cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Epilepsy: Methods and Applications Using Awake Animals

Advances in the development of radiofrequency electronics, pulse sequences, three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging atlases, data analysis tools, and provocation paradigms are helping to make awake-animal imaging an important method in neuroscience research. Although functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) does not have the cellular or spatial resolution of immunostaining for immediate early genes, or the millisecond temporal resolution of electrophysiology, it does provide a global perspective of changing brain function that fits the temporal window of hemodynamic coupling to areas of enhanced metabolism. The neuroanatomical fidelity within and across animals makes it possible to reconstruct distributed, integrated neural circuits that are characteristic of seizure activity. Thus, fMRI in awake animals affords a systems approach to the study of the brain, complementing and building from other neurobiological techniques to understand how seizure activity is organized and integrated across multiple brain regions.
Colonizing the Bay

On the morning of 22 February 1858, Colonel Horace Man2, under the reverberating sounds of a 21-gun-salute, announced the British reoccupation of the Andamans.3 Horace Man opened a settlement at the Old harbour rechristened as Port Blair in honour of Colonel Archibald Blair. The imperial adornment of the Andamans was begun with the unfurling of the Union Jack and stationing of Her Majesty’s gun vessels around the Settlement.4 As the British began their recovery of Lucknow and Kanpur in northern India in March 1858 on the other side of the peninsula, a ship with 200 fettered convicts set sail for the Andamans.
Painted bison robes : The missing link in the biographic art style lexicon

L'art amerindien de style biographique des Plaines du Nord etait effectue en art rupestre et sur des peintures sur peau et dans des livres de grand format. L'art rupestre et l'art des grands livres ont ete bien etudies et un lexique preliminaire a ete defini pour interpreter ces dessins. L'art biographique sur peau donne le lien manquant pour developper le lexique d'art biographique. L'importance des « robes » peintes date des premiers temps, couplee au raffinement et a la flexibilite de l'art de la peau pour illustrer les nuances du detail
MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION IN MULGA. I. VARIATION AND COVARIATION WITHIN AND AMONG ACACIA ANEURA POPULATIONS

ABSTRACT Morphological variability is extremely high in the Australian mulga, Acacia aneura, even within local populations. This variation appears to be genetically based, and its maintenance can be related to two sorts of hypotheses: (a) ecotypic selection for morphological divergence related to the segregation of individuals into distinct, autogenic microniches, and (b) apostatic selection to foil foliar herbivores or seed predators. Morphological variation in the growth form, phyllodes, and pods of mulga is analyzed within and among populations at five topographically uniform sites in southwestern Australia along a gradient of annual precipitation. Phenotypic variability among sites is negatively correlated with annual precipitation, while within sites growth form and phyllode variability covary, and phyllode morphology covaries with pod morphology. Although the two sorts of hypotheses, ecotypic versus apostatic selection, are not clearly separable by morphological data alone, the former appears to be ...
A Theory of Efficient Short-Termism

This paper develops a theory in which the owners of firms pursue short-termism in project choice to limit managerial rent-seeking behavior. Unlike in previous theories, a short-term bias in investment horizons maximizes firm value in the second-best case, whereas managers themselves prefer long-horizon projects. Short-termism benefits the firm in two ways: it limits managerial rent extraction by preventing investments in bad projects that delay information revelation about project quality and managerial ability, and it enables faster learning about managerial ability which allows more efficient subsequent decisions. This result does not depend on any stock mispricing or managerial desire to manipulate stock prices. The likelihood of short-termism is higher when corporate governance is stronger, and at lower levels of the corporate hierarchy. Numerous testable predictions of the analysis are discussed.
Gender disparities in the utilization of laparoscopic groin hernia repair.

Abstract Background Clinical treatment guidelines have suggested that laparoscopic hernia repair should be the preferred approach in both men and women with bilateral or recurrent elective groin hernias. Anecdotal evidence suggests, however, that women are less likely to undergo a laparoscopic repair than men, and therefore, we aimed to delineate if these disparities persisted after controlling for patient factors and comorbidities. Materials and methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project data were abstracted for all elective groin hernia repairs between 2005 and 2014. Univariate analysis was used to compare rates of laparoscopic surgery between men and women. Multivariable analysis was performed, controlling for patient demographics, preoperative comorbidities, and year of surgery. Results Over the 10-y period, 141,490 patients underwent elective groin hernia repair, of which 13,325 were women (9.4%). The rate of general anesthesia utilization was high in both men (81.3%) and women (77.2%) with 75.1% of open repairs being performed under general anesthesia. Overall, 20.2% of women underwent laparoscopic repair compared with 28.0% of men (P Conclusions In the elective setting, women were less likely to undergo laparoscopic repair of groin hernias than men. Although we are unable to ascertain underlying causes for these gender disparities, these data suggest that there remains a disparity in the management of groin hernias in women.
Ecological Potential for Rabies Virus Transmission via Scavenging of Dead Bats by Mesocarnivores.

Abstract Multiple species of bats are reservoirs of rabies virus in the Americas and are occasionally the source of spillover infections into mesocarnivore species. Although rabies transmission generally is assumed to occur via bite, laboratory studies have demonstrated the potential for rabies transmission via ingestion of rabid animals. We investigated the ecological potential for this mode of transmission by assessing mesocarnivore scavenging behavior of dead bats in suburban habitats of Flagstaff, Arizona, US. In autumn 2013, summer 2014, and autumn 2015, we placed 104 rabies-negative bat carcasses either near buildings, in wildland areas, or in residential yards and then monitored them with trail cameras for 5 d. Overall, 52 (50%) bat carcasses were scavenged, with 39 (75%) of those scavenged by striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis). Within our study area, striped skunks had a higher ecological potential to contract rabies via ingestion of bat carcasses compared to other mesocarnivore species, due both ...
Abnormal cardiovascular response to exercise in hypertension: contribution of neural factors.

During both dynamic (e.g., endurance) and static (e.g., strength) exercise there are exaggerated cardiovascular responses in hypertension. This includes greater increases in blood pressure, heart r...
Clause-final particles and focus in Eastern Cham

We demonstrate that clause-final particles in Eastern Cham (Austronesian: Vietnam) are right-branching syntactic heads that trigger predicate raising. This provides support for Simpson (2001)’s analysis of a clause-final modal found in Vietnamese, Thai, and other Southeast Asian languages, and militates against a mixed-headed analysis (pace Kayne 1994). Evidence for predicate raising comes from a novel diagnostic: the interaction between focus-driven object shift and multiple clause-final particles in one clause. Finally, we propose that clause-final particles are VP-level focus phrases, which divide a sentence into a focus and presupposition (cf. Rizzi 1997) and incidentally contribute modal or aspectual semantics.
Proteomics Coupled with Metabolite and Cell Wall Profiling Reveal Metabolic Processes of a Developing Rice Stem Internode

Internodes of grass stems function in mechanical support, transport, and, in some species, are a major sink organ for carbon in the form of cell wall polymers. This study reports cell wall composition, proteomic, and metabolite analyses of the rice elongating internode. Cellulose, lignin, and xylose increase as a percentage of cell wall material along eight segments of the second rice internode (internode II) at booting stage, from the younger to the older internode segments, indicating active cell wall synthesis. Liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of trypsin-digested proteins from this internode at booting reveals 2,547 proteins with at least two unique peptides in two biological replicates. The dataset includes many glycosyltransferases, acyltransferases, glycosyl hydrolases, cell wall-localized proteins, and protein kinases that have or may have functions in cell wall biosynthesis or remodeling. Phospho-enrichment of internode II peptides identified 21 unique phosphopeptides belonging to 20 phosphoproteins including a leucine rich repeat-III family receptor like kinase. GO over-representation and KEGG pathway analyses highlight the abundances of proteins involved in biosynthetic processes, especially the synthesis of secondary metabolites such as phenylpropanoids and flavonoids. LC-MS/MS of hot methanol-extracted secondary metabolites from internode II at four stages (booting/elongation, early mature, mature, and post mature) indicates that internode secondary metabolites are distinct from those of roots and leaves, and differ across stem maturation. This work fills a void of in-depth proteomics and metabolomics data for grass stems, specifically for rice, and provides baseline knowledge for more detailed studies of cell wall synthesis and other biological processes characteristic of internode development, toward improving grass agronomic properties.
Overcoming Energy and Reliability Challenges for IoT and Mobile Devices with Data Analytics

A very large amount of data is produced by mobile and Internet-of-Thing (IoT) devices today. Increasing computational abilities and more sophisticated operating systems (OS) on these devices have allowed us to create applications that are able to leverage this data to deliver better services. But today's mobile and IoT solutions are heavily limited by low battery capacity and limited cooling capabilities. This motivates a search for new ways to optimize for energy-efficiency. Advanced data analytics and machine-learning techniques are becoming increasingly popular to analyze and extract meaning from Big Data. In this paper, we make the case for designing and deploying data analytics and learning mechanisms to improve energy-efficiency in IoT and mobile devices with minimal overheads. We focus on middleware for inserting energy-efficient data analytics-driven solutions and optimizations in a robust manner, without altering the OS or application code. We discuss several case studies of powerful and promising developments in deploying data analytics middleware for energy-efficient and robust execution of a variety of applications on commodity mobile devices.
SOFA: Strategyproof Online Frequency Allocation for Multihop Wireless Networks

A number of approaches, including cognitive radios, dynamic spectrum allocation, and spectrum auction, have been proposed and used to improve the spectrum usage. A natural characteristic of spectrum usage is that requests for spectrums often come in an online fashion. Thus, it is imperative to design efficient and effective online dynamic spectrum allocation methods. Another challenge is that the secondary users are often selfish and prefer to maximize their own benefits. In this paper, we address these two challenges by proposing SOFA, strategyproof online frequency allocation method. In our protocol, a frequency will be shared among a number of users, and secondary users are required to submit the spectrum bid ? time slots before its usage. Upon receiving an online spectrum request, our protocol will decide whether to grant its exclusive usage, within ? time slots. Assume that existing spectrum usage can be preempted with some penalty. For various possible known information, we analytically prove that the competitive ratios of our methods are within small constant factors of the optimum online method. Furthermore, in our mechanisms, no selfish users will gain benefits by bidding lower than its willing payment.
Energy-Efficient DNN Computing on GPUs Through Register File Management

Current Deep Neural Networks(DNNs) that involve a mass of matrix multiplications and other similar operations can be well paralleled and thus accelerated by GPUs. However, energy consumption is still a big concern for DNN, which can limit the scalability of performance increase. In this paper, we propose to utilize the specific micro-architectures of GPUs and the DNN application characteristics to improve energy efficiency. A huge register file (RF) is often necessary for modern GPUs to hold contexts of thousands of concurrent threads. Consequently, the GPU RF which is constructed with high leakage transistors contributes significantly to GPUs total energy consumption and thus smart RF management strategies can help GPUs to reduce energy consumption when scaling up the hardware resources for enhanced performance. First, based on the observation that there are a large fraction of narrow-width operands in DNNs, we propose to use a GPU register packing scheme to use the RF more efficiently. Second, we introduce the drowsy RF with a simple policy to decrease the leakage energy consumption. Finally, we attempt to further improve RF energy efficiency by taking advantage of the cooperation of drowsy RF and register packing techniques. We evaluate the effectiveness of our GPU RF management schemes on energy reduction using AlexNet which is a state-of-the-art DNN model. The experimental results show that the combination of the register packing and drowsy techniques achieves the most total GPU energy consumption reduction, up to 11% and 10.3% on average.
Hidden restaurant sanitation inspection results: A weekday and monthly examination of reported data

Abstract This study investigates the short- and long-term effects of time on restaurant sanitation inspection results in Montgomery County (USA). Restaurants are an important constituent of the hospitality industry and could benefit from a time-based dynamic approach towards preventing foodborne-related crises. This investigation contributes to advancing the literature by providing building blocks for future theory development, and by highlighting the short- and long-term variations in restaurant sanitation inspection results, accentuating both a disseminated and holistic approach to restaurant sanitation risks. The methodology consists of data coding and frequency analysis, followed by logistic regression estimation (Firthlogit), and index calculations based on consumer confidence methodology. The results indicate that each of the critical inspection indicators had a high propensity to influence non-compliance outcomes, but some shortcomings were noted during certain weekdays. Also, overall monthly compliance showed deviating patterns. The findings provide management with new insights into the risk dynamics of restaurant sanitation.
Synthetic hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers are an acceptable alternative for packed red blood cells in normothermic kidney perfusion.

Normothermic machine perfusion presents a novel platform for pretransplant assessment and reconditioning of kidney grafts. Maintaining the metabolic activity of a preserved graft at physiologic levels requires an adequate oxygen supply, typically delivered by crystalloid solutions supplemented with red blood cells. In this study, we explored the feasibility of using a synthetic hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (HBOC) in human kidney normothermic perfusion. Fourteen discarded human kidneys were perfused for 6 hours at a mean temperature of 37°C using a pressure-controlled system. Kidneys were perfused with a perfusion solution supplemented with either HBOC (n = 7) or packed red blood cells (PRBC) (n = 7) to increase oxygen-carrying capacity. Renal artery resistance, oxygen extraction, metabolic activity, energy stores, and histological features were evaluated. Throughout perfusion, kidneys from both groups exhibited comparable behavior regarding vascular flow (P = .66), oxygen consumption (P = .88), and reconstitution of tissue adenosine triphosphate (P = .057). Lactic acid levels were significantly higher in kidneys perfused with PRBC (P = .007). Histological findings were comparable between groups, and there was no evidence of histological damage caused by the HBOC. This feasibility experiment demonstrates that a HBOC solution can offer a logistically more convenient off-the-shelf alternative to PRBC in normothermic machine perfusion of human kidneys.
Ocular infarction following ethanol sclerotherapy of an arteriovenous malformation.

Abstract Purpose To illustrate a case of ocular infarction following percutaneous ethanol sclerotherapy of an orbital arteriovenous malformation. Observations The patient is a 31-year-old female who developed ocular infarction of the left eye with light perception vision, proptosis, ophthalmoplegia, and a cherry red spot following sclerotherapy of an orbital arteriovenous malformation. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated decreased arteriolar filling with vascular leakage, indocyanine green angiography showed decreased choroidal perfusion, and optical coherence tomography revealed full thickness retinal edema. Magnetic resonance angiography and venography were negative for venous sinus thrombosis or intracranial vascular compromise. Conclusions and Importance Ocular infarction is a rare and devastating disorder that may result in permanent vision loss. Ethanol sclerotherapy has been reported to be effective in treating arteriovenous malformations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in the literature of ocular infarction following percutaneous ethanol sclerotherapy to highlight this disease with multimodal imaging.
Models of Minds: Reading the Mind Beyond the Brain

Drawing on philosophies of embodied, distributed & extend cognition, this paper argues that the mind is readable from sensors worn on the body and embedded in the environment. It contends that past work in HCI has already begun such work, introducing the term models of minds to describe it. To those who wish to develop the capacity to build models of minds, we argue that notions of the mind are entangled with the technologies that seek to sense it. Drawing on the racial and gendered history of surveillance, we advocate for future work on how models of minds may reinforce existing vulnerabilities, and create new ones.
Genome-Based Bioinformatic Prediction of Major Histocompatibility (MHC)

Over the last 17 years, a large amount of knowledge has been accumulated on various aspects of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. In conjunction, numerous algorithms and tools have been developed to screen protein molecules for these MHC receptor sites. By combining these computational tools and databases with genomic sequence information that is now widely available for a vast range of organisms, it is possible to screen whole genomes for MHC epitopes. By pre-screening these genomes, it allows the researcher to narrow down possible protein targets for further analysis by traditional tools such as gene knockouts and animal efficacy studies.
1279. Barriers to Acquiring Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Risk Factors for HIV and Health Determinants in Adult Transgender Individuals

Background Transgender women face many health disparities including higher rates of acquiring Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The prevalence of HIV in the transgender population is 14.1% with 31% of this population engaging in sex work. PrEP is an effective method to prevent HIV acquisition. With transgender women among the highest risk in acquiring HIV, this study aimed to describe the transgender population while identifying risk factors for acquiring HIV and barriers transgender females face in acquiring PrEP.
Kinetic effects of pressure on decomposition of solids

The kinetics of thermal decomposition of solids is discussed in connection with three major approaches to inducing pressure: by manipulating pressure of the product gas, by changing pressure of an ...
Distributed Global Digital Volume Correlation by Optimal Transport

Because of the speed and data rates of time-resolved experiments at facilities such as synchrotron beamlines, automation is critical during time-resolved experiments. In 3D imaging experiments like microCT (CT), this includes recognizing features of interest and “zooming in” spatially and temporally to those features; ideally without requiring advanced information about which features are being imaged. Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) can achieve this by measuring the deformation field between images, but has not been used during autonomous experiments because of the scalability of the codes. In this work, we propose a model for global DVC and a parallel algorithm for solving it for large-scale images, suitable for giving feedback for autonomous experiments at synchrotron-based microCT beamlines. In particular, we leverage recent advancements in entropy-regularized optimal transport to develop efficient, simple-to-implement, parallel algorithms which scale linearly (O(N)) in space and time, where N is the number of voxels, and well with an increasing number of processors. As a demonstration, we compute the deformation field for every voxel from a CT volume with dimensions 2560x2560x2160. We discuss implementation details, drawbacks and future directions.
Hybrid GPU/CPU Approach to Multiphysics Simulation

Multiphysics simulation is a crucial stage in many current fields of science and industry like solid mechanics, heat transfer, automobile systems, or nuclear systems. Modeling and simulation provides knowledge that would be difficult or even impossible to obtain when trying to experiment with physical objects. Multiphysics simulation is a time and computational demanding process. Therefore great effort has been put forward to apply new technologies which eventually will enhance performance. In the last decade a number of approaches were proposed. One approach takes advantage of classic supercomputers with thousands of Central Processing Units (CPU). Another approach uses modern Graphical Processing Units (GPU) to perform general purpose computing (GPGPU) by adjusting the application to a new environment. In this paper, hybrid approaches that use both CPU and GPU are proposed. The approach assumes executing highly serial parts of code by a classic multiprocessor machine that uses underlying GPU to execute heavy computational and parallel parts of code. The idea is applied to a Finite Element (FE) library called libMesh (a part of the MOOSE Framework). Proposed modification of the FE library does not affect existing applications that use the MOOSE Framework or libMesh alone. Therefore, it is enough to recompile the multiphysics simulation framework of the library. To evaluate performance of implemented modification, software was used to perform a simulation on an empty cylinder sealed from both sides. Obtained results show that the presented approach has potential and may be beneficial to develop this idea by extending the scope of the code executed by GPU.
Not) Just Surrogacy

Scholars have long debated whether surrogacy furthers or inhibits equality and reproductive liberty. What has gone almost entirely unremarked upon, however, is whether and to what extent the ways states regulate surrogacy further these principles. This oversight is produced and re-produced by existing scholarship which remains focused on the threshold question of whether to ban or permit surrogacy. This focus obscures critical details that lay below the surface and inhibits theoretical engagement with their normative implications. This Article fills these gaps. This consideration is critically important. Differences in permissive surrogacy laws hold profound implications for the participants. They may, for example, determine whether a person is a parent or a legal stranger. Or they may determine whether a person can make decisions about their own body or whether they can be compelled to undergo unwanted invasive medical procedures. The obscured details also have consequences that flow well beyond surrogacy. Surrogacy law holds the potential to challenge family law rules that remain rooted in reproductive biology. Such a system poignantly harms families who are excluded under it. It also reinforces gender-based parentage norms. The details of surrogacy law also implicate fundamental liberty interests, including the right to form families of choice and reproductive autonomy. This Article intervenes by unearthing these heretofore hidden distinctions. Based on a meticulous survey, this Article offers a novel, more complete typology of surrogacy law. It then theorizes the normative implications of these details, both for the individual participants and for law and policy well beyond surrogacy’s boundaries. Drawing from this uncovered story, this Article charts a more just path forward.
Flip Side of the Coin: Negative Socio-Economic Implications of ICT

While positive impacts of ICT have been noted and subjected to numerous academic inquiries, the negative implications are often swept under the proverbial rug and not given much attention. The subject of the negative impacts of ICT, however, is worth considering, for such impacts are observable in a variety of economies of the world and must be dealt with. An intuitive taxonomy of problems could be created based on four dimensions: social vs. economic implications and intra-economy vs. inter-economy impacts. A set of research suggestions could offer assistance in investigating negative impacts of ICT in a rigorous and relevant to the local context manner.
4.02 – Ion Implantation in Group III Nitrides

Ion implantation is used to create the active layers by implanting a dopant species and then activating the dopant by high-temperature annealing. The bombardment with energetic ions can also be utilized to create a high-resistivity region selectively on a wafer that already contains doped layers. Residual damage in GaN has the nature of n-type conductivity. Carrier activation does not occur until most of the implant damage is removed. Provided that the material is not annealed at high enough temperature to remove these defects, it is in highly resistive state. For most semiconductors, the implant activation temperature generally follows a two-thirds rule with respect to the melting point. For GaN (Tm > 2200 °C), although good dopant activation can be achieved at 1100 °C, the optimum annealing temperature is closer to 1700 °C to fully remove the implant damage. High-temperature and short-duration annealing conditions are desirable for III–V materials, which can give improved electrical properties and restrict surface degradation, dopant redistribution, and mobility degradation. The temperatures required for GaN and other wide bandgap compound semiconductors are beyond the capability of most rapid thermal annealing systems.
Overcoming T-cell exhaustion in LCH: PD-1 blockade and targeted MAPK inhibition are synergistic in a mouse model of LCH

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is an inflammatory myeloid neoplasia characterized by granulomatous lesions containing pathological CD207+ dendritic cells (DCs) with persistent MAPK pathway activation. Standard-of-care chemotherapies are inadequate for most patients with multisystem disease, and optimal strategies for relapsed and refractory disease are not defined. The mechanisms underlying development of inflammation in LCH lesions, the role of inflammation in pathogenesis, and the potential for immunotherapy are unknown. Analysis of the immune infiltrate in LCH lesions identified the most prominent immune cells as T lymphocytes. Both CD8+ and CD4+ T cells exhibited "exhausted" phenotypes with high expression of the immune checkpoint receptors. LCH DCs showed robust expression of ligands to checkpoint receptors. Intralesional CD8+ T cells showed blunted expression of Tc1/Tc2 cytokines and impaired effector function. In contrast, intralesional regulatory T cells demonstrated intact suppressive activity. Treatment of BRAFV600ECD11c LCH mice with anti-PD-1 or MAPK inhibitor reduced lesion size, but with distinct responses. Whereas MAPK inhibitor treatment resulted in reduction of the myeloid compartment, anti-PD-1 treatment was associated with reduction in the lymphoid compartment. Notably, combined treatment with MAPK inhibitor and anti-PD-1 significantly decreased both CD8+ T cells and myeloid LCH cells in a synergistic fashion. These results are consistent with a model that MAPK hyperactivation in myeloid LCH cells drives recruitment of functionally exhausted T cells within the LCH microenvironment, and they highlight combined MAPK and checkpoint inhibition as a potential therapeutic strategy.
Development and evaluation of novel ophthalmology domain-specific neural word embeddings to predict visual prognosis.

Abstract Objective To develop and evaluate novel word embeddings (WEs) specific to ophthalmology, using text corpora from published literature and electronic health records (EHR). Materials and Methods We trained ophthalmology-specific WEs using 121,740 PubMed abstracts and 89,282 EHR notes using word2vec continuous bag-of-words architecture. PubMed and EHR WEs were compared to general domain GloVe WEs and general biomedical domain BioWordVec embeddings using a novel ophthalmology-domain-specific 200-question analogy test and prediction of prognosis in 5547 low vision patients using EHR notes as inputs to a deep learning model. Results We found that many words representing important ophthalmic concepts in the EHR were missing from the general domain GloVe vocabulary, but covered in the ophthalmology abstract corpus. On ophthalmology analogy testing, PubMed WEs scored 95.0 %, outperforming EHR (86.0 %) and GloVe (91.0 %) but less than BioWordVec (99.5 %). On predicting low vision prognosis, PubMed and EHR WEs resulted in similar AUROC (0.830; 0.826), outperforming GloVe (0.778) and BioWordVec (0.784). Conclusion We found that using ophthalmology domain-specific WEs improved performance in ophthalmology-related clinical prediction compared to general WEs. Deep learning models using clinical notes as inputs can predict the prognosis of visually impaired patients. This work provides a framework to improve predictive models using domain-specific WEs.
Energy performance of integrated adaptive envelope systems for residential buildings

Abstract In this paper, the energy performance of an integrated adaptive envelope system (AES) is evaluated when applied to detached houses in four US climates. Three main technologies are part of the AES including cool roofs, movable PV-integrated shading devices (MPVISDs), and switchable insulation systems (SISs). For this study, the AES is operated to minimize annual heating and cooling energy uses. The analysis results clearly indicate that the integrated AES have high potential for cooling energy savings for residential buildings. Specifically, MPVISDs offer the highest contribution followed by attic and walls integrated SISs. Overall, the integrated AES allows on-site electricity generation and offers savings between 234 kWh/yr and 949 kWh/yr in cooling energy depending on the US climate. The deployment of AES alone allows US homes to almost reach net-zero energy designs especially in mild and hot climates.
Methodology and calculator for high precision regression fits of pyranometer angular responsivities and the associated uncertainties

Abstract An easy to implement method for accurately utilizing pyranometer incidence angle dependent calibration factors, or responsivities (μV/W/m2), along with the associated uncertainties has been developed. This method uses algorithms for creating single polynomial functions dependent on the incidence angle to characterize both the pyranometer responsivity and the upper prediction interval of the associated standard uncertainties. Single polynomial functions are easier to implement in spreadsheet software and programming environments than the simpler to formulate piecewise polynomials and splines. The polynomials are of high degree, extrapolated to 0° and 90°, and solved using robust techniques to avoid oscillations and overshoots, which can occur when using other interpolation methods. A free software tool was created that calculates the functions using the algorithms presented in this paper, and it was tested on the calibrated responsivities and uncertainties of 40 pyranometers representing six (6) different models. All of the obtained fits closely represent the data with R2 values greater than 0.98.
The SWI/SNF complex is altered in primary tumors and cancer cell lines

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 2855 The SWI/SNF complex is a key regulator of gene expression and is involved in a number of important signaling pathways. This multimeric chromatin remodeling complex controls gene expression by shifting the position of histones, thereby modifying access of key cellular proteins to specific DNA domains. The function of this complex can be abrogated by the loss of specific subunits and has been implicated in the development of certain human tumors. The BAF47 protein was the first SWI/SNF subunit recognized as a bona fide tumor suppressor protein. The loss of this subunit is known to cause the development of pediatric rhabdoid tumors, and in mice, its heterozygous loss leads to tumor formation. The ATPase subunit BRG1 and its homolog, BRM, are mutually exclusive catalytic subunits which when lost will inactivate the SWI/SNF complex thereby facilitating tumor development. To this end, we have found that heterozygous loss of BRG1 increases the occurrence of lung adenomas four fold in mice exposed to either urethane or the tobacco carcinogen, NNK. This is not surprising since a number of key cellular proteins including Rb, p53 and BRCA1 require a functionally intact SWI/SNF complex. In our previous work, we found that BRG1 and BRM are concomitantly lost in 30-40% of lung cancer cell lines and 10-20% of primary lung cancers. To determine if the SWI/SNF complex was altered in tumors arising from the upper respiratory tract, we investigated the expression of the SWI/SNF units in head/neck cell lines. We found by western blot analysis that BRG1, BRM, BAF57 and/or BAF250 are lost in 12/15 (∼80%) of head/neck cell lines. In those cell lines which have specifically lost BRM and/or BAF57 expression, we also found they lacked CD44 expression and are sensitive to exposure to micromolar concentrations of Cisplatin. By immunostaining, we have also found that BRG1 and BRM expression is absent in 10-20% of primary head/neck tumors. To identify additional tumor types which may harbor alterations in the SWI/SNF complex, we examined the expression of BRG1 and BRM by immunostaining a variety of tissue microarrays. We found that, in addition to lung and head/neck cancers, 5-15% of prostate, bladder, esophageal and ovarian cancers also lose BRG1 and/or BRM expression. This data suggests that loss of SWI/SNF function can occur in a variety of solid tumors and may be a contributing factor in the development of these tumors.
Three-Dimensional Event Localization in Bulk Scintillator Crystals Using Optical Coded Apertures

Scintillator-based detectors are among the most commonly used methods for detecting ionizing radiation. Scintillators provide a reliable, cost-effective, and simple way to make large-volume detectors. Furthermore, localizing the position of the interactions in three dimensions within the crystals is useful to a wide array of fields. The most straightforward way of doing this is to pair the crystal with a position-sensitive phototransducer (PT). This allows for measurement of the shape of the light spot at the PT plane. Using this information, various methods exist to localize the gamma-ray interaction in the crystal; however, the position resolution worsens the farther the event occurs from the PT plane. To improve on the localization ability, this work uses an optical coded-aperture shadow mask between the crystal and the PT. The recorded detector response is used in reconstructing the event over the entire depth of the crystal, and the “sharpest” reconstructed image gives an event’s depth. The lateral position is given from the standard coded-aperture image reconstruction. Experimental results obtained by emulating a 26-mm-thick crystal using a thin 1-mm-thick NaI(Tl) crystal and different amounts of light pipe between the crystal and the PT plane achieved $\sim $ 1 to 2-mm resolution in all three dimensions throughout most of the 26-mm-thick crystal.
Chapter 4 Channels and carriers in lipid bilayers

Publisher Summary Carriers and channels both provide a similar service: They reduce the activation energy of translocation of an ion across the low dielectric constant membrane. To a first approximation, the energy of translocation of a free ion is nearly equal to the Born charging energy for a sphere having a radius equal to that of the ion in question. The Born energy depends on the reciprocal of ionic radius and thus, delocalization or smearing out of the ionic charge reduces the energy of translocation, substantially. The Born charging energy also depends on the reciprocal of the dielectric constant of the membrane, so an increase in the effective dielectric constant of the membrane interior reduces the activation energy of translocation. Most channels and carriers probably delocalize the charge of their substrates and increase the local dielectric constant. Also, each channel or carrier likely reduces translocation energy by specific interactions unique to itself, such as specially charged sites to enhance selectivity. Fundamentally carriers and channels both reduce energy of translocation, and are therefore, likely to have certain features in common.
Default Risk and the Effective Duration of Bonds

Estimates of how much credit risk shortens the effective duration of corporate bonds based on observable data and easily estimated bond pricing parameters. Basis risk is the risk attributable to uncertain movements in the spread between yields associated with a particular financial instrument or class of instruments, and a reference interest rate over time. There are seven types of basis risk: Yields on - Long-term versus short-term financial instruments. - Domestic currency versus foreign currencies. - Liquid versus illiquid investments. - Bonds with higher or lower sensitivity to changes in interest rate volatility. - Taxable versus tax-free instruments. - Spot versus futures contracts. - Default -f ree versus non - default - free securities. Basis risk makes it difficult for the fixed-income portfolio manager to measure the portfolio's exposure to interest rate risk, heightens the anxiety of traders and arbitrageurs who are hedging their investments, and compounds the financial institution's problem of matching assets and liabilities. Much attention has been paid to the first type of basis risk. In recent years, attention has turned toward understanding the relation between credit risk and duration. Babbel, Merrill, and Panning focus on that, emphasizing the importance of taking credit risk into account when computing measures of duration. The consensus of all work in this area is that credit risk shortens the effective duration of corporate bonds. The authors estimate how much durations shorten because of credit risk, basing their estimates on observable data and easily estimated bond pricing parameters. An earlier version of this paper - a product of the Financial Sector Development Department - was presented at the Second Biennial Conference on the Financial Dynamics of the Insurance Industry, New York University.
Shared decision-making: merging evidence into patient- centered care

Miles and Mezzich argue for the coalescence of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and patient-centered care, citing many of the key protagonists that have argued for the central place of 'the patient' in the clinical process of care for almost a hundred years. Peabody, Engel, Levenstein and many more have put cogent cases forward, but very little seems to change. They see clinical practice as being too technical, too mechanistic, driven by impersonal protocols and guidelines. The person and his/her family become lost and confused among fragmented systems of care that fail to develop any semblance of relationship or continuity and where personal preferences get short shrift. The trend shows no sign of abating, as technological advances increase levels of specialisation.
Palmitic/stearic ratio of amniotic fluid in diabetic and nondiabetic pregnancies and its relationship to development of respiratory distress syndrome

Abstract Amniotic fluid (AF) samples obtained from 64 patients within 72 hours of delivery of their infants were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography to quantitate the individual fatty acids present in the hydrolysate of the lecithin fraction. The results were expressed as the palmitic/stearic (P/S) ratio, which we have considered to be a reflection of the relative amount of dipalmityl lecithin being secreted into the AF from the fetal lungs. Of the 64 patients studied, 31 were insulin-dependent diabetic patients and 33 were nondiabetic. Of the 31 infants of the diabetic mothers, eight developed the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Of the 33 infants of the nondiabetic mothers, seven developed RDS. In both the diabetic group and the nondiabetic group, each considered separately, the mean P/S ratio distinguished RDS from non-RDS patients (p
Influence of dietary fat, vitamin E, ethoxyquin and indomethacin on the synthesis of prostaglandin E2 in brain regions of mice.

The regional brain synthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) of rats varies with age and dietary vitamin E. We investigated ex-vivo synthesis of PGE2 in brain regions of 24-mo-old male C57BL/6Nia mice. Mice were fed semipurified diets containing 1) 5% by weight of vitamin E-stripped corn oil, nonhydrogenated coconut oil or fish oil, or 2) 3.8% lard + 1.2% stripped corn oil (control), each supplemented with 30 or 500 mg of vitamin E per kg for 6 wk. In addition, two groups of mice were fed control diets containing 2500 mg of ethoxyquin/kg or 1 mg of indomethacin/(kg.day). Mice fed fish oil had lower (P less than 0.01) plasma alpha-tocopherol than those fed coconut oil. Vitamin E supplementation had no effect on the concentration of alpha-tocopherol in most brain regions. The rank order of PGE2 synthesis among all groups was cerebrum = cerebellum greater than midbrain greater than brainstem. Vitamin E supplementation tended to reduce brain PGE2 synthesis. Fat with 30 mg/kg of vitamin E in their diet. In the brainstem, fish oil significantly reduced PGE2 relative to mice fed corn oil. Ethoxyquin lowered plasma alpha-tocopherol by 42% and reduced the PGE2 synthesis in brain regions, and indomethacin reduced it by 50%. Thus, ethoxyquin and indomethacin significantly reduced the brain's regional capacity for PGE2 synthesis, whereas vitamin E was not effective for the period tested. The reduction of PGE2 synthesis in the brain with fish oil feeding in this study was not as notable as reported for other tissues unless combined with high-dose vitamin E supplementation.
You’ve Gotta Be Lucky: Coverage and the Elusive Gene-Gene Interaction

Summary Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have led to a large number of single-SNP association findings, but there has been, so far, no investigation resulting in the discovery of a replicable gene–gene interaction. In this paper, we examine some of the possible explanations for the lack of findings, and argue that coverage of causal variation not only has a large effect on the loss in power, but that the effect is larger than in the single-SNP analyses. We show that the product of linkage disequilibrium measures, r2, between causal and tested SNPs offers a good approximation to the loss in efficiency as defined by the ratio of sample sizes that lead to similar power. We also demonstrate that, in addition to the huge search space, the loss in power due to coverage when using commercially available platforms makes the search for gene–gene interactions daunting.
Scanning electron microscopy of injection replicas of the chick embryo circulatory system

© journal of Microscopy, Vol. 102, Pt 2, November 1974, pp. 179-186. Received 25 january 1974; revision received 28 May 1974 Scanning electron microscopy of injection replicas of the chick embryo circulatory system by RUssELL K. DoLL1NGER* and PETER B. ARMSTRONG-|-, Department of Zoology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, U.S.A. SUMMARY The injection replication procedure has been modiﬁed for study of the thin and very delicate blood vessels of young embryos. Batson’s corrosion compound (a polyester resin) modiﬁed for rapid polymerization (2023-0:0-25, monomer: catalystzpromoter) was effective in replicating even very small blood vessels without excessive distension. Since injection of plastic induced violent heart spasms with eventual expulsion of plastic from the ventricular lumen, con- tractility of the heart was inhibited by injection of a 29., (w/v) aqueous solution of KNO3 prior to injection with polyester resin. Following polymerization of the injected resin, the tissues were macerated and removed, leaving a solid three- dimensional cast of the lumen of the circulatory system. The casts were photo- graphed with the scanning electron microscope to produce accurate mierographs for study of the developmental anatomy of the circulatory system. INTRODUCTION Traditionally, the study of the internal anatomy of organisms too small for gross dissection and simple visual examination, has employed the microscopical study of cleared whole mounts and of serial tissue sections. An advantage of whole mount preparations lies in their three-dimensional nature. However they seldom prove adequate for the development of a detailed understanding if the anatomy is at all complicated. Although the detailed understanding can be provided by study of tissue sections, the comprehension of three-dimensional relations from serial two—dimensional sections can prove a diﬂicult task. Recourse to rather laborious graphical (Bang & Bang, 1957; Dunn, 1972; Yamada & Yoshida, 1972), physical (Price, 1972), or computerized (Pedler, 1968) recon- struction techniques may be necessary. It would be desirable to have techniques which combine the precision, resolution and detail of the thin tissue section with the ability to visualize directly in three dimensions. With the development of the scanning electron microscope and associated procedures for processing soft biological tissues, techniques have been devised which permit just such a three- dimensional visualization of microanatomical features of tissues (Armstrong, 1971; Nemaic & Pitelka, 1971; Grey, 1972; Porter, Kelly & Andrews, 1972; Waterman, 1972 ; Alexander et al., 1973 3 Armstrong & Parenti, 1973; Buss, 1973). * Present address: Department of Anatomy, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90024, U.S.A. 1- Reprint requests should be addressed to P. B. Armstrong. 179