cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Image database indexing using JPEG coefficients

Abstract Image database indexing is used for efficient retrieval of images in response to a query expressed as an example image. The query image is processed to extract information that is matched against the index to provide pointers to similar images. We present a technique that facilitates content similarity-based retrieval of jpeg -compressed images without first having to uncompress them. The technique is based on an index developed from a subset of jpeg coefficients and a similarity measure to determine the difference between the query image and the images in the database. This method offers substantial efficiency as images are processed in compressed format, information that was derived during the original compression of the images is reused, and extensive early pruning is possible. Initial experiments with the index have provided encouraging results. The system outputs a set of ranked images in the database with respect to the query using the similarity measure, and can be limited to output a specified number of matched images by changing the threshold match.
DIRC: increasing indoor wireless capacity using directional antennas

The demand for wireless bandwidth in indoor environments such as homes and offices continues to increase rapidly. Although wireless technologies such as MIMO can reach link throughputs of 100s of Mbps (802.11n) for a single link, the question of how we can deliver high throughput to a large number of densely-packed devices remains an open problem. Directional antennas have been shown to be an effective way to increase spatial reuse, but past work has focused largely on outdoor environments where the interactions between wireless links can usually be ignored. This assumption is not acceptable in dense indoor wireless networks since indoor deployments need to deal with rich scattering and multipath effects. In this paper we introduce DIRC, a wireless network design whose access points use phased array antennas to achieve high throughput in dense, indoor environments. The core of DIRC is an algorithm that increases spatial reuse and maximizes overall network capacity by optimizing the orientations of a network of directional antennas. We implemented DIRC and evaluated it on a nine node network in an enterprise setting. Our results show that DIRC improves overall network capacity in indoor environments, while being flexible enough to adapt to node mobility and changing traffic workloads.
On the Lipid Composition of Human Meibum and Tears: Comparative Analysis of Nonpolar Lipids

Human tears are an extremely complex mixture of lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, peptides, salts, and other low-and high-molecular-weight compounds. Watery secretions known as aqueous tears (AT) are produced by lacrimal glands and are secreted onto the ocular surface through lacrimal ducts to form the bulk of the tear film (TF). The meibomian glands (MG) located on the margins of eyelids produce oily lipid secretions (MGs) that, after being mixed with the AT, also contribute to the TF. MGs are believed to form what is known as the tear film lipid layer (TFLL).1–3 The TFLL lies on top of the TF in immediate contact with the surrounding air. The MGs have been proposed to be critical for maintaining the structural integrity of the TFLL3 and its ability to protect the ocular surface from losing water because of evaporation of the TF.4 Among other sources that contribute to the TF and the TFLL are conjunctiva, cornea, and Harderian glands (in animals). It has been reported that complex alterations of the TFLL chemical composition are associated with a widespread pathologic condition (or disease) commonly known as dry eye (DE).5–7 DE affects millions of people, ranging—depending on the severity of condition—from 0.5% of the general population8 to more than 30%,9; most are elderly, women, and those who live in adverse climates. Therefore, finding correlations between the lipid composition of the MGs and the development of DE has been the focus of attention of DE researchers for decades. Surprisingly, comprehensive lipidomic analyses of the AT and the TFLL have not been completed, and no direct experiments have been conducted to verify the proposed structures of the TF and TFLL. Considering the very small amounts of material that can be collected from an individual human eye without harming the donor (a few microliters of the AT10 and 1 mg or less of the MGs11,12), the diversity of lipid species found in humans,3,13–16 and the complexities of qualitative and quantitative lipidomic analyses, full evaluation of such samples is a formidable task. To verify earlier reports on the lipid composition of human MGs, the latter have been recently revisited by using high-pressure liquid chromatographyion trap mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS).11,12 To our surprise, the overall lipid composition human normal MGs in humans was different from the one reported in earlier publications.5–7,15–17 To find the possible sources of so obvious a discrepancy and to characterize MGs and AT side by side, in this study we collected and analyzed three different types of samples related to the TF: regular MGs obtained directly from the MG by extruding the content onto a metal spatula, AT collected from the lower tear meniscus with microcapillaries, and lipid material extracted from Schirmer test strips after standard tests for tear production. Results of these comparative studies and discussion of their possible consequences are presented below.
Gain Sharing: A Good Concept Getting A Bad Name?

The introduction of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) created a clear misalignment between the incentives facing hospitals and those facing physicians. The interest in gain sharing that developed in the 1990s represented an attempt by physicians to extract and hospitals to offer some of the savings being produced by physicians. Advisory bulletins by the Office of Inspector General (Department of Health and Human Services) quickly put a stop to further interest in these strategies. Newer, narrowly defined types of gain sharing have been under consideration. More broadly defined strategies that will be tested under a new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services demonstration are more promising.
The Human Proteome Organization A Mission to Advance Proteome Knowledge

With the completion of the genome project, it has been viewed that the proteome is the next major challenge. With heightened expectations comes the need for organizing public effort. The Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) was founded to regroup scientists in the public and private sectors engaged worldwide in various aspects of proteomics. Over the past year, HUPO has strived to develop a mission for itself and to begin the process of organizing its activities. The mission of HUPO as it is currently defined is to: 1) consolidate national and regional proteome organizations into a worldwide organization; 2) engage in scientific and educational activities to encourage the spread of proteomics technologies and disseminate knowledge pertaining to the human proteome and that of model organisms; and 3) assist in the coordination of public proteome initiatives. HUPO consists of three major geographic spheres that include Europe, Asia/ Oceania, and the Americas. In addition to current national proteome organizations affiliated with HUPO, plans are underway to assist in the formation of additional national proteome organizations and to expand affiliations with HUPO of other organizations that have a significant proteomics component such as biochemistry and cell biology societies.
Cross-cultural Boundary Dilemmas: A Graded-risk Assessment Approach.

Behavioral health professionals are constantly faced with the dilemma of how to define boundaries in their relationships with clients. When working with groups from diverse cultures, defining boundaries becomes even more complex. This article urges a flexible approach, using the graded-risk model (Martinez, 2000) and a list of cultural factors for clinicians to consider. Possible benefits of reaching out to clients in concrete ways, as well as risks, are emphasized. Clients' notions of appropriate boundaries must be considered in the decision-making process. Case examples from a refugee mental health clinic are used to elucidate a flexible approach to boundary decisions.
Measuring the Financial Status of the U.S. Social Security System

Determining the financial status of national Social Security systems is a complex and difficult task. Key concepts include how to measure assets and liabilities, the length of the evaluation period, and whether to view the system as an on-going program or to consider its termination value. Measuring the current and future financial status of Social Security is necessary for policymakers and the public to understand the need for modifying and reforming national retirement policies. There are a number of possible methods of illustrating the current and projected future actuarial balance of Social Security. The methods and assumptions employed by the Trustees of the U.S. Social Security system are described in this analysis. The various accounting methods used to show the current financial status of Social Security are examined below. Individually, any one of these methods provides an incomplete assessment of the financial status of Social Security. Together they show the projected shortfall in revenues for an on-going system, the required funds to pay all accrued benefits if the system is terminated, and the transition costs of a policy reforms.
NMR structure of the S-linked glycopeptide sublancin 168.

Sublancin 168 is a member of a small group of glycosylated antimicrobial peptides known as glycocins. The solution structure of sublancin 168, a 37-amino-acid peptide produced by Bacillus subtilis 168, has been solved by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Sublancin comprises two α-helices and a well-defined interhelical loop. The two helices span residues 6–16 and 26–35, and the loop region encompasses residues 17–25. The 9-amino-acid loop region contains a β-S-linked glucose moiety attached to Cys22. Hydrophobic interactions as well as hydrogen bonding are responsible for the well-structured loop region. The three-dimensional structure provides an explanation for the previously reported extraordinary high stability of sublancin 168.
Quasispin Glass in a Geometrically Frustrated Magnet

The spin glass state in the spinel ${\mathrm{ZnCr}}_{2(1\ensuremath{-}x)}{\mathrm{Ga}}_{2x}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ is studied with magnetization and specific heat for $xl0.05$. The freezing temperature is independent of disorder, despite a two-level-like density of states that varies linearly with $x$. This relationship implies the energy scale for freezing is independent of disorder, in contrast to mean field theories of spin glass. We suggest that the degrees of freedom are shielded spin vacancies, quasispins, which interact via an emergent long-range force mediated by the frustrated spin background.
Abstract LB-331: Protein expression signatures of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibition

We have applied standardized shotgun and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) proteomic platforms to detect protein expression changes associated with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) stimulation and inhibition in A431 carcinoma cells. These experiments compared proliferating, stimulated (30 nmol EGF, 4h) with cells co-treated with EGF and either cetuximab (10 μg/ml) or gefitinib (500 nmol). The analyses are done by shotgun proteomics with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), using isoelectric focusing of peptide mixtures, followed by reverse phase LC-MS/MS on a Thermo LTQ instrument. Protein inventories (≥2 peptides per protein at 5% peptide FDR) for each set were approximately 3800 proteins at Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-331. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-LB-331
Biomarker-Driven Adaptive Design

We review some principles and implementations of Bayesian model-based adaptive enrichment and population finding designs that exploit biomarker information to propose adaptive treatment allocation and recommend patient subpopulations that might most benefit from the treatments under consideration.
Pulmonary Valve Repair for Patients With Acquired Pulmonary Valve Insufficiency

Background Pulmonary valve (PV) insufficiency is often an acquired condition after treatment for pulmonary stenosis. It is recognized that PV insufficiency has serious deleterious effects. Although surgical replacement of the PV is efficacious, artificial valves inevitably fail and require re-intervention. The purpose of this study was to summarize our experience with PV repair in patients with acquired PV insufficiency. Methods This was a retrospective review of 16 patients with marked PV insufficiency who underwent PV repair. Thirteen of these patients were born with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and had undergone a previous transannular patch repair. Three patients were born with critical pulmonary stenosis and had a surgical valvotomy or balloon valvuloplasty. Results The 13 patients with TOF had resection of their previously placed transannular patch with re-approximation of the anterior commissure. All 13 patients experienced a marked reduction in the degree of pulmonary insufficiency. None of these patients have experienced any increase in insufficiency during follow-up. The 3 patients with critical pulmonary stenosis had a variety of pathologic findings identified at the surgical procedure. One patient had a large gap between a commissure and underwent closure of that commissure. The second and third patients had torn leaflets repaired with pericardial and Gore-Tex patches (Gore, Inc, Flagstaff, AZ). The degree of PV insufficiency was decreased to mild in all 3 patients. However, 2 of these 3 patients have subsequently had an increase in the degree of pulmonary insufficiency. Conclusions Patients with TOF who underwent a previous transannular patch may be candidates for bicuspidization of their native PV, and the results of this procedure have been quite stable at follow-up. PV repair for torn leaflets was effective in the short term but was less stable over time.
Sluice Gate Control Implementation of Three Gorges-Gezhouba Cascade Hydro-junction with United Water Dispatching and Electric Power Dispatching

The functional design and implementation of sluice gate remote control with united dispatching of water and electric power for Three Gorges-Gezhouba cascade Hydro-junction are introduced.Considering technical features of water dispatching system and cascaded computerized supervisory and control system,traditional sluice gate remote control flow chart and mode are optimized.A new mode for united water and electric power dispatching and sluice gate control is achieved innovatively,which is an effective attempt to realize sluice gate remote dispatching and control for large hydro-junction.
Neural-Network Scoring Functions Identify Structurally Novel Estrogen-Receptor Ligands

The magnitude of the investment required to bring a drug to the market hinders medical progress, requiring hundreds of millions of dollars and years of research and development. Any innovation that improves the efficiency of the drug-discovery process has the potential to accelerate the delivery of new treatments to countless patients in need. "Virtual screening," wherein molecules are first tested in silico in order to prioritize compounds for subsequent experimental testing, is one such innovation. Although the traditional scoring functions used in virtual screens have proven useful, improved accuracy requires novel approaches. In the current work, we use the estrogen receptor to demonstrate that neural networks are adept at identifying structurally novel small molecules that bind to a selected drug target, ultimately allowing experimentalists to test fewer compounds in the earliest stages of lead identification while obtaining higher hit rates. We describe 39 novel estrogen-receptor ligands identified in silico with experimentally determined Ki values ranging from 460 nM to 20 μM, presented here for the first time.
Do exchange rate changes have symmetric or asymmetric effects on the trade balance? Evidence from U.S.–Korea commodity trade

Previous studies of the effects of exchange rate changes on Korea’s trade balance have assumed symmetry between currency depreciation and appreciation. In this paper, we distinguish between the two to show that the effects at the industry level are in fact asymmetrical in most industries for Korea’s bilateral trade with the U.S. We employ an auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach using quarterly data for the period 1989–2014 for the 79 3-digit industries in which trade between Korea and the U.S. took place. Overall, our model incorporating differentiated responses for appreciation versus depreciation reveals a more significant impact of the exchange rate on commodity trade between Korea and the U.S. than a more standard model that imposes symmetry.
Eplerenone (Inspra) for hypertension.

Compared with other commonly used antihypertensive medications, eplerenone is effective in lowering blood pressure when used alone or as add-on therapy. However, mortality benefits related to antihypertensive treatment have not yet been shown, so it should not be considered a first-line treatment for hypertension.
The demise of the plantation

A share in the crop is the universal plan; negroes prefer it and I am forced to adopt it. Can't choose your system. Have to do what negroes want. They control this matter entirely. Response of a farmer to the survey conducted by F. W. Loring and C. F. Atkinson, Cotton Culture and the South Considered with Reference to Emigration (Boston: A. Williams & Co., 1869), p. 32. One of the most dramatic and far-reaching developments of the postemancipation era was the decline of the plantation system of agriculture and its replacement by tenant farming. The reorganization of the antebellum plantation into smaller tenancies, each operated by a single family, was both swift and thorough. We know that by 1880 the plantation system had ceased to exist. In fact, as early as November 1869 the editor of the Rural Carolinian felt that this transformation was well under way. “That the old plantation system of farming must now be generally abandoned throughout the South is too obvious to require argument. In fact it has, in the main, and as a matter of necessity, been already laid aside.” As sudden and complete as it was, the abandonment of the old system and the fragmentation of farm operation in the Cotton South came about only after an attempt had been made to restore the prewar organization. The revival of the plantation system The antebellum plantation system depended upon the use of forced labor, so that the granting of freedom to the slaves undermined the primary economic advantage of this form of agricultural organization.
Misusing Mom’s Meds

This case discusses the pharmacodynamic interaction seen with catecholamine depletion seen with chronic amphetamine and indirect acting sympathomimetics.
Signaling Pathways from Mitochondria to the Cytoplasm and Nucleus

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on signals originating from mitochondria that are primarily small molecules with targets in the cytosol and the nucleus. It begins with a discussion of some general themes in the current literature. Following this, it presents few examples of specific signaling pathways, where the understanding has advanced significantly in recent years. The small molecules (ATP/ADP/AMP, NAD+/NADH, GSH/GSSG) that are continuously turned over in the cytosol and in the mitochondrial matrix are now recognized to be not only cofactors driving endergonic reactions, or donors/acceptors of electrons in redox reactions. In combination with Ca+2, NO, cAMP, and cGMP they serve as allosteric effectors and in feedback mechanisms to control metabolic flux through numerous pathways, and they can also act as powerful elements in the modulation of gene expression. Major players involved in signaling pathways leading to transcriptional regulation have been identified: AMPK, PGC-1, PPARγ, and the sirtuins. Finally, the study states that it must be recognized that metabolism is not a subject to be ignored as history, but metabolism and bioenergetics are indispensable aspects of the expression of genetic information, development and differentiation, and ultimately the phenomenon of senescence and death. A challenge of the future is to measure accurate concentrations of each of these components in the various cellular compartments, to observe absolute and relative changes, and to incorporate all of these reactions into a computer model.
On-chip decoupling capacitor budgeting by sequence of linear programming

Excessive power supply noise increases propagation delay of switching gates and reduces noise margin of the circuit. Adding on-chip decoupling capacitors (decaps) is an effective way to reduce voltage noise in a on-chip power delivery system. In this paper, we propose an efficient and novel algorithm to allocate decaps in an area efficient way. The new algorithm applies the sequence of linear programming based approach to searching the minimum decap area to reduce voltage drop below user specified threshold. We show existing sensitivity based decap allocation algorithms tend to over estimate the decap areas due to nonlinear sensitivity dependence on decap values. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm uses significantly less decap area than the existing conjugate gradient based approach but with similar CPU runtimes
IDH mutations in Primary Myelofibrosis Predict Leukemic Transformation and Shortened Survival: Clinical Evidence for Leukemogenic Collaboration with JAK2V617F

confidence interval (95% CI) 0.2‐0.75), 0.50 (95% CI 0.27‐0.95) and 0.53 (95% CI 0.23‐1.2) for patients with no, JAK2 or MPL mutations, respectively. Further analysis disclosed a more pronounced effect for the mutant IDH on OS and LFS in the presence (P ¼0.0002 and Po0.0001, respectively) as opposed to the absence (P ¼0.34 and P ¼0.64) of concomitant JAK2V617F. Analysis of paired samples obtained during chronic- and blast-phase disease revealed the presence of both IDH and JAK2 mutations at both time points. Our observations suggest that IDH mutations in PMF are independent predictors of leukemic transformation and raise the possibility of leukemogenic collaboration with JAK2V617F.
Do songbirds attend to song categories when selecting breeding habitat? A case study with a wood warbler

Breeding habitat selection strongly affects reproduction and individual fitness. Among birds, using social cues from conspecifics to select habitat is widespread, but how different types of conspecific social cues influence breeding habitat selection remains less understood. We conducted a playback experiment evaluating if the yellow warbler ( Setophaga petechia ), a species with two song categories linked to pairing status, uses categories differently when selecting breeding habitat. We hypothesized that yellow warblers use second-category singing mode, which is mostly sung by paired males, over first-category singing mode for habitat selection, as successfully paired males should indicate higher-quality habitat. We broadcast yellow warbler first-category singing mode, second-category singing mode, and silent controls at sites in Illinois. Yellow warblers were more abundant at sites treated with second-category singing mode compared other sites. Our results demonstrate that yellow warblers use social cues informing successful pairing over other types of social cues to select breeding habitat.
“And then AIDS came along”: A life course turning point and sub-cohorts of older gay men

Research on life course turning points focuses on heterosexuals. Scholars acknowledge that the early AIDS epidemic was a period of crisis for current older gay men, and that this period has shaped ...
The Government Takes Control

The establishment of the Australian Government Clothing Factory in South Melbourne in 1912 created upheavals in the private clothing sector, by introducing higher wages and investing significant amounts in the purchase of the latest sewing equipment. New technology and maintaining the lead in innovation marked the life of the Factory throughout the century. How this was financed by a special Trust Fund is explained. The discussion on wages, employment, investment and factory output is supported by data obtained from national archival documents. The Factory was by far the largest clothing factory in Australia and it was owned and controlled by the government. However, from the beginning demand for military uniforms was extremely high as Australian troops took to the battlefields of the First World War. Demand outstripped the Factory’s production capacity and a system was devised to engage the private sector to fill the gaps in subcontracts of significant amounts of clothing orders. The interaction gave the Factory the power to impose its own modern systems and techniques on the private clothing contractors, thereby spreading modernisation throughout the wider clothing sector.
SYNERGY OF WALL STRUCTURE AND GEOMETRY OF THE PULMONARY TRUNK

The architecture and topology of the pulmonary arteries have been documented for some time (Harkness et al., 1957; Somlyo and Somlyo, 1964; Daly and Hebb, 1966). More recently, implications of the relationship and variation of geometry and wall structure were explored (Melbin and Noordergraaf, 1971a, b; Melbin et al, 1975, 1976). These latter investigations considered the elliptic nature of the major pulmonary arteries and the large deformations which these vessels undergo in response to a small change in transmural loading. The significance of such features, with regard to function, was established; indirect evidence indicated serious consequences resulting from compromise of normal vessel behavior (Laks et al., 1973, 1974).
Numerical Approximation of Generalized Functions: Aliasing, the Gibbs Phenomenon and a Numerical Uncertainty Principle

A general recipe for high-order approximation of generalized functions is introduced which is based on the use of L2-orthonormal bases consisting of C ∞ -functions and the appropriate choice of a discrete quadrature rule. Particular attention is paid to maintaining the distinction between point-wise functions (that is, which can be evaluated point-wise) and linear functionals defined on spaces of smooth functions (that is, distributions). It turns out that “best” point-wise approximation and “best” distributional approximation cannot be achieved simultaneously. This entails the validity of a kind of “numerical uncertainty principle”: The local value of a function and its action as a linear functional on test functions cannot be known at the same time with high accuracy, in general.
Impact of tumor location and variables associated with overall survival in patients with colorectal cancer.

e15651Background: Our study investigated the demographic characteristics of Mayo Clinic Colon and Rectal Cancer Registry patients and sought to associate tumor location with overall survival. Metho...
DScope: Detecting Real-World Data Corruption Hang Bugs in Cloud Server Systems

Cloud server systems such as Hadoop and Cassandra have enabled many real-world data-intensive applications running inside computing clouds. However, those systems present many data-corruption and performance problems which are notoriously difficult to debug due to the lack of diagnosis information. In this paper, we present DScope, a tool that statically detects data-corruption related software hang bugs in cloud server systems. DScope statically analyzes I/O operations and loops in a software package, and identifies loops whose exit conditions can be affected by I/O operations through returned data, returned error code, or I/O exception handling. After identifying those loops which are prone to hang problems under data corruption, DScope conducts loop bound and loop stride analysis to prune out false positives. We have implemented DScope and evaluated it using 9 common cloud server systems. Our results show that DScope can detect 42 real software hang bugs including 29 newly discovered software hang bugs. In contrast, existing bug detection tools miss detecting most of those bugs.
Endorsements of Surgeon Punishment and Patient Compensation in Rested and Sleep-Restricted Individuals

This study assesses evidence that healthy adults who are deprived of sleep endorse larger punishments for surgeons who make medical errors and uses this information to conclude that malpractice lawsuits are provoked by patient sleep deprivation.
Support, information seeking, and homophily in a virtual support group for adoptive parents: Impact on perceived empathy

Abstract Despite the use of virtual support groups among adoptive parents, very few studies have empirically examined outcomes of participating in these groups. This research brief investigated the impact of perceived social support, information seeking effectiveness, and homophily on perceived empathy within a pilot-phase virtual support group for adoptive parents (N = 27) in one southeastern state. Researchers also examined the moderating effect of homophily on these relationships. Findings suggest that while perceived social support was significantly positively related to perceived empathy, there was no association between perceived information seeking effectiveness and perceived empathy. Of variables of interest for this study, only homophily uniquely predicted empathy and was not a moderator in other models. While findings lend credence to the notion that perceived similarities among participants is important, there are implications for developing diverse, inclusive adoptive parent support groups. This brief discusses results from this study and apposite areas for future research.
Closed-Loop Control of a Delta-Wing Unmanned Aerial-Aquatic Vehicle.

We present a closed-loop control strategy for a delta-wing unmanned aerial aquatic-vehicle (UAAV) that enables autonomous swim, fly, and water-to-air transition. Our control system consists of a hybrid state estimator and a closed-loop feedback policy which is capable of trajectory following through the water, air and transition domains. To test our estimator and control approach in hardware, we instrument the vehicle with a minimalistic set of commercial off-the-shelf sensors. Finally, we demonstrate a successful autonomous water-to-air transition with our prototype UAAV system and discuss the implications of these results with regards to robustness.
Money might not make you happy, but can happiness make you money? The value of leveraging subjective well-being to enhance financial well-being in self-employment

Abstract In recent years there has been a growing interest in understanding the relationship between subjective well-being and self-employment. Extending this body of work, we ask whether subjective well-being is associated with financial well-being for self-employed individuals, and whether those with financial skills are better able to leverage subjective well-being to realize higher financial well-being. Using a sample of 332 self-employed individuals in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB's) National Financial Well-Being Survey, we find that there is a positive association between subjective well-being and financial well-being, and this association is strengthened among those with higher financial skills. These findings highlight the need for assessing the association between different types of well-being from self-employment.
The Structural Basis of Amyloid Strains in Alzheimer's Disease.

Amyloid fibrils represent one of the defining features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). They are made up of protofilaments composed of amyloid β (Aβ) peptides that are held together with extraordinary ...
Graffiti with a Purpose: Sexual Violence and Social Justice Conversations in University Bathroom Stalls

In 2014, our university began posting educational fliers in bathroom stalls across campus in order to share resources and policies on sexual violence, which spurred numerous forms of graffiti commentary about sexual violence prevention and response. Since some scholars have argued that bathroom graffiti can be a unique form of social commentary and even resistance facilitated by the tension of doing semi-private things in semi-public spaces, we examined 429 bathroom stall fliers across 11 heavily trafficked campus buildings, and a total of 177 graffiti comments/images. We then analyzed the relationships between comments in order to answer research questions about the content of messages, if symbolic support was provided therein, and whether these messages about sexual violence suggested a need for further structural change at the university level.
Energy-efficient heating control for smart buildings with deep reinforcement learning

Abstract Buildings account for roughly 40% of the total energy consumption in the world, out of which heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are the major contributors. Traditional heating controllers are inefficient due to lack of adaptability to dynamic conditions such as changing user preferences and outside temperature patterns. Therefore, it is necessary to design energy-efficient controllers that can improvise occupant thermal comfort (deviation from setpoint temperature) while reducing energy consumption. This research presents a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL)-based heating controller to improve thermal comfort and minimize energy costs in smart buildings. We perform extensive simulation experiments using real-world outside temperature data. The results show that the DRL-based smart controller outperforms a traditional thermostat controller by improving thermal comfort between 15% and 30% and reducing energy costs between 5% and 12% in the simulated environment. A second set of experiments is then performed for the case of multiple buildings, each having its own heating equipment. The performance is compared when the buildings are controlled centrally (using a single DRL-based controller) versus decentralized control, where each heater is controlled independently and has its own DRL-based controller. We observe that as the number of buildings and differences in their setpoint temperatures increase, decentralized control performs better than a centralized controller. The results have practical implications for heating control, especially in areas with multiple buildings such as residential complexes with multiple houses.
Likelihood ratio ordering for parallel systems with exponential components

In this paper, we introduce the concept of l-order and conjecture that the l-order of hazard rate vectors of components implies the likelihood ratio order of parallel systems. We prove this conject...
Ultrasound shear wave elastography and its association with rotator cuff tear characteristics.

Background Approximately 20-60% of rotator cuff repairs fail with higher failure rates in patients with larger or more chronic tears. Although MRI provides an objective estimate of tear size, it can only provide qualitative descriptions of tear chronicity. By contrast, ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) may assess tear chronicity by estimating tissue mechanical properties (ie, shear modulus). Furthermore, SWE imaging does not share many of the challenges associated with MRI (eg, high cost, risk of claustrophobia). Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the extent to which estimated supraspinatus shear modulus is associated with conventional MRI-based measures of rotator cuff tear size and chronicity. Methods Shear modulus was estimated using ultrasound SWE in two regions of the supraspinatus (intramuscular tendon, muscle belly) under two contractile conditions (passive, active) in 22 participants with full-thickness rotator cuff tears. The extent to which estimated supraspinatus shear modulus is associated with conventional MRI measures of tear size and chronicity was assessed using correlation coefficients and Kruskal-Wallis tests, as appropriate. Results Estimated shear modulus was not significantly associated with anterior/posterior tear size (P > .09), tear retraction (P > .20), occupation ratio (P > .11), or fatty infiltration (P > .30) under any testing condition. Discussion Although ultrasound SWE measurements have been shown to be altered in the presence of various tendinopathies, the findings of this study suggest the utility of ultrasound SWE in this population (ie, patients with a small to medium supraspinatus rotator cuff tear) before surgical rotator cuff repair remains unclear.
Couples' Anger Dynamics during Conflict: Interpersonal Anger Regulation, Relationship Satisfaction, and Intimate Partner Violence.

We tested hypotheses about moment-to-moment interpersonal influences on anger during couples' conflict, and the association of those anger dynamics with relationship satisfaction and intimate partner violence (IPV). Displayed anger was coded from laboratory observations of cohabiting couples (N = 197); experienced anger was assessed via a video-recall procedure. Credible, but variable, associations were found in which a person's anger display at one moment was linked to change in the partner's anger display and experience in the next moment. Women's anger experience was more strongly influenced by men's anger displays in couples with higher levels of IPV and couples with lower levels of relationship satisfaction. The displayed anger of men who perpetrated higher levels of IPV was more strongly influenced by women's anger displays. Overall, when individuals displayed higher intensity anger, partners reacted with increasingly angry feelings but decreasingly angry displays. Results suggest that anger dynamics relate to dyadic processes and that dynamics relate to important relationship outcomes. Dyadic anger dynamics might prove a worthy intervention target.
Using Machine Learning to Capture Heterogeneity in Trade Agreements

In this paper, we employ machine learning techniques to capture heterogeneity in free trade agreements. The tools of machine learning allow us to quantify several features of trade agreements, including volume, comprehensiveness, and legal enforceability. Combining machine learning results with gravity analysis of trade, we find that more comprehensive agreements result in larger estimates of the impact of trade agreements. In addition, we identify the policy provisions that have the most substantial effect in creating trade flows. In particular, legally binding provisions on antidumping, capital mobility, competition, customs harmonization, dispute settlement mechanism, e-commerce, environment, export and import restrictions, freedom of transit, investment, investor-state dispute settlement, labor, public procurement, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, services, technical barriers to trade, telecommunications, and transparency tend to have the largest trade creation effects.
Dynamic Relations between International Equity and Currency Markets: The Role of Currency Order Flow*

Previous research on the dynamic linkages between international financial markets focused on bivariate interequity or intercurrency relationships and do not allow a specific role for the currency or equity market, respectively. In this paper, we hypothesize that there are important, yet not well understood, dynamic relationships between international equity and currency markets and these are driven by information spillover via the mechanism of currency order flow. Using a trivariate asymmetric GARCH framework, we find that the relationships between equity and currency markets are significant, bidirectional, and pervasive. These relationships, which coexist with the relationships between U.S. and foreign equity markets, are much stronger in the volatilities than in the means. Importantly, we find strong support for our information spillover hypothesis where currency order flow is the economic mechanism by which information is transmitted.
English language proficiency requirements in university conditional admission

English language proficiency is typically measured through standardized tests such as TOEFL or IELTS. Standardized test scores are “boundary objects” that allow stakeholders to communicate about the abstract concept of language proficiency. Other means of measurement are possible, but there has been little consideration of how their merits can be evaluated. We describe a university conditional admission “pathway” program in the United States that combines language study, disciplinary credit courses, test preparation, and acculturation activities. During three academic years (AY 2014-15, 2015-16, and 2016-17), 161 students (most from China) enrolled in the pathway with 97 matriculating as first-year students, an overall matriculation rate of 60%. Subsequent performance in the university was high, with average first-year grade point averages statistically equivalent to those of their directly admitted international peers; first-year persistence and six-year graduation rates were higher than those of the overall university population. Initially, pathway participants were required to reach standardized test scores as well as program performance standards in order to matriculate. However, as successive pathway cohorts developed a track record of matriculated performance and persistence, program administrators sought alternate exit evaluation measures. Here, we describe (i) our language proficiency construct (“communicative language proficiency for university study”); (ii) curricular affordances provided for developing this proficiency; (iii) measures of performance collected pre- and post-matriculation among program participants; and (iv) the consequential validity of standardized test requirements. We conclude that program performance measures are preferable to standardized test scores as indicators of college readiness in a university-governed conditional admission program after an initial standardization period.
Action of lead tetraacetate on the sugars.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the action of lead tetraacetate on the sugars. Lead tetraacetate appears to have been first used as an organic oxidant in place of established reagents as the dioxides of manganese and lead. With the discovery of the cleavage of glycols by lead tetra-acetate, its applicability to the sugars got recognized with their many hydroxyl groups. Glyceritol and mannitol were among the first to be examined. They consumed oxidant smoothly in glacial acetic acid at 50°, yielding two moles of formaldehyde per mole, a measurement which was to serve as an elegant diagnostic test for terminal, 1,2-glycol groups, particularly in sensitive types of compounds. The reaction of sugar dithioacetals with lead tetra-acetate may be complicated by dehydrogenation of the thioacetal groups, in addition to normal glycol-cleavage, depending on the reaction condition. The latter reaction was found to be favored in non-ionizing solvents, but in a solvent of medium or high dielectric constant, the –thio group was cleaved from the molecule. The dibenzyl dithioacetals of a group of sugars and sugar acetates in acetic acid yielded dibenzyl disulfide, probably through formation of an intermediate thiol (RSH) and with production of an aldehydo diacetate.
Volume Effects Produced by Protein-Ion Interactions THE BINDING OF BOVINE PLASMA ALBUMIN WITH THIOCYANATE AND TRICHLOROACETATE IONS

Abstract The volume changes produced by the reaction of bovine plasma albumin with thiocyanate and trichloroacetate ions differed substantially from each other and from those produced by sodium dodecyl sulfate (Katz, S., Shaw, M. E., Chillag, S., and Miller, J. E. (1972) J. Biol. Chem., 247, 5528–5233). The volume effects attributable to protein-anion interaction, δV, resulting from the interaction of thiocyanate anion (SCN-) with 2% albumin, in water, exhibited a minimum of -30 ml per 105 g of protein at 0.05 m SCN-. At higher anion concentrations there was a linear increase of this parameter reaching a value of 110 ml per 105 g of protein at 0.5 m SCN-. The corresponding reactions employing trichloroacetate ions generated a positive biphasic δV isotherm with the value for δV of 275 ml per 105 g of protein at 0.5 m anion concentration. Medium effects were investigated by comparing these reactions in water, 0.1 m acetate, pH 5.0, and 0.1 m EDTA, pH 5.0. The ΔV for dilution of these anions by water and acetate was similar; however, the use of 0.1 m EDTA as solvent caused a diminution of this type of volume effect. On the other hand, the δV isotherms for albumin-ligand interaction in these buffers differed; e.g. the δV isotherms for albumin-SCN- reaction in water and in EDTA were approximately of the same magnitude, whereas the δV values in acetate were more negative. The isotherms produced by the reaction of trichloroacetate ion with albumin in water and 0.1 m acetate were virtually superimposable, but in 0.1 m EDTA the δV values were more positive. The distinctive volume effects produced by the respective systems establish that the association mechanisms are determined primarily by the nature of the protein and anion involved. Evidence supporting this hypothesis is provided by the relatively small effect of buffer ions on these volume parameters. Apparently several types of electrostriction phenomena contribute to the volume effects produced by protein-ion interaction. The Drude-Nernst phenomenon which is of paramount importance in determining the volume decrease produced by albumin-dodecyl sulfate binding plays a secondary role in thiocyanate and trichloroacetate interaction.
Mechanisms of Pathogenesis in Listeria monocytogenes Infection I. Influence of Iron

Sword, C. P. (The University of Kansas, Lawrence). Mechanisms of pathogenesis in Listeria monocytogenes infection. I. Influence of iron. J. Bacteriol. 92: 536–542. 1966.—The effects of ferric and ferrous iron as well as other cations on Listeria infection in mice were studied. Iron compounds caused a reduction in the ld50 dose of Listeria, and, when added to a synthetic medium, proved stimulatory for in vitro growth of the organism. Bacterial counts on spleen and liver tissue from iron-treated mice showed that iron injections caused more rapid growth of bacteria and resulted in higher numbers of organisms in the tissue. The reticuloendothelial system did not appear to be impaired by this treatment. Immunized animals were not affected by iron treatment during challenge. Mice with experimentally induced hemolytic anemia showed increased susceptibility to listeriosis, whereas those treated with Desferal, a specific iron-chelating agent, appeared more resistant. Iron proved stimulatory for the avirulent strain, 9037–7, and resulted in an ld50 of 1.3 × 104 organisms in iron-treated animals. Growth of L. monocytogenes and mortality from experimental infection appeared to be correlated with availability of iron to the bacteria. The results suggest that host iron metabolism may play a part in the onset and progress of Listeria infections.
Weak versus Strong Coupling Theory for Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8

The latest optical determination of the superconducting-gap function for ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8}$ is consistent with weak-coupling theory. In contrast, a large discontinuity in heat-capacity data suggests strong-coupling superconductivity, and appears to exceed the theoretical strong-coupling limit. A possible resolution to the apparent incompatibility of the two measurements is presented. The apparent disagreement with the results of strong-coupling theory is also resolved.