cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular survey of aeroplane bacterial contamination

C.J. MCMANUS AND S.T. KELLEY. 2005. Aims: To examine bacterial contamination of passenger aircraft and to identify aeroplane environments posing the greatest potential health risk. Methods and Results: DNA was extracted from ten environmental samples collected on four different flights (three domestic, one international) from a variety of surfaces frequently touched by passengers. PCR clone libraries were made from the DNA samples using bacterial-specific 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) primers. A total of 271 bacterial rDNA sequences were obtained. We used BLAST analysis of the rDNA clone sequences to identify sequences in Genbank with the highest sequence similarity. The majority of the rDNA clones obtained from aeroplane environments were more than 97% identical to rDNA sequences from cultured bacterial species. Samples collected from the cabin surfaces (e.g., tray tables and arm rests) had undetectable levels of DNA and produced no PCR products. Bacterial diversity was highest on lavatory surfaces, including door handles, toilet handles, and sink faucets. Sequence data from these surfaces detected species from 58 different bacterial genera, and many of the best BLAST hits matched rDNA sequences of cultured species known to be opportunistic pathogens. The most frequently observed species came from five genera commonly associated with humans: Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Cornybacterium, Proprionibacterium and Kocuria. Conclusions: The results show that there is a large diversity of bacterial contamination on aeroplanes, including organisms known to be opportunistic pathogens. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our results indicate that aeroplanes have the potential to spread an enormous diversity of bacterial species among passengers and destinations. Aeroplane lavatories present an especially significant concern to public health.
A weighted least squares particle‐in‐cell method for solid mechanics

A novel meshfree method is proposed that incorporates features of the material point (MPM) and generalized interpolation material point (GIMP) methods and can be used within an existing MPM/GIMP implementation. Weighted least squares kernel functions are centered at stationary grid nodes and used to approximate field values and gradients. Integration is performed over cells of the background grid and material boundaries are approximated with an implicit surface. The proposed method avoids nearest-neighbor searches while significantly improving accuracy over MPM and GIMP. Implementation is discussed in detail and several example problems are solved, including one manufactured solution which allows measurement of dynamic, non-linear, large deformation performance. Advantages and disadvantages of the method are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Randomized motion planning for car-like robots with C-PRM

We propose a new approach for motion planning for nonholonomic car-like robots which is based on a customizable probabilistic roadmap (C-PRM). A major advantage of our approach is that it enables the same roadmap to be efficiently utilized for car-like robots with different turning radii, which need not be known before the query time. Our C-PRM-based approach first builds a so-called control roadmap which does not incorporate any nonholonomic constraints. The control roadmap is used to efficiently generate 'good' configurations of the car, e.g., aligned with the roadway. The control roadmap is also used to guide the roadmap connection. The paths encoded in the roadmap consist of straight-line segments and arcs, where transitions between the two require full stopping of the car. The control roadmap assists in the optimization and smoothing of these paths using cubic B-splines. Results with a simple car-like robot are very promising.
Data and metadata on the semantic Grid

For original paper see "Integrating Computing and Information on Grids", ibid., p. 94-96 (2003). We covered the important role that the Grid is expected to have in information systems, focusing primarily on sensor and database grids. we contrasted this with the major original Grid focus of metacomputing, or the Grid's linking together distributed computers. Whatever type of Grid you have, metadata - data about data - is important.
Bevacizumab Advanced Melanoma (BEAM) Was a Positive Trial

TO THE EDITOR: Bevacizumab Advanced Melanoma (BEAM) by Kim et al was a randomized phase II trial. Cannistra clarified the differences between a phase III trial and a randomized phase II trial in 2009. “Unlike the randomized phase III study, the type I error of a randomized phase II trial is typically high, in the range of 10% to 20%, to keep patient numbers reasonable . . . The typical goal of performing a randomized comparison phase II trial is not to obtain definitive efficacy information, but to identify promising experimental regimens that have a high likelihood of success in the phase III setting.” The BEAM trial showed improvements in response rates, progression-free survival, and overall survival at all time points, with a similar degree of improvement to that seen in other solid tumors in which bevacizumab was added to chemotherapy. The hazard rate for improvement in overall survival at the last time point, 0.79, is the same rate of improvement seen with bevacizumab with the same chemotherapy that led the US Food and Drug Administration to approve bevacizumab for lung cancer. The BEAM trial produced strong evidence that a phase III trial would likely be successful. The statistical design for the BEAM trial was written in 2007, and the desire to keep the patient numbers reasonable together with the desire to use a more traditional type one error of 5% probably led to the hypothesis that the experimental arm would have a 50% improvement in progression-free survival, from 4 to 6 months, despite the fact that rate of improvement has almost never been reported with the addition of bevacizumab to chemotherapy. Because the statistical design of the trial was too ambitious in both the hypothesized improvement and the type one error (P value) sought, “the study did not meet the primary objective.” Our interpretation of the results of the BEAM might be moot if the results of a phase III trial were expected soon. Although there was enthusiasm among both the trial investigators and Genentech personnel in July 2009 for quickly starting a phase III trial, the merger of Genentech into Roche that year led to a change in corporate priorities away from a phase III trial in melanoma. Now with the approval of ipilimumab and vemurafenib, a first-line trial of chemotherapy with bevacizumab would be neither appropriate nor feasible. The BEAM trial was positive, and it will remain our best evidence of the efficacy of antiangiogenic therapy in metastatic melanoma for the near future. Other antivascular endothelial growth factor–targeted agents are being studied for melanoma, and we hope to soon see both phase II and phase III trials of bevacizumab with the new agents that are now our first-line therapy for metastatic melanoma.
ASAP: An Adaptive Sampling Approach to Data Collection in Sensor Networks

One of the most prominent and comprehensive ways of data collection in sensor networks is to periodically extract raw sensor readings. This way of data collection enables complex analysis of data, which may not be possible with in-network aggregation or query processing. However, this flexibility in data analysis comes at the cost of power consumption. In this paper, we develop ASAP, which is an adaptive sampling approach to energy-efficient periodic data collection in sensor networks. The main idea behind ASAP is to use a dynamically changing subset of the nodes as samplers such that the sensor readings of the sampler nodes are directly collected, whereas the values of the nonsampler nodes are predicted through the use of probabilistic models that are locally and periodically constructed. ASAP can be effectively used to increase the network lifetime while keeping the quality of the collected data high in scenarios where either the spatial density of the network deployment is superfluous, which is relative to the required spatial resolution for data analysis, or certain amount of data quality can be traded off in order to decrease the power consumption of the network. The ASAP approach consists of three main mechanisms: First, sensing-driven cluster construction is used to create clusters within the network such that nodes with close sensor readings are assigned to the same clusters. Second, correlation-based sampler selection and model derivation are used to determine the sampler nodes and to calculate the parameters of the probabilistic models that capture the spatial and temporal correlations among the sensor readings. Last, adaptive data collection and model-based prediction are used to minimize the number of messages used to extract data from the network. A unique feature of ASAP is the use of in-network schemes, as opposed to the protocols requiring centralized control, to select and dynamically refine the subset of the sensor nodes serving as samplers and to adjust the value prediction models used for nonsampler nodes. Such runtime adaptations create a data collection schedule, which is self-optimizing in response to the changes in the energy levels of the nodes and environmental dynamics. We present simulation-based experimental results and study the effectiveness of ASAP under different system settings.
REDUCTION OF PROVISIONING EFFORT IN RESPONSE TO EXPERIMENTAL MANIPULATION OF CHICK NUTRITIONAL STATUS IN THE HORNED PUFFIN

Abstract Using a supplemental feeding experiment, we investigated the ability of adult Horned Puffins to decrease provisioning effort in response to reduced nutritional requirements of chicks. We found no difference between experimental and control groups in parental provisioning before supplementary feeding was initiated. After receiving supplemental food for seven days, experimental chicks grew faster, gained more mass and received 87% less food from their parents than did control chicks. These results demonstrate that Horned Puffin parents can decrease food provisioning in response to a decrease in their chick nutritional requirements. Reduccion del Esfuerzo de Aprovisionamiento en Respuesta a la Manipulacion Experimental del Estatus Nutricional de Pichones en Fratercula corniculata Resumen. Usando un experimento de suplementacion alimenticia, investigamos la habilidad de adultos de Fratercula corniculata de disminuir el esfuerzo de aprovisionamiento en respuesta a una reduccion en la demanda nutricion...
Issues in Promoting Adult Foster Care as an Option to Institutionalization

Adult foster care is a semi-institutional living arrangement that stresses the importance of providing care in a family-like environment. This article examines the concept of adult foster care and some of the issues relevant to the development of such programs. Policy issues related to the implementation of programs are also discussed. As a unique option to institutionalization, adult foster care has much to offer if certain barriers can be eliminated or minimized.
Consciousness: Forms of consciousness

It is customary to distinguish five forms of consciousness: agent consciousness (which is what we have in mind when we say of an agent that he is “losing consciousness” or “regaining consciousness”), propositional consciousness (which is expressed by the “conscious that ” construction), introspective consciousness (which is what we have in mind when we say things like “His affection for me is fully conscious, but his hostility is not”), relational consciousness (which is expressed by the “conscious of ” construction), and phenomenal consciousness (which is a property that mental states possess when they have a phenomenological dimension – that is, when they present us with such qualitative characteristics as pain and the taste of oranges). I will have something to say about all of these forms of consciousness in the present work, though some of them will receive much more attention than others. To be more specific, I will have very little to say about agent consciousness and propositional consciousness, for insofar as the philosophical problems associated with these two forms of consciousness are problems of mind (as opposed to problems associated with agency and problems associated with knowledge), they are reducible to problems that arise in connection with other forms of consciousness. They are not in need of separate treatment. I will have more to say about all of the three remaining forms, but one of them, phenomenal consciousness, will be considered at much greater length than the others.
Financial Institutions, Technology Diffusion and Trade

This paper investigates the source of different rates of technology diffusion when economies differ in borrowing constraints arising from the quality of financial institutions. I introduce borrowing constraints to the vintage human capital model, to demonstrate slower technology adoption and longer technology use when borrowing constraints are tighter. I then show when economies differentiated by such constraints interact through trade, the relative difference in borrowing constraints gives rise to a pattern of technology adoption where frontier technologies are exclusively adopted in rich countries, and then trickle down to poor countries. I assess the theoretical results quantitatively, and show that large cross country per capita output differences can be readily generated.
Generalized Langevin-Debye model of the field dependence of tilt, birefringence, and polarization current near the de Vries smectic-A* to smectic-C* liquid crystal phase transition.

In chiral smectic-$A$ (Sm-$A$) liquid crystals, an applied electric field induces a tilt of the optic axis from the layer normal. When these materials are of the de Vries type, the electroclinic tilt susceptibility is unusually large, with the field-induced director reorientation accompanied by a substantial increase in optical birefringence with essentially no change in the smectic layer spacing. In order to account for the observed electro-optic behavior, we assume that the molecular orientation distribution in the Sm-$A$ has two degrees of freedom: azimuthal orientation and tilt of the molecular long axis from the layer normal, with the tilt confined to a narrow range of angles. We present a generalized Langevin-Debye model of the response of this orientational distribution to applied field that gives a field-induced optic axis tilt, birefringence, and polarization dependence that agrees well with experimental measurements and reproduces the double-peaked polarization current response characteristic of a first-order Sm-${A}^{*}$--Sm-${C}^{*}$ transition. Additionally, we find that the measured field-induced polarization and the Langevin-Debye model predictions can be quantitatively described as pre-transitional behavior near the tricritical point of a recently published generalized 3D $XY$ model of interacting hard rods confined to reorient on a cone in the presence of an applied field.
Renal glycosuria induced by adrenocorticotrophic hormone.

Summary and ConclusionsGlycosuria in the presence of normal blood sugar levels and normal glucose tolerance was demonstrated in a patient recovering from pneumococcal pneumonia during treatment with ACTH. The reducing substance in the urine was shown to be glucose and the glycosuria was accompanied by lowered blood glutathione levels. These observations indicate that renal tubular function may be affected by ACTH and that sulfhydryl activity may be of importance in tubular function.
Impact of baseline mitral regurgitation on short- and long-term outcomes following transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Background The prevalence of concomitant significant mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) ranges from 2% to 33%. The impact of significant MR on post-TAVR outcomes remains controversial. Methods The data from a cohort of patients with symptomatic severe AS undergoing TAVR at out institution were retrospectively analyzed. The last transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) before the index TAVR procedure was selected as the baseline assessment of the degree of MR. The total study cohort (N = 589) was divided into 2 groups: significant ≥moderate MR (n = 68) versus nonsignificant Results Patients with ≥moderate MR had a higher mortality rate versus patients with P = .011, risk-adjusted P = .031, hazard ratio=2.40, 95% CI 1.08-5.29). However, the mortality rates at 1-year follow-up postprocedure were similar between the 2 groups (unadjusted log-rank P = .553, risk-adjusted P = .331, hazard ratio=0.70, 95% CI 0.35-1.43). Among the original ≥moderate group, 62.5% and 77.7% of patients had improved to Conclusions Moderate or greater MR in patients undergoing TAVR is associated with a higher 30-day but not 1-year mortality. A majority of the patients demonstrated significant improvement in MR following TAVR.
The Growth and Variations in Nitrogen and Phosphorus Levels of Alga Platymonas subcordiformis Cultured in Different Concentrations of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Culture Tanks

Alga Platymonas subcordiformis was cultivated in Zhanshui 107-13 nutrient medium containing different concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus.The relationship between the alga growth and the dynamic of NO-3-N and PO3-4-P concentrations were investigated at a natural condition.The optimum N/P ratio for the alga growth was found to be 17.There were higher relative growth index and the growth rate in the alga cultivated at phosphorus rate of 8 mg/L than those at the other concentrations(P0.05).The alga had significant difference in growth at different nitrogen concentrations(P0.05),but no significant difference in the growth rate(P0.05).The dynamics of NO-3-N and PO3-4-P levels showed significant difference in different concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus.There was more rapid decrease in N,and P concentrations at higher concentrations than that at lower concentrations,indicating that the alga needs more nutrients for increase in unit biomass under higher nutrient concentration.
Infectious Disease Reporting to Epidemic Situation Net: Problems and Countermeasures

OBJECTIVE To study the quality and effective methods for reporting the infectious disease to epidemic situation net. METHODS Totally 400 and more patients with infectious disease after SARS were elected.We tried to find the influential factors of reporting the infectious disease to epidemic situation net by analyzing the cases. RESULTS The main impact factors on network reporting quality were diagnostic criteria,reporting time and foci addressing. CONCLUSIONS Diagnostic criteria,reporting time and foci addressing are three important links in reporting the infectious disease to epidemic situation net.If we pay attention to these important links we can get good working quality.
Abstract IA20: Post-transcriptional regulation of metastatic progression

Post-transcriptional regulation represents an increasingly studied layer of gene expression control. In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that deregulation in post-transcriptional control mechanisms represents an important feature of the aggressive malignant phenotype. We have found that distinct cancers arising from various tissues such as the breast, skin, and the colon modulate unique tissue-specific sets of small non-coding RNAs (microRNAs) as they acquire a highly metastatic phenotype. We have used these microRNAs as molecule probes to better understand the molecular and cellular biology underlying metastatic progression. These studies have revealed surprising pathways and mechanisms utilized by cancer cells to colonize metastatic microenvironments. We find that while distinct tissues such as breast and melanoma might modulate distinct miRNAs and downstream target genes, the cellular phenotypes impacted by these pathways en route to metastatic colonization can be similar. Importantly, clinical association studies using human specimens support the roles for these miRNAs and their downstream effectors in metastatic progression. These basic studies into the molecular and cellular biology of metastatic progression have revealed key target genes whose pharmacological modulation in proof-of-concept pre-clinical studies have revealed robust therapeutic effects. Citation Format: Sohail F. Tavazoie. Post-transcriptional regulation of metastatic progression. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Computational and Systems Biology of Cancer; Feb 8-11 2015; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(22 Suppl 2):Abstract nr IA20.
Alkyne Ligation Handles: Propargylation of Hydroxyl, Sulfhydryl, Amino, and Carboxyl Groups via the Nicholas Reaction

The Nicholas reaction has been applied to the installation of alkyne ligation handles. Acid-promoted propargylation of hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, amino, and carboxyl groups using dicobalt hexacarbonyl-stabilized propargylium ions is reported. This method is useful for introduction of propargyl groups into base-sensitive molecules, thereby expanding the toolbox of methods for the incorporation of alkynes for bio-orthogonal reactions. High-value molecules are used as the limiting reagent, and various propargylium ion precursors are compared.
A Huge Mass on the Side of the Neck and Chest

### A Huge Mass in the Right Side of the Neck and Chest of a Newborn. A term male newborn is transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit a few hours after birth because of a huge cervicothoracic mass. ### Prenatal History: ### Birth History: ### Physical Examination:
Epilepsy Association with Infantile Autism

The prevalence and types of epilepsy and other CNS diseases among 118 individuals diagnosed as children (median age 4 years) with infantile autism (IA) and 336 matched controls from the general population were determined in a longitudinal study at Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, and Glostrup University Hospital, Denmark.
Patterns of Bat Distribution and Foraging Activity in a Highly Urbanized Temperate Environment

Understanding how to manage biodiversity in urban areas will become increasingly important as density of humans residing in urban centers increases and urban areas expand. While considerable research has documented the shifts in biodiversity along urbanization gradients, much less work has focused on how characteristics of dense urban centers, effectively novel environments, influence behavior and biodiversity. Urban bats in San Francisco provide an opportunity to document changes in behavior and biodiversity to very high-density development. We studied (1) the distribution and abundance of bat foraging activity in natural areas; and (2) characteristics of natural areas that influence the observed patterns of distribution and foraging activity. We conducted acoustic surveys of twenty-two parks during 2008–2009. We confirmed the presence of four species of bats (Tadarida brasiliensis, Myotis yumanensis, Lasiurus blossevillii, and M. lucifugus). T. brasiliensis were found in all parks, while M. yumanensis occurred in 36% of parks. Results indicate that proximity to water, park size, and amount of forest edge best explained overall foraging activity. Proximity to water best explained species richness. M. yumanensis activity was best explained by reduced proportion of native vegetation as well as proximity to water. Activity was year round but diminished in December. We show that although bats are present even in very densely populated urban centers, there is a large reduction in species richness compared to that of outlying areas, and that most habitat factors explaining their community composition and activity patterns are similar to those documented in less urbanized environments.
Selected aspects of health literacy in clients endangered by poverty

Abstract The aim of this research study was to map the factors influencing health literacy in people who are in an unfavourable social situation and who have a right to social benefits, i.e. benefits for persons in material poverty. Health literacy characterizes the attitude to health in each democratic society and is subject to some socioeconomic and demographic variables–age, education, and social status. Health and quality health care are important life aims and rights of citizens. Qualitative research, the question method and the semi-structured interview method were used to gain the research data. The questions were asked with respect to the following key research areas: availability of information on health, health situation and health system; motivation and activities to search for information on health; orientation in the Czech health service system; cognitive and affective abilities to find and understand information on health condition. The research sample consisted of inhabitants of the South Bohemian region who, because of their unfavourable social situation had a right to the social benefit for persons in material poverty. The authors have identified the basic factors that influence health literacy of the research study sample. Health literacy in clients who are endangered by poverty is a current topic in health and social problems according to the acquired data within the qualitative research study. The identified factors closely relate to the social situation of the respondents of the research sample. There is a space for the intervention of social workers, and social workers can systematically cooperate within the concept of higher health literacy of individuals and families.
Investigation and analysis of the Lyapunov Control of Zohdy/Harb nonlinear oscillator

In this paper, we examine and analyse the Zohdy/Harb non-linear oscillator. Lyapunov Control of Zohdy/Harb Nonlinear Oscillator is a challenge for most types of feedback controllers. This means that the main objective is to investigate the system's behavior under different conditions without the aid of the proposed controller and thereafter under the influence of the said controller. To advance the controller robustness under different conditions the system's input reference signal is alternated from a simple step to a range of harmonic signals with the system parameters set to random numbers within a range of values to further influence the complex system chaotic behavior, branching, and test the controller under these circumstances. Furthermore, an actuator model is also integrated during the study to investigate the controller behavior. Simulation results are shown for all of the above variations along with the discussions, conclusions and potential future research on the topic.
Hot carrier reliability in ultra-scaled sige channel p-FinFETs

Hot carrier degradation under DC and AC stress is studied in replacement metal gate (RMG) Si 1−x Ge x (x = 20%) channel p-FinFETs with high-k gate dielectrics. We show that: hot electron injection is the dominant degradation mechanism for low- and mid-Vg biases, which are more representative stress conditions during typical CMOS logic circuit operation. The excessive electron trapping in aggressively scaled SiGe p-FinFETs can reduce the effective channel length and significantly increase the off-state leakage current (Ioff). We also propose an AC test procedure with HCI/NBTI/Off-state HCI stages in each AC cycle, allowing better evaluation of circuit relevant device degradation. It is found that the effect of electrons trapped during HCI can be recovered or masked by the holes induced in subsequent NBTI stress.
Developing Accelerated Learning Models in GIFT for Medical Military and Civilian Training

This paper will discuss the protocol of an inter-institutional study between the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and Columbia University Medical Center that seeks to identify pedagogical models that can be employed in the Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring system (GIFT) to support the transfer of skills from training to operations in individual Soldiers within the domain of critical care, addressing topics in hemorrhage, airway compromise, and/or tension Pneumothorax. The scientific approach will include two studies. The first correlational study aims to examine the effect of human variability on learning, performance, retention, and transfer by using individual differences (e.g., personality traits, cognitive abilities, and motivation) as criteria to tailor individual training for Soldier learning needs. The second study will be an experiment to examine how the priming of analogical reasoning tasks effects the problem-solving outcomes of increasingly complex critical care case study content. The authors intend to incorporate the findings of these two studies to support the development of accelerating expert-level reasoning skills and strategies to achieve cognitive flexibility, one of two paths that has been identified as a way to accelerate proficiency.
Contribution à l'élaboration de modèles objectifs pour certains problèmes de la mécanique des fluides. Elaboration de méthodes numériques associées

Ce document presente une synthese de travaux realises dans le domaine de la mecanique des fluides, ou l'on s'attache a proposer une description consistante d'ecoulements de fluides en situation incompressible ou compressible, laminaire ou turbulente, monophasique ou diiphasique. L'accent est mis sur le respect de proprietes elementaires telles que l'objectivite, la realisabilite pour les modeles de turbulence, et la garantie de la positivite des variables pertinentes plus generalement par les solutions des systemes d'EDP consideres. Pour les systemes hyperboliques sous-jacents, ceci conduit regulierement a examiner les solutions de problemes de Riemann unidimensionnels. La synthese comporte ainsi trois parties distinctes associees a la simulation numerique des ecoulements monophasiques laminaires, a la modelisation et a la simulation des ecoulements monophasiques turbulents compressibles ou incompressibles, et a la modelisation des ecoulements diphasiques comportant une phase compressible. Les techniques de Volumes Finis sont systematiquement considerees pour la construction des algorithmes instationnaires.
A Stochastic Framework of Millimeter Wave Signal for Mobile Users: Experiment, Modeling and Application in Beam Tracking

In this paper, we propose to employ the Markov jump linear system to model the characteristics of millimeter wave (mmWave) signals, such as signal strength and angle-of-arrival (AoA), for mobile users. We integrate the spatial correlation between line-of-sight (LoS) and none-line-of-sight (NLoS) beams to the stochastic framework for better modeling mmWave. To handle the channel dynamics in mmWave communications, we derive a Markov gain-state channel model based on channel measurements in an indoor environment from our field measurement. The proposed stochastic model is used to estimate the transition probability of each channel. Then it is integrated into the Markov jump linear system framework to construct the linear estimator for channel variables, such as AoA and channel gain. The simulation result demonstrates the outperformance of the proposed framework against the previous Kalman-filtering-based tracking algorithm.
Brachydactyly Mental Retardation Syndrome Diagnosed in Adulthood.

Brachydactyly mental retardation syndrome (BDMR) is due to a rare, small chromosomal deletion of 2q37, and manifests with variable signs and symptoms in people who live with it. BDMR could be misdiagnosed as Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO), because it presents with lack of hormone resistance to parathyroid hormone (PTH) and similar skeletal and craniofacial abnormalities; however, BDMR is far rarer and can present with a different phenotype. In some cases, BDMR patients exhibit malformations of the internal organs, which could cause life-threatening health issues. Associations have also been made between this chromosomal deletion and autism as well. We here report a case of BDMR with an AHO-like phenotype: mild mental retardation, along with normal calcium, phosphate, and PTH levels. Since our patient had a normal biochemical test, we considered pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (PPHP) as the diagnosis and genetic testing was performed. Karyotype analysis showed deletion of the long q-arm of chromosome 2 in all analyzed cells-46 XX, del (2)(q37.1), which was consistent with BDMR. This deletion is a loss of around 100 genes that can present itself in various ways neurologically and physiologically, depending on the genes lost. However, because patients experience a range of symptoms such as autism, seizures, heart defects, brachydactyly, there could be unforeseen complications with BDMR. Therefore, we postulate that it is necessary to consider a diagnosis of BDMR in adults with AHO-like phenotype and normal calcium metabolism.
Effects of Cyclic Micro-irrigation and Substrate in Pot-in-pot Production

Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate production techniques for increasing irrigation application efficiency [(water volume applied − water volume leached) / water volume applied] for large...
Spectral Graph Matching and Regularized Quadratic Relaxations I: The Gaussian Model.

Graph matching aims at finding the vertex correspondence between two unlabeled graphs that maximizes the total edge weight correlation. This amounts to solving a computationally intractable quadratic assignment problem. In this paper we propose a new spectral method, GRAph Matching by Pairwise eigen-Alignments (GRAMPA). Departing from prior spectral approaches that only compare top eigenvectors, or eigenvectors of the same order, GRAMPA first constructs a similarity matrix as a weighted sum of outer products between all pairs of eigenvectors of the two graphs, with weights given by a Cauchy kernel applied to the separation of the corresponding eigenvalues, then outputs a matching by a simple rounding procedure. The similarity matrix can also be interpreted as the solution to a regularized quadratic programming relaxation of the quadratic assignment problem. For the Gaussian Wigner model in which two complete graphs on $n$ vertices have Gaussian edge weights with correlation coefficient $1-\sigma^2$, we show that GRAMPA exactly recovers the correct vertex correspondence with high probability when $\sigma = O(\frac{1}{\log n})$. This matches the state of the art of polynomial-time algorithms, and significantly improves over existing spectral methods which require $\sigma$ to be polynomially small in $n$. The superiority of GRAMPA is also demonstrated on a variety of synthetic and real datasets, in terms of both statistical accuracy and computational efficiency. Universality results, including similar guarantees for dense and sparse Erdős-Renyi graphs, are deferred to the companion paper.
Ginsenoside Rg3 attenuates endometriosis by inhibiting the viability of human ectopic endometrial stromal cells through the nuclear factor-kappaB signaling pathway.

Abstract Objective To investigate the effects of ginsenoside Rg3 on human ectopic endometriotic stromal cells in vitro. Materials and methods Ectopic endometrial tissue specimens were obtained from 6 female patients with ovarian endometriosis who underwent laparoscopic surgical procedures. Endometrial stromal cells derived from isolated ectopic endometriotic lesions were cultured, and the purity and homogeneity of cells were verified by Immunocytochemistry. The effect of Rg3 on cell proliferation was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8). After treatment with Rg3, the protein expression of NF-κB p65 subunit, VEGF, and caspases3 were measured by western blot analysis. Meanwhile, the mRNA expression of NF-κB p65 subunit was determined by Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results Rg3 inhibited the proliferation of ectopic endometriotic cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The treatment with Rg3 significantly diminished the level of NF-κB p65 subunit as well as TNF-α induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 subunit in ectopic endometriotic cells. Moreover, Rg3 upregulated the expression of caspases3 but suppressed the expression of VEGF. Conclusion Our results indicate that Ginsenoside Rg3 suppresses endometriosis by reducing the viability of human ectopic endometrial stromal cells involving the nuclear factor-kappaB signaling pathway in vitro.
Clue: Cross-modal Coherence Modeling for Caption Generation

We use coherence relations inspired by computational models of discourse to study the information needs and goals of image captioning. Using an annotation protocol specifically devised for capturing image--caption coherence relations, we annotate 10,000 instances from publicly-available image--caption pairs. We introduce a new task for learning inferences in imagery and text, coherence relation prediction, and show that these coherence annotations can be exploited to learn relation classifiers as an intermediary step, and also train coherence-aware, controllable image captioning models. The results show a dramatic improvement in the consistency and quality of the generated captions with respect to information needs specified via coherence relations.
Cultivating Teen Faith: Insights from the Confirmation Project

Through diverse theologies and historical circumstances, the rite of confirmation has served churches and given visible expression to God’s presence in a variety of ways. But what does it offer chu...
OrthoReg: Robust Network Pruning Using Orthonormality Regularization.

Network pruning in Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) has been extensively investigated in recent years. To determine the impact of pruning a group of filters on a network's accuracy, state-of-the-art pruning methods consistently assume filters of a CNN are independent. This allows the importance of a group of filters to be estimated as the sum of importances of individual filters. However, overparameterization in modern networks results in highly correlated filters that invalidate this assumption, thereby resulting in incorrect importance estimates. To address this issue, we propose OrthoReg, a principled regularization strategy that enforces orthonormality on a network's filters to reduce inter-filter correlation, thereby allowing reliable, efficient determination of group importance estimates, improved trainability of pruned networks, and efficient, simultaneous pruning of large groups of filters. When used for iterative pruning on VGG-13, MobileNet-V1, and ResNet-34, OrthoReg consistently outperforms five baseline techniques, including the state-of-the-art, on CIFAR-100 and Tiny-ImageNet. For the recently proposed Early-Bird Ticket hypothesis, which claims networks become amenable to pruning early-on in training and can be pruned after a few epochs to minimize training expenditure, we find OrthoReg significantly outperforms prior work. Code available at this https URL.
Acoustic radiation force on a compressible spheroid

The acoustic radiation force on a compressible spheroid is calculated using expansions of the scattered field in terms of both spherical and spheroidal wave functions that are matched analytically in the far field. There is no restriction on the size or impedance of the spheroid, the structure of the incident field, or the orientation of the spheroid with respect to the incident field. The form of the solution is the same as that developed previously for the radiation force on an elastic sphere, which is a summation of terms involving products of the coefficients in spherical wave expansions of the incident and scattered fields. Spheroidal wave expansions are employed to satisfy the boundary conditions and obtain the scattering coefficients. While the scattering coefficients must be obtained numerically for compressible spheroids, explicit expressions in terms of radial wave functions are available for spheroids with rigid or free surfaces. Results are compared with available analytical expressions for various limiting cases. The theoretical framework may be extended to objects of arbitrary shape.
Avoidance of toxic misfolding and protein stability do not explain the sequence constraints of highly expressed proteins

The avoidance of cytotoxic effects associated with protein misfolding has been proposed as a dominant constraint on the sequence evolution and molecular clock of highly expressed proteins. Recently, Leuenberger et al. developed an elegant experimental approach to measure protein thermal stability at the proteome scale. The collected data allow us to rigorously test the predictions of the misfolding avoidance hypothesis that highly expressed proteins have evolved to be more stable, and that maintaining thermodynamic stability significantly constrains their evolution. Notably, careful re-analysis of the Leuenberger et al. data across four different organisms reveals no substantial correlation between protein stability and protein abundance. Therefore, the key predictions of the misfolding toxicity and related hypotheses are not supported by available empirical data. The data also suggest that, regardless of protein expression, protein stability does not substantially affect the protein molecular clock across organisms.
The Stratigraphic Paleobiology of Nonmarine Systems

The principles of stratigraphic paleobiology can be readily applied to the nonmarine fossil record. Consistent spatial and temporal patterns of accommodation and sedimentation in sedimentary basins are an important control on stratigraphic architecture. Temperature and precipitation covary with elevation, causing significant variation in community composition, and changes in base level cause elevation to undergo predictable changes. These principles lead to eight sets of hypotheses about the nonmarine fossil record. Three relate to long-term and cyclical patterns in the preservation of major fossil groups and their taphonomy, as well as the occurrence of fossil concentrations. The remaining hypotheses relate to the widespread occurrence of elevation-correlated gradients in community composition, long-term and cyclical trends in these communities, and the stratigraphic position of abrupt changes in community composition. Testing of these hypotheses makes the stratigraphic paleobiology of nonmarine systems a promising area of investigation.
Osteochondroma Arising from the Thyroid Cartilage: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Introduction Osteochondromas are relatively common benign bone tumors often located at the metaphyseal ends of long bones; however, they are rare in the head and neck region. The objective of this study is to present a case of an osteochondroma arising from the thyroid cartilage causing insidious dysphonia and to present a literature review. Methods The medical record of a patient treated for osteochondroma of the thyroid cartilage was reviewed. A literature search on osteochondromas was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar. The epidemiology, presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of osteochondromas were reviewed. Results A 50-year-old female presented with nine months of dysphonia and aphonic voice breaks. Laryngovideostroboscopy revealed a left false vocal fold fullness, glottal gap, and vibratory phase asymmetry. A CT neck demonstrated a well-circumscribed 5 × 8 × 9 mm mass arising from the left thyroid cartilage lamina with a thin calcified rim and a heterogeneous decreased attenuation center. The tumor was excised surgically. Histopathologic analysis demonstrated hyaline cartilage overlying lamellar bone with fatty bone marrow, consistent with osteochondroma. English language literature review revealed no cases of osteochondroma of the thyroid cartilage. The presenting features of osteochondroma may depend on the size and location of the lesion. It is critical to differentiate between benign and malignant bone tumors, and physicians must rely on their clinical examination, radiographic findings, and histopathologic analysis to make the correct diagnosis. Conclusions Osteochondromas of the laryngeal framework are extremely rare, and to our knowledge, there have been no reports in the literature of this tumor arising from the thyroid cartilage. Dysphonia may be the presenting symptom in a patient with a thyroid cartilage mass causing restricted mobility of the true vocal folds.
The maintenance of polymorphism in an ancient social supergene.

Supergenes, regions of the genome with suppressed recombination between sets of functional mutations, contribute to the evolution of complex phenotypes in diverse systems. Excluding sex chromosomes, most supergenes discovered so far appear to be young, being found in one species or a few closely related species. Here, we investigate how a chromosome harbouring an ancient supergene has evolved over about 30 million years (Ma). The Formica supergene underlies variation in colony queen number in at least five species. We expand previous analyses of sequence divergence on this chromosome to encompass about 90 species spanning the Formica phylogeny. Within the nonrecombining region, the gene knockout contains 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are consistently differentiated between two alternative supergene haplotypes in divergent European Formica species, and we show that these same SNPs are present in most Formica clades. In these clades, including an early diverging Nearctic Formica clade, individuals with alternative genotypes at knockout also have higher differentiation in other portions of this chromosome. We identify hotspots of SNPs along this chromosome that are present in multiple Formica clades to detect genes that may have contributed to the emergence and maintenance of the genetic polymorphism. Finally, we infer three gene duplications on one haplotype, based on apparent heterozygosity within these genes in the genomes of haploid males. This study strengthens the evidence that this supergene originated early in the evolution of Formica and that just a few loci in this large region of suppressed recombination retain strongly differentiated alleles across contemporary Formica lineages.
Experimental Control of a Multi-Bed Tubular Autothermal Reactor

Inferential internal model control (IMC) is used to control the exit concentrations of a tubular autothermal reactor subject to feed temperature and stochastic disturbances. Exit concentration is inferred from catalyst bed temperature measurements using a static estimator obtained during modal model reduction. A comparison between IMC and traditional PI output feedback controllers is made. The effect of the IMC filter tuning parameter on the regulation of the experimental system is investigated. Control studies using only a single exit temperature measurement are presented.