cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Asymmetric Information in Financial Markets: Anything Goes

I study a standard Grossman and Stiglitz (1980) noisy rational expectations economy, but relax the usual assumption of the normality of fundamental and supply. My solution approach dispenses with the typical \conjecture and verify" method and enables me to analytically solve an entire class of previously intractable nonlinear models that nests the standard model. I show how: (1) price jumps and crashes may arise endogenously, purely due to learning eects, (2) observation of the net trading volume of informed and noise traders may be valuable for investors in the economy as it can provide a renement of the information conveyed by price, (3) the value of acquiring information may be non-monotonic in the number of informed traders, leading to multiple equilibria in the information market, and (4) the relation between disagreement and future returns is ambiguous. In short, many of the results from noisy rational expectations models are not robust. Finally, I introduce monotone likelihood ratio conditions that determine the signs of the various comparative statics, which represents the rst demonstration of the importance of the MLRP for comparative statics
Framework for botnet emulation and analysis

Criminals use the anonymity and pervasiveness of the Internet to commit fraud, extortion, and theft. Botnets are used as the primary tool for this criminal activity. Botnets allow criminals to accumulate and covertly control multiple Internet-connected computers. They use this network of controlled computers to flood networks with traffic from multiple sources, send spam, spread infection, spy on users, commit click fraud, run adware, and host phishing sites. This presents serious privacy risks and financial burdens to businesses and individuals. Furthermore, all indicators show that the problem is worsening because the research and development cycle of the criminal industry is faster than that of security research. To enable researchers to measure botnet connection models and counter-measures, a flexible, rapidly augmentable framework for creating test botnets is provided. This botnet framework, written in the Ruby language, enables researchers to run a botnet on a closed network and to rapidly implement new communication, spreading, control, and attack mechanisms for study. This is a significant improvement over augmenting C++ code-bases for the most popular botnets, Agobot and SDBot. Rubot allows researchers to implement new threats and their corresponding defenses before the criminal industry can. The Rubot experiment framework includes models for some of the latest trends in botnet operation such as peer-to-peer based control, fast-flux DNS, and periodic updates. Our approach implements the key network features from existing botnets and provides the required infrastructure to run the botnet in a closed environment.
Myc, a Genetic Element that is Shared by a Cellular Gene (proto-myc) and by viruses with one (MC29) or two (MH2) onc genes

The transforming (onc) genes of several avian carcinoma viruses including MC29, MH2, CMII, and OK10 and of a normal cellular gene (proto-myc) share a common structural domain termed myc. Proto-myc consists of three exons, a largely non-coding 5’ exon joined with two coding exons of 1.6 kb. The myc-related gene of MC29 is a hybrid consisting of 1.5 kb derived from the 5’ half of the gag gene of nondefective retroviruses and 1.6 kb derived from the two 3’ exons of the proto-myc gene. The myc gene of MH2 consists of a 5’ gag-derived exon of 6 codons and a 3’ exon corresponding to the two 3’ exons of the proto-myc gene. In addition, MH2 contains a second gene termed Δgag-mht with transforming potential. The two genes of MH2 are throught to cooperate in neoplastic transformation (1, 2).
RFLP Mapping in Soybean: Association between Marker Loci and Variation in Quantitative Traits

We have constructed a genetic map for soybean and identified associations between genetic markers and quantitative trait loci. One-hundred-fifty restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) were used to identify genetic linkages in an F2 segregating population from an interspecific cross (Glycine max x Glycine soja). Twenty-six genetic linkage groups containing ca. 1200 recombination units are reported. Progeny-testing of F2-derived families allowed quantitative traits to be evaluated in replicated field trials. Genomic regions, which accounted for a portion of the genetic variation (R2 = 16 to 24%) in several reproductive and morphological traits, were linked to RFLP markers. Significant associations between RFLP markers and quantitative trait loci were detected for eight of nine traits evaluated. The ability to identify genes within a continuously varying trait has important consequences for plant breeding and for understanding evolutionary processes.
Prognostic Significance of the Number of Lymph Node Metastases in Esophageal Cancer

Background Regional lymph node (LN) involvement is one of the most important predictors of survival for patients with esophageal cancer. The current staging classification differentiates only between the presence and absence of LN metastasis. In this study, we examined whether involvement of a higher number of LNs is associated with worse survival among esophageal cancer patients. Study Design We identified all patients who underwent operations for node-positive esophageal cancer between 1988 and 2003 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results cancer registry. Because the number of positive LNs is confounded by the total number of LNs removed, patients were classified into three groups by the ratio of positive-to-total number of LNs removed (LN ratio [LNR]): ≤ 0.2, 0.21 to 0.5, and>0.5. Esophageal cancer-specific survival was compared among these groups using Kaplan-Meier curves. Stratified and Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between the LNR and survival after adjusting for potential confounders. Results The study cohort included 838 esophageal cancer patients. Disease-specific survival rates decreased with higher LNR. Five-year disease-specific survival was 30% among patients with an LNR≤0.2, compared with 16% and 13% for those with LNs of 0.21 to 0.5 and>0.5, respectively (p Conclusions These data suggest that a higher LNR among patients with node-positive esophageal cancer is associated with worse survival. If validated, this prognostic criterion may be included in staging classifications.
Variation in the Pattern of Synonymous and Nonsynonymous Difference Between Two Fungal Genomes

The proportion of synonymous nucleotide differences per synonymous site (p(S)) and the proportion of nonsynonymous differences per nonsynonymous site (p(N)) were computed at 1,993,217 individual codons in 4,133 protein-coding genes between the two yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces paradoxus. When the modified Nei-Gojobori method was used, significantly more codons with p(N) > p(S) were observed than expected, based on random pairing of observed p(S) and p(N) values. However, this finding was most likely explained by the presence of a strong negative correlation between the number of synonymous differences and the number of nonsynonymous differences at codons with at least one difference. As a result of this correlation, codons with p(N) > p(S) were characterized not only by unusually high p(N) but also by unusually low p(S). On the other hand, the number of codons with p(N)>p(S) (where p(S) is the mean p(S) for all codons) was very similar to the random expectation, and the observed number of 30-codon windows with p(N) > p(S) was significantly lower than the random expectation. These results imply that the occurrence of a certain number of codons or codon windows with p(N) > p(S) is expected given the nature of nucleotide substitution and need not imply the action of positive Darwinian selection.
Depression in anorexia nervosa.

The case histories of 84 patients with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa were evaluated on the basis of Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) for Major Depressive Disorder and Endogenous Major Depressive Disorder. Fifty-six percent met RDC criteria for a major depressive disorder and 35% met RDC criteria for an endogenous depression. MMPI data revealed a mean depression (D) score of 68 with the mean profile showing elevation of scales 2(D), 7(PT) and 8(SC). This study suggests that depression is a more common accompaniment in patients with anorexia nervosa than is usually appreciated. The evidence suggests that anorexia nervosa and major depressive disorder may co-exist and the significance of this is discussed.
Transport Policies, Automobile Use, and Sustainable Transport: A Comparison of Germany and the United States

The automobile contributes to costly trends like pollution, oil dependence, congestion, and obesity. This article investigates determinants of individual car travel through a comparison of Germany and the USA. Even controlling for socioeconomic variables and spatial development patterns, two comparable national travel surveys show that Germans are less car-dependent than Americans. Multivariate analysis reveals that car travel demand in the USA is more responsive to price than in Germany. Results suggest Americans may more easily reduce driving when faced with increasing gasoline prices. Low costs of driving in the USA may contribute to more discretionary driving, whereas higher costs of car travel in Germany may have already encouraged prudent car use.
Transient carbon monoxide poisoning of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell operating on diluted hydrogen feed

Abstract The transient behavior of a 50 cm2 PEM fuel cell fed on simulated reformate containing diluted hydrogen and trace quantities of carbon monoxide (CO) was experimentally investigated. It was found that the overall cell performance throughout the CO poisoning process can be described with a lumped model of hydrogen and CO adsorption, desorption, and electro-oxidation coupled with a current–voltage relationship for fuel cell performance. It was shown that while hydrogen dilution alone does not have an appreciable effect on cell polarization, in the presence of trace amounts of CO, hydrogen dilution amplifies the problem of CO poisoning. This is a result of the diluent reducing the partial pressure of reactants in the anode fed stream, thus retarding the already CO-impaired hydrogen adsorption onto the catalyst surface. In a diluted hydrogen stream, even low CO concentrations (i.e. 10 ppm), which are traditionally considered safe for PEM fuel cell operation, were found to be harmful to cell performance.
A generic real-time computer Simulation model for Superconducting fault current limiters and its application in system protection studies

A model for the SCFCL suitable for use in real time computer simulation is presented. The model accounts for the highly nonlinear quench behavior of BSCCO and includes the thermal aspects of the transient phenomena when the SCFCL is activated. Implemented in the RTDS real-time simulation tool the model has been validated against published BSCCO characteristics. As an example for an application in protection system studies, the effect of an SCFCL on a utility type impedance relay has been investigated using a real time hardware-in-the-loop (RT-HIL) experiment. The test setup is described and initial results are presented. They illustrate the effect of how the relay misinterprets the dynamically changing SCFCL impedance as an apparently more distant fault location. It is expected that the new real-time SCFCL model will provide a valuable tool not only for further protection system studies but for a wide range of RT-HIL experiments of power systems.
Oilfield Waste Disposal Control

The purpose of this chapter is to provide reader with understanding how Environmental Control Technology (ECT) relates to the oilfield waste disposal in regard to the defined boundary between the process and environment – introduced in Chap. 2. By this concept, the spent stream of materials from the process can be permanently disposed of within the process boundaries by internal recycling and containment methods so it is never released to the environment. Therefore, the techniques of oilfield pit closure onsite, and in situ annular/subsurface injection of slurries to wells – described in this chapter – become part of oilfield ECT.
Evaluating Gas Turbines for Process Applications: Economic Guides for the Decision Maker

The purpose of this paper is to discuss several economic factors commonly used in the evaluation of equipment for the industrial user. The effect of major operating and fixed cost variables is illustrated. Also included are several curves which permit rapid evaluation of net payout, end of period cumulative net cash flow, and discounted rate of return after Federal income taxes once the gross payout period has been established. The application of these economic factors and investment criteria are illustrated by use of an example comparing two energy supply systems for a process requiring both power and heat.Copyright © 1971 by ASME
Selective Exposure in a Field Setting

2 field studies of the selective exposure hypotheses were conducted in 2 settings. Using ad lib. techniques with unobtrusive Es, the results failed to consistently support the hypotheses. Ss classi...
A method to generate conformal finite-element meshes from 3D measurements of microstructurally small fatigue-crack propagation: 3D Meshes of Microstructurally Small Crack Growth

In an effort to reproduce computationally the observed evolution of microstructurally small fatigue cracks (MSFCs), a method is presented for generating conformal, finite-element (FE), volume meshes from 3D measurements of MSFC propagation. The resulting volume meshes contain traction-free surfaces that conform to incrementally measured 3D crack shapes. Grain morphologies measured using near-field high-energy X-ray diffraction microscopy are also represented within the FE volume meshes. Proof-of-concept simulations are performed to demonstrate the utility of the mesh-generation method. The proof-of-concept simulations employ a crystal-plasticity constitutive model and are performed using the conformal FE meshes corresponding to successive crack-growth increments. Although the simulations for each crack increment are currently independent of one another, they need not be, and transfer of material-state information among successive crack-increment meshes is discussed. The mesh-generation method was developed using post-mortem measurements, yet it is general enough that it can be applied to in-situ measurements of 3D MSFC propagation.
Realistic 3-D Views of Articular Surfaces and Soft Tissue

Our purpose is to improve the diagnostics and treatment of patients by noninvasively dissecting accurately and clearly, the human anatomy. This will especially enhance the physician’s ability to preplan surgical procedures. Our goals are to make improvements in the accuracy, the realism, the user friendliness and the speed of rendering 3-D views.
13C Metabolic Flux Analysis of acetate conversion to lipids by Yarrowia lipolytica

Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are an inexpensive and renewable carbon source that can be generated from gas fermentation and anaerobic digestion of fermentable wastes. The oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is a promising biocatalyst that can utilize VFAs and convert them into triacylglycerides (TAGs). However, currently there is limited knowledge on the metabolism of Y. lipolytica when cultured on VFAs. To develop a better understanding, we used acetate as the sole carbon source to culture two strains, a control strain and a previously engineered strain for lipid overaccumulation. For both strains, metabolism during the growth phase and lipid production phase were investigated by metabolic flux analysis using two parallel sodium acetate tracers. The resolved flux distributions demonstrate that the glyoxylate shunt pathway is constantly active and the flux through gluconeogenesis varies depending on strain and phase. In particular, by regulating the activities of malate transport and pyruvate kinase, the cells divert only a portion of the glyoxylate shunt flux required to satisfy the needs for anaplerotic reactions and NADPH production through gluconeogenesis and the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). Excess flux flows back to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle for energy production. As with the case of glucose as the substrate, the primary source for lipogenic NADPH is derived from the oxidative PPP.
Application of the Amiloride Series in the Study of Ion Transport

Amiloride and amiloride analogs have been extensively used as inhibitors of Na+-selective transport proteins. The interaction of amiloride analogs with the epithelial Na+ channel, Na+/H+ exchanger, and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger is summarized. The potential use of amiloride analogs as biochemical probes for amiloride-sensitive transport proteins, and as immunologic tools for development of antibodies directed against these proteins is discussed, as are some of the limitations and problems encountered using amiloride analogs as “specific” inhibitors of defined transport proteins.
Chapter 11 – Operation of Independent Large-Scale Battery-Storage Systems in Energy and Reserve Markets*

In this chapter, we consider a scenario where a group of investor-owned independently-operated storage units seek to offer energy and reserve in the day-ahead market and energy in the hour-ahead market. We are particularly interested in the case where a significant portion of the power generated in the grid is from wind and other intermittent renewable energy resources. In this regard, we formulate a stochastic programming framework to choose optimal energy and reserve bids for the storage units that takes into account the fluctuating nature of the market prices due to the randomness in the renewable power generation availability. We show that the formulated stochastic program can be converted to a convex optimization problem to be solved efficiently. Our simulation results also show that our design can assure profitability of the private investment on storage units. We also investigate the impact of various design parameters, such as the size and location of the storage unit on increasing the profit.
High precision Hugoniot measurements on statically pre-compressed fluid helium

The capability for statically pre-compressing fluid targets for Hugoniot measurements utilizing gas gun driven flyer plates has been developed. Pre-compression expands the capability for initial condition control, allowing access to thermodynamic states off the principal Hugoniot. Absolute Hugoniot measurements with an uncertainty less than 3% on density and pressure were obtained on statically pre-compressed fluid helium utilizing a two stage light gas gun. Helium is highly compressible; the locus of shock states resulting from dynamic loading of an initially compressed sample at room temperature is significantly denser than the cryogenic fluid Hugoniot even for relatively modest (0.27–0.38 GPa) initial pressures. The dynamic response of pre-compressed helium in the initial density range of 0.21–0.25 g/cm3 at ambient temperature may be described by a linear shock velocity (us) and particle velocity (up) relationship: us = C0 + sup, with C0 = 1.44 ± 0.14 km/s and s = 1.344 ± 0.025.
Marketing the Self

This chapter deals with the way people learn to market themselves and with different aspects of self-promotion. The way high-school students market themselves so they will be accepted in prestigious colleges and universities is discussed. The difference between a persona, privata, and privatissima is explained. This leads to a discussion of the relationship between brands and a person’s “self.” The use of fashion styles to call attention to oneself is explored. Next, there is a discussion by a psychiatrist about the difference between people’s real selves and the way they present themselves on Facebook. He suggests that being on Facebook and other social media can cause psychological problems. Finally, the notion that many people are impostors, though they don’t recognize that this is so, is explored.
Factor Structure and Basic Psychometric Properties of the "Transition Assessment" and "Goal Generator".

We examined the theoretical factor structure fit and psychometric properties of the Transition Assessment and Goal Generator (TAGG). In the first study, 349 transition-aged students with disabilities, their special educators, and family members completed TAGG assessments, and using exploratory factor analysis (EFA)/confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), a simple eight-factor structure emerged. In 2 subsequent years, independent samples of students with disabilities (Study II, N = 257; Study III, N = 846), their special educators, and family members completed the TAGG, and the TAGG structure replicated in both years across all versions using CFAs. The results provide evidence of construct validity and reliability. We discuss implications of the results and identify future research needs.
Decoding levels of representation in reading: A representational similarity approach.

Multiple levels of representation are involved in reading single words: visual representations of letter shape, orthographic representations of letter identity and order, phonological representations of the word's pronunciation, and semantic representations of its meaning. Previous lesion and neuroimaging studies have identified a network of regions recruited during word reading, including ventral occipital-temporal regions and the angular gyrus (AG). However, there is still debate about what information is being represented and processed in these regions. This study has two aims. The first is to help adjudicate between competing hypotheses concerning the role of ventral occipital cortex in reading. The second is to adjudicate between competing hypotheses concerning the role of the AG in reading. Participants read words in the scanner while performing a proper name detection task and we use a multivariate pattern analysis technique for analyzing fMRI data - representational similarity analysis (RSA) - to decode the type of information being represented in these regions based on computationally explicit theories. Distributed patterns of activation in the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex (vOT) and the AG show evidence of some type of orthographic processing, while the right hemisphere homologues of the vOT supports visual, but not orthographic, information processing of letter strings. In addition, there is evidence of left-lateralized semantic processing in the lvOT and evidence of top-down feedback in the lvOT. Taken together, these results suggest an interactive activation theory of visual word processing in which both the lvOT and lAG are neural loci of an orthographic level of representations.
Abstract P362: Prognostic Value of Troponin in Myocardial Infarction in the Community

Troponin is the biomarker of choice for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI) in clinical practice. Data on its value to predict death, while documented in clinical trials, are lacking from community studies. There is little information from population studies of MI on short and long term predictive value of Troponin on death and nonfatal endpoints such as recurrent ischemic events and heart failure. Methods: We evaluated the prognostic value of Troponin T (TnT) among consecutive persons with incident MI in Olmsted County, MN. Results: 1220 persons (mean age 69±15 years, 45% women) experienced an incident MI (20% ST elevation MI) in Olmsted County, MN between 2002 and 2008. Peak TnT value measured at a median of 1 day post-MI was 1.88±4.19 ng/mL (median 0.52 (25%: 0.16, 75%: 1.75)). After 1.27 years of follow-up, 294 deaths occurred, 360 recurrent ischemic events (recurrent MI or hospitalized unstable angina) and 345 episodes of heart failure. Associations between clinical events and TnT tertiles are shown in the table. Conclusions: In the community, the magnitude of TnT elevation is predictive of recurrent ischemic events, heart failure and early death. It is not associated with long-term mortality.
A Case of Fragmented High School Earth and Space Science Education in the Great Plains: Tracing Teacher Certification Policy to Students' Access

ABSTRACT Although U.S. high school students' access to Earth and space science (ESS) varies widely from state to state, nationally, ESS content is the most neglected area of science education and scientific literacy. States have been considering whether they will formally adopt, or less formally adapt, the new national science education standards, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which have been carefully developed and articulated in conjunction with state education leaders. However, there are many challenges with which states, school districts, and teachers must grapple to enact standards-aligned ESS science lessons. This study of one Great Plains state investigated how school districts provide ESS education at the high school level and to what degree is ESS being taught by qualified teachers. We found that 76% of districts added ESS topics to existing physical science and/or biology courses rather than offer a stand-alone ESS course. During the eight-year period investigated, the state awar...
Interactions between charged nanoparticles and giant vesicles fabricated from inverted-headgroup lipids

The surface chemistry of the cell membrane plays an important role in how cells interact with particulate species. These interactions are dictated in large part by lipid headgroup charge. To investigate the nature of electrostatic interactions between lipid bilayers and nanoparticles in solution, we studied nanoparticles interacting with the zwitterionic lipid 1,2-dioleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), and its inverted-headgroup analog DOCP. These interactions were investigated by fabricating giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) with DOPC lipids and DOCP lipids respectively, and introducing nanoparticles to suspensions of both. GUVs displayed various deformational modes depending on the charge and size of the nanoparticles as well as the compositions of the GUVs. The differences in the responses of the two lipid species illuminate how the phosphate and choline groups on the lipid interact with charged nanoparticles. This study suggests that the phosphate group dominates the lipid-nanoparticle electrostatic interaction. We speculate that the formation of water clathrate structures around the choline group inhibits interactions between negatively charged nanoparticles and the positively charged choline.
Arachnoid Cyst and Psychosis

Few case reports discuss suspected psychiatric disturbances secondary to arachnoid cysts. To the best of our knowledge, psychosis from arachnoid cysts has not been reported in the recent literature. This case report discusses our experience with a 55-year-old male patient who manifested multiple psychotic episodes suspected in association with an arachnoid cyst. During the initial examinations, a computed tomography (CT) scan of his head revealed a relatively large left anterior superior arachnoid cyst with a mass effect on the frontal lobe. Despite multiple trials of combinations of mood stabilizers and psychotropic medications, the patient continued to deteriorate. We ordered a repeat CT of his head along with a magnetic resonance image and consulted a neurosurgeon for a possible surgical intervention. The neurosurgeon concluded that the patient's psychiatric symptoms were unrelated to the arachnoid cyst. While we were unable to determine the etiology of our patient's psychosis, we believe that the arachnoid cyst played at least some part, as evidenced by reports in the literature. Future advancements in radiological technology may allow for a better exploration of the causal relationship between psychiatric illnesses and brain lesions.
Bootstrapping accountability in the internet we have

Lack of accountability makes the Internet vulnerable to numerous attacks, including prefix hijacking, route forgery, source address spoofing, and DoS flooding attacks. This paper aims to bring accountability to the Internet with low-cost and deployable enhancements. We present IPA, a design that uses the readily available top-level DNSSEC infrastructure and BGP to bootstrap accountability. We show how IPA enables a suite of security modules that can combat various network-layer attacks. Our evaluation shows that IPA introduces modest overhead and is gradually deployable. We also discuss how the design incentivizes early adoption.
Applying High-Resolution Variant Classification to Cardiac Arrhythmogenic Gene Testing in a Demographically Diverse Cohort of Sudden Unexplained Deaths.

Background— Genetic variant interpretation contributes to testing yield differences reported for sudden unexplained death. Adapting a high-resolution variant interpretation framework, which considers disease prevalence, reduced penetrance, genetic heterogeneity, and allelic contribution to determine the maximum tolerated allele count in gnomAD, we report an evaluation of cardiac channelopathy and cardiomyopathy genes in a large, demographically diverse sudden unexplained death cohort that underwent thorough investigation in the United States’ largest medical examiner’s office. Methods and Results— The cohort has 296 decedents: 147 Blacks, 64 Hispanics, 49 Whites, 22 Asians, and 14 mixed ethnicities; 142 infants (1 to 11 months), 39 children (1 to 17 years), 74 young adults (18 to 34 years), and 41 adults (35 to 55 years). Eighty-nine cardiac disease genes were evaluated. Using a high-resolution variant interpretation workflow, we classified 17 variants as pathogenic or likely pathogenic (2 of which were incidental findings and excluded in testing yield analysis), 46 novel variants of uncertain significance, and 130 variants of uncertain significance. Nine pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in ClinVar were reclassified to likely benign and excluded in testing yield analysis. The yields of positive cases by ethnicity and age were 21.4% in mixed ethnicities, 10.2% Whites, 4.5% Asians, 3.1% Hispanics, and 2% Blacks; 7.7% children, 7.3% in adults, 5.4% young adults, and 2.8% infants. The percentages of uncertain cases with variants of uncertain significance by ethnicity were 45.5% in Asians, 45.3% Hispanics, 44.20% Blacks, 36.7% Whites, and 14.3% in mixed ethnicities. Conclusions— High-resolution variant interpretation provides diagnostic accuracy and healthcare efficiency. Under-represented populations warrant greater inclusion in future studies.
Reply to Gilchrist et al.: Possible roles for VAC14 in multiple infectious diseases

Our studies of the SNP rs8060947 determine that the A allele is associated with increased invasion of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and increased susceptibility to typhoid fever (1). Gilchrist et al. (2) now provide evidence that the A allele is also associated with increased risk for bacteremia, and the association was driven primarily by nontyphoidal Salmonella , Streptococcus pneumoniae , Escherichia coli , and Acinetobacter , but not by Staphylococcus aureus, β-hemolytic streptococci, or Haemophilus influenza type b. Future studies are necessary to further validate the association between VAC14 and infectious diseases, determine the molecular mechanisms of protection, and investigate the … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: dennis.ko{at}duke.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Contextual Radiology Reporting: A New Approach to Neuroradiology Structured Templates

Structured reporting has many advantages over conventional narrative reporting and has been advocated for standard usage by radiologic societies and literature. Traditional structured reports though are often not tailored to the appropriate clinical situation, are generic, and can be overly constraining. Contextual reporting is an alternative method of structured reporting that is specifically related to the disease or examination indication. Herein, we create a library of 50 contextual structured reports for neuroradiologists and emphasize their clinical value over noncontextual structured reporting. These templates are located in the On-line Appendix, and a downloadable PowerScribe 360 file may be accessed at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AlPUmfAXPzjkMFcHf7vGKF4Q-vIdpflT.
A generalized framework for Lifelong Planning A* search

Recently, it has been suggested that Lifelong Planning A* (LPA*), an incremental version of A*, might be a good heuristic search-based replanning method for HSP-type planners. LPA* uses consistent heuristics and breaks ties among states with the same f-values in favor of states with smaller g-values. However, HSP-type planners use inconsistent heuristics to trade off plan-execution cost and planning time. In this paper, we therefore develop a general framework that allows one to develop more capable versions of LPA* and its nondeter-ministic version Minimax LPA*, including versions of LPA* and Minimax LPA* that use inconsistent heuristics and break ties among states with the same f-values in favor of states with larger g-values. We then show experimentally that the new versions of LPA* indeed speed it up on grids and thus promise to provide a good foundation for building heuristic search-based replanners.
Tryptophan catabolism during sporulation in Bacillus cereus

1. Two intermediates of tryptophan catabolism were isolated from a sporulating culture of Bacillus cereus and identified as anthranilic acid and kynurenine by their spectral properties. 2. During sporulation the rate of formation of anthranilic acid and kynurenine by whole cells increased and reached a maximum at the pre-spore stage. 3. The specific activities of tryptophan pyrrolase and formylase also increased during sporulation and exhibited a maximal activity at the pre-spore stage. 4. Kynureninase activity reached a maximum during early stages of sporulation and then started to decline. 5. There was a net increase in the activity of tryptophan pyrrolase when cells were grown in the presence of l-tryptophan or dl-kynurenine. 6. The cultures exhibited the maximal activity of kynureninase 2h earlier in the presence of dl-kynurenine whereas l-tryptophan delayed the appearance of the maximal activity by 2h. 7. The omission of glucose from the medium had no effect on the pattern of development of tryptophan pyrrolase during growth and sporulation. 8. On the addition of tryptophan to a chemically defined medium no significant change in the pattern of development of tryptophan pyrrolase was observed.
The Digital Signal Processing Handbook - 3 Volume Set

Now available in a three-volume set, this updated and expanded edition of the bestselling Digital Signal Processing Handbook continues to provide the engineering community with authoritative coverage of the fundamental and specialized aspects of information-bearing signals in digital form. Encompassing essential background material, technical details, standards, and software, The Digital Signal Processing Handbook, Second Edition reflects cutting-edge information on signal processing algorithms and protocols related to speech, audio, multimedia, and video processing technology associated with standards ranging from WiMax to MP3 audio, low-power/high-performance DSPs, color image processing, and chips on video. The three-volume set draws on the experience of leading engineers, researchers, and scholars and includes 29 new chapters that address multimedia and Internet technologies, tomography, radar systems, architecture, standards, and future applications in speech, acoustics, video, radar, and telecommunications. Each volume in the set is also available individually ... Emphasizing theoretical concepts, Digital Signal Processing Fundamentals (Catalog no. 46063) provides comprehensive coverage of the basic foundations of DSP. Coverage includes: Signals and Systems, Signal Representation and Quantization, Fourier Transforms, Digital Filtering, Statistical Signal Processing, Adaptive Filtering, Inverse Problems and Signal Reconstruction, and Time–Frequency and Multirate Signal Processing. Wireless, Networking, Radar, Sensor Array Processing, and Nonlinear Signal Processing (Catalog no. 46047) thoroughly covers the foundations of signal processing related to wireless, radar, space–time coding, and mobile communications together with associated applications to networking, storage, and communications. Video, Speech, and Audio Signal Processing and Associated Standards, (Catalog no. 4608X) details the basic foundations of speech, audio, image, and video processing and associated applications to broadcast, storage, search and retrieval, and communications.
The EDGE Program: 20 Years and Counting

The EDGE (Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education) Program is designed to strengthen the ability of women and minority students to successfully complete graduate programs in the mathematical sciences. The founders of EDGE sought to empower women entering graduate school in mathematics. In this chapter, we provide some statistics about EDGE participants and the impacts and outcomes of EDGE on these women and the field of mathematics.
Denial of Habeas Relief in Filicide Case

In Hebert v. Rogers , 890 F.3d 213 (5th Cir. 2018), the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals considered the recommendations of the Eastern District Court of Louisiana in denying a habeas relief plea for Amy Hebert. In a series of appeals, Ms. Hebert had contended that she had received ineffective
Assessment of Nutrition Status in Children with Leukemia: A Study from a Developing Country

Background: In developing countries 40 % children suffer from mal-nutrition. It has been shown that a good nutritional status can reduce complications of treatment, strengthen the immune system and contribute to the patient’s general well being throughout treatment. A good nutritional status is therefore essential for optimal treatment of a leukemic child. The aim of our study was to see the nutritional status of leukemic children on diagnosis and effect of nutrition on outcome of therapy. Material & Methods: During period from January 2004 to December 2007 we prospectively analyzed the nutritional status of 400 paediatric patients in Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute, a tertiary cancer center of Eastern India. The age of the patients were 1 to 18 years (median age 12.5 years). The parameter analyzed were weight for age, height for age, total protein, serum albumin and skin fold thickness. The weight for age, height for age and skin fold thickness were taken as normal if they were between 3rd and 97th percentile curve of the growth chart recommended by the Indian Council of Medical Research. The albumin level and the total protein was considered normal if the value is equal to or more than 3gm% and 5.8gm% respectively. Result: It was seen that total 56 patients (14% children) were low weight for age, 40 patients (10% children) were low height and 67 patients (16.75% children) had low mid arm circumference. Total 44 patients (11% children) had low serum albumin while 80 patients (20% children) had low serum protein. It was found that low weight for age, low serum albumin and low mid arm circumference were significance factors in remission induction, disease free survival and toxicity of chemotherapy (p Conclusion: We conclude that mal-nutrition is a major finding in cancer patients with leukemia in developing country like ours. The patient with mal-nutrition had less remission in induction, disease free survival and more toxicities during therapy as compared to well-nourished children.
Weight Gain in Infants With Pierre Robin Sequence in the First Year of Life.

ObjectiveTo compare growth trends among infants with Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) to normal World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards.Study DesignCase series with chart review.Subjects and Me...
Association between Foramen Size and Febrile Seizure Status in the Pediatric Population: A Two-Center Retrospective Analysis.

Objective Febrile seizures have been shown to occur in 2 to 5% of children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years, making them the most common seizures of childhood. Multiple risk factors for febrile seizures have been identified; however, no investigation has been conducted to explore foramen size and associated venous drainage as a potential risk factor for experiencing febrile seizures. Of particular interest are the parietal foramen and the condylar canal, which conduct the parietal emissary vein and the occipital emissary vein, respectively. Emissary veins lack valves, allowing them to play a crucial role in selective brain cooling via a bidirectional flow of blood from the head’s evaporating surface. Narrowed cranial apertures conducting these veins may lead to reduced cerebral venous outflow and delayed brain cooling, creating favorable conditions for a febrile event. This study seeks to explore the association between cranial aperture area and febrile seizure status. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional medical record review study from January 2011 to December 2017 was conducted at a 500-bed academic hospital and a 977-bed private hospital in Lubbock, Texas, United States. A total of 101 complex febrile seizure patients were compared with a similarly aged group of 75 trauma patients representing the normal population. Parietal foramen area and condylar canal area were electronically measured and defined as having “normal” or “below normal” area. Statistical Analysis Independent t-tests were used to compare foramen and canal areas by febrile seizure status. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the association of small cranial aperture area with febrile seizure status. Results Below normal parietal foramen area had a strong association with febrile seizures in our patient population. Male sex, white race, and complete vaccination status were also found to have significant associations with febrile seizure status. Conclusion Our findings indicated that narrowed parietal foramen may be considered as a risk factor for febrile seizure development.
Marijuana: the effects on pregnancy, the fetus, and the newborn

There is growing evidence that there is an increased use of Marijuana (cannabis) during the perinatal period. This review summarizes pertinent legislation (past and present) and the physiology and pathophysiology of cannabis use during pregnancy. The literature which involves issues concerning cannabis and pregnancy is expanding but at present has many gaps and unanswered questions. The effects on the newborn are significant and treatment recommendations including breastfeeding are presented. Also included is a description of developmental delay during the first 2 years of life in infants exposed to prenatal marijuana. In addition, this commentary discusses the increase use of the newer “synthetic” cannabinoids which have greater psychotropic activity and can cause significant harm.
Enforced Sparse Non-negative Matrix Factorization

Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) is a dimensionality reduction algorithm for data that can be represented as an undirected bipartite graph. It has become a common method for generating topic models of text data because it is known to produce good results, despite its relative simplicity of implementation and ease of computation. One challenge with applying the NMF to large datasets is that intermediate matrix products often become dense, thus stressing the memory and compute elements of the underlying system. In this article, we investigate a simple but powerful modification of the alternating least squares method of determining the NMF of a sparse matrix that enforces the generation of sparse intermediate and output matrices. This method enables the application of NMF to large datasets through improved memory and compute performance. Further, we demonstrate, empirically, that this method of enforcing sparsity in the NMF either preserves or improves both the accuracy of the resulting topic model and the convergence rate of the underlying algorithm.
Managing Drainage Problems in a Conjunctive Ground and Surface Water System

This chapter develops a framework for the management of an irrigation and drainage system where irrigation is derived both from surface and ground-water sources. Basic principals underlying the management of a conjunctive ground and surface water system are introduced and used to derive optimal rules for managing such a system. Common property characteristics of this system and the additional drainage problem are also included in the analysis that evaluates policies aimed at enforcing irigation/drainage rules and their effects on the environment. The relevancy of the approach to the situation in the San Joaquin Valley is discussed.
Estimates of maximum energy density of cosmological gravitational-wave backgrounds

The recent claim by BICEP2 of evidence for primordial gravitational waves has focused interest on the potential for early-Universe cosmology using gravitational waves. In addition to cosmic microwave background detectors, efforts are underway to carry out gravitational-wave astronomy with pulsar timing arrays, space-based detectors, and terrestrial detectors. These efforts will probe a wide range of times in the early Universe, during which backgrounds may have been produced through processes such as phase transitions or preheating. We derive a rule of thumb (not so strong as an upper limit) governing the maximum energy density of cosmological backgrounds. For most scenarios, we expect the energy density spectrum to peak at values of Ω_(gw)(f)≲10^(−12±2). We discuss the applicability of this rule and the implications for gravitational-wave astronomy.
The Crithidia fasciculata KAP1 gene encodes a highly basic protein associated with kinetoplast DNA.

Abstract The Crithidia fasciculata KAP1 gene encodes a small basic protein (p21) associated with kinetoplast DNA. The p21 protein has a nine amino acid cleavable presequence closely related to those of several other proteins targeted to the kinetoplast and binds non-specifically to kinetoplast minicircle DNA. The p21 protein also has a calculated p I of 13 with two amino acids (lysine and alanine) accounting for more than 50% of the residues and with 25 out of 28 lysine residues contained in the C-terminal half of the protein. Immunolocalization of p21 shows that the protein is found exclusively in the kinetoplast with a localization distinctly different from the antipodal localization of kinetoplast DNA topoisomerase and DNA polymerase. The KAP1 gene is a single copy gene and the KAP1 mRNA is present at a constant level throughout the cell cycle. This highly basic protein may play a role in the condensation or segregation of the kinetoplast DNA.
Hydropower, water institutions and climate change

Continued accumulation of CO2 and other greenhouse gases may result in significant global warming and in altered patterns of precipitation and runoff within the next century. Competition between out‐of‐stream water uses and hydroelectric generation may increase as a result of reductions in runoff or changes in its timing and reliability. The impacts of such changes will depend on the pre‐existing nature and distribution of water rights and on the adaptability of water institutions to changing conditions. The analogous case of growing competition between hydropower production and irrigation in Idaho's Snake River Basin suggests that water institutions tend to evolve in response to increased competitive pressure on the resource. Such adjustments would help to mitigate the impact of climate change on electric utilities by allowing more efficient use of the available water.
Kidnapped in Colombia

Dan and Melissa Woodruff an American couple moved to Medellin, Colombia, when Dan was offered a position with his company to work with a Colombian partner. Dan was kidnapped by Colombian rebel forces and endures months of captivity as Melissa and others attempted to negotiate his release. Without kidnapping and ransom insurance the negotiation process was difficult and ended very badly.