cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of cortisone on tissue mast cells in the hamster cheek pouch.

SummaryCortisone acetate injected sub-cutaneously into hamsters produced a decrease in the number of tissue mast cells in the cheek pouch. The size decreased and the cells were disrupted, with discharge of granules and stainable material. The treated hamsters consistently had fewer extravascular cells. The clotting times in the treated hamsters, were at first somewhat less than in the controls, but in those surviving 21 days of treatment, an increase in clotting time occurred.
Are Vancomycin Trough Concentrations of 15 to 20 mg/L Associated With Increased Attainment of an AUC/MIC ≥ 400 in Patients With Presumed MRSA Infection?:

Purpose:To determine whether there is an association between higher vancomycin trough concentrations and attainment of a calculated area under the concentration–time curve (AUC)/minimum inhibitory ...
Preventive education to cope with the drug problems of Latin America.

Insufficient ressources, services, staff, facilities and attention at the policy- making level are devoted to demand reduction measures, especially preventive education for young persons. Instead, emphasis is placed on and disproportionate resources are allocated to supply reduction measures and activities such as suppressing and/or limiting the availability of illicit drugs. Prevention policy constitutes a viable approach to solving the problem of illicit drug trafficking and consumption. The crux of the problem is not the availability of illicit drugs, but the demand of consumers for the substances. Preventive education for the young is an indispensable ingredient of effective prevention policy. The school environment can be instrumental in developing systematic and lasting preventive education. An essential condition, which, according to the author, is lacking in Latin America, is that educators should be provided with the training and training tools needed to enable them to perform properly as agents of prevention policy. A number of recommendations to reduce illicit drug demand and consumption through prevention are made, including giving priority to a comprehensive and systematically applied prevention policy focusing on the young and involving an educational approach and tools that are progressive and highly specialized, as well as research that is intensified and of better quality.
Estimating Human Exposure to Food Constituents

This chapter is based on a report of the work of an Expert Panel convened by the Life Sciences Research Office of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) under a contract from the US Food and Drug Administration.* The Expert Panel met six times during 1987 and 1988 and a report of their activities was prepared [1].
Does Home Practice Compliance Make a Difference in the Effectiveness of Mindfulness Interventions for Adolescents

Mindfulness-based interventions encourage home practice to cultivate the development and enhancement of skills. The degree to which adolescents practice mindfulness outside of sessions and whether such home practice relates to measurable outcomes has not been investigated. The present study investigated the effects of home practice compliance on cognitive and psychological outcomes, as well as the relationship between intervention expectations and home practice compliance in adolescents participating in a school-based mindfulness program. As part of a randomized controlled trial, participants completed either a mindfulness meditation (n = 76) or hatha yoga (n = 92) intervention. Pre- and post-intervention measures of working memory capacity, perceived stress, anxiety, and mindfulness were collected. Participants also completed a daily home practice log during the intervention in which they recorded the number of minutes spent practicing mindfulness meditation or hatha yoga. Results indicated that home practice compliance was poor relative to suggested home practice in both intervention groups; however, the hatha yoga group reported significantly more home practice than the mindfulness meditation group (p = 0.003). Hatha yoga participants who engaged in more home practice (upper tertile) showed a statistically significant decrease in perceived stress, while those who reported the lowest amount of home practice (bottom tertile) showed an increase in stress. In the yoga condition, intervention expectations were positively correlated with home practice (ρ = 0.28, p < 0.05). Current findings suggest that home practice compliance is related to stress reduction in hatha yoga interventions for adolescents. Limitations and avenues for future research are discussed.
Model-Based and Design-Based Inference: Reducing Bias Due to Differential Recruitment in Respondent-Driven Sampling

Respondent-driven sampling (RDS), a link-tracing sampling and inference method for studying hard-to-reach populations, has been shown to produce asymptotically unbiased population estimates when its assumptions are satisfied. However, some of the assumptions are prohibitively difficult to reach in the field, and the violation of a crucial assumption can produce biased estimates. We compare two different inference approaches: design-based inference, which relies on the known probability of selection in sampling, and model-based inference, which is based on models of human recruitment behavior and the social context within which sampling is conducted. The advantage of the latter approach is that when the violation of an assumption has been shown to produce biased population estimates, the model can be adjusted to more accurately reflect actual recruitment behavior, and thereby control for the source of bias. To illustrate this process, we focus on three sources of bias, differential effectiveness of recruit...
The Distribution of Talker Variability Impacts Infants’ Word Learning

Infants struggle to apply earlier-demonstrated sound-discrimination abilities to later word learning, attending to non-constrastive acoustic dimensions (e.g., Hay et al., 2015), and not always to contrastive dimensions (e.g., Stager & Werker, 1997). One hint about the nature of infants' difficulties comes from the observation that input from multiple talkers can improve word learning (Rost & McMurray, 2009). This may be because, when a single talker says both of the to-be-learned words, consistent talker's-voice characteristics make the acoustics of the two words more overlapping (Apfelbaum & McMurray, 2011). Here, we test that notion. We taught 14-month-old infants two similar-sounding words in the Switch habituation paradigm. The same amount of overall talker variability was present as in prior multiple-talker experiments, but male and female talkers said different words, creating a gender-word correlation. Under an acoustic-similarity account, correlated talker gender should help to separate words acoustically and facilitate learning. Instead, we found that correlated talker gender impaired learning of word-object pairings compared with uncorrelated talker gender-even when gender-word pairings were always maintained in test-casting doubt on one account of the beneficial effects of talker variability. We discuss several alternate potential explanations for this effect.
The impact of the Oncotype DX recurrence score pathology-clinical (RSPC) on the predicted recurrence risk for node negative breast cancer patients: A cancer center experience.

570 Background: The OncotypeDX 21-gene assay Recurrence Score (RS) is widely used to risk-stratify ER+, node negative breast cancer to determine the 10 year risk of distant recurrence (RR) and the ...
Comment on: Innovation, productivity, and monetary policy

Abstract Comment on Moran and Queralto (2017) for Carnegie Rochester NYU Conference Series.
Home Care/Care of Elderly

Geriatric care focuses heavily on functional assessment, evaluating cognition and mood and enhancing social support networks. Caring for older adults requires special knowledge of conditions commonly seen in that population referred to as the geriatric syndromes. Diagnostic tests and medication management should be performed with careful consideration of the risk and benefit of the intervention and the overall life expectancy of the individual. Care should be given to avoiding ageist assumptions and attitudes. Working within multidisciplinary teams that embrace the patient and his/her family and caregivers is the most effective way to provide comprehensive care. For a select group of homebound older adults, delivering primary care in the home setting can reduce stress on patients and caregivers as well as avoiding unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital admissions.
An architecture for HESTIA: high-level and extensible system for training and infrastructure risk assessment

Currently, preventing and mitigating cyber-attacks on cyber-physical control systems (CPCS) is a major challenge. A successful process for cyber-attack prevention and mitigation requires continuous vulnerability identification, threat modelling, risk assessment, hardening strategy design, and timely and correct implementation. These processes require a complete and detailed model of the CPCS plus knowledge of possible attacks and applicable defences. In this article, we describe the architecture of HESTIA: high-level and extensible system for training and infrastructure risk assessment. HESTIA is an iterative and adversarial-based modelling and risk assessment process and accompanying tool-set. We also describe the non-trivial design hurdles and concrete strategies for addressing these hurdles. Once fully developed, HESTIA will be able to: 1) completely specify a CPCS infrastructure; 2) check a specification for consistency; 3) identify applicable attacks and defences from a library; 4) enable the iterative execution of attack and hardening scenarios for training and risk-assessment and mitigation.
GLASS AND ITS ROLE IN SOLAR HEATING AND COOLING

Abstract Glass is an essential component of virtually all solar heating and cooling systems and so its properties, its strengths and its limitations should be thoroughly understood by the designers of such systems. Recent advances in glass technology offer those designers new capabilities in dealing with the admission of solar heat and light into spaces where they are needed and in rejecting both heat and light when cooling and darkness are required.
Factors and barriers influencing influenza vaccination among students at Brigham Young University.

BACKGROUND To identify the prevalence of influenza vaccination and factors associated with vaccination among students at Brigham Young University. MATERIAL/METHODS A Cross-sectional survey of seven general education classes, size 30 to 200 students each, was conducted the week of November 25, 2007. A 34 item paper-pencil questionnaire was administered, taking 5-10 minutes to complete. The response rate was 90%, with 421 completed surveys. RESULTS Prevalence of influenza vaccination was 12% in the current influenza season. Influenza vaccination was significantly influenced by place of work, frequency of being around children, place of residence, and selected area of academic study. Students that received the influenza vaccination were more motivated by perceived severity of influenza than by perceived risk of contracting the illness. Physicians or nurses were the most influential at encouraging influenza vaccination, followed by parents, then the university or student health center, and then the media. The percentage of students that received influenza vaccination information from physicians or nurses was 14%, from parents was 15%, from the student health center was 25%, and from the general media was 45%. CONCLUSIONS Influenza vaccination is low among college students, but impacted by perceived severity of the illness, place of employment or residence, and who encourages influenza vaccination.
Pericardial injury by antibacterial irrigants.

We injected antibacterial solutions into rabbit pericardium to investigate tissue injury. Povidone-iodine was the only irrigant found to cause substantial damage. These data lend experimental support to recent clinical observations that suggest a causal relation between pericardial irrigation with povidoneiodine and the later development of constrictive pericarditis.
Magnetic resonance imaging in the canine double-haemorrhage subarachnoid haemorrhage model.

In this study, we investigated T2 weighted imaging (T2WI) and T2 values of the cortex, thalamus and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the ventricles in the canine double-haemorrhage subarachnoid haemorrhage (DHSAH) model. T2 values in the cortex increased compared to prescan values from 123.07 ± 18.72 msec on day 2 to 89.43 ± 1.98 msec on day 7 (p < 0.05). A trend toward a temporal increase in T2 values was observed in the thalamus, but did not reach significance. The T2 values of the ventricular CSF increased by 102.2% on day 2 and 159.6% on day 7 compared to prescan values. These changes reached significance (p < 0.05) on day 7. Additionally, the ventricular size increased over the study period. Our data suggest that we can use this model to investigate acute brain injury and normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) after SAH.
Sex Differences and the Role of the Renin-Angiotensin System in Atherosclerosis and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Abstract The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). These vascular diseases exhibit sex differences that influence their development, progression, and therapy. Notably, RAS components critical to the synthesis, actions, and catabolism of angiotensin II (AngII) are influenced by sex hormones. In general, estrogen suppresses, while testosterone stimulates the RAS. Sex hormone regulation of the RAS parallels hormone effects on atherosclerosis and AAAs. An emerging area is the role of sex chromosomes to regulate atherosclerosis or AAAs. It is unclear if sex chromosomes regulate vascular diseases by regulating the RAS. However, recent studies demonstrate a striking effect of sex chromosomes on experimental AngII-induced AAAs. Future studies should investigate influences of endogenous and exogenous sex hormones on vascular disease progression. Moreover, future studies should delineate mechanisms for sex chromosome regulation of vascular diseases, and whether these mechanisms are amenable to sex-specific therapies.
3. Fatigue analysis of multilevel anterior cervical fusion with stand-alone anchored spacer vs interbody cage with anterior plate

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is the surgical standard for treating anterior based cervical spine pathology with interbody spacers and plating most common. Complications are more prevalent in multilevel cases. Stand-alone anchored spacers were designed to resolve these issues. For 1-level ACDF they provide similar clinical results, fewer implant related complications and decreased compensatory motion at adjacent levels. Reporting on fatigue analysis of multilevel plating vs anchored spacers is limited. PURPOSE Perform fatigue analysis and compare spinal stability of 3-level cervical ACDF constructs using either anchored spacers or standard cages with anterior plating. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING In-vitro biomechanical study. OUTCOME MEASURES Range of motion (ROM) of index levels, adjacent segments, and overall construct. METHODS Spinal stability testing was performed on cadaveric cervical spines (C2-T2) in sagittal, coronal and transverse planes. Specimens tested intact and assigned to either anchored spacer or anterior plate group. Each had a 3-level discectomy (C4/5, C5/6, and C6/7), followed by assigned instrumentation. Specimens retested followed by a fatigue protocol of 5k cycles of flexion/extension and then 5k cycles of axial rotation. Spinal stability testing was performed following each 5k cycles of fatigue. ROM was measured from the index levels, adjacent segments, and overall construct. Peak directional ROMs were compared between groups and analyzed with ANOVA and post hoc t-tests. RESULTS There were similar and significant (p CONCLUSIONS For 3-level ACDF, there was a significant increase in ROM in the index levels using anchored spacers with no significant change in adjacent segment ROM when compared to standard cages and anterior plate. After fatigue, an increase in index ROM and adjacent segment ROM was seen with the anchored spacer compared to anterior plating. Future studies are needed to determine if differences in motion have any clinical significance regarding fusion in 3-level ACDF. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS Stand-alone anchored spacer (Approved for this indication), interbody cage with anterior place (Approved for this indication)
Insights into Proton-Transfer Pathways during Water Oxidation in Photosystem II

Water oxidation by photosystem II (PSII) involves the release of O2, electrons, and protons at the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). These processes are facilitated by a hydrogen-bonded network of amino acid residues and waters surrounding the OEC. It is crucial to probe the proton-transfer pathways from the OEC as proton release helps to maintain the charge balance required for efficient water oxidation. In this study, we generate point mutations in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 at secondary-shell amino acid residues surrounding the OEC: D2-K317, D1-S169, CP43-R357, D1-D61, and D1-N181. We employ direct experimental methods to study the O2 evolution rate under varying pH ranging from 3-8. The pH dependence follows a bell-shaped curve in both wild-type and mutated PSII from which we can derive the effective acidic pKa. The effective acidic pKa provides insights into the protonation states of the amino acid residues participating in the proton-transfer process during the rate-determining step of water oxidation. The presence of an additional effective pKa in D1-S169A PSII and D2-K317A PSII indicates the possibility of multiple proton-transfer pathways during the rate-determining step of water oxidation. We also studied the O2 evolution rate in H2O and D2O with varying pL (L = H or D) to identify the amino acid residues participating in the proton-transfer process. We find that replacing the positively charged lysine with a neutral alanine in D2-K317A PSII and aspartate with alanine in D1-D61A PSII significantly enhances the kinetic solvent isotope effect (KSIE), indicating that proton transfer becomes rate-limiting at the optimal pH in these mutated PSII. However, the KSIE remains unchanged for D1-N181A, D1-S169A, and CP43-R357K PSII. Thus, perturbing the channel defined by the D1-D61 and D2-K317 residues strongly hampers the proton-transfer mechanism, and in turn, the water oxidation reaction of PSII. Hence, our study provides a direct experimental probe to identify that the D1-D61 and D2-K317 residues participate in the proton-transfer process. These results, thereby, provide us a deeper understanding of the proton-transfer processes in the water oxidation mechanism.
Internationalization in Higher Education, a Critical Review

How do we understand the evolution of internationalization as a concept? Is a more diverse and inclusive internationalization replacing the western paradigm? Is there a shift in paradigm from cooperation to competition? Do we see an ongoing dominance of the internationalization abroad component at the cost of internationalization at home, or a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to internationalization? And is internationalization a key change agent towards innovation and global social responsibility of higher education? This contribution provides a critical reflection on internationalization in higher education, particularly in the current nationalist, populist and anti-global political climate! The challenges that institutions encounter are divers. There is pressure of revenue generation, competition for talents, and branding and reputation (rankings). There is pressure to focus on international research and publication, on recruitment of international students and scholars, and on the use of English as language of research and instruction. These challenges and pressures conflict with a more inclusive and less elitist approach to internationalization. In other words, there are tensions between a short term neoliberal approach to internationalization, focusing primarily on mobility and research, and a long term comprehensive quality approach, global learning for all.
Human polyomavirus modulation of the host DNA damage response.

The human DNA damage response (DDR) is a complex signaling network constituting many factors responsible for the preservation of genomic integrity. Human polyomaviruses (HPyVs) are able to harness the DDR machinery during their infectious cycle by expressing an array of tumor (T) antigens. These molecular interactions between human polyomavirus T antigens and the DDR create conditions that promote viral replication at the expense of host genomic stability to cause disease as well as carcinogenesis in the cases of the Merkel cell polyomavirus and BK polyomavirus. This review focuses on the six HPyVs with disease association, emphasizing strain-dependent differences in their selective manipulation of the DDR. Appreciation of the HPyV–DDR interface at a molecular scale is conducive to the development of novel therapeutic approaches.
β-Arrestin2 oligomers impair the clearance of pathological tau and increase tau aggregates

Multiple G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are targets in the treatment of dementia, and the arrestins are common to their signaling. β-Arrestin2 was significantly increased in brains of patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-tau), a disease second to Alzheimer's as a cause of dementia. Genetic loss and overexpression experiments using genetically encoded reporters and defined mutant constructs in vitro, and in cell lines, primary neurons, and tau P301S mice crossed with β-arrestin2-/- mice, show that β-arrestin2 stabilizes pathogenic tau and promotes tau aggregation. Cell and mouse models of FTLD showed this to be maladaptive, fueling a positive feedback cycle of enhanced neuronal tau via non-GPCR mechanisms. Genetic ablation of β-arrestin2 markedly ablates tau pathology and rescues synaptic plasticity defects in tau P301S transgenic mice. Atomic force microscopy and cellular studies revealed that oligomerized, but not monomeric, β-arrestin2 increases tau by inhibiting self-interaction of the autophagy cargo receptor p62/SQSTM1, impeding p62 autophagy flux. Hence, reduction of oligomerized β-arrestin2 with virus encoding β-arrestin2 mutants acting as dominant-negatives markedly reduces tau-laden neurofibrillary tangles in FTLD mice in vivo. Reducing β-arrestin2 oligomeric status represents a new strategy to alleviate tau pathology in FTLD and related tauopathies.
Acculturation of Soviet Immigrants

The latest wave of immigrants from the USSR has brought to the United States a new type of immigrant, immigrants that were raised under the Soviet government. Most of them, upon arrival to the United States, moved to the big cities, and particularly to New York City.
White Matter Development from Birth to 6 Years of Age: A Longitudinal Study.

Human white matter development in the first years of life is rapid, setting the foundation for later development. Microstructural properties of white matter are linked to many behavioral and psychiatric outcomes; however, little is known about when in development individual differences in white matter microstructure are established. The aim of the current study is to characterize longitudinal development of white matter microstructure from birth through 6 years to determine when in development individual differences are established. Two hundred and twenty-four children underwent diffusion-weighted imaging after birth and at 1, 2, 4, and 6 years. Diffusion tensor imaging data were computed for 20 white matter tracts (9 left-right corresponding tracts and 2 commissural tracts), with tract-based measures of fractional anisotropy and axial and radial diffusivity. Microstructural maturation between birth and 1 year are much greater than subsequent changes. Further, by 1 year, individual differences in tract average values are consistently predictive of the respective 6-year values, explaining, on average, 40% of the variance in 6-year microstructure. Results provide further evidence of the importance of the first year of life with regard to white matter development, with potential implications for informing early intervention efforts that target specific sensitive periods.
Endocarditis Complicated by Severe Aortic Insufficiency in a Patient with COVID-19: Diagnostic and Management Implications

A 38-year-old man presented with cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue. He was diagnosed with Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) as well as Enterococcus faecalis bacteremia. Imaging revealed a subaortic membrane with aortic valve endocarditis and severe aortic insufficiency. He had successful aortic valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis and subaortic membrane resection. This case highlights some of the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges presented by COVID-19 pandemic.
Efficient CUR Matrix Decomposition via Relative-Error Double-Sided Least Squares Solving

Matrix CUR decomposition aims at representing a large matrix $A$ with the product $C\cdot U\cdot R$ , where $C$ (resp. $R)$ consists of a small collection of the original columns (resp. rows), and $U$ is a small intermediate matrix connecting $C$ and $R$ . While modern randomized CUR algorithms have provided many efficient methods of choosing representative columns and rows, there hasn't been a method to find the optimal U matrix. In this paper, we present a sublinear-time randomized method to find good choices of the $U$ matrix. Our proposed algorithm treats the task of finding $U$ as a double-sided least squares problem $\min\nolimits_{Z}\Vert A - CZR \Vert_{F}$ , and is able to guarantee a close-to-optimal solution by solving a down-sampled problem of much smaller size. We provide worst-case analysis on its approximation error relative to theoretical optimal low-rank approximation error, and we demonstrate empirically how this method can improve the approximation of several large-scale real data matrices with a small number of additional computations.
DNA recombination and repair in Wolbachia : RecA and related proteins

Wolbachia is an obligate intracellular bacterium that has undergone extensive genomic streamlining in its arthropod and nematode hosts. Because the gene encoding the bacterial DNA recombination/repair protein RecA is not essential in Escherichia coli, abundant expression of this protein in a mosquito cell line persistently infected with Wolbachia strain wStri was unexpected. However, RecA's role in the lytic cycle of bacteriophage lambda provides an explanation for retention of recA in strains known to encode lambda-like WO prophages. To examine DNA recombination/repair capacities in Wolbachia, a systematic examination of RecA and related proteins in complete or nearly complete Wolbachia genomes from supergroups A, B, C, D, E, F, J and S was undertaken. Genes encoding proteins including RecA, RecF, RecO, RecR, RecG and Holliday junction resolvases RuvA, RuvB and RuvC are uniformly absent from Wolbachia in supergroup C and have reduced representation in supergroups D and J, suggesting that recombination and repair activities are compromised in nematode-associated Wolbachia, relative to strains that infect arthropods. An exception is filarial Wolbachia strain wMhie, assigned to supergroup F, which occurs in a nematode host from a poikilothermic lizard. Genes encoding LexA and error-prone polymerases are absent from all Wolbachia genomes, suggesting that the SOS functions induced by RecA-mediated activation of LexA do not occur, despite retention of genes encoding a few proteins that respond to LexA induction in E. coli. Three independent E. coli accessions converge on a single Wolbachia UvrD helicase, which interacts with mismatch repair proteins MutS and MutL, encoded in nearly all Wolbachia genomes. With the exception of MutL, which has been mapped to a eukaryotic association module in Phage WO, proteins involved in recombination/repair are uniformly represented by single protein annotations. Putative phage-encoded MutL proteins are restricted to Wolbachia supergroups A and B and show higher amino acid identity than chromosomally encoded MutL orthologs. This analysis underscores differences between nematode and arthropod-associated Wolbachia and describes aspects of DNA metabolism that potentially impact development of procedures for transformation and genetic manipulation of Wolbachia.
Ribosome traffic jam in neurodegeneration: decoding hurdles in Huntington disease

A ribosome typically moves at a particular rate on a given mRNA transcript to decode the nucleic acid information required to synthesize proteins. The speed and directionality of the ribosome movements during mRNA translation are determined by the mRNA sequence and structure and by various decoding factors. However, the molecular mechanisms of this remarkable movement during protein synthesis, or its relevance in brain disorders, remain unknown. Recent studies have indicated that defects in protein synthesis occur in various neurodegenerative diseases, but the mechanistic details are unclear. This is a major problem because identifying the factors that determine protein synthesis defects may offer new avenues for developing therapeutic remedies for currently incurable diseases like neurodegenerative disorders. Based on our recent study (Eshraghi et al., Nat Commun 12(1):1461; doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21637-y), this short commentary will review the mechanistic understanding of Huntingtin (HTT)-mediated ribosome stalling indicating that central defects in protein synthesis in Huntington disease (HD) are orchestrated by jamming of ribosomes on mRNA transcripts.
Synthetic microvessels

Summary The microvasculature is an immense organ that defines the environmental conditions within tissues in both health and disease, and is vital for the proper functions of all tissues. Here, we describe existing tools to study vascular cell function and our work using one platform of in vitro microvessels, which we employed to study vessel structure and remodeling, endothelial barrier function, angiogenesis, interactions between endothelial cells and perivascular cells, interactions between blood cells and the endothelium, and microvascular thrombosis. We also briefly discuss the potential future applications of these platforms in biology and medicine.
Revisiting the ODE Method for Recursive Algorithms: Fast Convergence Using Quasi Stochastic Approximation

Several decades ago, Profs. Sean Meyn and Lei Guo were postdoctoral fellows at ANU, where they shared interest in recursive algorithms. It seems fitting to celebrate Lei Guo’s 60th birthday with a review of the ODE Method and its recent evolution, with focus on the following themes:
Precision, accuracy, and data acceptance criteria in biopharmaceutical analysis

Accuracy and precision are the most important criteria in the assessment of an analytical method, and monitoring quality control during sample analysis is essential to ensure the validity of reported results. Various approaches to testing accuracy, precision, and quality control were applied to 10 analytes from seven chromatographic bioanalytical methods. These methods include fixed interval bias and significance testing for accuracy; fixed interval percentage relative standard deviation (%RSD) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) approaches for precision; ±20% fixed range, 99% confidence interval, multiple rules, and range chart for individuals approaches for quality control acceptance criteria. Quality control approaches were also applied to the entire run and to a bracketed approach whereby results are considered valid only if bracketed by acceptable quality control. Accuracy and precision were assessed for six runs of each analyte at three concentrations established to represent the calibration range of the analytical method. Quality control acceptance criteria were evaluated using all data sets from each of the analytical methods collected during the course of running various numbers of real samples. The data suggest that the fixed interval bias criteria for accuracy was a more liberal method of accuracy assessment because three of the seven methods would have been rejected according to the significance testing criteria whereas all were acceptable by the fixed internal bias criteria. Precision can be effectively assessed for between- and within-run data by criteria set on unconfounded %RSD values or by separation of the sources of variation using an ANOVA approach applied to confounded data. The percentage of samples rejected for the 99% confidence interval applied to brackets, the multiple rules approach applied to the entire run, and the individual range chart approach applied to brackets were comparable and were found to be 7.0, 6.2 and 8.3 percent respectively. The ±20% fixed range criteria applied to the two-thirds of the run resulted in just 2.9% sample rejection and was not considered comparable to the other methods.
Assisted Reproductive Technology

The rapidly expanding use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) poses new challenges for estate planners. This article describes the three most common forms of ART (assisted insemination, in vitro fertilization, and gestational carriers) and three legal issues that arise when ART is used, including: determining who is a descendant when donated gametes (sperm or ova) are used; postmortem retrieval and use of gametes; and delay of probate proceedings to allow postmortem conception.
Ultra-high density optical data storage

Results on the use of C-shaped nano-apertures for optical data storage are reported. This type of aperture have a highly concentrated nanometer sized spot with a power throughput 1,000,000 times higher than for a square or round aperture producing the same spot size. Optical recording using contact media and conventional optical read-write media in DVD technology is also described.
Connectionism, Knowledge Representation, and Effective Reasoning

Human cognitive agents are capable of representing highly structured knowledge and drawing a variety of inferences based on such knowledge with remarkable efficiency — almost as if by reflex. These inferences are by no means trivial and support a broad range of cognitive activity such as classifying and recognizing objects, understanding spoken and written language, and performing commonsense reasoning. Any serious attempt at understanding intelligence must provide a detailed computational account of how such knowledge may be represented and such inferences drawn with requisite efficiency. In this talk we will discuss some work within the connectionist framework that attempts to offer such an account.
Localization of HRG4, a photoreceptor protein homologous to Unc-119, in ribbon synapse

Purpose To characterize further HRG4, a novel photoreceptor protein recently identified by subtractive cDNA cloning, by sequence analysis and immunolocalization. Methods The rat homolog of HRG4, RRG4 was expressed and used to prepare an antibody. The antibody was used in Western blot analysis, and immunofluorescent localization at the light and electron microscopic levels of HRG4-RRG4 protein. The HRG4-RRG4 sequence was also analyzed for homologies. Results HRG4-RRG4 showed 57% homology with unc-119, a Caenorhabditis elegans neuroprotein causing defects in locomotion, feeding, and chemosensation when mutated. By Western blot analysis, the HRG4-RRG4 protein was demonstrable only in retina and was soluble in nature. Immunofluorescence microscopic study of human and rat retinas, using the HRG4-RRG4 antibody, and other rod and cone photoreceptor-specific antibodies showed that the HRG4-RRG4 protein is localized in the outer plexiform layer of the retina in the synaptic termini of rod and cone photoreceptors. Electron microscopic immunolocalization showed the protein in the cytoplasm and on the presynaptic membranes of the photoreceptor synapses. Conclusions The homology to unc-119 and localization to the photoreceptor synapse are suggestive of a function for HRG4-RRG4 in photoreceptor neurotransmission. HRG4 is the first photoreceptor-enriched synaptic protein to be reported, suggesting that its function may be unique to the specialized ribbon synapses formed between photoreceptors and the horizontal and bipolar cells of the retina.
Numerical simulations of 3D positioning in cross-strip Ge detectors

We have numerically simulated the charge collection curves in an 11-mm thick, 2-mm pitch cross strip Ge detector to determine the intrinsic and expected performance or using relative anode and cathode signal timing to determine the interaction depth in the detector. This technique will allow full 3D positioning in large volume GeDs. We have calculated the detailed electric field inside the detector using relaxation techniques and taking into account the surface conductivity in the gap between strips. The weighting field for the detector has also been calculated for determining the charge induced on the electrode for any position within the detector. These two fields have then been used in charge collection simulations to trace electron-hole pairs from the interaction site to the signal electrodes, calculating the induced signals on the anode and cathode for each time step. Using this simulation, we can determine the relative difference in charge collection times between the anode and cathode as a function or position in the detector, allowing us to determine the intrinsic variation in the timing signal at each depth in the detector, which will set a limit on our ability to determine the interaction depth. By including a random noise based on that modeled from a real detector, we can determine the expected depth resolution as a function of depth in the detector.
Both glue and lubricant: Transnational ethnic social capital as a source of Asia-Pacific subregionalism

Social capital not only forms and functions at the individual, group, and organizational levels, but also permeates and transcends the political and geographic boundaries of nation-states. This paper examines transnational ethnic social networks based on ancestral and kinship ties as a form of social capital that facilitates economic growth and transformation in a transborder subregional context. Transnational ethnic social capital works by gluing multiple economic actors on opposite sides of a border together and by lubricating economic transactions among them. When purposefully mobilized by government policies, transnational ethnic social capital in turn induces more responsive and efficient policy initiatives and implementation. This paper also considers whether ethnic social capital is both a necessary and sufficient condition for successful transnational subregionalism by demonstrating its interaction with certain crucial complementary or contradictory factors.
Who Said Learning Trusts & Estates Can't Be Fun?

From even before their first day of law school, Texas Tech University School of Law students have the opportunity to appreciate the importance of the estate planning area and to understand that it can be both an enjoyable and rewarding area of law in which to practice. During orientation, which takes place the week before classes start, new students participate in full-day programs centered on a particular area of practice either of their own choosing or assigned by the administration. For the 2013 entering class, I was in charge of two full-day Estate Planning Tracks with a total of approximately thirty-five entering students.As their legal education continues, students have additional exposure, some mandatory and some optional, to estate planning topics. In my first year required Property course, I spend several days reviewing the basic principles of intestate succession and wills. Texas Tech then requires all students to complete a four-credit introductory course entitled Wills and Trusts as a condition of graduation during their second or third year. Students desiring a more sophisticated treatment may take courses such as Estate Planning, Texas Estate Administration, Guardianship, Estate and Gift Tax, Elder Law, and Marital Property. Students may also compete for a coveted position as an editor for the Estate Planning and Community Property Law Journal that Texas Tech publishes.This Article reveals my basic teaching philosophy and the general pedagogical techniques I employ to make Trusts and Estates topics both fun and relevant. I will then share with you the specific tools I use when teaching the introductory course as well as the advanced courses such as Estate Planning and Texas Estate Administration. It is my hope that you may be able to gain insight from my approach to enhance your own teaching and the experience you provide to your students.
Structure and localization of genes encoding aberrant and normal epidermal growth factor receptor RNAs from A431 human carcinoma cells

Abstract A431 cells have an amplification of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor gene, the cellular homolog of the v-erb B oncogene, and overproduce an aberrant 2.9-kilobase RNA that encodes a portion of the EGF receptor. A cDNA (pE15) for the aberrant RNA was cloned, sequenced, and used to analyze genomic DNA blots from A431 and normal cells. These data indicate that the aberrant RNA is created by a gene rearrangement within chromosome 7, resulting in a fusion of the 5' portion of the EGF receptor gene to an unidentified region of genomic DNA. The unidentified sequences are amplified to about the same degree (20- to 30-fold) as the EGF receptor sequences. In situ hybridization to chromosomes from normal cells and A431 cells show that both the EGF receptor gene and the unidentified DNA are localized to the p14-p12 region of chromosome 7. By using cDNA fragments to probe DNA blots from mouse-A431 somatic cell hybrids, the rearranged receptor gene was shown to be associated with translocation chromosome M4.
Do They Stand a Chance? Vaginal Birth after Cesarean Section in Adolescents Compared to Adult Women.

Abstract Study Objective To determine the rate of elective repeat cesarean delivery (CD), vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) attempt, and VBAC success in adolescent mothers presenting for delivery of a second child after a prior CD compared to their adult counterparts. Design Retrospective cohort study analyzing data from the Consortium on Safe Labor Database which includes data for 228,668 deliveries from 2002 to 2008. Setting 19 hospitals within 12 institutions in the United States. Participants 10,791 women age ≤ 35 (428 adolescents, age ≤ 19 and 10,363 adults age 20-35) with history of prior CD presenting for delivery of a second child. Methods The database was accessed for information on patient characteristics, prenatal comorbidities, and delivery data. Rates of repeat CD, VBAC attempt, and VBAC success were calculated. Multiple logistic regression was applied to identify predictors of VBAC success. Results Adolescents had a lower overall repeat CD rate and higher VBAC attempt rate compared to adults (80.61% vs 85.32%, P = .0072; 40.42% vs 30.09%, P P = .8368). Delivery at a teaching hospital and greater gestational age were predictive of VBAC success. Gestational diabetes mellitus, induction of labor, and higher maternal body mass index were predictive of VBAC failure. Adolescence was not an independent predictor of VBAC outcome. Conclusions Adolescents are more likely to attempt VBAC and are likely to be as successful as their adult counterparts. Adolescents should be encouraged to attempt a trial of labor after prior CD when appropriate to lower the risks of lifelong maternal morbidity from numerous repeat CDs.
Analysis of LTCC millimeter-wave dielectric slab antennas

LTCC substrate has been widely used in many fields nowadays. In this paper, we investigate the use of it as a dielectric resonator antenna. Marcatili's approximation is used to predict the modes of a dielectric resonator (DR). HFSS eigenmode model has been built to verify this method. Subsequently, a dipole is applied to excite the DR and its radiation properties have been studied. Finally, an example of 60 GHz UWB dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) has been designed and an end-fire gain of 9.6 dB is achieved based on simulation.
Matrices with chordal inverse zero-patterns

We study matrices whose inverses exhibit a sparsity pattern that may be described with a chordal graph. Such matrices are characterized in terms of a special vanishing-minor structure, and an explicit entry-wise formula that is useful in certain matrix completion problems is derived.We also study an interesting graph-inheritance principle in the context of chordal graphs.
An evolutionary-neurobiological explanation of political behavior and the Lumsden—Wilson ‘thousand-year rule’

Significant explanations of political behavior in evolutionary and neurobiological perspectives have been given, but they have been pursued as separate endeavors. A combination of these attempts would not only provide more powerful explanations but make tests of the pertinent hypotheses possible. It will be shown in this presentation how both of these aspects of inquiry can be achieved with respect to two fundamental phenomena that can be found in all poltical structures, namely, dominance-deference hierarchies and reciprocal cooperative arrangements. It then will be shown that the ultimate assessment of evolutionary-neurobiological hypotheses pertaining to political behavior will have to be made in consideration of the Lumsden—Wilson rule that genetic changes with a decisive impact on the evolution of behavior can occur in as few as a thousand years.
The quality and comparability of child care data in U.S. surveys.

This paper examines the quality and comparability of child care data obtained from eight waves of data from four nationally representative data sources: the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1986 and 1988), the Survey of Income and Program Participation (1986, 1987, 1988, and 1990), the National Child Care Survey, and the National Survey of Families and Households. We examine whether different study designs and survey techniques for asking questions about child care produce similar results on both the levels and determinants of child care. We identified four main sources of difference in the data sets that could impact the quality and comparability of child care research: when the interview is conducted; screening questions used to determine who is asked about child care; the population of parents and children represented in the survey; and the way child care questions are asked. Our findings indicate that summer interviews and screening on mother's work status produce the largest differences in the levels and effects of child care across these studies. Even after removing the effects of summer interviews and screening questions, however, substantial differences exist across the studies.
Testing intra-hemocelic injection of antimicrobials against Encephalitozoon sp. (Microsporidia) in an insect host

Encephalitozoon spp. are the primary microsporidial pathogens of humans and domesticated animals. In this experiment, we test the efficacy of four commercial antimicrobials against an Encephalitozoon sp. in an insect host by intra-hemocelic injection. All four antimicrobials, viz., thiabendazole, quinine, albendazole, and fumagillin, significantly reduced but did not eliminate microsporidia spore counts in the grasshopper host. Among these four drugs, thiabendazole was most effective in reducing the microsporidia spore level up to 90%, followed by quinine (70%), albendazole (62%), and fumagillin (59%). No control or quinine-treated animals died, whereas 45% of albendazole animals died. Despite the high mortality induced by albendazole, this drug significantly reduced spore counts, a result not seen in previous per os trials. Among the treatment groups, grasshoppers injected with thiabendazole lost a significant mass. Our study suggests that quinine and related alkaloids should be further examined for antimicrosporidial activity.