cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term composite tissue allograft survival in a porcine model with cyclosporine/mycophenolate mofetil therapy.

Background. Low-dose cyclosporine (CsA)'mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) therapy has significantly reduced the frequency of rejection and drug-induced side effects in rat hindlimb allograft recipients. With an eye toward direct clinical application, we developed a large-animal extremity composite tissue allograft model to assess the antirejection efficacy and systemic toxicity of combination CsA/MMF treatment. Methods. Radial forelimb osteomyocutaneous flap transplants were performed between size-matched, outbred pigs assigned to one of two groups: 5 control pigs received no immunosuppression, and 10 pigs received a once-daily oral CsA/MMF/prednisone regimen. Rejection was assessed by visual inspection of flap skin and correlated with serial histopathologic examination of skin biopsies. Results. In all control pigs, the flap was completely rejected on day 7. Of the 10 pigs receiving treatment, one died from pneumonia and an another from an anesthetic complication on days 19 and 30, respectively, without signs of rejection. Two flaps were lost on days 25 and 29 from severe rejection. Three pigs were free of rejection at the end of the 90-day follow-up period, and three had stable mild-to-moderate rejection at 90 days (P= 0.0007 vs. controls). White blood cell and platelet counts, serum creatinine values, and liver function tests remained normal in all animals receiving immunosuppressive therapy. Conclusions. Our results, to our knowledge, demonstrate for the first time that rejection can be significantly delayed in a large-animal composite tissue allograft model including skin using only orally administered agents dosed according to clinically relevant strategies without significant drug-specific systemic side effects.
In ovo peptide YY administration improves growth and feed conversion ratios in week-old broiler chicks

The effects of in ovo Peptide YY (PYY) administration on growth and feed conversion ratios in a commercial broiler line were investigated. Six hun- dred Ross male × Cobb female eggs were administered either 0.9% saline (control) or 600 µg/kg egg weight PYY in ovo at Day 18 of incubation. On day of hatching, 210 birds from each treatment group were randomly placed by sex into pens. Body weights at placement were not different between treatment groups. Average
Mapping of Strain Fields in GaAs/GaAsP Core–Shell Nanowires with Nanometer Resolution

We report the nanoscale quantification of strain in GaAs/GaAsP core–shell nanowires. By tracking the shifting of higher-order Laue zone (HOLZ) lines in convergent beam electron diffraction patterns, we observe unique variations in HOLZ line separation along different facets of the core–shell structure, demonstrating the nonuniform strain fields created by the heterointerface. Furthermore, through the use of continuum mechanical modeling and Bloch wave analysis we calculate expected HOLZ line shift behavior, which are directly matched to experimental results. This comparison demonstrates both the power of electron microscopy as a platform for nanoscale strain characterization and the reliability of continuum models to accurately calculate complex strain fields in nanoscale systems.
Monte Carlo Summation for Product-Form Loss Networks

We have repeatedly seen that performance measures for product-form loss networks take the form of simple functions of normalization constants. An effective method to calculate normalization constants therefore leads to an effective method to calculate performance measures. In Chapters 2 and 3 we presented efficient recursive and convolution algorithms to calculate normalization constants for stochastic knapsacks and generalized stochastic knapsacks. In Chapter 5 we presented efficient convolution algorithms for generalized tree and hierarchical tree networks. Nevertheless, calculating the normalization constant for arbitrary topologies is an NP-complete problem [102]. Many simple topologies — including the important star topology — appear to be particularly elusive for combinatorial approaches.
Capturing the missing [AgF2]− anion within an Ru2(III/III) dimeric dumbbell complex

The complex {[Ru2(ap)4]2[AgF2]}[BF4]3 ({2}[BF4]3, ap = 2-anilinopyridine), containing the [AgF2](-) anion ligated to two [Ru2](6+) cores, is prepared, characterized, and compared to dimeric dumbbell-type structures, monomeric Ru2 structures, as well as the known set of dihalo coinage-metalate anions. X-ray crystallography indicates that the Ru-Ru and Ru-F distances are rather short, 2.2835(3) A and 2.054(1) A, respectively, while the Ag-F distance of 2.274(1) A is longer than that calculated for the free/un-ligated anion. Cyclic voltammetry in dichloromethane indicates that, while some of {2}(3+) breaks apart into an [Ru2(ap)4F](+) ([3](+)) monomer in solution, the remaining dimer has a single reversible two-electron redox feature for the Ru2(6/5+) couple that is at a lower potential than that of [3](+). This is one of the few examples of a ligated dihalo coinage-metalate, and it is the first example of a coinage metal difluoride anion, either free or ligated.
From Perceptions to Practice: Examining How Administrators Make Use of Value-Added Data in Schools

Accountability mandates increasingly lead schools and districts to make use of student performance metrics. This study begins to unpack the factors behind uptake and use of value-added models by administrators in schools within a district and state that strongly promote data use as a tool to improve student outcomes, measure performance, and ascertain accountability. This study examines the components that influence how and to what extent school administrators make use of value-added performance metrics to shed light on how the availability of data affects schools beyond the external accountability factors commonly presented. The usage in schools in this study has two key components that drive the data cultures of the individual schools: (1) administrators’ perceptions of the usefulness and alignment of data and (2) the external factors that influence data uptake and usage.
Metabolism of glomerular basement membrane in short- and long-term streptozotocin diabetic rats

AbstractThe synthesis of glomerular basement membrane (GBM) total protein and collagen was assessed by two methods in vivo in normal and streptozotocin diabetic rats 4–6 weeks and 42–44 weeks after onset of hyperglycaemia, using L-[2, 3,3H] proline as a radioactive precursor. The incorporation of tritiated proline into GBM hydroxyproline was used as a measure of collagen synthesis and that into proline as total protein synthesis. The basement membrane fractions from both short- and long-term diabetic rats attained much higher proline and hydroxyproline specific activities compared to normal GBM proline and hydroxyproline specific activities. Early insulin therapy with normalization of blood sugar levels in short-term (4–6 weeks) diabetic rats returned the abnormal increases in GBM total protein and collagen synthesis to normal. By contrast, poor glycaemic control with insulin did not prevent the increases in GBM protein synthesis.The results of the present study suggest that overall enhancement of GBM pro...
A local entropic signature of specific ion hydration.

Monovalent ion hydration entropies are analyzed via energetic partitioning of the potential distribution theorem free energy. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations a...
Some thoughts on osteoporosis in women.

Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease of the elderly that has an enormous impact on health costs. New thoughts about pathophysiology are emerging. Age-related changes in skeletal metabolism and hormonal alterations and changes in lifestyle patterns present an array of risk factors. Many regimens are available to treat established disease. Most programs are aimed at preventing further mineral loss. Experimental therapies are directed toward stimulating bone growth. Prevention is the key to treating disease.
Influence of hair growth cycle on cytochrome oxidase and DPNH-cytochrome C reductase in mouse epidermis.

Summary1. Cytochrome oxidase activity of epidermis of mice on 4th day of hair growth cycle was appreciably higher than of epidermis of 12th and 22nd days of cycle. 2. Hair follicle preparations from very young mice had much greater cytochrome oxidase activity than did epidermis of 12th and 22nd days of cycle. 2. Hair follicle preparations from very young mice had much greater cytochrome oxidase activity than did epidermis regardless of stage of hair growth. 3. DPNH-cytochrome c reductase activity of epidermis of 12th day of hair growth cycle was significantly less than that of epidermis removed on 4th and 22nd days of cycle. 4. Activity of cytochrome oxidase appears associated to some extent with mitotic activity of tissues examined.
Construction of compactp-wavelets

In [D1] the method for construction of compact wavelets, based on a decimation by 2, was introduced. In [CW] and [A] decimation by an integer different from 2 is discussed but construction for a generalp is not completely treated. Here we review some of the elements of that construction and give an approach that generalizes to thep>2 case in a concrete fashion which requires some new ideas.
CHEMICAL BIOMARKERS IN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

By T Bianchi, E Canuel. ( 2011) Princeton University Press. 392 pp. List price US $95.00; Kindle available. ISBN: 978-0691134147. The book Chemical Biomarkers in Aquatic Ecosystems by T. Bianchi and E. Canuel describes organic matter as it relates to globally important processes in biogeochemistry. Chemical biomarkers, or biomarker molecules, are defined here as compounds that characterize certain biotic sources and selectively retain their source information, even after stages of decomposition and diagenesis. Biomarkers, for the most part, are organic molecules and are used to gain insight into many aspects of the modern and ancient Earth system. The information from biomarkers can be applied to a broad range of overlapping studies including areas ranging from fossil fuels, evolution of life on Earth, and microbial chemotaxonomy, to the cycling of carbon, nutrients, and energy. In their book, Bianchi and Canuel demonstrate the utility of organic molecules as tracers of processes occurring in aquatic ecosystems, both modern and ancient, especially where combined with isotopic analysis of …
The brain and child development: time for some critical thinking.

Abstract There is widespread interest in the claim that new breakthroughs in neuroscience have radical implications for early child care policy. Yet despite parents', educators', and policy makers' enthusiasm, there are good reasons to be skeptical. The neuroscience cited in the policy arguments is not new, depending primarily on three well-established neurobiological findings: rapid postnatal synapse formation, critical periods in development, and the effects of enriched rearing on brain connectivity in rats. Furthermore, this neuroscience is often oversimplified and misinterpreted. While child care advocates are enthusiastic about potential applications of brain science, for the most part neuroscientists are more cautious and skeptical. After reviewing the evidence and the arguments, the author suggests that in the interest of good science and sound policy, more of us might adopt a skeptical stance.
Venetian Merchants as Diplomatic Agents: Family Networks and Cross-Confessional Diplomacy in Early Modern Europe

This chapter focuses on the prominent Venetian merchant Giacomo Ragazzoni and his brothers Placido and Gerolamo, reconstructing their role as ambassadors, agents and information gatherers in sixteenth-century Constantinople, London and Paris. Operating as a ‘family consortium’, the Ragazzoni used diplomacy as a tool of social mobility, networking their way into the Venetian patriciate by serving several different patrons without much concern for their religious affiliation. On the one hand, their case highlights the importance of family networks in sixteenth-century Europe, warning against the anachronistic application of modern distinctions between public and private, political and domestic, to early modern diplomacy. On the other, it provides new evidence about the role of merchants as cross-confessional intermediaries. While publicly the Ragazzoni always stressed their adherence to the Tridentine orthodoxy and to the Renaissance ideal of the pious merchant described by Leon Battista Alberti and Benedetto Cotrugli, their private correspondence reveals a keen ability to move across religious borders, keeping contact with Protestant England and with several Italian reformers in Venice.
Classifications: The Utopia of Classifying the Unclassifiable

Traditional classifications of ichnology, based on marine and lacustrine trace fossils, were not prepared to include insect trace fossils, which since the 90s have been producing a deep exercise of thinking and changes in these classifications. Many insect trace fossils, such as cocoons, ovipositions, caddisfly cases, galls, subaerial nests, fall in the grey area of “other evidence of activity” in current classifications or even some of them are questioned as true trace fossils. Insect trace fossils in plant remains are included in the category of bioerosion. The distinction among compound and composite trace fossils is challenged by many insect trace fossils, which are here in a new category: coproduced trace fossils. Larva and adult of the same species of insect may be considered a single producer or two different producers? As an exercise, the ethological classification and categories is reviewed taken in account the selection of substrate as the first order ethological trait to be considered. Different aspects of ichnotaxonomy as the most significant and sound ichnological classification are reviewed. The convenience of creating ichnofamilies is stressed and the already recognized ones are briefly reviewed. Some problems related to trace fossil ichnotaxonomical identification, such as preservational biases, size, distortion with age, are analyzed.
Effects of cinnamaldehyde or monensin on performance of weaned Holstein dairy heifers

The objective of this 70-d study was to determine the effects of the essential oil cinnamaldehyde compared with the ionophore monensin on performance of weaned Holstein dairy heifers. Eighty-four Holstein dairy heifers (91 ± 3.33 d of age; 109 ± 7.55 kg) were housed in a naturally ventilated curtain sidewall, straw-bedded barn in 12 pens with 7 heifers/pen (3.98 m2/head). Heifers were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a completely randomized design: (1) control (CON; carrier, 908 g of ground corn), (2) monensin sodium [MON; 1 mg/kg of body weight (BW) + carrier], (3) cinnamaldehyde (CIN1; 1 mg/kg of BW + carrier), or (4) cinnamaldehyde (CIN2; 2 mg/kg of BW + carrier). The treatments were hand-mixed into a 20% crude protein (CP) whole shelled corn and protein pellet mix fed at 2.21 kg/heifer daily. Heifers had access to free-choice hay and water daily. Initial BW and hip heights were taken at the start of the study and every other week thereafter until calves reached 23 wk of age. Blood samples were also taken on each weigh day to determine plasma urea nitrogen, glucose, and insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations. Fecal samples were taken from the same 3 heifers/pen initially and then at d 28, 56, and 70 of the study for coccidia counts. Cinnamaldehyde had no performance effects on growth, hay intake, hip height, or blood metabolites compared with MON or CON. Average daily gains were 0.98, 0.99, 1.01, and 1.03 kg/d, and average hay intakes per pen were 17.08, 16.34, 18.11, and 17.60 kg/d for CON, MON, CIN1, and CIN2, respectively. Fecal samples by pens indicated the presence of viable coccidia, but the counts were low and not consistent across heifers within each pen. No benefits were associated with supplementing cinnamaldehyde or monensin into grain mixes for weaned heifers.
Relationship of Reaction Time to Perception and Volitionally Delayed Response (P4.064)

Objective: Demonstrate patterns of immediate vs. volitionally delayed reaction times. Background: Libet posited that perceptual awareness is delayed several hundred ms and then subjectively tagged back in time to the primary evoked potential. Although a standard reaction time response can begin before actual conscious perception of the stimulus, a subject must first perceive a stimulus before beginning their volitionally delayed response. We investigated the pattern and magnitude of delayed responses. Methods: Two experiments were conducted on separate cohorts of healthy subjects (n=16; n=18). Subjects were tested on simple and choice reaction time (RT) tasks in two conditions (i.e., responding immediately or after a volitional delay). Subjects tried to produce a “slight” volitional delay in both experiments, and also an estimated “50[percnt]” delay condition in experiment 2. Each condition had four runs with approximately 50 stimulus trials each (X2 immediate and X2 delayed response given in ABBA sequence). Median responses were calculated for each subject for each of condition. Repeated measures 2X2 (condition X time) ANOVAs were performed. Results: Subjects included 16 healthy adults, 14 dextrals, 10 women and 6 men, and mean age = 33 years (range 18-81) in Experiment 1, and 18 healthy adults, 17 dextrals, 8 women and 10 men, and mean age = 23 years (range 19-34) in Experiment 2. Significant differences were seen for immediate vs. delayed RTs in all contrasts. Average group median differences for delayed simple RTs ranged 360-625ms; these delays were larger than immediate RTs. More interestingly, RTs were dichotomous across individuals with 78[percnt] exhibited a median delay of about 580ms, and 22[percnt] with a 138ms delay. Differences were less for choice RTs. Conclusions: Delays larger than the immediate response times suggests that subjects had to not only delay response to perception but also overcome inhibitory processes, which vary on an individual level. Disclosure: Dr. Meador has received personal compensation for activities with Eisai, GW Pharmaceuticals, Supernus, Upsher-Smith Laboratories, and UCB Pharma as a consultant. Dr. Meador has received research support from UCB Pharma. Dr. Loring has received personal compensation for activities with NeuroPace as a consultant.
Owning the program technical baseline for future space systems acquisition: program technical baseline tracking tool

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has recognized the needs for owning the program and technical knowledge within the Air Force concerning the systems being acquired to ensure success. This paper extends the previous work done by the authors [1-2] on the “Resilient Program Technical Baseline Framework for Future Space Systems” and "Portfolio Decision Support Tool (PDST)” to the development and implementation of the Program and Technical Baseline (PTB) Tracking Tool (PTBTL) for the DOD acquisition life cycle. The paper describes the “simplified” PTB tracking model with a focus on the preaward phases and discusses how to implement this model in PDST.
Effects of Opioid Antagonism on Cerebrospinal Fluid Melanocortin Peptides and Cortisol Levels in Humans.

Context Hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) is processed to α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, which interacts with the melanocortin antagonist agouti-related protein (AgRP), to regulate energy balance. The POMC-derived opioid peptide β-endorphin (β-EP) also affects feeding behavior via interactions with brain µ-opioid receptors (MORs), including autoinhibitory interactions with MOR expressed by POMC neurons. The opioid antagonist naltrexone (NTX) stimulates POMC neurons in rodents and decreases food intake. Objective and Design The effect of NTX on brain POMC in humans was assessed by measuring POMC peptide concentrations in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). AgRP and cortisol levels were also measured because both are inhibited by opioids. In a double-blinded crossover study, 14 healthy subjects were given NTX (50 mg daily) or placebo for either 2 or 7 days. Results CSF β-EP levels increased after 2 and 7 days of NTX treatment; CSF POMC levels did not change, but the β-EP-to-POMC ratio increased. CSF AgRP levels did not change, but plasma AgRP levels tended to increase after NTX (P = 0.06). Cortisol increased in plasma and CSF after NTX treatment; these changes correlated positively with changes in AgRP levels. Conclusion Opioid antagonism stimulates POMC peptide release into CSF in humans. The increase in the CSF β-EP-to-POMC ratio could indicate selective release of processed peptides or an effect on POMC processing. Furthermore, AgRP and cortisol stimulation by NTX may mitigate POMC-induced decrease in food intake. It remains to be determined if biomarkers in CSF and plasma could be used to predict responses to pharmacotherapy targeting the melanocortin system.
The prevalence of undiagnosed pre-surgical cognitive impairment and its post-surgical clinical impact in elderly patients undergoing surgery for adult spinal deformity.

Background: Pre-existing cognitive impairment (CI) is emerging as a predictor of poor post-operative outcomes in elderly patients. Little is known about impaired preoperative cognition and outcomes after elective spine surgery in this patient population. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of neuro CI in elderly patients undergoing deformity surgery and its impact on postoperative outcomes. Methods: Elderly subjects undergoing elective spinal surgery for correction of adult degenerative scoliosis were enrolled in this study. Pre-operative baseline cognition was assessed using the Saint Louis Mental Status (SLUMS) test. SLUMS consists of 11 questions, which can give a maximum of 30 points. Mild CI was defined as a SLUMS score between 21–26 points, while severe CI was defined as a SLUMS score of ≤20 points. Normal cognition was defined as a SLUMS score of ≥27 points. Complication rates, duration of hospital stay, and 30-day readmission rates were compared between patients with and without baseline CI. Results: Eighty-two subjects were included in this study, with mean age of 73.26±6.08 years. Fifty-seven patients (70%) had impaired cognition at baseline. The impaired cognition group had the following outcomes: increased incidence of one or more postoperative complications (39% vs . 20%), higher incidence of delirium (20% vs . 8%), and higher rate of discharge institutionalization at skilled nursing or acute rehab facilities (54% vs . 30%). The length of hospital stay and 30-day hospital readmission rates were similar between both cohorts (5.33 vs . 5.48 days and 12.28% vs . 12%, respectively). Conclusions: CI is highly prevalent in elderly patients undergoing surgery for adult degenerative scoliosis. Impaired cognition before surgery was associated with higher rates of post-operative delirium, complications, and discharge institutionalization. CI assessments should be considered in the pre-operative evaluations of elderly patients prior to surgery.
A combined thermophotovoltaic-thermoelectric energy converter

Abstract The performance of a combined thermoelectric (TE) and thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy converter was theoretically modeled. The thermal input power to the system is determined by the TPV input high temperature. However, TE converters operate at lower input temperatures. Therefore, a thermal conduction block must be used to reduce the high input temperature to the lower TE operating temperature. The TE portion of the system was analyzed using a one dimensional conduction model. A radiation transfer model was used for the TPV portion of the system. There are two significant results. First, the combined system has a larger efficiency than TE or TPV alone in a narrow temperature range. This temperature range lies between typical TE operating temperatures ( ≈ 600 K) and TPV operating temperatures ( ≈ 1200 K). Second, the electrical power output in this temperature range is significantly greater than TE or TPV alone.
The geometry of the distance-decay of similarity in ecological communities

Understanding beta-diversity has strong implications for evaluating the extent of biodiversity and formulating effective conservation policy. Here, we show that the distance-decay relationship, an important measure of beta-diversity, follows a universal form which we call the piecewise quadratic model. To derive the piecewise quadratic model, we develop a new conceptual framework which is based on geometric probability and several key insights about the roles of study design (e.g., plot dimensions and spatial distributions). We fit the piecewise quadratic model to six empirical distance-decay relationships, spanning a range of taxa and spatial scales, including surveys of tropical vegetation, mammals, and amphibians. We find that the model predicts the functional form of the relationships extremely well, with coefficients of determination in excess of 0.95. Moreover, the model predicts a phase transition at distance scales where sample plots are overlapping, which we confirm empirically. Our framework and model provide a fundamental, quantitative link between distance-decay relationships and the shapes of ranges of taxa.
Wafer scale integration for massively parallel memory-based reasoning

In this paper, we describe a design of wafer-scale integration for massively parallel memory-based reasoning (WSI-MBR). WSI-MBR attains about 2 million parallelism on a single 8 inch wafer using the state-of-the-art fabrication technologies. While WSI-MBR is specialized to memory-based reasoning, which is one of the mainstream approachs in massively parallel artificial intelligence research, the level of parallelism attained far surpasses any existing massively parallel hardware. Combination of memory array and analog weight computing circuits enable us to attain super high-density implementation with nanoseconds order inference time. Simulation results indicates that inherent robustness of the memory-based reasoning paradigm overcomes the possible precision degradation and fabrication defects in the wafer-scale integration. Also, the WSI-MBR provides a compact (desk-top size) massively parallel computing environment.
Slit-Width Effects in a Double-Slit Experiment with a Partially-Coherent Source

We perform a Young’s double-slit experiment using a partially-coherent light source. As compared to the standard theory, the data agree much more favorably with a calculation that fully accounts for the width of the slits.
Alternatives on Demand and Locality: Resolving Discourse-Linked Wh-Phrases in Sluiced Structures

Previous studies have observed a tendency to associate the remnant (e.g., who) of ambiguous sluicing ellipsis with the closest/most local correlate (someone) in the matrix clause, as in Somebody said Fred fired someone, but I don’t know who. I present the results of three experiments investigating the interplay between locality and the discourse status of potential correlates. The studies exploit the discourse-linking property of which-phrases in ambiguous sluiced sentences, like A teacher scolded Max or Dotty, but I can’t remember which one, to explore whether the preference for more local correlates is modulated by the discourse status of the potential correlates. I propose a discourse economy constraint (Alternatives on Demand: Avoid positing new discourse alternatives without evidence), which interacts with structural constraints like locality. Evidence from several questionnaire studies, as well as three online self-paced reading studies, supports the predictions of a sentence processing model in which the discourse status of items in memory immediately impacts the retrieval of a correlate for the remnant of sluicing ellipsis and related constructions. In addition, the time point at which the interaction between processing biases appears is shown to depend on the strength or diagnosticity of the retrieval cues in which-phrase.
110) Impact of Pain Severity among Patients with Osteoarthritis on Healthcare Use in the United States

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause of disability in older adults. Total healthcare costs tend to rise as pain severity associated with OA increases. To understand treatment and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) by OA pain severity, data were collected from Feb-May 2017 using US Adelphi Disease Specific Programme, a cross-sectional survey of primary care physicians, rheumatologists, orthopedists and their patients. Descriptive statistics were used and all data were analysed using SPSS v6 and Stata v14.1. A total of 841 patients seeking care for OA were included. Patient-reported pain severity (Numeric Rating Scale; 0-10) over the last week was categorized as none/mild (45.4%; 0-3), moderate (35.9%, 4-6) and severe (18.7%; 7-10) pain. The majority of patients were female (61%) and white (78%) and the average age was 64.6 years. Increased pain severity was associated with a higher Body Mass Index and increased reliance on walking aids (21%, 38%, 47%), modifications to home (9%, 19%, 31%), and need for caregivers (5%, 14%, 31%) (all p
ARMED for the Mobile Processing War

This article offers an explanation for why the ARM computer architecture won the hearts and minds of the mobile device manufacturers when incumbents like Intel and AMD had such a huge head start and such a large economic barrier to entry. Our conclusion is that ARM had a better business model, and not a better architecture. To make up for the perception of speed issues, ARM is joining the multi-core arms race. This may soon lead to desktop domination leaving only a legacy code base and sequential programming to enable incumbents to hold on.
Divide and Conquer: Leveraging Intermediate Feature Representations for Quantized Training of Neural Networks.

The deep layers of modern neural networks extract a rather rich set of features as an input propagates through the network. This paper sets out to harvest these rich intermediate representations for quantization with minimal accuracy loss while significantly reducing the memory footprint and compute intensity of the DNN. This paper utilizes knowledge distillation through teacher-student paradigm (Hinton et al., 2015) in a novel setting that exploits the feature extraction capability of DNNs for higher-accuracy quantization. As such, our algorithm logically divides a pretrained full-precision DNN to multiple sections, each of which exposes intermediate features to train a team of students independently in the quantized domain. This divide and conquer strategy, in fact, makes the training of each student section possible in isolation while all these independently trained sections are later stitched together to form the equivalent fully quantized network. Our algorithm is a sectional approach towards knowledge distillation and is not treating the intermediate representation as a hint for pretraining before one knowledge distillation pass over the entire network (Romero et al., 2015). Experiments on various DNNs (AlexNet, LeNet, MobileNet, ResNet-18, ResNet-20, SVHN and VGG-11) show that, this approach -- called DCQ (Divide and Conquer Quantization) -- on average, improves the performance of a state-of-the-art quantized training technique, DoReFa-Net (Zhou et al., 2016) by 21.6% and 9.3% for binary and ternary quantization, respectively. Additionally, we show that incorporating DCQ to existing quantized training methods leads to improved accuracies as compared to previously reported by multiple state-of-the-art quantized training methods.
Tracing Septic Pollution Sources Using Synthetic DNA Tracers: Proof of Concept

Contamination from septic systems is one of the most difficult sources of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution to quantify. Quantification is difficult in part because locating malfunctioning septic sys...
When Fasting Gets Tough, the Tough Immune Cells Get Going—or Die

Cycles of fasting reduce autoimmunity and activate lymphocyte-dependent killing of cancer cells, but the mechanisms remain poorly understood. Three studies in this issue of Cell begin to reveal the drastic and complex effects of fasting and severe calorie restriction on the levels and localization of different immune cells and the mechanisms responsible for them.
“With Constructivist Grounded Theory You Can’t Hide”: Social Justice Research and Critical Inquiry in the Public Sphere:

This article addresses how constructivist grounded theorists grapple with conducting their research and use the method for social justice research and critical inquiry in the public sphere. To expl...
Effectiveness of Official Development Assistance in the Health Sector in Africa: A Case Study of Uganda.

This qualitative explanatory case study assessed the influence of Official Development Assistance on selected health development indicators in Uganda between 2005 and 2013 by reviewing development ...
Utilization Trends of Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein in the United States.

Study design Retrospective. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the utilization trends of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rh-BMP) in the United States using the largest inpatient administrative database. Summary of background data Since 2002, the rh-BMP has been widely used by the surgical spine community in fusion surgery. In light of the rising evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of this novel and expensive bone biological technology, a comprehensive examination of its utilization in the American population is warranted. Methods We queried the 2002-Q3 2015 National Inpatient Sample for patients that underwent spinal fusion with rh-BMP. We calculated population-level estimates of rh-BMP utilization trends per 100,000 spinal fusions. Trends were estimated for the overall use as well as broken down by primary versus revision fusion, fusion type, number of levels, age category, US region, and hospital type. Results A total of 5,563,282 fusions were performed, of which 19.9% (n = 1,108,984) utilized rh-BMP. We detected an increase in rh-BMP use in spinal fusion surgery from 0.7% in 2002 to a peak of 29.5% in 2010, followed by a gradual decline till Q3 2015, where it represented 14.7% of all fusion surgeries. These trends paralleled all fusion types. It was most commonly used in fusions spanning two to three levels. The South remained the most common region, whereas West has recently surpassed the Midwest. Its use is becoming more pervasive among older patients, particularly in the 65- to 74 years' age group. Conclusion Further studies are needed to provide insights into the correlation of these trends with the technology's safety and efficacy profile in contemporary series.Level of Evidence: 3.
Ethics, Encryption, and Evolving Concepts of Personal Privacy in the ‘Black Box Library’

“The American Library Association affirms that rights of privacy are necessary for intellectual freedom and are fundamental to the ethical practice of librarianship,” reads a position paper by the ...
Inventory Policies for Disaster Relief Operations: A Mix of Reactive and Proactive Alternatives

The aftermath of a rapid-onset disaster is the most crucial period, during which health and humanitarian organizations (HOs) must distribute critical relief items at quickest possible time. Yet, supply management is a significant challenge due to many unknowns such as time, place, type, and magnitude of disasters. Taking supply, demand, and budget uncertainty, we propose an inventory policy for a single-relief item, and extend it to multiple-relief items. We combine two common alternatives — {proactive} and {reactive} — and analyze policies that minimize expected costs under a budget constraint and budget uncertainty. Our analyses illustrate that: (i) finding an optimal level of pre-positioning inventory is more complex when the landed cost of pre-positioned item is less than purchasing relief item aftermath of a disaster; (ii) budget limitation is the underlying source of complexity to determine optimal inventory level; (iii) pre-disaster investment saves more compared to emergency funding, and (iv) the kitting of multiple relief items is not supported unless the criticality level, demand and supply characteristics of all items in the kit are homogeneous.
Actinomyces odontolyticus causing meningitis and cervical abscess.

Actinomyces spp. are filamentous gram-positive bacilli found in humans as a common flora of the oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract, and urogenital tract. Actinobacteria are normally present in the ...
The Exploratory Research on Reform and Innovation of Project Management in Grid Enterprises under the Changing Circumstances

At present, the management systems and enterprises demand have already changed because of the environments-changing, which puts new requirements and directions for grid enterprises. This research comprehensively analyzes the current situation and problems of the project management, and then explores the profound impact of the new situation to the project management system in power grid enterprises. After that, this research also summarizes the reforms and innovation experiences of the power grid enterprises in the project management, and extracts the project management characteristics of the grid enterprises under the new situation. At the same time, based on the project management practices, we provide a new method and implementation path for grid enterprises. This method and path provide theoretical and methodological support for relevant grid enterprises to improve their management efficiency and improve organizational performance.
Dietary vitamin B12 regulates chemosensory receptor gene expression via the MEF2 transcription factor in Caenorhabditis elegans

ABSTRACT Dynamic changes in chemoreceptor gene expression levels in sensory neurons is one strategy that an animal can use to modify their responses to dietary changes. However, the mechanisms underlying diet-dependent modulation of chemosensory gene expression are unclear. Here, we show that the expression of the srh-234 chemoreceptor gene localized in a single ADL sensory neuron type of C. elegans is downregulated when animals are fed a Comamonas bacterial diet, but not on an E. coli diet. Remarkably, this diet-modulated effect on srh-234 gene expression levels is dependent on the micronutrient vitamin B12 endogenously produced by Comamonas bacteria. Excess propionate and genetic perturbations in the canonical and shunt propionate breakdown pathways are able to override the repressing effects of vitamin B12 on srh-234 expression. The vitamin B12-mediated regulation of srh-234 expression levels in ADL requires the MEF-2 transcription factor, providing a potential mechanism by which dietary vitamin B12 may transcriptionally tune individual chemoreceptor genes in a single sensory neuron type, which in turn may change animal responses to biologically relevant chemicals in their diet.
Sputtering Yields from Liquid Organic Matrices

Accurate measurements of secondary particle yields should provide significant insights into the mechanisms of secondary ion emission from organic liquids. Variations in primary beam energy, incident flux density, and primary particle mass, for example, are all manifested in changes in total particle yield. Ratios of secondary ion yields from two different species can be sensitive, quantitative monitors of the chemistry and kinetics respectively of ionization processes.
Formation of Porosity and Its Effects on the Uniformity of Jc in Bi-2212/Ag Tapes

The uniformity of Bi-2212 tape has been studied by using multiple potential taps, Magneto-Optical (MO) imaging and microstructure observation. The major defect, porosity, has been identified in the melt processed tapes. The current sharing into the Ag sheath due to the existence of defects causes a linear section on the V-I curve. The cause of the porosity formation is believed to be due to the gas release, such as CO2, when 2212 reforms from the liquid phase. Some other factors which can influence the porosity formation, such as packing density, packing atmosphere and pre-heat treatment of billets have also been examined.
From a biological point of view: Did evolution make us psychological egoists?

TWO CONCEPTS The concept of altruism has led a double life. In ordinary discourse, as well as in psychology and the social sciences, altruism refers to behaviors that are produced because people have certain sorts of motives. In evolutionary biology, on the other hand, the concept is applied to behaviors that enhance the fitness of others at expense to self. A behavior can be altruistic in the evolutionary sense without being an example of psychological altruism. A plant that leeches insecticide into the soil may be an altruist, if the insecticide benefits its neighbors and imposes an energetic cost on the producer. In saying this, I am not attributing a mind to the plant. Evolutionary altruism has to do with the fitness consequences of the behavior, not with the mechanisms inside the plant (mental or otherwise) that cause the plant to behave as it does. Symmetrically, a behavior can be altruistic in the psychological sense without being an example of evolutionary altruism. If I give you a volume of Beethoven piano sonatas (or a package of contraceptives) out of the goodness of my heart, my behavior may be psychologically altruistic. However, the gift giving will not be an example of evolutionary altruism, if the present fails to augment your prospects for survival and reproductive success.
What do Universities Really owe Industry? The Case of Solid State Electronics at Stanford

It is widely argued that, in the United States, the Department of Defense dictated the intellectual contours of academic science and engineering during the Cold War. However, in important ways, American science was also deeply influenced by industry. Between 1955 and 1985, Stanford University embraced three waves of industrial innovation in solid state technology (transistors, integrated circuits, and VLSI systems). As this essay shows, it was these transfers that enabled Stanford engineers to make significant contributions to the expanding fields of microelectronics and computing.
The Fifth Freedom: The Constitutional Duty to Provide Public Education

“The fifth freedom is freedom from ignorance. It means that every[one], everywhere, should be free to develop his [or her] talents to their full potential – unhampered by arbitrary barriers of race or birth or income.” Lyndon B. Johnson This article argues that education is a fundamental human right that the U.S. Supreme Court has failed to recognize because of the Court’s bias towards negative, rather than positive rights. Viewed from the limited perspective of rights as liberties, the concern with declaring a fundamental right to education is that education legislation would be strictly scrutinized, thus causing the undesired result of preventing the enactment of laws regarding education. This would not be a concern if the Court embraced a constitutional analysis that specifically applied to positive rights and duties. Recognizing the fundamental right to public education as a positive right would correct a major inconsistency in U.S. constitutional law and bring fundamental rights doctrine more in line with broader societal understandings of social justice. The article concludes that in order to safeguard the fundamental right to public education, a new form of fundamental rights analysis for all positive rights must be developed. The details of such an analysis will take time to develop, but must begin with an understanding that traditional strict scrutiny analysis cannot be applied in the same way to positive rights as it is to negative rights.
Development of Gender Roles

This chapter examines the social roles of women and men. After an assessment of stable and changing social positions related to gender, the chapter summarizes how sex differences in personal traits, as well as the relationships between social gender and societal positions and rewards, are perpetuated. Gender issues are very relevant to family researchers. For example, until recently, many social scientists assumed that women played marginal roles outside the home. Thus, the family became nearly the only social institution studied with respect to women. Our knowledge of how men’s family roles relate to other aspects of life has only begun to accumulate. There is also reciprocal feedback across familial and non-familial systems. Gender roles within the family influence gender roles outside the family and vice versa.
Exploring the Low-Redshift Cosmic Web with O VI Absorption Lines

This paper briefly reviews QSO absorption-line observations that constrain the properties of the low-redshift intergalactic medium, with emphasis on systems detected in the O VI doublet. Some comments are made on the baryonic content of and physical conditions of the IGM and their evolution with redshift. Radiatively cooling gas models are in good agreement with the Doppler parameters and column densities in the current sample of intervening O VI absorbers, which suggests that a substantial fraction of the O VI systems are tracing shock-heated gas cooling from an initial temperature ≥ 106 K.
Heat shock-related protein 20 (HSP20) in cardiomyocytes.

To the Editor: In the article, “Phosphoproteome analysis of cardiomyocytes subjected to β-adrenergic stimulation,” Chu et al concluded that “a de novo phosphorylation of a cardiac heat shock protein p20 was identified, for the first time , in mouse cardiomyocytes, after prolonged activation of the β-adrenergic signaling pathway.1 However, cyclic nucleotide-dependent phosphorylation of p20, also referred to as heat shock-related protein 20 (HSP20), has been well characterized in smooth, skeletal, and cardiac …
Heterologous expression of enzymopenic methemoglobinemia variants using a novel NADH:cytochrome c reductase fusion protein.

Abstract Hereditary enzymopenic methemoglobinemia is a rare disease that predominantly results from defects in either the erythrocytic (type I) or microsomal (type II) forms of the enzyme NADH:cytochrome b 5 reductase (EC 1.6.2.2). All 25 currently identified type I and type II methemoglobinemia mutants have been expressed in Escherichia coli using a novel six histidine-tagged rat cytochrome b 5 /cytochrome b 5 reductase fusion protein designated NADH:cytochrome c reductase (H 6 NCR). All 25 H 6 NCR variants were isolated and demonstrated to result in two groups of expression products. The first group of 16 mutants, which included the majority of the type I mutants, included K116Q, P131L, L139P, T183S, M193V, S194P, P211L, L215P, A245T, A245V, C270Y, E279K, V305R, V319M, M340−, and F365−, and yielded full-length fusion proteins that retained variable levels of NADH:cytochrome c reductase (NADH:CR) activity, ranging from approximately 2% (M340−) to 92% (K116Q) of that of the wild-type fusion protein. In contrast, the remaining nine mutants that represented the majority of the type II variants, comprised a second group that included Y109*, R124Q, Q143*, R150*, P162H, V172M, R226*, C270R, and R285*, and resulted in truncated H 6 NCR variants that retained the amino-terminal cytochrome b 5 domain but were devoid of NADH:CR activity due to the absence of the cytochrome b 5 reductase flavin domain. Kinetic analyses of the first group of full-length mutant fusion proteins indicated that values for both k cat and K m NADH were decreased and increased, respectively, indicating that the various mutations affected both substrate affinity and/or turnover. However, for the second group, the truncated products were the result of incomplete production of the carboxyl-terminal flavin-containing domain or instability of the expression products due to improper folding and/or lack of flavin incorporation.