cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hemocompatible Poly(NIPAm-MBA-AMPS) Colloidal Nanoparticles as Carriers of Anti-inflammatory Cell Penetrating Peptides

Anionic copolymer systems containing sulfated monomers have great potential for delivery of cationic therapeutics, but N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) copolymer nanoparticles have seen limited characterization to date with regard to physical properties relevant to loading and release of therapeutics. Characterization of polymeric nanoparticles incorporating AMPS showed an increased size and decreased thermodynamic swelling ratios of AMPS containing particles as compared to NIPAm nanoparticles lacking AMPS. Particles with increasing AMPS addition showed an increased propensity for uniformity, intraparticle colloidal stability, and drug loading capacity. Peptide encapsulated in particles was shielded from peptide degradation in serum. Particles were shown not impede blood coagulation or to cause hemolysis. This study has demonstrated that AMPS incorporation into traditional NIPAm nanoparticles presents a tunable parameter for changing particle LCST, size, sw...
Prediction study on malaria prevalence potentialities at the most eradicated areas

Objective To predict malaria prevalence potentiality in Baiyun district of Guangzhou city after malaria been eradicated mostly,and provide scientific basis for the guidance and evaluation of malaria eradication.Methods By conducting malaria blood test for 'patients' continuously and the malaria antibody level test for local primary school students,combined with media monitoring and residents' knowledge awareness survey,then to conduct the underlying trend of malaria in Baiyun district according to above survey results. Results Between 2010 to 2013,19,958 blood samples of 'patients' were examined,3 samples were falciparum malaria,all were imported malaria cases; Malaria antibodies among 1,013 school age students were measured in 2013and 2014,no positive cases; One Anopheles sinensis was seized in outer suburbs of Baiyun district by media monitoring during 2011- 2013,the awareness rate of Malaria knowledge is 61. 48% and 86. 20% respectively in 2012 and 2013,2013 is higher than 2012. Conclusions There were no local Malaria cases found in continuously 17 years since 1997 in Baiyun district of Gangzhou city,the density of anopheles transmitted malaria was very low in this district,it is insufficient to propagate Malaria,and the positive rate of Malaria blood test and malaria antibody positive rate for primary school students are 0. 00%,indicating that the prevalence of Malaria has been blocked and controlled,it is completely feasible to the elimination of Malaria in Baiyun district of Guangzhou city.
Low-Cost Generic Program Use by Medicare Beneficiaries: Implications for Medication Exposure Misclassification in Administrative Claims Data.

BACKGROUND: Administrative claims data are used for a wide variety of research and quality assurance purposes; however, they are prone to medication exposure misclassification if medications are purchased without using an insurance benefit. Low-cost generic drug programs (LCGPs) offered at major chain pharmacies are a relatively new and sparsely investigated source of exposure misclassification. LCGP medications are often purchased out of pocket; thus, a pharmacy claim may never be submitted, and the exposure may go unobserved in claims data. As heavy users of medications, Medicare beneficiaries have much to gain from the affordable medications offered through LCGPs. This use may put them at increased risk of exposure misclassification in claims data. Many high-risk medications (HRMs) and medications tracked for adherence and utilization quality metrics are available through LCGPs, and exposure misclassification of these medications may impact the quality assurance efforts reliant on administrative claims...
An Electrochromic Tristable Molecular Switch.

A tristable [2]catenane, composed of a macrocyclic polyether incorporating 1,5-dioxynaphthalene (DNP) and tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) units along with a 4,4′-bipyridinium (BIPY•+) radical cation as three very different potential recognition sites, interlocked mechanically with the tetracationic cyclophane, cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) (CBPQT4+), was synthesized by donor–acceptor templation, employing a “threading-followed-by-cyclization” approach. In this catenane, movement of the CBPQT4+ ring in its different redox states among these three potential recognition sites, with corresponding color changes, is achieved by tuning external redox potentials. In the starting state, where no external potential is applied, the ring encircles the TTF unit and displays a green color. Upon oxidation of the TTF unit, the CBPQT4+ ring moves to the DNP unit, producing a red color. Finally, if all the BIPY2+ units are reduced to BIPY•+ radical cations, the resulting CBPQT2(•+) diradical dication will migrate to the BIPY•+ u...
Preparation and quantification of pseudotyped retroviral vector

Retroviral vectors have been widely used for research and clinical trials in gene therapy because of their high transduction efficiency. Retroviruses interact with target cells through their surface molecules (i.e., envelope proteins) and cellular receptors, which limit the susceptibility of target cells to retroviral vectors. Murine leukemia retrovirus (MuLV) pseudotyped with vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein (VSV-G) overcomes the species barrier and is more resistant to mechanical and biochemical inactivation. A cell line producing VSV-G pseudotyped MuLV vector can be established by transfecting 293T cells expressing Gag, Pol, and VSV-G (293 GPG cell line) with a retroviral vector plasmid. Transduction potency of the resulting VSV-G pseudotyped MuLV retroviral supernatant can be quantified by titration, electron microscopy (EM), and the reverse transcriptase (RT) assay. These protocols provide methods to prepare and quantify a pseudotyped retroviral vector with high transduction rates for most types of target cells.
Die rechtliche und steuerliche Due Diligence

Die Durchfuhrung einer Due Diligence dient regelmasig dem Zweck, die vorhandene Asymmetrie bezuglich der verfugbaren Informationen zwischen dem Kaufer und dem Verkaufer zu reduzieren und potentielle Risiken, die sich aus dem Geschaftsbetrieb oder der Transaktionsstruktur ergeben konnen, zu identifizieren. In diesem Zusammenhang bilden die rechtliche und steuerliche Due Diligence ein Kernstuck des Due Diligence-Prozesses, da nahezu samtliche Lebenssachverhalte in einen rechtlichen oder steuerlichen Rahmen eingebettet sind. Deshalb wird in der Praxis die rechtliche und steuerliche Due Diligence auch zunehmend als integrierter Bestandteil des gesamten Due Diligence-Prozesses gesehen, und zwar fachbereichsubergreifend, womit die isolierte Betrachtung der verschiedenen Prufungsbereiche zunehmend zuruckgedrangt und aufgegeben wird. Der nachfolgende Beitrag beschreibt die Prufungsschwerpunkte der rechtlichen und steuerlichen Due Diligence. Daruber hinaus wird die Einordnung der rechtlichen und steuerlichen Due Diligence in den Gesamtprozess dargestellt. Zahlreiche praktische Hinweise auf damit verbundene Themenstellungen eroffnen die Moglichkeit, die Aufgabenstellung der rechtlichen und steuerlichen Berater ergebnisorientiert zu definieren und zu optimieren.
Epilogue: the future of catching up in the European “melting pot”

Backwardness was perpetuated in the Central and East European region during the entire modern period. After a series of failed attempts to modernize, the average per capita income level in the region remained about half that of the West. That was the case in 1870, and with some fluctuation, it hardly changed for a century. During the 1970s–'80s, it declined to 40 percent of the Western level, and by the mid-1990s to less than one-third of it. This failure was especially painful since other European laggards on the Mediterranean and Northern peripheries had broken out from backwardness: it happened to the Northern countries before the middle of the twentieth century. Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland, on average, reached 65% of the West European per capita GDP in 1870, but had surpassed the West by 3% in 1950. Finland's per capita GDP was hardly more than half that of the Western level in 1870 and 81 percent of it in 1950, but it surpassed the Western average at the end of the century. The Mediterranean countries and Ireland accomplished a successful catching-up process after World War II, and in particular after 1973. In 1950, the average per capita income level of Spain, Portugal, and Greece stood at only 39% of the West European level, less than that of Central and Eastern Europe. By 1973, however, Southern European per capita income slightly surpassed that of Central and Eastern Europe's, at 49% of the Western level.
Biochemical changes during embryogenesis inAtractomorpha crenulata (Fab) (Orthoptera: Insecta)

Quantitative changes in the total proteins, carbohydrates and lipids during embryogenesis ofAtractomorpha cremulata (Fab) are provided. The protein and carbohydrate contents of the egg increase after 4 days of incubation until just prior to hatching when there is a slight fall. Lipid content shows a steep increase on the 6th day of incubation. Qualitative gel electrophoretic analysis revealed as many as 14 protein fractions at various stages of embryogenesis. These observations are discussed based on densitometric scanning studies.
Integration of Differential Forms

This chapter covers the integration of differential forms over surfaces, culminating in the general fundamental theorem of integral calculus. The general fundamental theorem is often called Stokes’s theorem, but along with generalizing the classical Stokes’s theorem, it also subsumes the divergence theorem (or Gauss’s theorem), Green’s theorem, and the one-variable fundamental theorem. Much of the chapter’s work is algebraic, in particular the result that differential forms innately pass through changes of variable.
Predicitve Value of Pretransplant Testing.

Routine evaluation prior to stem cell transplantation generally includes assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), pulmonary function, renal function, liver function, and functional status. Patients in whom compromised organ function is detected, are often deemed ineligible for myeloablative transplantation. However, the predictive value of specific pretransplant tests is not well documented, and has not been critically analyzed in patients receiving busulfan-based preparative regimens. We analyzed the prognostic value of the pretransplant evaluation performed in 1035 consecutive patients who underwent autologous (n=444) or allogeneic (n=591) transplantation with busulfan-based regimens between 2/84 and 12/03 for acute (250) or chronic leukemia (198), myelodysplasia (50), multiple myeloma (88), or Hodgkin’s (139) or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (303). Ages ranged from 4–75 (median 41). BuCy was given to 477 and BuCyVP16 to 558 individuals. Ninety three patients had EF .2), nor for the autologous or allogeneic transplant groups. However in patients undergoing transplants from unrelated donors (n=119) DLCO
The unidimensionality, validity, and reliability of Moore and Benbasat's relative advantage and compatibility scales

In their development of the Perceived Characteristics of Innovating (PCI) scale, Moore and Benbasat (23) found that exploratory factor analysis could not differentiate two underlying constructs of ...
Pathologic confirmation of valve thrombosis detected by four-dimensional computed tomography following valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement

A major concern regarding transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is leaflet thrombosis. Four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) is the preferred imaging modality to evaluate patients with suspected valve thrombosis. To date, the abnormal findings visualized by 4D-CT suggestive of leaflet thrombosis have lacked pathologic confirmation from a surgically explanted valve in a surviving patient. Herein, we provide pathologic confirmation of thrombus formation following surgical explantation of a thrombosed TAVR prosthesis that was initially identified by 4D-CT.
Risk assessments using the Strain Index and the TLV for HAL, Part I: Task and multi-task job exposure classifications

ABSTRACTBackground: The Strain Index (SI) and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Value for Hand Activity Level (TLV for HAL) use different constituent variables to quantify task physical exposures. Similarly, time-weighted-average (TWA), Peak, and Typical exposure techniques to quantify physical exposure from multi-task jobs make different assumptions about each task's contribution to the whole job exposure. Thus, task and job physical exposure classifications differ depending upon which model and technique are used for quantification. This study examines exposure classification agreement, disagreement, correlation, and magnitude of classification differences between these models and techniques.Methods: Data from 710 multi-task job workers performing 3,647 tasks were analyzed using the SI and TLV for HAL models, as well as with the TWA, Typical and Peak job exposure techniques. Physical exposures were classified as low, medium, and high using each model's...
Thermodynamic Estimate of the Number of Solvent Molecules Displaced by a Solute Molecule for Enthalpy-Driven Adsorption: Phenobarbital and Activated Carbons as the Model System

Abstract A Modified Crisp Equation, describing the differential Gibbs free energy of the adsorption process, is being proposed, which considers multiple sites available on the surface for adsorption and their relative fractions. The differential Gibbs free energy can be calculated by the van't Hoff Equation, which depends on the affinity constant in the Langmuir-like equation. To consider the number of solvent molecules displaced by a solute molecule in the adsorption process, a new derivative of the Langmuir-like equation is being proposed as well. By comparing the differential Gibbs free energies obtained from the 2 thermodynamic relationships, it can be determined that a phenobarbital molecule displaces 5 water molecules on the activated carbon surface for site-specific adsorption from solution. For the series of experimental conditions studied, including 4 activated carbons, pH effects, temperature effects, and solvent effects, the corrected differential Gibbs free energies using n 1 = 5 for site-specific adsorption are quite consistent between the 2 thermodynamic relationships. The difference between the estimates of the differential Gibbs free energies by the Modified Crisp Equation and the van't Hoff Equation provides a new experimental method to calculate the number of solvent molecules displaced by an adsorbing solute molecule.
Pearls & Oy-sters: Delayed progression of isolated cortical vein thrombosis despite therapeutic INR.

Isolated cortical vein thrombosis (ICVT) is a rare entity and diagnosis requires high clinical suspicion and select imaging modalities.
Objective Bayesian inference for the intraclass correlation coefficient in linear models

Abstract We outline objective Bayesian testing procedure for the intraclass correlation coefficient in linear models. For it, we derive the Bayes factors based on the divergence-based priors, which have unidimensional integral expressions and can thus be easily approximated numerically.
The Twofold Structure and the Unity of Practical Thinking

This is a contribution to the foundations of the theory of institutions. My immediate aim is to defend and formulate a comprehensive theory of the basic logical structure of judgments about duties or obligations. The theory is comprehensive in two respects: (i) it relates ought-judgments to the other contents of practical thinking, and (ii) it deals with the connections, seldom considered, between ought (or obligation) and identity (and quantification). The theory is systematized in rich formal system D** for propositions, imperatives, intentions, and deontic judgments with quantification and identity.
Teaching verbal behavior to pigeons.

Pigeons were taught simple analogs of verbal behavior by replicating and extending the procedures presented by Michael, Whitley, and Hesse (1983). A student lab, connected to a course on the experimental analysis of behavior, was used to teach both the students and the pigeons new behavioral repertoires. Most of the 18 birds learned a simple stimulus-selection-based tact, as well as 2–3 topography-based tacts. Several pigeons learned to mand for reinforcers, and a few acquired some simple intraverbal responses. The student’s learned the basic features of Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior, as well as several laboratory skills. Further work in this area is encouraged due to its potential contributions to the experimental analysis of verbal behavior, and to teaching language to the developmentally disabled, and other speech and language impaired individuals.
In vitro synthesis of zein-like protein by maize polyribosomes.

Abstract Free and membrane-bound polyribosomes were isolated in an undegraded form from developing maize kernels. Translation of the membrane-bound polyribosomes in vitro produced one main radioactive protein. This protein was soluble in 70% ethanol and had the same mobility in electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulfate-gels as a zein standard. The ratio of [14C] leucine to [14C] lysine incorporated into the 70% ethanol extractable protein was similar to the mole fraction ratio of these amino acids in zein. The zein-like protein may represent as much as 50% of the total protein synthesized by the membrane-bound polyribosomes.
Higher Dispositional Optimism Predicts Lower Pain Reduction During Conditioned Pain Modulation.

Abstract Optimism is associated with lower pain sensitivity, positive adjustment to chronic pain, and greater reduction of pain thresholds in a conditioned pain modulation (CPM) paradigm. We hypothesized that participants with higher levels of optimism would experience greater inhibition of suprathreshold pain during CPM. Seventy-seven healthy adults completed a test of optimism, the Life Orientation Test-Revised, as well as measures of depression, pain catastrophizing, and neuroticism. Participants also underwent psychophysical tests of heat pain tolerance, heat pain threshold, and CPM. CPM magnitude was calculated as the change in heat pain ratings when applied alone and simultaneously with painful pressure. Greater optimism was significantly correlated with reduced CPM magnitude (P = .013). Regression analysis was performed using optimism as a predictor of CPM magnitude while controlling for pain catastrophizing, neuroticism, depression, and age. The overall model was significant (P = .003). Significant positive coefficients were found for depression (P = .014) and optimism (P Perspective This article reports that greater optimism predicts less inhibition of suprathreshold pain, in contrast with previous work showing that optimism correlates positively with pain threshold reductions. These findings suggest that the association between optimism and the function of endogenous pain modulatory systems is complex and differs for threshold-level and suprathreshold pain.
Mentoring, Scholarship, and the Professional Extended Family: The Legacy of Dr. Joseph White:

The purpose of this article is to honor the legacy of Dr. Joseph White, one of the founding fathers of Black psychology. Three areas of his legacy are highlighted: his style of mentoring, the impac...
Fruit and Vegetable Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease-Related Metabolic Acidosis Reduces Cardiovascular Risk Better than Sodium Bicarbonate.

Background: Current guidelines recommend treatment of metabolic acidosis in chronic kidney disease (CKD) with sodium-based alkali. We tested the hypothesis that treatment with base-producing fruits and vegetables (F + V) better improves cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk indicators than oral sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). Methods: We randomized 108 macroalbuminuric, matched, nondiabetic CKD patients with metabolic acidosis to F + V (n = 36) in amounts to reduce dietary acid by half, oral NaHCO3 (HCO3, n = 36) 0.3 mEq/kg bw/day, or to Usual Care (UC, n = 36) to assess the 5-year effect of these interventions on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) course as the primary analysis and on indicators of CVD risk as the secondary analysis. Results: Five-year plasma total CO2 was higher in HCO3 and F + V than UC but was not different between HCO3 and F + V (difference p value < 0.01). Five-year net eGFR decrease was less in HCO3 (mean –12.3, 95% CI –12.9 to –11.7 mL/min/1.73 m2) and F + V (–10.0, 95% CI –10.6 to –9.4 mL/min/1.73 m2) than UC (–18.8, 95% CI –19.5 to –18.2 mL/min/1.73 m2; p value < 0.01) but was not different between HCO3 and F + V. Five-year systolic blood pressure was lower in F + V than UC and HCO3 (p value < 0.01). Despite similar baseline values, F + V had lower low-density lipoprotein, Lp(a), and higher serum vitamin K1 (low serum K1 is associated with coronary artery calcification) than HCO3 and UC at 5 years. Conclusion: Metabolic acidosis improvement and eGFR preservation were comparable in CKD patients treated with F + V or oral NaHCO3 but F + V better improved CVD risk indicators, making it a potentially better treatment option for reducing CVD risk.
Molecular insight into the lower critical solution temperature transition of aqueous alkyl phosphonium benzene sulfonates

Ionic liquid (IL)-water mixtures can exhibit a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) transition, but changes in long-range order and local molecular environment during this transition are not comprehensively understood. Here we show that in IL-H2O LCST mixtures, the IL forms loosely held aggregate structures that grow in size leading up to a critical temperature, whereas the aggregation of a fully miscible aqueous mixture, obtained by minor chemical modification of the anion, decreases with increasing temperature. Radial distribution functions from molecular dynamics simulations support the observation of aggregation phenomena in the IL-H2O mixtures. A local molecular structure of the ions is derived from multi-dimensional NMR experiments in conjunction with reported molecular dynamics simulations. In addition to considerable shifts of water’s hydrogen bonding network in the fully miscible phase, by NMR we observe the anion’s protons response to the intermolecular thermal environment and the intramolecular environment and find that the responses are determined by the sulfonate ionic functional group. Aqueous solutions of ionic liquids can undergo thermally-controlled phase separation, but the microscopic processes driving this are not fully understood. Here a combination of experimental methods and molecular dynamics simulations are used to probe the influence of local structure on the formation of micron-scale clustering.
THE DELTA IS DEAD: Moral Ecologies of Infrastructure in Turkey

In a Turkish delta, fishers, scientists, and residents articulate contrasting moral ecologies of infrastructure. Contesting the infrastructural remaking of delta environments, fishermen connect ecological change to the concerns of working-class livelihoods; scientists assert a unique moral authority to create new habitats for selected species; and activists couch claims of ecological justice within existing legal spaces, all against the backdrop of increasing authoritarianism and economic crisis. This article extends insights from anthropological discussions of moral economy into political ecology to advance a new theoretical understanding of environmental infrastructure. I offer the notion of a moral ecology of infrastructure, theorizing infrastructure and ecology as inseparable, rather than set in opposition. In my use of the term, moral ecologies are assessments of justice and motivations for action that concern relations between humans and nonhumans. These assessments are not necessarily couched as resistance, but also encompass hegemonic and capitalist projects. This analytic proves helpful for understanding how, and why, people confront and respond to environmental transformations in an infrastructural world. At stake in these claims are moral notions of human and nonhuman livelihoods, notions that include those of water flows, birds, fish, sandbars, trees, and others. Ozet Bir Turkiye deltasinda balikcilar, bilim insanlari ve deltanin sakinleri, altyapinin birbirine zit ahlaki ekolojilerini ifade ederler. Her bir grubun delta ortamlarinin yeniden altyapilandirilmasina karsi cikis nedeni farklidir: balikcilar ekolojik degisimi isci sinifinin gecim kaygilariyla iliskilendirir; bilim insanlari secili ender turlere yeni habitatlar olusturmak icin kendilerine ozgu ahlaki bir otorite ortaya koyarlar; ve cevreciler artan otoriter rejim ve ekonomik krizler kiskacinda, mevcut yasal alanlarda ekolojik adalet iddialarini dile getirirler. Bu makale, cevre altyapisina dair teorik yeni bir anlayis gelistirmek icin ahlaki ekonomi ile ilgili antropolojik tartismalari politik ekolojiyle iliskilendirmektedir. Ahlaki altyapi ekolojisi kavramini onererek, altyapiyi ve ekolojiyi birbirine zit olmaktan ziyade birbirinden ayrilmaz kavramlar olarak goruyorum. Ahlaki ekolojilerden kastim, insanlar ve insan olmayanlar arasindaki iliskilere dair gelisen adalet anlayisi ve eylem motivasyonlaridir. Ahlaki ekoloji mutlaka direnc demek degildir; ayni zamanda hegemonik ve kapitalist projeleri de kapsamaktadir. Bu yaklasimla, insanlarin altyapi dunyasindaki cevresel donusumlerle nasil ve nicin karsi karsiya kaldiklarini ve bu donusumlere nasil tepki verdiklerini anlayacagimizi iddia ediyorum. Bu iddialarda dile gelen, insani ve insan disi gecim kaynaklarina dair olan ahlak kavramlaridir; sularin akisini, kuslari, baliklari, kiyi kordonlarini, agaclari ve digerlerini iceren kavramlar.
Canopy Segmentation Using ResNet for Mechanical Harvesting of Apples

Abstract Fresh market apple is the number one premium fruit crop in Washington state, accounting for more than 60% of U.S. national production every year. With the rapid increment of agricultural labor cost and the decrement of labor availability, mechanical apple harvesting is considered as an alternative solution. To further improve the efficiency of the harvester by automatically locating the target tree trunk and/or branch, the tree canopy under the full foliage condition needs to be analyzed. In this study, convolutional neural network (CNN)-based semantic segmentation method was adopted to segment the tree canopy using a pre-trained and modified ResNet-18 implementation of CNN. In total, 253 images were acquired using a Kinect V2 camera in a commercial “Fuji” apple orchard (trained in the formal architecture with V-axis) during 2018 harvest season near Prosser, Washington. Among those images, 152 (60%), 51 (20%), and 50 (20%) were used for network training, validating, and testing, respectively. Three different classes of pixels were defined including ‘trunk/branch’, ‘apples’, and ‘leaves’ (background) for each image. Then, three commonly adopted evaluation measures were employed to examine the performance of the model; i) normalized confusion matrix (per-class accuracy), ii) intersection over union (IoU), and iii) boundary-F1 score (BFScore) on the image basis. Test results showed that all three classes achieved reasonably high per-class accuracies of 94.8% (trunk/branch), 97.5% (apples), and 94.5% (leaves), respectively. In addition, IoUs for each class in the same sequence were 0.408, 0.717, and 0.944 whereas BFScore for each class were 0.761, 0.915, and 0.887, respectively. Among all the three classes, a generally poor result was achieved for ‘trunk/branch’ compared to the same for other two classes, which was primarily due to proportionally smaller number of pixels in each image. The results from this study indicated that the efficacy of the mechanical harvesting technique of apples could be potentially improved by automatically locating and shaking the trunk/branch under full foliage canopy during the harvest seasons.
Direct estimation of differential networks under high-dimensional nonparanormal graphical models

In genomics, it is often of interest to study the structural change of a genetic network between two phenotypes. Under Gaussian graphical models, the problem can be transformed to estimating the difference between two precision matrices, and several approaches have been recently developed for this task such as joint graphical lasso and fused graphical lasso. However, the multivariate Gaussian assumptions made in the existing approaches are often violated in reality. For instance, most RNA‐Seq data follow non‐Gaussian distributions even after log‐transformation or other variance‐stabilizing transformations. In this work, we consider the problem of directly estimating differential networks under a flexible semiparametric model, namely the nonparanormal graphical model, where the random variables are assumed to follow a multivariate Gaussian distribution after a set of monotonically increasing transformations. We propose to use a novel rank‐based estimator to directly estimate the differential network, together with a parametric simplex algorithm for fast implementation. Theoretical properties of the new estimator are established under a high‐dimensional setting where ? grows with ? almost exponentially fast. In particular, we show that the proposed estimator is consistent in both parameter estimation and support recovery. Both synthetic data and real genomic data are used to illustrate the promise of the new approach. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 48: 187–203; 2020 © 2019 Statistical Society of Canada
Electrical Energy Consumption, Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation in Commercial Sector and “LEED” Certification

In USA, approx. 38% of all primary energy resources is used to produce electricity and almost 3/4thof the total electricity is used by the residential and commercial sectors. In order to conserve energy, reduce the green-house gases, create a sustainable future and yet maintain a good quality of life, attention must be given to the energy use in the residential and commercial sectors. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification of commercial (and residential) buildings is one such effort that has gained a lot of momentum in the architectural and energy conservation community. However, how this certification is connected to the big picture of energy and sustainability has not been addressed much in the literature. This paper discusses the LEED certification and its relevance to the big picture of electric energy usage.
Deception in Undercover Investigations: Conduct-Based vs. Status-Based Ethical Analysis

The ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct proscribe conduct involving dishonesty, misrepresentation or deception. They also bar an attorney from doing indirectly, through a proxy, that which is ethically prohibited. Yet lawyers have supervised and directed investigators for decades in undercover operations aimed at uncovering racial discrimination, political corruption and organized crime. Some courts and commentators have argued that no deception should ever be permitted by attorneys, acting directly or indirectly. However, the recent trend has been to permit lawyers to supervise, and thereby indirectly participate in, undercover investigations in three substantive areas of the law: criminal, civil rights and intellectual property. Many jurisdictions permit undercover criminal investigations by government attorneys, but are silent about the rights of defense counsel to use deception. I argue that the states should eschew status based distinctions in determining whether to permit undercover investigations. Whether particular conduct is ethical or not should not depend on whether it is undertaken by a prosecutor or defense attorney, or whether the lawyer seeks to enforce intellectual property rights as opposed to real property rights. The playing field should be leveled, and the ethics rules should focus on the actual conduct of the lawyer, not her status as a public prosecutor or civil rights investigator. Undercover investigations should be ethically permissible in any area of the law, and by any attorney, public or private sector, provided that the investigation is necessary, does not otherwise violate the law or ethics rules, and is indirectly supervised by the lawyer.
Man's (next) best friend

Long hidden from public view on factory floors, robots today are increasingly located in spaces where they exist alongside humans. This development has generated considerable hand-wringing. Will robots eventually take our jobs? Will they replace human romantic partners? In The New Breed, Kate Darling argues that equating robots with humans deprives us of our ability to determine the fate of humanity in a robot-filled world. She argues that our relationships with animals present an analogy more suitable for predicting how society will evolve as robots become part of it.
Diabetes Drugs: List Price Increases Were Not Always Reflected In Net Price; Impact Of Brand Competition Unclear.

List prices for brand-name drugs have risen steeply, often despite the introduction of competition from other brand-name drugs in the same therapeutic class. List prices, however, do not reflect an...
Models to predict whole-disk specific gravity and moisture content in planted longleaf pine from cutover and old field sites

Efforts to restore longleaf pine across the southeast United States have occurred on two distinct site types, cutover forests and old agricultural fields. We measured wood and bark physical propert...
Insect Vision and Olfaction: Common Design Principles of Neuronal Organization

In insects, the organization of neurons in visual and olfactory neuropils is comparable to arrangements in analogous systems in the brains of higher vertebrates. However, although the two modalities of vision and olfaction are subjectively quite different from each other, in insects they are served by common neuroarchitectures, the glomeruli, which are here suggested to be paramount in the processing of qualitative information. Visual and olfactory systems show other specific similarities with respect to the parallel organization of large- and small-axoned neurons. In the visual system, two parallel channels comprise large color-insensitive and small color-sensitive relay neurons that are linked to two major descending pathways. Color insensitive pathways supply motor circuits mediating visually stabilized flight and optokinetic head movements. This pathway is distinct from the parallel subsystem comprising numerous smaller neurons and many synaptic stations that supply leg and direct flight muscle motor neuropils. These two subsystems provide a simple model of magno- and parvocellular organizations identified in the mammalian visual system. Surprisingly, there exists a similar parallel organization amongst large- and small-axoned neurons in the insect olfactory system. Magnocellular olfactory projection neurons provide a relatively direct route to descending pathways. Smaller parvocellular projection neurons provide the first step in a complex sequence of neurons in which higher brain centers play a cardinal role.
Challenges to global information systems technology in post industrial societies and prospects for democracy

This paper addresses two topics: post industrial society and global international informa­ tion systems technology. It asks one question: "What has been their impact on the prospects for global democratization processes?" The paper has four parts: First post industrial society; second, global information systems in finance within a context of changing corporate models; third, prospects for global democratization processes; and fourth, global vision and local ac­ tion. INTRODUCTION Tumultuous changes have taken place in the world. Infrastructure for telecommunications systems enable information to travel around the world in seconds. Many competing centers of power and sovereignty are being redefined. Advanced information systems technology con­ tinue to offer promise to many regions of the world. This paper asks a question: What has been the impact on democracy fnam the advances in global information systems technology in the post industrial society? The paper traces core ideas based on a review of the research literature and analysis of models. POST INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY: TWO MODELS In the early 1970s seve:ral futurists did research on shifts in industrialism. They described the changes and made forecasts on the post industrial society. Here the accounts are: Model One: Optimists. The first group of scholars and futurists were optimistic about the advanced uses of technology, information systems and automation. A script of their rationale might be as follows: Jobs are shifting from the industrial to the service sector. People out of work in one field will be retr ained to better jobs, perhaps using automation. People will become reskilled. Overall jobs will be upgraded. Technological change will advance from the center, then spread to the periphery in businesses and other areas of life. Control will be decentralized with participation and more shared decision making. Others thought top management would be recentralized, and would be more innovative. Fewer middle managers will be needed (Leavitt &
The vertebrate fauna from a late eighteenth century well: The Bray Plantation, Kingsmill, Virginia

A faunal collection consisting of over four thousand bones was analyzed from a well located on an eighteenth century plantation. Many aspects of the sample suggested that not all the material present was of a subsistence nature. Conditions leading to these conclusions are discussed.
The tumor suppressor PTEN enforces Treg stability in control of TH1 and TFH cell responses (IRC7P.427)

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) suppress CD4 + T cell responses during homeostasis and inflammation to prevent autoimmunity and other immune disorders. Although the transcriptional and epigenetic programs regulating Treg function have been extensively studied, the signaling and metabolic pathways underlying Treg stability and function are not fully understood. In this study, we determined the role of the phosphatase PTEN in Tregs. We found that specific depletion of Pten in Tregs results in excessive T H 1 and T follicular helper cells (T FH ) responses, associated with elevated germinal center (GC) B cells and spontaneous development of autoimmune and lymphoproliferative disease in vivo . Interestingly, the exaggerated T FH and GC responses and autoimmune symptoms are reduced when IFNγ expression is abrogated in mice containing Pten -deficient Tregs. Thus, the uncontrolled T H 1-mediated inflammation in these mice drives aberrant T FH responses and autoimmune and lymphoproliferative disease. Mechanistically, we linked PTEN to mTORC2-mediated control of transcriptional and metabolic programs that enforce Treg stability and function. Consistent with this notion, deletion of Rictor , the obligate component for mTORC2, restores Treg function and stability in the absence of Pten. Together, these results establish that Tregs rely on the PTEN-mTORC2 axis to maintain their stability and suppressive activity in controlling T H 1 and T FH cell responses.
Spatial land use trade-offs for maintenance of biodiversity, biofuel, and agriculture

Expansion of bioenergy production is part of a global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change. Dedicated biomass crops will compete with other land uses as most high quality arable land is already used for agriculture, urban development, and biodiversity conservation. First, we explore the trade-offs between converting land enrolled in the U.S. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to switchgrass for biofuel production or preserving it for biodiversity. Next, we examine the trade-offs between agriculture, biodiversity, and biofuel across the central and eastern U.S. We compiled measures of biodiversity, agriculture, and biofuel from land cover classifications, species range maps, and mechanistic model output of switchgrass yield. We used a spatially-explicit optimization algorithm to analyze the impacts of small-to-large scale biomass production by identifying locations that maximize biofuel produced from switchgrass and minimize negative impacts on biodiversity and agriculture. Using CRP land for switchgrass production increases the land area required to meet biomass goals and the species range area altered for birds, amphibians, mammals, and reptiles. When conversion is not limited to CRP, conversion scenarios including biodiversity and agriculture trade-offs require greater than 100 % more area for switchgrass to reach the same production goals. When land conversion scenarios do not include biodiversity, twice the range area for reptiles and amphibians could be altered. Land-use trade-offs between biofuel production, agriculture, and biodiversity exist and alter optimum location of land conversion for low-to-high biofuel levels. This highlights the need for systematic land-use planning for the future.
Recent developments of biharmonic conjecture and modified biharmonic conjectures

A submanifold M of a Euclidean m-space E m is said to be biharmonic ifH = 0 holds identically, where H is the mean curvature vector field andis the Laplacian on M. In 1991, the author conjectured in (14) that every biharmonic submanifold of a Euclidean space is minimal. The study of biharmonic submanifolds is nowadays a very active research subject. In particular, since 2000 biharmonic submanifolds have been receiving a growing attention and have become a popular subject of study with many progresses. In this article, we provide a brief survey on recent developments concerning my original conjecture and generalized biharmonic conjectures. At the end of this article, I present two modified conjectures related with original biharmonic conjecture.
SARC‐F: a symptom score to predict persons with sarcopenia at risk for poor functional outcomes

Background A brief, inexpensive screening test for sarcopenia would be helpful for clinicians and their patients. To screen for persons with sarcopenia, we developed a simple five-item questionnaire (SARC-F) based on cardinal features or consequences of sarcopenia. Methods We investigated the utility of SARC-F in the African American Health (AAH) study, Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Internal consistency reliability for SARC-F was determined using Cronbach's alpha. We evaluated SARC-F factorial validity using principal components analysis and criterion validity by examining its association with exam-based indicators of sarcopenia. Construct validity was examined using cross-sectional and longitudinal differences among those with high (≥4) vs. low (<4) SARC-F scores for mortality and health outcomes. Results SARC-F exhibited good internal consistency reliability and factorial, criterion, and construct validity. AAH participants with SARC-F scores ≥ 4 had more Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL) deficits, slower chair stand times, lower grip strength, lower short physical performance battery scores, and a higher likelihood of recent hospitalization and of having a gait speed of <0.8 m/s. SARC-F scores ≥ 4 in AAH also were associated with 6 year IADL deficits, slower chair stand times, lower short physical performance battery scores, having a gait speed of <0.8 m/s, being hospitalized recently, and mortality. SARC-F scores ≥ 4 in the BLSA cohort were associated with having more IADL deficits and lower grip strength (both hands) in cross-sectional comparisons and with IADL deficits, lower grip strength (both hands), and mortality at follow-up. NHANES participants with SARC-F scores ≥ 4 had slower 20 ft walk times, had lower peak force knee extensor strength, and were more likely to have been hospitalized recently in cross-sectional analyses. Conclusions The SARC-F proved internally consistent and valid for detecting persons at risk for adverse outcomes from sarcopenia in AAH, BLSA, and NHANES.
Myeloma and race: a review of the literature.

Multiple myeloma is an uncommon disease, with approximately 12,000 cases per year diagnosed in America. Blacks have had at least double the risk of being diagnosed with myeloma, and have had twice the mortality rate from the disease compared to whites 1. Research of the origins of this difference has yielded both insight and controversy. Obesity is likely a risk factor for myeloma, in both blacks and whites. Obesity is more prevalent in the black population, and this may help explain some of the increased incidence of myeloma. Also, genetic factors such as HLA antigens and family history seem to be important in explaining the differential risk of myeloma. Exposure to immunological challenges, especially urinary tract infections in black men, seems important in explaining some of the excess risk in blacks. Factors such as socioeconomic status, dietary preferences, vitamin intake, alcohol and tobacco use, either lack a consensus finding, or may not play a role in explaining the increased myeloma morbidity and mortality in blacks.
Integrin signaling and central nervous system development

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on integrin signaling and central nervous system development. Integrins are a family of cell surface receptors, each consisting of an α and a β subunit. Genes for 8 different β and 18 different a subunits have been identified in the mammalian genome. They form at least 24 heterodimers. Each α and β subunit is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein consisting of a large extracellular domain, a single-span transmembrane domain, and a short cytoplasmic domain. Alternative splicing of the extracellular and intracellular domains of several integrin subunits leads to further diversity. Each integrin heterodimer binds to specific sets of ligands, which include ECM glycoproteins, cell surface receptors, proteases, and pathogens. Signals from within the cell can modulate the conformation of integrins, thereby affecting their ligand-binding activity. In the CNS, integrin-dependent signaling pathways regulate the behavior of proliferating precursor cells as well as of postmitotic neuronal and glial cells. The chapter highlights the recent advances in understanding the mechanisms by which integrins contribute to the regulation of cell behavior during the development of cortical structures in the CNS, and summarizes findings that provide first evidence that integrins are important for the proper functioning of the adult CNS.
Contraceptive Choice and Rural-Urban Migration in Malaysia: A Test of the Adaptation Model

The study of fertility behavior among rural-urban migrants has recognized that the difference between fertility of migrants and fertility of rural stayers could be due to selection of migrants, adaptation to urban constraints and norms, or disruption by migration. In this paper, data from the Malaysian Family Life Survey is used to determine whether there is adaptation resulting from rural-urban migration. In particular, the effect of duration in the urban area on the practice and choice of contraception is examined. The major conclusion of this study is that adaptation by rural-urban migrants is a significant phenomenon. Contraception use rates increased significantly for migrants one year after they moved. The largest increase occurred five to ten years after migration. These findings suggest that adaptation operates so as to result in lower fertility among migrants. As such, a strong argument can be made that movement to urban areas should be encouraged as a mechanism for achieving lower national fertility rates. Policymakers may make special efforts to expedite and increase the fertility reductions associated with migration through educational programs directed at migrants or by providing them with easier access to family planning facilities.