive Pell Grants and other public funding is discussed. The mixed-form market literature is used to inform a discussion of possible future developments. Implications of the public funding of for-profit postsecondary education are discussed.
Molecular dynamics study of wettability and pitch effects on maximum critical heat flux in evaporation and pool boiling heat transfer

ABSTRACTMolecular dynamics simulations were employed to investigate the effects of wettability (contact angle) and pitch on nanoscale evaporation and pool boiling heat transfer of a liquid argon thin film on a horizontal copper substrate topped with cubic nano-pillars. The liquid–solid potential was incrementally altered to vary the contact angle between hydrophilic (∼0°) and hydrophobic (∼127°), and the pitch (distance between nano-pillars) was varied between 21.7 and 106.6 A to observe the resultant effect on boiling heat transfer enhancement. For each contact angle, the superheat was gradually increased to initiate nucleate boiling and eventually pass the critical heat flux (CHF) into the film boiling regime. The CHF increases with pitch, and tends to decrease substantially with increasing contact angle. A maximum overall heat flux of 1.59 × 108 W/m2 occurs at the largest pitch investigated (106.6 A), and as the contact angle increases the superheat required to reach the CHF condition also increases. F...
Webbed left atrial septal pouch—A new anatomical variant

Atrial septal pouch is a recently described anatomical entity. We describe webbed left atrial septal pouch (LSP), a new variant in the spectrum of fusion of septum primum and septum secundum. In the continuum of the natural history of atrial septal closure from patent foramen ovale (PFO) to complete fusion of the septum, we propose the septal anatomy in our patient to be secondary to partially developed adhesions or septa. Potential association of LSP with stroke due to in situ thrombosis and atrial fibrillation has been described. Recognition of septal anatomy is vital to avoid complications related to transseptal puncture.
MAXIMUM BREAKER HEIGHT

Based on a re-evaluation of available experimental data on breaking waves, a relationship between the breaker height-breaking depth ratio, the incident wave steepness and the beach slope is found. This relationship, when combined with experimental observations of breaker travel, permits an estimate of the maximum breaking wave height a coastal structure might experience given a design wave period and design depth at the structure site. Breaker-type classification according to inshore and offshore parameters as presently defined cannot be reconciled to observations of the relationship between breaker-height index, wave steepness and beach slope. Revised criteria for breaker classification are presented.
Alterations of Mesenchymal and Endothelial Cells in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

The pathogenesis of complex chronic diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can no longer be viewed as a one-way street in which classical immune cells have exclusive control over the initiation, duration and outcome of the disease. There is enough experimental evidence to demonstrate that nonimmune cells, among which are mucosal mesenchymal and endothelial cells, also play a decisive role by interacting with immune cells and establishing a two-way reciprocal exchange of signals and responses that dictate the ultimate outcome of inflammation. Smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts/myofibroblasts display a variety of immune functions and modulate the activity and survival of T-cells. Mucosal microvascular cells, through the expression of adhesion molecules and secretion of chemokines, regulate the quantity and quality of leukocytes transmigrating into the interstitial space. A number of receptor-ligand pairs are expressed by immune and nonimmune cells that control their functional interplay, but the CD40/CD40 ligand system may be the most effective because CD40 is expressed by activated muscle and endothelial cells, while the CD40 ligand is expressed by activated T-cells and platelets. The activation of this system in IBD can lead to the establishment of a continuous cycle of nonimmune cell-dependent, antigen-independent interactions that perpetuates gut inflammation.
Emotions and motivation on performance during multimedia learning: how do i feel and why do i care?

This experiment examined the role of emotion and motivation on metacognitive judgments and learning performance during multimedia learning. A false-biofeedback paradigm was used to induce emotional states and track learners' metacognitive monitoring and control behaviors in a self-paced, linearly structured multimedia learning environment. Our results indicate that induced emotional states significantly impact these processes in college students. We will discuss the implications for these findings on the design of intelligent tutoring systems and multimedia learning environments to help learners achieve optimal self-regulation and deep learning.
Managing an unpopular opinion in a controversial political issue discussion

Controversial political issues are, by definition and design, places where students engage with others holding differing opinions. Yet classrooms often reflect U.S. society, which is increasingly s...
Cascaded Step-Growth Polymerization for Functional Polyamides with Diverse Architectures and Stimuli Responsive Characteristics.

Thiolactone ring opening and disulfide-thiol exchange were rationally coupled to develop a cascaded step-growth polymerization methodology for preparation of degradable polyamides. A variety of functionalities can be readily incorporated on to these polyamides by pre- and postpolymerization reactions. The polymers can be degraded into small molecules in the presence of biologically relevant reducing agents via backbone degradation, the kinetics of which is tunable. In addition to the redox-based chemical stimulus, the polyamides are also sensitive to light and enzymes, thus, exhibiting concurrent sensitivity to chemical, physical, and biological stimuli.
Study of crystalline defect induced optical scattering loss inside photonic waveguides in UV-visible spectral wavelengths using volume current method.

In this work, we study the crystalline defect induced optical scattering loss inside photonic waveguide. Volume current method is implemented with a close form of dyadic Green’s function derived. More specifically, threading dislocation induced scattering loss inside AlN waveguides in UV–visible spectrum wavelengths are studied since this material is intrinsically accompanied with high densities of dislocations (typically on order of 108–1010cm−2). The results from this study reveal that threading dislocations contribute significant amount of scattering loss when material is not MOCVD grown. Additionally, the scattering loss is strongly dependent on polarization and waveguide geometries: TM modes exhibit higher scattering loss compared with TE modes, and the multimode large core waveguides are more susceptible to threading dislocations compared with single mode waveguides and high-aspect-ratio waveguides. Conclusions from this work can be supported by several recently published investigations on III-N based photonic devices. The model derived from this work can also be easily altered to fit other material systems with other types of crystalline defects.
Towards Musculoskeletal Simulation-Aware Fall Injury Mitigation: Transfer Learning with Deep CNN for Fall Detection

This paper presents early work on a fall detection method using transfer learning method, in conjunction with a long-term effort to combine efficient machine learning and prior personalized musculoskeletal modeling to deploy fall injury mitigation in geriatric subjects. Inspired by the tremendous progress in image-based object recognition with deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs), we opt for a pre-trained kinematics-based machine learning approach through existing large-scale annotated accelerometry datasets. The accelerometry datasets are converted to images using time-frequency analysis, based on scalograms, by computing the continuous wavelet transform filter bank. Subsequently, data augmentation is performed on these scalogram images to increase accuracy, thereby complementing limited labeled fall sensor data, enabling transfer learning from the existing pre-trained model. The experimental results on publicly available URFD datasets demonstrate that transfer learning leads to a better performance than the existing methods in the case of scarce labeled training data.
Quantitative Analysis of the Impacts of Out-of-Sequence Work on Project Performance

AbstractAlthough out-of-sequence work (OOS) is often cited as a recurring challenge that impacts project performance, it has not been fully addressed in the existing literature as a standalone topi...
Reducing Barriers: Integrated Collaboration for Transgender Clients

Transgender clients encounter substantial barriers in accessing mental health and medical care services due to discrimination, lack of provider knowledge, and limited collaboration between physicia...
Numerical study on the optimised design of mooring truncated systems for different ocean basins

Experimental tests are an important source of information for the design of floating production systems. Worldwide, there are few ocean basins with capabilities to reproduce ultra-deep-water scenar...
Airway foreign bodies in pediatric patients: An analysis of composition and age via HCUP KID.

Abstract Objective To compare outcomes for children food and non-food airway foreign body (AFB) diagnoses and to compare outcomes for patients age Methods Data from 2016 HCUP KID was used to compare outcomes for food and non-food AFB diagnoses based on location in the larynx, trachea, bronchus, and whole group (including these three specified locations and location unspecified). Outcomes were also compared for children aged Results 2973 patients were included. 49.1% were less than 2 years old, the remainder (50.9%) were between 2 and 20 years old. Food AFBs made up 26.0% and 74.0% were other specified non-food AFBs. Overall mortality was 3.7%, and 3.8% underwent tracheotomy. Children with non-food AFBs were significantly older, had significantly longer median LOS, and higher median total charges, when compared to food AFBs. Non-food AFBs had a significantly higher likelihood of tracheotomy. Patients aged 2 or more years with bronchial AFBs had significantly higher total charges, LOS, and APR-DRG risk mortality and severity than Conclusion AFBs remain a serious health concern, especially non-food objects in older children which have elevated risks.
Exploring Decentralized Collaboration in Heterogeneous Edge Training

Recent progress in deep learning techniques enabled collaborative edge training, which usually deploys identical neural network models globally on multiple devices for aggregating parameter updates over distributed data collection. However, as more and more heterogeneous edge devices are involved in practical training, the identical model deployment over collaborative edge devices cannot be guaranteed: On one hand, the weak edge devices with less computation resources may not catch up stronger ones’ training progress, and appropriate local model training customization is necessary to balance the collaboration. On the other hand, a particular local edge device may have specific learning task preference, while the global identical model would exceed the practical local demand and cause unnecessary computation cost. Therefore, we explored the collaborative learning with heterogeneous convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in this work, expecting to address aforementioned real problems. Specifically, we proposed a novel decentralized collaborative training method by decoupling a training target CNN model into independently trainable sub-models correspond to a sub-set of learning tasks for each edge device. After sub-models are well-trained on edge nodes, the model parameters for individual learning tasks can be harvested from local models on every edge device and ensemble the global training model back to a single piece. Experiments demonstrate that, for the AlexNet and VGG on the CIFAR10, CIFAR100 and KWS dataset, our decentralized training method can save up to 11.8× less computation load while achieve central sever test accuracy.
An eDNA diagnostic test to detect a rare, secretive marsh bird

Abstract We describe a novel method to detect a rare, secretive marsh bird using environmental DNA (eDNA). The Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis) occurs in visually concealing habitats and is most commonly surveyed by auditory callback. This method does not detect unresponsive individuals, is constrained seasonally and temporally, and requires significant personnel effort. New minimally invasive detection methods are needed to determine distribution and habitat use of this threatened species. We developed a highly species-specific quantitative PCR assay. We conducted callback surveys targeting Black Rails at sites on the mid-Atlantic coastal plain to collect samples for validation of eDNA diagnostics. Our assay reliably produced a signal when sufficient copies of Black Rail template were present. We successfully amplified Black Rail eDNA from 47% of the environmental samples taken from locations with detections. We tested whether environmental factors (water depth, salinity, air temperature), or sampling and handling procedures (time between collection and DNA extraction, storage temperature before filtering, field detection method, time between detection and sample collection) affected eDNA detectability. Only water depth had a significant positive effect on amplification success, emphasizing the importance of small pools as reservoirs of eDNA for terrestrial vertebrates. Our technique can be used in combination with other conservation strategies such as measuring occupancy in conjunction with habitat restoration efforts and resurveying coastal marshes after extreme weather events. It is adaptable to other elusive species of concern.
Tight and Robust Private Mean Estimation with Few Users.

In this work, we study high-dimensional mean estimation under user-level differential privacy, and attempt to design an $(\epsilon,\delta)$-differentially private mechanism using as few users as possible. In particular, we provide a nearly optimal trade-off between the number of users and the number of samples per user required for private mean estimation, even when the number of users is as low as $O(\frac{1}{\epsilon}\log\frac{1}{\delta})$. Interestingly our bound $O(\frac{1}{\epsilon}\log\frac{1}{\delta})$ on the number of users is independent of the dimension, unlike the previous work that depends polynomially on the dimension, solving a problem left open by Amin et al.~(ICML'2019). Our mechanism enjoys robustness up to the point that even if the information of $49\%$ of the users are corrupted, our final estimation is still approximately accurate. Finally, our results also apply to a broader range of problems such as learning discrete distributions, stochastic convex optimization, empirical risk minimization, and a variant of stochastic gradient descent via a reduction to differentially private mean estimation.
Characterization by solution small angle X-ray scattering of the oligomeric state of structural genomics protein targets.

Solution small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was used to confirm the oligomeric state of several structural genomics protein targets from the New York Structural GenomiX Research Consortium. The oligomeric state is representative of the natively active form of the protein and it was determined to corroborate the Protein Data Bank (PDB) structure of a clone or related protein. PDBs are usually modeled from X-ray crystallography and the results of crystalline structures are not often representative of the correct biological assembly. Therefore, the analysis done here was essential to find the natural form. Using solution SAXS allowed us to look at each protein in its native state dissolved in a solution, rather than placed into a crystal array where it is unknown if interactions between each molecule are forced or natural. After obtaining a scattering pattern, several software programs from the ATSAS program suite for small-angle scattering data analysis were utilized to distinguish the quaternary structures of the proteins from monomers to tetramers. The final products were low-resolution three-dimensional structures accurate to the native form of the proteins. Table of
Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Activity and DNA Strand Breaks Are Affected in Tissues of Niacin-Deficient Rats

The niacin cofactor, NAD, is the substrate for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, an enzyme associated with DNA repair. We investigated, therefore, whether hepatic poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity was altered and DNA strand breaks in lymphocytes and liver were greater in niacin-deficient rats. A niacin deficiency was established in weanling rats with diets containing 1.5 mg/kg of niacin. Based on lower growth rates and NAD concentrations in blood, liver and skeletal muscle, this diet maintained rats in a deficient state for 1 mo, and, when the dietary niacin was reduced to 0.5 mg/kg, rats remained deficient for an additional month. The hepatic poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity was decreased in one experiment when mean hepatic NAD concentrations were 0.60 and 0.51 mumol/g at d 34 and d 60, respectively, compared with 0.77 and 0.80 mumol/g in pair-fed controls. Enzyme activity, however, was greater than in controls when hepatic NAD concentrations were < 0.30 mumol/g. Strand breaks in DNA did not accumulate except after tissues were exposed to hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase, a free radical-generating system. Exposure to this system caused more DNA strand breaks in lymphocytes and hepatic nuclei from niacin-deficient rats compared with the same tissues from controls. The results suggest that, in rats, although hepatic poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity can be elevated, a severe niacin deficiency may increase the susceptibility of DNA to oxidative damage, likely due to a lower availability of NAD.
Transitioning from First Drug Use to Dependence Onset: Illustration of a Multiparametric Approach for Comparative Epidemiology

Studying transitions from first drug use (DU) to drug dependence (DD) onset, we estimate a parsimonious set of parameters based on epidemiological data, with plans for future longitudinal research on newly incident drug users and with tracking of self-administration frequencies and DD clinical features. Our expectation is a distinctive sigmoid pattern with one asymptote for lower DD probability (when DU is insubstantial), upturning slopes of DD risk beyond a middle value (PD50), and eventual higher DD risk asymptotes at higher DU frequencies. We illustrate this novel approach using cross-sectional data from the United States National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, 2002–2011. Empirical DD probabilities observed soon after newly incident use are estimated across DU frequency values, using parametric Hill functions and four governing parameters for differential comparison across drugs and DU subgroups. Among drug subtypes considered, cocaine shows larger estimates, especially among females (estimated Pmin=7% for females vs 3% for males; p<0.001), for whom PD50 is shorter by 8 days of use (p=0.027), conditional on the same rate of use in the past 30 days. Clear alcohol male–female differences also are observed (eg, female PD50 < male PD50; p=0.002). Although based on cross-sectional snapshots soon after DU onset, this novel multiparametric statistical approach for comparative epidemiological DD research creates new opportunities in planned studies with prospectively gathered longitudinal data. The cross-sectional estimates provide starting values needed to plan future longitudinal research programs on transitions from initial DU until formation of a DD syndrome.
Completion and Its Applications

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses completion and its applications. The ability to reason with equations is important in many computer science applications, including algebraic specifications, high level programming languages, and automated deduction. Reasoning about equations may, for example, involve deciding whether an equation follows as a consequence of a given set of equations, or whether an equation is true in a given model, or what values of the variables satisfy a given equation. The chapter presents the completion procedure, some of its multifaceted extensions, and its main areas of application. The procedure and its extensions are viewed as inference engines that use a limited amount of forward reasoning, trying to churn out enough equational consequences of the given axioms to guarantee that for any equational proof, there will eventually be one that uses only backward reasoning. The applications highlight the advantages inherent in the sense of direction gained from the incorporation of a well-defined notion of simplicity. The completion concept has been further extended to conditional equations and rules, where the applicability of an identity or rewrite is predicated on the fulfillment of some conditions. Conditional equations are very important in applications, such as data type specification and functional programming languages.
A self-organizing map with dynamic architecture for efficient color quantization

Color quantization is often used to convert 24-bit RGB images to 8-bit palette-table images. However, in some cases, the imposed 8 bits per pixel may be too stringent to adequately represent the image. For other images, 8 bits per pixel are unnecessarily generous. For image storage and transmission, it is important to compress an image as much as possible without exceeding an allowable level of degradation. The paper describes the use of a dynamically-growing self-organizing map (SOM) to determine the palette-table required to adequately represent the colors of an RGB image, given an allowable degree of quantization error.
Cyclooxygenase-2 Deficiency Enhances Th2 Immune Responses and Impairs Neutrophil Recruitment in Hepatic Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a prostanoid-synthesizing enzyme that is critically implicated in a variety of pathophysiological processes. Using a COX-2-deficient mouse model, we present data that suggest that COX-2 has an active role in liver ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. We demonstrate that COX-2-deficient mice had a significant reduction in liver damage after I/R insult. The inability of COX-2(-/-) to elaborate COX-2 products favored a Th2-type response in these mice. COX-2(-/-) livers after I/R injury showed significantly decreased levels of IL-2, as well as IL-12, a cytokine known to have a central role in Th1 effector cell differentiation. Moreover, such livers expressed enhanced levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, shifting the balance in favor of a Th2 response in COX-2-deficient mice. The lack of COX-2 expression resulted in decreased levels of CXCL2, a neutrophil-activating chemokine, reduced infiltration of MMP-9-positive neutrophils, and impaired late macrophage activation in livers after I/R injury. Additionally, Bcl-2 and Bcl-x(L) were normally expressed in COX-2(-/-) livers after injury, whereas respective wild-type controls were almost depleted of these two inhibitors of cell death. In contrast, caspase-3 activation and TUNEL-positive cells were depressed in COX-2(-/-) livers. Therefore, our data support the concept that COX-2 is involved in the pathogenic events occurring in liver I/R injury. The data also suggest that potential valuable therapeutic approaches in liver I/R injury may result from further studies aimed at identifying specific COX-2-derived prostanoid pathways.
A component-based design for a simulated network

This paper describes a component-based design for a virtual network construction and simulation tool to be used for educational purposes. In this study, the elements of a computer network are defined in terms of discrete objects. It presents the component hierarchy and design requirements for modeling a network, and describes the means by which these objects can be modeled and instantiated as simulated network components using XML and Java. Following an overview of the elements of the MAADNET (Military Academy Attack/Defense Network) project and a discussion of its goals and requirements, the components required to build a virtual network are defined, followed by implementation details and additional design considerations.
The Application of Enterprise Modeling for Aerospace Manufacturing System Integration

The objective of enterprise modeling is to develop a repository regarding organizational elements and functions that maps information objectives with business functions. This is accomplished through an exhaustive process that analyzes and models the business to a level of detail sufficient to enable selection of appropriate technologies and the design of specific information systems. In this paper, enterprise modeling is utilized to provide a baseline reference for the successful integration of an FMS in an aerospace electronics manufacturing facility.
Control of the orientational order and nonlinear optical response of the "push-pull" chromophore RuPZn via specific incorporation into densely packed monolayer ensembles of an amphiphilic 4-helix bundle peptide: second harmonic generation at high chromophore densities.

The macroscopic nonlinear optical response of the “push−pull” chromophore RuPZn incorporated into a single monolayer of the amphiphilic 4-helix bundle peptide (AP0) covalently attached to a solid substrate at high in-plane density has been measured. The second-order susceptibility, χzzz, was found to be in the range of ∼15 × 10−9 esu, consistent with a coherent sum of the nonlinear contributions from the individual chromophores (β) as previously measured in isotropic solution through hyper-Rayleigh scattering as well as estimated from theoretical calculations. The microscopic hyperpolarizability of the RuPZn chromophore is preserved upon incorporation into the peptide monolayer, suggesting that the chromophore−chromophore interactions in the densely packed ensemble do not substantially affect the first-order molecular hyperpolarizability. The polarization angle dependence of the second harmonic signal reveals that the chromophore is vectorially oriented in the two-dimensional ensemble. Analysis of the or...
Spectral covariance for spectrum sensing, with application to IEEE 808.22

Despite the shortage of available frequency spectrum, recent studies have shown that the actual usage of the allocated spectrum is scarce. The IEEE is developing the 802.22 standard for spectral reuse in TV bands that uses cognitive radio (CR) technology. One of the essential and challenging features of CR is spectrum sensing. This paper proposes a novel spectrum sensing algorithm using spectral covariance of the received signal. The proposed spectral covariance sensing (SCS) algorithm exploits different statistical correlations of the signal and noise in the frequency domain. Test statistics are computed from the covariance matrix of spectrogram and compared with the decision threshold. Detection performance is theoretically analyzed and verified through extensive simulation according to the IEEE 802.22 requirements. We show that SCS achieved 3dB better sensitivity to pilot location detector with the same sensing time. It is also shown that SCS is very robust to the noise uncertainty, which is one of the critical performance measures of spectrum sensing. The results of the paper suggest that SCS is an efficient and viable sensing scheme for IEEE 802.22 systems.
Tandem postsynthetic modification of metal-organic frameworks using an inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction.

A postsynthetic modification (PSM) scheme for metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) has been developed using a tetrazine-based “Click” reaction. It was found that the efficacy of this modification procedure was dependent on the MOF topology and, in the case of an isoreticular MOF (IRMOF) system, required the formation of a mixed-ligand IRMOF with a suitable ratio of 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (BDC) and an olefin-tagged BDC derivative. On the basis of the versatile use of tetrazine “Click” chemistry in bioconjugate chemistry, we expect that this scheme will prove to be a useful reaction for preparing functionalized materials, including MOFs.
Intralymphatic immunization: current status.

Abstract A progress report and the research plan for a new method of antitumor immunization using the intralymphatic route are presented. A total of 205 intralymphatic infusions of intact cellular vaccines have been performed in normal and tumor-bearing dogs. In vitro and in vivo experiments on normal dogs demonstrated that intralymphatic immunization produces a more rapid and more intense cytotoxic cellular immune response compared to the subcutaneous route. Experiments in tumor-bearing dogs showed reduction or stabilization of tumor mass after intralymphatic infusion of irradiated malignant cells. These data indicate that intralymphatic immunization may be the method of choice for stimulating strong cellular immune responses to weakly immunogenic materials.
Anaerobic microbial reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethene to predominately trans-1,2-dichloroethene.

While most sites and all characterized PCE and TCE dechlorinating anaerobic bacteria produce cis-DCE as the major DCE isomer, significant amounts of trans-DCE are found in the environment. We have obtained microcosms from some sites and enrichment cultures that produce more trans-DCE than cis-DCE. These cultures reductively dechlorinated PCE and TCE to trans-DCE and cis-DCE simultaneously and in a ratio of 3(±0.5):1 that was stable through serial transfers with a variety of electron donors and occurred in both methanogenic and nonmethanogenic enrichments. Two sediment-free, nonmethanogenic enrichment cultures produced trans-DCE at rates of up to 2.5 μmol L-1 day-1. Dehalococcoides populations were detected in both trans-DCE producing cultures by their 16S rRNA gene sequences, and trans-DCE was produced in the presence of ampicillin. Because trans-DCE can be the major product from PCE and TCE microbial dechlorination, high fractions of trans-DCE at chloroethene-contaminated sites are not necessarily from s...