cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extending relational database functionality with data inconsistency resolution support.

Resolving inconsistent data is a problem of critical practical importance. Inconsistent data arises whenever an attribute takes on multiple, inconsistent, values. This may occur when a particular entity is stored multiple times in one database, or in multiple databases that are combined. We’ve developed an architecture and methodology that extends relational databases with support for systematic data inconsistency resolution. We plan to employ a probabilistic data model and a machine learning approach.
ERYTHROCYTE AND PLASMA LIPIDS IN SICKLE CELL ANEMIA.

Measurement of various lipid moieties of the nonsickled erythrocytes of patients with sickle cell disease demonstrate an increased concentration of all lipid fractions when compared to a normal similarly aged population of erythrocytes. Highly significant increases in sickle disease cells occurred only in the total lipid fraction. The nonsickled erythrocyte of patients with sickle cell disease appears flatter and has a larger surface area than similarly aged normal cells. Significant decreases in plasma total lipid, phospholipid and cholesterol were present.
Clinical next generation sequencing for precision oncology in rare cancers.

2582Background: Rare tumors receive little financial support or interest from major drug developers or clinical investigators. They are by nature difficult to study even in a large academic medical...
The instrumental use of norms in war: Impact on strategies and strategic outcomes

States and non-state actors increasingly use norms instrumentally as integral parts of strategies to help win wars by exploiting political vulnerabilities produced by other actors' adherence to the...
Feasibility and acceptability of a beverage intervention for Hispanic adults: a protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.

In the U.S., Hispanics have among the highest rates of overweight and obesity when compared to other racial/ethnic groups placing them at a greater risk for obesity-related disease. Identifying intervention strategies to reduce caloric intake and/or improve cardiometabolic health in Hispanics is critical to reducing morbidity and mortality among this large and growing population. Evidence exists to support diet-specific behavioral interventions, including beverage modifications, in reducing obesity-related health risks. However, the acceptability and feasibility of a beverage intervention in obese Hispanic adults has not been robustly evaluated. The objective of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a randomized, controlled beverage intervention in 50 obese Hispanic adults ages 18–64 over 8-weeks. Eligible participants were obese (30–50.0 kg/m2), between the ages 18–64, self-identified as Hispanic, and were able to speak, read, and write in either English and/or Spanish. Study recruitment was completed August 2017. Upon the completion of baseline assessments, participants will be randomized to either Mediterranean lemonade, Green Tea, or flavored water control. After completing a 2-week washout period, participants will be asked to consume 32 oz. per day of study beverage for 6-weeks while avoiding all other sources of tea, lemonade, citrus, juice, and other sweetened beverages; water is permissible. Primary outcomes will be recruitment, retention, and acceptability of the intervention strategies. Our study will also evaluate participant-reported tolerance and as an exploratory aim, assess safety/toxicity-related to renal and/or liver function. Fasting blood samples will be collected at baseline and 8-weeks to assess the primary efficacy outcomes: total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Secondary outcomes include fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). This pilot study will provide important feasibility, safety, and early efficacy data necessary to design a larger, adequately-powered randomized controlled trial. NCT02911753 ( ClinicalTrials.gov ). Registered September 19, 2016. Last updated November 1, 2017.
Caring for the Child with Spina Bifida

John F. Sarwark and John P. Lubicky, editors. Rosemont: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; 2001. 657 pages. $95.00. This text on the comprehensive management of infants, children, and adolescents with spina bifida is the result of a collaboration between the Shriners Hospitals for Children and the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America. Contributions of experts from the basic sciences as well as from the …
Stimulation of Granulosa Cell Maturation by Follicular Fluid

Antral follicle granulosa cells experience a series of biochemical and morphological changes as the follicles enlarge and mature. These include increased steroidogenic activity (Channing, 1970), increased cellular content of steroidogenic organelles (Rigby et al., 1980a), enhanced responsiveness to the gonadotrophins, and enhanced adenyl cyclase activity (Channing and Ledwitz-Rigby, 1974). Concomitant with follicular enlargement granulosa cell dependence on hormones to stimulate luteinization declines. Granulosa cells from large (6–12 mm) preovulatory, porcine follicles luteinize in vitro without requiring gonadotrophins in the culture media; medium (3–5 mm) follicles require either FSH or LH (Channing, 1970). However, even with estrogen, FSH and LH in the media the granulosa cells of small follicles do not secrete as much progesterone as cells obtained from more mature follicles (Thanki and Channing, 1976). The question remains as to which factors control in vivo maturation of granulosa cells and especially what determines whether an individual follicle will mature or become atretic.
Different Forced-Exposure Levels to Banner Advertisements

ABSTRACT This study explores the effects of different levels of forced exposure to banner ads on advertising responses such as advertising perception, clicking of banner ads, banner attitude, brand attitude, and purchase intention. The study employed a within-group experimental design using online data collection technology called Cold Fusion. It was found that the degree of forced exposure to banner ads had a significantly positive relationship with advertising perception and clicking of banner ads. Unexpectedly, it was also found that the banner ad presented in the format of the highest forced-exposure level also yielded the most desirable advertising effects (i.e., favorable attitude toward the banner ad, favorable attitude toward the brand, and high purchase intention).
Catalyst‐Free and Morphology‐Controlled Growth of 2D Perovskite Nanowires for Polarized Light Detection

Author(s): Ghoshal, D; Wang, T; Tsai, HZ; Chang, SW; Crommie, M; Koratkar, N; Shi, SF | Abstract: Ruddleson–Popper (RP) perovskites have emerged as a class of material inheriting the superior optoelectronic properties of two materials: perovskites and 2D materials. The large exciton binding energy and natural quantum well structure not only make these materials ideal platforms to study light–matter interactions but also render them suitable for fabrication of various functional optoelectronic devices. Nanoscale structuring and morphology control have led to semiconductors with enhanced functionalities. Nanowires of semiconducting materials are extensively used for important applications like lasing and sensing. However, catalyst and template-free scalable growth of nanowires of 2D perovskites has remained elusive. In this paper, a facile approach for morphology-controlled growth of nanowires of 2D perovskite, (BA)2PbI4, is demonstrated. Additionally, it is shown that the photoluminescence (PL) from the nanowires is highly polarized with a polarization ratio as large as ≈0.73, which is one of the largest reported for perovskites. It is further shown that the photocurrent from the hybrid nanowire/graphene device is also sensitive to the polarization of the incident light with the photocurrent anisotropy ratio of ≈3.62 (much larger than the previously reported value of 2.68 for perovskites), thus demonstrating the potential of these nanowires as highly efficient photodetectors for polarized light.
Thermothickening Behavior of Self-Stabilized Colloids Formed from Associating Polymers

The complexation of partially ethyl-quaternized poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (QVP) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) induces a dramatic change in solution viscoelasticity. In this work, we investigated a...
The Ceptre Editor: A Structure Editor for Rule-Based System Simulation

Systems understanding is a skill required to solve many of the world’s most important problems, from climate change to immunotherapy to social decision-making. However, these problems also require communication among experts with diverse skill sets and academic backgrounds. Our long-term goal is to facilitate systems understanding across a range of disciplines through end-user computational modeling tools. This paper presents the Ceptre Editor, a structure editor for the rule-based programming language Ceptre. The Ceptre Editor runs in the browser and offers a visual interface and integrated development environment for Ceptre, following design recommendations from end-user programming, with the goal of providing discoverable affordances for program construction and maintaining syntactic well-formedness at each edit state. We performed a preliminary evaluation of the tool through a qualitative study, assessing the editors effectiveness at helping users understand and extended a system model, and found promising results regarding learnability and mental model accuracy.
Health-related quality of life in elderly black and white patients with cancer: results from Medicare managed care population.

OBJECTIVE: To compare differences in various aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between Black and White individuals diagnosed with cancer. DESIGN: The data were extracted from 2005-2007 Medicare Health Outcome Survey, a health outcomes measure for the Medicare population in managed care settings. A total of 14089 Black and White respondents aged > or = 65 with cancer were included in the study. Multivariable linear regressions were used to assess the association between race and the HRQOL after accounting for age, sex, education years, marital status, and non-cancer comorbid conditions. RESULTS: When compared with their White counterparts, Black patients had lower scores for the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS), and all health domains with the exception of vitality. After adjusting for demographic features and comorbid conditions, the MCS scores of Black patients were still lower than that of White patients. However, the mean PCS was not different for Black and White patients. Black patients had significantly lower HRQOL in general health, social functioning, and role emotion, whereas they had a higher mean score in vitality. CONCLUSIONS: Race had a significant impact on quality of life for older cancer patients. The effect was likely to be moderated by comorbid conditions and socioeconomic indicators. To optimize cancer outcomes at the population level, it is important to identify subgroups of cancer patients with an increased risk of low quality of life and to develop appropriate supportive interventions of cancer care. Ethn Dis. 2012;22[3]:302–307
Detection of Cytokine Receptors Using Tyramide Signal Amplification for Immunofluorescence

Tyramide signal amplification (TSA) is an enzyme-mediated method to enhance the immunohistochemical detection of protein, nucleic acid, or other molecules in situ.Here we describe immunofluorescent detection of a low-abundance cytokine receptor, interleukin-17 receptor B (IL17RB) in U2OS cells, using tyramide signal amplification. In addition, we present a tyramide signal amplification compatible double-color immunostaining protocol using primary antibodies from the same host species. Those applications allow detection of cellular proteins with enhanced sensitivity and add flexibility on primary antibody selection in double- or multicolor immunofluorescence staining assays.
Ferroelectrics: From Memory to Computing

Research discovery of ferroelectricity in doped hafnium dioxide thin films has ignited tremendous activity in exploration of ferroelectric FETs for a range of applications from low-power logic to embedded non-volatile memory to in-memory compute kernels. In this paper, key milestones in the evolution of Ferroelectric Field Effect Transistors (FeFETs) and the emergence of a versatile ferroelectronic platform are presented. FeFET exhibits superior energy efficiency and high performance as embedded nonvolatile memory. When embedded into logic, such as SRAM or D-flip-flop, nonvolatile processor can be designed, which is critical for intermittent computing with unreliable power. The partial polarization switching in multi-domain ferroelectric can be harnessed to develop analog synaptic weight cell for deep learning accelerators. To further improve the energy-efficiency of computation, ferroelectric in-memory computing hardware primitive is designed, with one prominent example of ferroelectric TCAM. Utilizing the ferroelectric switching dynamics, ferroelectric neuron with intrinsic homeostasis can be realized to enable a unified ferroelectric platform for spiking neural network. From all these developments, ferroelectric emerges as a highly promising platform for various exciting applications.
[Historical Oncomelania hupensis snail environments in Baoshan District, Shanghai City].

OBJECTIVE To understand the distribution and characteristics of historical Oncomelania hupensis snail environments in Baoshan District, Shanghai City, so as to provide the reference for adjusting and formulating the monitoring program of the snail situation in the future. METHODS A retrospective survey and a field survey were conducted to collect the information of historical O. hupensis snail environments and set up the database. The distribution and characteristics of them were analyzed. RESULTS There were 53 historical O. hupensis snail environments which distributed in three towns, and the accumulative area was 1 635 530 m2 in Baoshan District, Shanghai City. Class I, II, III and IV accounted for 73.58%, 5.66%, 16.98% and 3.77% respectively. The complete transformation (Class I and Class II) was done in 42 places which covered the area of 1 622 043 m2, in which Class I environments and Class II environments accounted for 79.25% and 99.18% of the total, respectively. CONCLUSIONS There has been a great change in the historical O. hupensis snail environments in Baoshan District, Shanghai City. The information of the field investigation should be enriched and updated at different times to guide the investigation of O. hupensis snails in the future.
The role of kidney biopsy in diagnosis of preeclampsia in kidney transplant patients.

The aim of this report is to review two patients who developed proteinuria in pregnancy after kidney transplant in order to highlight the importance of maintaining a broad differential and the diag...
Recovery Act Oversight - Written Testimony

The use of Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals and measures to account for results of the Recovery Act, as the administration plans to do, is highly desirable. This increases the odds that taxpayers will get the maximum possible value for their dollars. The current approach would be improved if all agencies were explicitly required to (1) report outcome information for each program alongside cost information and (2) identify the amount of change in program outcomes caused by Recovery Act funding, either by devising measures that isolate the effects of the additional spending or conducting program evaluations that control for other factors that might affect outcomes. Despite the substantial progress we have seen in GPRA reporting, many agencies’ GPRA goals and measures still need substantial improvement if citizens are to receive a full, fair, and accurate accounting of what their Recovery Act dollars accomplish. Estimating the Recovery Act’s effects on employment requires serious macroeconomic analysis that takes into account both the immediate and obvious employment effects of the spending and the not so obvious employment effects of the borrowing. Macroeconomic analysis of the Recovery Act’s net effect on employment plays the same role that program evaluation plays in determining how much of the observed outcome was actually caused by a federal program. Calculating the net effect is important because some people may just switch jobs toward one created by federal spending. For this reason, it would be extremely inaccurate to portray only the employment created by the spending as the full effect of the Recovery Act on employment.
Neutrophil-Specific Defensin Receptors Prevent Skin Dysbiosis and Bacterial Infection

Healthy skin maintains a diverse microbiome and a potent immune system to fight off infections. Here, we discovered that epithelial cell-derived antimicrobial peptides defensins activate orphan GPCRs Mrgpra2a/b on neutrophils. This signaling axis is required for effective neutrophil-mediated skin immunity and microbiome homeostasis. We generated mutant mouse lines lacking the entire Defensin (Def) gene cluster or Mrgpra2a/b. Def and Mrgpra2 mutant animals both exhibited skin dysbiosis, with reduced microbial diversity and expansion of Staphylococcus species. Furthermore, we found that defensins and Mrgpra2 are critical for combatting S. aureus infections and the formation of neutrophil abscesses, a hallmark of antibacterial immunity. Activation of Mrgpra2 by defensin triggers neutrophils to release the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β, which is vital for proper amplification and propagation of the antibacterial immune response. This study demonstrates the importance of epithelial-neutrophil signaling via the defensin-Mrgpra2 axis in maintaining healthy skin ecology and promoting antibacterial host defense.
The Role of Quality Transparency in Healthcare: Challenges and Potential Solutions

This brief article discusses the important role quality transparency plays in the healthcare sector. It also describes some of the challenges faced by policymakers in improving transparency, and outlines a few solutions that they could apply.
Lateral mass screw placement in the atlas: description of a novel surgical technique, radiographic parameters, and review of the literature.

Background Numerous techniques of C1 lateral mass screw placement have been described. We sought to delineate the radiographic angle of safety medially and laterally and describe a novel surgical technique of C1 lateral mass screw placement. We sought to (I) determine the angle of safety medially and laterally of the C1 lateral mass; (II) assess the size available of the lateral mass in the AP and coronal planes; (III) describe novel technique of insertion of a C1 lateral mass screw utilizing navigation and a novel start point. Methods We retrospectively reviewed cervical computed tomography (CT) images of normal adults. Radiographic measurements were then obtained using these images including the angle (degrees) of safety medially and lateral of the C1 lateral mass bilaterally, as well as the length and width (mm) of the C1 lateral masses. A novel surgical technique was used by identifying the confluence of the medial aspect of the posterior arch and the lateral mass. This confluence is then marked out as the C1 screw start point. Under navigation guidance, lateral mass screws were placed with 0 degrees of medial-lateral angulation from posterior to anterior. Results Forty-five patients with a mean age of 52.6±25.6 years (33% female) were included. The mean medial and lateral angle of safety of the C1 lateral mass bilaterally was 23±3.8 degrees and 32±5 degrees, respectively. Average length and width of the lateral mass was 17.7 and 13.3 mm respectively. Conclusions This study describes the radiographic window of safety medially and laterally for safe and reproducible placement of C1 lateral mass screws. Further, a novel technique using a medial start point and navigation guidance with 0 degrees of angulation in the coronal plane is described. Further research is required to assess outcomes of patients utilizing this method as well as biomechanical studies to assess this construct strength compared to others that are frequently used.
Epilogue by Michael M.J. Fischer: Hauntology’s Genesis, Catacoustics, and Future Shadows

Hauntology has gone through three major historical formations indexed by dreamwork, electronic music, and algorithmic simulacra. Rahimi introduces the first with: a story of a mentally disturbed man as a kind of midrash (often a story mode of biblical or qur’anic interpretation); the second with the analogy of justice as a slingshot around a black hole; and the third with an invocation of emergent cyberworlds and virtual reality as new forms of power relations depending less on information than on data and simulacra. Hauntology itself is the undoing of all ontology, all singularities, all claims to singular origins; of singular sovereignties, of the unified self, and of European philosophy as a restricted language game. Behind every claim of “how things are” lie shadows, ghosts, temporary suppressions of alternatives and contestations in the rich possibilities of life, history, politics, justice, and desire. The first horizon, of psychoanalysis before 1970, is evoked in the rich metaphorical languages drawn from Genesis, the Qur’an, the poetry of Hafiz, and the seventeenth-century Golem at the dawn of the scientific revolution. The horizon of the 1970s is evoked through electronic music and sampling in popular music, playing upon the sonic (blue note) difference between ontology and hauntology. The music scene in England in particular, beginning with the Thatcher-Reagan era articulated a sense that the past as cultural resource was nearing exhaustion, that all past senses of the future were being foreclosed, and that the new digital worlds threatened to be subject to neoliberal manipulation as datafication and gamification became tools of replacing the welfare state and social democracy. The emergent third horizon of contemporary cyberworlds is one of contending with “operational images” (legible to machines more than to humans), “modeling,” and self-generating digital and biological networks, over which we need to take control choreographically, to produce decolonial pluri-worlds and what Andean nations (among other places) are producing under the banners of, in Quechua, sumak kawsay (Spanish, buen Vivir; English: good or beautiful life). These are not mere slogans but have brought an indigenous president to power in Bolivia, changed the terms of politics in Peru, and are being struggled over in decentralized health care in Columbia, as well as municipal experiments in Barcelona. All are struggles in process, all are haunted by pasts. These pasts and hauntologies may not operate as they have in the past.
Tailorable multifunctionalities in ultrathin 2D Bi-based layered supercell structures.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials with robust ferromagnetic behavior have attracted great interest because of their potential applications in next-generation nanoelectronic devices. Aside from graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, Bi-based layered oxide materials are a group of prospective candidates due to their superior room-temperature multiferroic response. Here, an ultrathin Bi3Fe2Mn2O10+δ layered supercell (BFMO322 LS) structure was deposited on an LaAlO3 (LAO) (001) substrate using pulsed laser deposition. Microstructural analysis suggests that a layered supercell (LS) structure consisting of two-layer-thick Bi–O slabs and two-layer-thick Mn/Fe–O octahedra slabs was formed on top of the pseudo-perovskite interlayer (IL). A robust saturation magnetization value of 129 and 96 emu cm−3 is achieved in a 12.3 nm thick film in the in-plane (IP) and out-of-plane (OP) directions, respectively. The ferromagnetism, dielectric permittivity, and optical bandgap of the ultrathin BFMO films can be effectively tuned by thickness and morphology variation. In addition, the anisotropy of all ultrathin BFMO films switches from OP dominating to IP dominating as the thickness increases. This study demonstrates the ultrathin BFMO film with tunable multifunctionalities as a promising candidate for novel integrated spintronic devices.
Systems of Systems Engineering: Principles and Applications

About the Editor Contributors Introduction to system of systems M. Jamshidi SoS architecture R. Cole Emergence of SoS, sociocognitive aspects B. G. McCarter and B. E. White A system-of-systems simulation framework and its applications F. Sahin, M. Jamshidi, and P. Sridhar Technology evaluation for system of systems P. T. Biltgen Enterprise system of systems G. Rebovich, Jr. Definition, classification, and methodological issues of system of systems M. Bjelkemyr, D. Semere, and B. Lindberg Policymaking to reduce carbon emissions: An application of system-of-systems perspective D. B. Agusdinata, L. Dittmar, and D. DeLaurentis Medical and health management system of systems Y. Hata, S. Kobashi, and H. Nakajima The microgrid as a system of systems L. R. Phillips An integrated intelligent decision support system based on sensor and computer networks Q. Wu, M. Zhu, N. S. V. Rao, S. S. Iyengar, R. R. Brooks, and M. Meng Defense applications of SoS C.E. Dickerson System of air vehicles R. Colgren System of autonomous rovers and their applications F. Sahin, B. Horan, S. Nahavandi, V. Raghavan, and M. Jamshidi Space applications of system of systems D. S. Caffall and J. B. Michael Airport operations: A system-of-systems approach S. Nahavandi, D. Creighton, M. Johnstone, and V. T. Le Knowledge amplification by structured expert randomization-KASERs in SoS design S. H. Rubin System-of-systems standards M. A. Johnson Index
Volutella species on alfalfa

Three species of Volutella infest forage legumes in the Ames vicinity. Two of these, V. gilva and V. ciliata, are saprophytes, the latter not previously reported from the U.S. The sporodochia are b...
Trojan T cell horse: TLR5 ligand-secreting T cells reshape the tumor microenvironment and exhibit enhanced antitumor activity (TUM2P.909)

T cell responses are downregulated by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. On the basis of previous studies demonstrating that Toll-like receptor (TLR) engagement on T cells augments their responses, we hypothesized that T cells engineered to secrete the TLR5 ligand flagellin would enhance T cell costimulation in the tumor environment and augment antitumor activity. Human T cells engineered to express the MART-1 TCR and secrete TLR5-ligand (TLR5-L) responded to lower tumor antigen levels resulting in increased proliferation, cytolytic activity and reversed tumor growth associated with prolonged mouse survival in a xenogeneic model. Treatment with TLR5-L-secreting T cells eradicated tumor in 40% of mice in a syngeneic model. Intratumoral secretion of TLR5-L by T cells reshaped the tumor microenvironment in part by inducing of a distinct chemokine/cytokine profile rendering it more immunogenic and permissive to T cell infiltration. Furthermore, tumor lysis by TLR5-L-producing T cells triggered the priming of endogenous tumor-reactive CD8 and CD4 T cells. Characterization of the cellular composition of the tumor and spleen revealed a reduction in MDSCs in the spleen and increased expression of MHC I in the tumor. This study demonstrates for the first time the ability to use T cells to deliver a TLR agonist to the tumor site and that intratumoral TLR5-L contributes to various processes involved in tumor regression.
What Difference Do Guidelines Make? An Observational Study of Online-questionnaire Design Guidelines Put to Practical Use

As a new medium for questionnaire delivery, the Internet has the potential to revolutionize the survey process. Online-questionnaires can provide many capabilities not found in traditional paper-based questionnaires. Despite this, and the introduction of a plethora of tools to support online-questionnaire creation, current electronic survey design typically replicates the look-and-feel of paper-based questionnaires, thus failing to harness the full power of the electronic delivery medium. A recent environmental scan of online-questionnaire design tools found that little, if any, support is incorporated within these tools to guide questionnaire designers according to best-practice [Lumsden & Morgan 2005]. This paper briefly introduces a comprehensive set of guidelines for the design of online-questionnaires. Drawn from relevant disparate sources, all the guidelines incorporated within the set are proven in their own right; as an initial assessment of the value of the set of guidelines as a practical reference guide, we undertook an informal study to observe the effect of introducing the guidelines into the design process for a complex online-questionnaire. The paper discusses the qualitative findings — which are encouraging for the role of the guidelines in the ‘bigger picture’ of online survey delivery across many domains such as e-government, e-business, and e-health — of this case study.
Initial Experiences Re-Exporting Duplicate and Similarity Computation with an OAI-PMH aggregator

The proliferation of the Open Archive Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) has resulted in the creation of a large number of service providers, all harvesting from either data providers or aggregators. If data were available regarding the similarity of metadata records, service providers could track redundant records across harvests from multiple sources as well as provide additional end-user services. Due to the large number of metadata formats and the diverse mapping strategies employed by data providers, similarity calculation requirements necessitate the use of information retrieval strategies. We describe an OAI-PMH aggregator implementation that uses the optional “ ” container to re-export the results of similarity calculations. Metadata records (3751) were harvested from a NASA data provider and similarities for the records were computed. The results were useful for detecting duplicates, similarities and metadata errors.
A structural model for genetic similarity in genomic selection of admixed populations

Current approaches for dealing with admixed and crossbred populations in genomic selection rely on using different groups of animals in training sets. These approaches benefit from increased power as a result of increasing the size of the training set. However, the performance largely depends on the genetic similarity between the sub-populations of the admixed population. Our proposed multi-compartment model where the effect of an SNP could be different between breeds and parameterized as a function of its effect on one of the breeds in admixed population through a one to one mapping function, was able to remediate some problems of the pooled data approaches but still suffers from the high dimensionality of the unknown parameters to estimate. To overcome this problem, we propose not to estimate the mapping parameter α for each SNP but rather to build a model for α as a function of information already available in the genotype data via a hierarchical structural model. In this study, α was modeled as a function of the change in linkage disequilibrium. An admixed population (A and B) and crossbred populations (AB, BA, BxAB, BxBAB) were simulated. Individuals were genotyped for 300 SNPs and measured for a quantitative trait with 0.5 heritability. Three analyses were conducted: 1) classical pooled data (M1); 2) pooled data using the multi-compartment model and α for each SNP (M2); and 3) pooled data using multi-compartment model and our structural model for α (M3). The accuracy of (M1) tended to be much lower than using models M2 or M3. The prediction accuracies for line A using model M1 was 0.39 compared to 0.56 and 0.43 using M2 and M3, respectively. The accuracies using the structural model (M3) resulted in intermediate to those obtained using M1 and M2. The relatively good performance obtained using M2 indicates that it is possible to model α as a function of the information already available in the genotype data and to substantially reduce the number of parameters to be estimated. Additionally, the model for α could be further refined which will likely lead to better performances.
Monetary Policies in the United States since 1950: Some Implications of the Retreat to Orthodoxy

MONETARY policy in the United States since 1950 has involved the abdication of fairly traditional powers by the authorities and a retreat to an orthodoxy reminiscent of the earlier years of this century. In the course of this retreat the monetary (and fiscal) authorities have sought to reduce federal debt to a quasi-private character, while, in contrast, the government has elevated vast amounts of private debt to a quasi-federal status. It will be argued here that in the light of the changing institutional environment, the drive to monetary orthodoxy plus an undue preoccupation with inflation are in large measure responsible for making exasperatingly difficult the maintenance of orderly Treasury finances and may be self-defeating with respect to the control of inflation.
Hard X-rays from the Southern Sky

On March 20, 1969, we scanned the Southern sky for 8 hours in a manner similar to that during our October 15, 1967 observations.* A quick look at the data shows clearly that the brightness of Cen XR-2 in the energy range above 20 keV has significantly decreased since our first observation. At this stage of the data analysis we can put an upper limit on the intensity of Cen XR-2 which is 1/3 the intensity observed by us on October 15, 1967. From further data analyses we will be able to determine the intensity of the source more precisely.**
Race and Ethnic Differences in the Associations between Cardiovascular Diseases, Anxiety, and Depression in the United States

Introduction: Although cardiovascular diseases and psychiatric disorders are linked, it is not yet known if such link are independent of comorbid medical diseases and if these associations depend on race and ethnicity. This study aimed to determine if the associations between cardiovascular diseases with general anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive episode (MDE) are independent of comorbid medical diseases and if these links differ among African Americans, Caribbean Blacks, and Non-Hispanic Whites. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled African American, Caribbean Black, and Non-Hispanic White adults who had participated in the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), 2001 - 2003. Data on socio-economics (age, sex, and education level) were measured. Self-reported physician diagnosed cardiovascular diseases (heart disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and stroke) and chronic medical conditions (peptic ulcer, cancer, diabetes, liver disease, kidney Disease, asthma, other chronic respiratory diseases, sickle cell anemia, and glaucoma) were measured. The 12-month GAD and MDE were measured using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Logistic regressions were fitted to data to determine the association between cardiovascular diseases, and to determine if 12-month GAD and 12-month MDE are independent of socio-economic status and comorbid chronic medical diseases across race and ethnic groups. Results: Above and beyond other medical conditions, heart disease and atherosclerosis were associated with 12-month GAD among Caribbean Blacks, but not African Americans or non-Hispanic Whites. Hypertension was associated with 12-month MDD among African Americans, and heart disease was associated with 12-month MDE among Caribbean Blacks. None of the cardiovascular diseases were associated with 12-month MDD among non-Hispanic Whites, while all the other medical conditions were controlled. Conclusion: Our study showed race and ethnicity may be associated with specific patterns of comorbidity between cardiovascular diseases and 12-month MDD and GAD. By other means, the link between psychiatric disorders and cardiovascular diseases may depend on race and ethnicity. More research is needed to explore the behavioral and mental health profile of individuals with heart disease based on race and ethnicity. Race and ethnicity should inform mental health evaluation of patients with cardiovascular diseases.
BAFF binding to T cell-expressed BAFF-R costimulates T cell proliferation and alloresponses.

Binding of the TNF family member, B cell activating factor (BAFF), to its receptor (BAFF-R, TNFRSF13C) is required for generation and maintenance of mature B cells, but there are no data as to any role for the BAFF/BAFF-R pathway in T cell functions. We report that the binding of BAFF to BAFF-R expressed by a subset of primarily CD4+ T cells costimulates T cell activation and allo-proliferation in vitro and in vivo, and that mice with a mutation in the BAFF-R, or with a targeted deletion of BAFF, show prolonged cardiac allograft survival as compared to wild-type or transmembrane activator and calcium modulator and cyclophilin ligand interactor (TACI)–/– controls. Taken together, these data indicate the BAFF/BAFF-R pathway contributes to both T and B cell responses and may be an attractive target for control of acute and chronic allograft rejection.
Computation of stability radius for families of bivariate polynomials

In this paper we apply optimization techniques to the problem of robust stability of a family of bivariate polynomials under affine coefficient perturbations. The size of the perturbations is measured by a convex function. In this paper we concentrate onlp weighted norms, for three special casesp = 1,p = 2, andp = ∞. Necessary and sufficient conditions for robust stability are provided. Evaluation of the stability radius is reduced to a minimization problem in two-dimensional space. The results open the door to the development and implementation of reliable and efficient algorithms for the computation of the stability radius.
Subjectively weighted utility and the Allais Paradox

Abstract The “Allais Paradox” is often cited as an example of the limited descriptive ability of the Expected Utility model. It is shown here that the Allais Paradox does not induce a contradiction in the Subjectively Weighted Utility (SWU) model proposed elsewhere as a descriptive extension of the expected utility framework. This approach is compared with the CE and Prospect theories of decision making in which a “subcertainty” property explains the Allais Paradox. The related issues of independence of outcomes and the aggregation of outcomes are also discussed briefly.
Construction of the Design Space of Single-Loop Change-Point Mechanisms

Change-point mechanisms are shown to be significant in the design of surface micromachined MEMS. The design space of change-point mechanisms is derived for an arbitrary single loop change-point mechanism using a global and local approach. A function on the design space, the mechanism’s length, is constructed for fourbars. An inversion operator, a mapping from the design space to the design space, is also constructed for fourbars. The method for constructing the function and the operator is shown to be capable of extension to single loop change-point mechanisms with five or more links. The results give insight into design possibilities and limitations of change-point mechanisms.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Changes in muscle strength in individuals with statin-induced myopathy: A summary of 3 investigations

Background There are inconsistent findings regarding muscular weakness in individuals with statin-induced myalgia. Objective We used rigorous muscle testing to compare findings from 3 investigations in 3 different study populations to determine if statin myalgia is associated with measurable weakness. Methods In all 3 studies, we measured maximal isometric handgrip strength, resting respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and knee extensor isometric and isokinetic force. In 2 of the 3 studies, elbow flexor isometric and isokinetic force and knee endurance fatigue index were also assessed. Knee extensor and elbow flexor measurements were obtained using an isokinetic dynamometer. Resting RER was measured using a metabolic breath-by-breath collection method. Measurement outcomes were compared on vs off drug. Results In study 1, 18 participants fit the criteria for statin myalgia. Participants taking atorvastatin 80 mg daily had significantly lower muscle strength in 5 ( P P P > .05). In study 3, 11 patients with statin-induced myalgia completed the study and had a significant decrease in 2 ( P P > .05). Conclusion Our results indicate that after a short-term treatment with statin therapy, a rigorous muscle strength protocol does not show decrements of muscle strength in subjects with statin myalgia. Short-term treatment with statin therapy is not common in clinical practice. Thus, future studies should examine the effects of prolonged statin therapy on muscle strength.
A method for detecting potentially unreliable estimates when using the Burdick/Rayens model for estimating linear mixing proportions

In an earlier paper by Burdick and Rayens a model was developed which uses discriminant analysis to construct estimates of linear mixing proportions. In this paper a method is proposed for identifying potentially unreliable estimates when using the Burdick/Rayens model. It is also shown to be useful in detecting irregularities in the sample data. The methodology is based on the lengths of residual vectors and is demonstrated within the context of polychlorinated biphenyl mixtures.
Prognosis of patients with an isolated fixed thallium-201 defect and no prior myocardial infarction

Abstract Traditionally, fixed defects in thallium-201 myocardial perfusion imaging studies have been thought to indicate the presence of scarring or myocardial infarction. 1 More recently, several investigators challenged this dogma, showing that some defects that appear fixed on standard 2- to 4-hour delayed redistribution images will show at least some reversibility if reimaged at 24 to 72 hours, 2,3 or if thallium-201 is reinjected at rest before repeat imaging, 4 and thus do not appear to represent infarction. Many prior studies found that redistribution on standard stress 2- to 4-hour delayed thallium-201 imaging has a strong predictive value for future cardiac events. However, whereas some reports have found fixed defects to have important prognostic value, 5–7 most have not. 8–21 The prognostic implications of the subgroup of fixed defects on standard imaging, which show reversibility only with reinjection or 24- to 72-hour imaging, are unknown. Therefore, it is problematic whether to treat patients with these defects the same as for standard redistribution. To provide some insight into this dilemma, we examined the outcome of 100 patients without prior myocardial infarction who had isolated fixed defects on standard exercise 2- to 4-hour redistribution thallium-201 imaging. These patients represent a cohort very likely to show reversibility with reinjection or 24- to 72-hour late imaging, because the fixed defects in these cases do not represent scarring.
Concurrent face traversal for efficient geometric routing

We present a concurrent face routing CFR algorithm. We formally prove that the worst case latency of our algorithm is asymptotically optimal. Our simulation results demonstrate that, on average, the path stretch, i.e., the speed of message delivery, achieved by CFR is significantly better than by other known geometric routing algorithms. In fact, it approaches the shortest possible path. CFR maintains its advantage over the other algorithms in pure form as well as in combination with greedy routing. CFR displays this performance superiority both on planar and non-planar graphs.
Paraconsistent Inference from Data Using Existential Omega-Entailment

Existential Omega-entailment is a para consistent entailment relation designed to show the consequences of data which is inconsistent with a set of integrity constraints Omega. In this paper, we prove semantic properties of existential Omega-entailment and give an algorithm for computing it.
Stimulation of ornithine decarboxylase activity by luteinizing hormone in rat testicular interstitial cells in vitro is age dependent

Summary The developmental pattern of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) responsiveness to luteinizing hormone (LH) in isolated rat testicular interstitial cells in vitro was examined and correlated with testosterone production by the same cells. LH caused a 60-100% stimulation of ODC activity in cells from 60-day-old rats but produced no response in cells from 30, 37, 41, 50 and 55-day-old animals. Interstitial cells from 25-day-old rats responded with a moderate (40%) but statistically significant enhancement of ODC activity to the highest LH dose (100.0 ng/ml) only. Testosterone production by control cells was low until day 41 (0.15–0.30 ng/106 cells per 4 h), and then markedly increased to adult levels (2.12 ± 0.03 106 cells per 4 h). LH in all concentrations (0.1–100.0 ng/ml) employed caused a consistent 4 to 7-fold stimulation of testosterone production in interstitial cells at all ages studied. This study shows age-dependent stimulation by LH of ODC activity in rat testicular interstitial cells in vitro and no apparent correlation with testosterone production by the same cells.
Reversal-to-baseline: Demonstration of functional control or expectancy of therapeutic loss

Abstract Questionnaires designed to assess the behavioral expectations produced by differing reversal-to-baseline rationales were presented to 200 university undergraduates. Each questionnaire comprised two case histories in which the subject was asked to simulate the role of a change-agent applying treatment contingencies to a child's maladaptive behavior. Five distinct sets of instructions and rationales for the reversal phase (as presented by a consulting psychologist) were compared in terms of the behavioral expectations they generated. The five rationales included: (a) withdrawal, (b) withdrawal and counter-expectancy, (c) problem switch and counter-expectancy, (d) fade and counter-expectancy, and (e) inert treatment and counter-expectancy. A one-way analysis of variance indicated significant differences between experimental conditions (P
Tumor-specific transplantation immunity after cryosurgery.

Tumor-specific transplantation immunity was studied in three mouse tumor systems. A differential immunity was shown to exist between animals which had tumor cryo-surgically destroyed and those having tumor surgically amputated. However, the difference was dependent upon the individual host tumor system. Further investigation into cryosurgical in situ tumor destruction is warranted.
Challenges in Joining Advanced Ceramic Materials: Interface Formation of Ceramic/Metal High-Temperature Brazes

This paper describes the metallurgical interfacial reactions at elevated temperatures between reactive zirconium metal and stable oxide ceramics, specifically beryllia, yttria, and magnesia- zirconia composite ceramic. The ceramic/metal systems were preheated at 600°C, and then heated to peak temperatures of 1800°C or above, depending of the system, in ultra pure Argon atmosphere. After a short stay at the peak temperature, each system was cooled to room. The interaction was monitored during heating by a video camera and the interfaces were microscopically examined after the thermal cycle. The microstructure and chemical changes at the interface were evaluated via SEM and EDS. During heating of the beryllia/Zr system, the ceramic was initially reduced and Be alloyed the Zr metal in solid solution, causing Zr to melt locally at the interface at about 1600°C instead of 1855°C. The alloy Zr-Be liquid is what later dissolved the beryllia and infiltrated partially into the ceramic substrate. It seems that there was no solid state reaction between the Zr metal and yttria since Zr melted at its melting temperature of 1855°C; it is evident, however, that the liquid Zr partially dissolved yttria at the interface; yttrium and oxygen segregated to the grain boundaries. The solidified metal tightly bonded to the ceramic substrate as the system cooled to room temperature. In the Zr-MgO/ZrO2 system, Zr melted at 1855°C and it reduced the magnesia, but at the same time the magnesium was volatilized.