cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A multi-time scale learning mechanism for neuromimic processing

Learning and representing and reasoning about temporal relations, particularly causal relations, is a deep problem in artificial intelligence (AI). Learning such representations in the real world is complicated by the fact that phenomena are subject to multiple time scale influences and may operate with a strange attractor dynamic. This dissertation proposes a new computational learning mechanism, the adaptrode, which, used in a neuromimic processing architecture may help to solve some of these problems. The adaptrode is shown to emulate the dynamics of real biological synapses and represents a significant departure from the classical weighted input scheme of conventional artificial neural networks. Indeed the adaptrode is shown, by analysis of the deep structure of real synapses, to have a strong structural correspondence with the latter in terms of multi-time scale biophysical processes. Simulations of an adaptrode-based neuron and a small network of neurons are shown to have the same learning capabilities as invertebrate animals in classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is considered a fundamental learning task in animals. Furthermore, it is subject to temporal ordering constraints that fulfill the criteria of causal relations in natural systems. It may offer clues to the learning of causal relations and mechanisms for causal reasoning. The adaptrode is shown to solve an advanced problem in classical conditioning that addresses the problem of real world dynamics. A network is able to learn multiple, contrary associations that separate in time domains, that is a long-term memory can co-exist with a short-term contrary memory without destroying the former. This solves the problem of how to deal with meaningful transients while maintaining long-term memories. Possible applications of adaptrode-based neural networks are explored and suggestions for future research are made.
Abstract 19676: A Molecular Switch Regulating Heart and Pancreatic Development

The mesendoderm is thought to be a population of the intermediate and transient common progenitors prior to the emergence of the mesoderm (Me) and the endoderm (En) in vitro; however, it is unclear whether it exists in vivo, and if so, what are the molecular mechanisms that establish the subsequent Me or En fate of the mesendoderm. Here we show that Mesp1 transiently marks a subset of the epiblast at the primitive streak (PS) initiation site at gastrulation in vivo. It is also evidenced by the cell fate mapping that the progeny of Mesp1+ progenitors gives rise to both the Me and the definitive En, but neither the primitive En nor the ectoderm, suggesting that Mesp1+ cells are the bio-potent mesendodermal progenitors. Mesp1-fated dorsal foregut En (derived from the definitive En) subsequently contributes exclusively to the Pdx1+/Foxa2+ progenitors in the pancreatic bud (PB), and ultimately to the endocrine cells in the pancreas. RNA-seq and chromatin-immunoprecipitation of Mesp1-fated cells show that Mesp1...
High Extinction-Ratio Optical Switch and Bias Control

In both communication and fiber optic sensor systems the extinction ratio (ER) of the optical switch used to gate the light is a critical system parameter that can determine system performance. In time-division multiplexed (TDM) fiber optic sensor systems the leakage light through the optical switch beats with the signal, and itself, to generate an ER dependant noise term.
2D IR cross peaks reveal hydrogen-deuterium exchange with single residue specificity.

A form of chemical exchange, hydrogen–deuterium exchange (HDX), has long been used as a method for studying the secondary and tertiary structure of peptides and proteins using mass spectrometry and...
Need For Continuing Tuberculosis Surveillance In Previously Screened New Immigrants

Despite the advent of effective chemotherapy and improvement in socioeconomic conditions, tuberculosis remains a highly prevalent disease in certain countries. There are an estimated 30 million cases in the world, with an annual incidence of 10 million and a mortality of 3 million. 1 Although the new case rate in the United States in 1989 was 9.5:100,000, tuberculosis was nevertheless the leading cause of death among the 38 communicable diseases reported to the Centers for Disease Control. 2 The general trend toward a decline in tuberculosis incidence has slowed recendy. This decrease has been attributed in part to the reactivation of tuberculosis in persons immunosuppressed by the human immunodeficiency virus. 3 In the initial postindependence period, Israel experienced a high case rate of tuberculosis (216:100,000 in 1950), largely resulting from massive immigration from non-Western countries.4 More recendy (1980 1985) the risk of infection has gradually declined to an average annual case rate of 6.3:100,000.5•6 In contrast with the low national incidence, Halperin recendy reported a relatively high incidence in an Israeli family practice.7 During a 3-year period (19841986) 10 cases of active tuberculosis occurred among recent Ethiopian immigrants wh~ h~d negative chest radiographs and tuberculosIs skin tests when they entered Israel an average of 1.7 years before diagnosis. In an effort to assess the immigration screening program and find an explanation for these cases, we reviewed the results of the primary screening at entrance. to .the co~­ try of all new immigrants to our dIstnct dunng this period.
Geroscience approaches to increase healthspan and slow aging

For decades, researchers in the biology of aging have focused on defining mechanisms that modulate aging by primarily studying a single metric, sometimes described as the “gold standard” lifespan. Increasingly, geroscience research is turning towards defining functional domains of aging such as the cardiovascular system, skeletal integrity, and metabolic health as being a more direct route to understand why tissues decline in function with age. Each model used in aging research has strengths and weaknesses, yet we know surprisingly little about how critical tissues decline in health with increasing age. Here I discuss popular model systems used in geroscience research and their utility as possible tools in preclinical studies in aging.
Preliminary Study on Cold-resistance of Seedling of Near-isogenic Lines from Dongxiang Wild Rice

Study and evaluation on cold-resistance of seedling of 34 near-isogenic lines fr om Dongxiang wild rice were conducted, and 4 freezing-tolerant lines which coul d be used as quality cold-resistant breeding rice resources were identified. And the cold-resistant character was inherited from Dongxiang wild rice. Cold-resistant intensity of hi gh cold-resistant near-isogenic lines was discussed.
Modelling the structural pathways for transcapillary exchange.

The ultrastructural pathways and mechanisms whereby endothelial cells and the clefts between the cells modulate capillary permeability to water and solutes have been a central unresolved question in microvessel transport since the early 1950s. Freeze-fracture studies and ultrathin serial sections have demonstrated that endothelial cells are joined by an array of junctional strands which are interrupted at intervals, allowing for the passage of water and solutes, whereas cytochemical studies have indicated that the endothelial surface and portions of the wide part of the cleft contain matrix components. Neither constricted slit models based on the classic pore theory nor fiber matrix models are able to explain the large body of existing permeability measurements. In this review, we shall describe new three-dimensional modelling approaches which have resulted in a major revision of current ideas about the pathways for water and solutes through the junction strand and the structures that determine the molecular filter. For frog mesentery capillaries, these models predict (i) that the primary pathway for small ions is a previously unrecognized family of 2nm small pores that are distributed along the length of the junction strand; (ii) that the primary pathway for water and intermediate-sized solutes (1-3.5 nm radius) is an infrequent 150 nm long orifice-like pore whose height is the same as that of the wide part of the cleft; (iii) that the sieving structure for these solutes is a fiber layer, typically 100 nm thick, which extends from the surface into the entrance region of the cleft and (i.v.) that the interpretation of low molecular weight tracer studies to define the permeability pathways depends on the time-dependent filling of the extravascular space.
Fluorescent Antibodies Applied to Direct Epifluorescent Filter Technique for Microscopic Enumeration of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in Milk and Juice.

In a modification of the direct epifluorescent filter technique (DEFT), direct fluorescent antibody staining was used for the rapid (<1 h), specific enumeration of foodbome Escherichia coli 0157:H7 by epifluorescence microscopy. Cell counts obtained by this method (Ab-DEFT) correlated well with DEFT counts obtained by acridine orange staining and with viable plate counts ranging from 108 to 101 cells per ml for pure cultures in buffer. Ab-DEFT also was effective for counting E. coli 0157:H7 cells inoculated into milk and juice; the sensitivity limit was about 103 for milk. The highly specific nature of the technique was demonstrated by enumeration of E. coli 0157:H7 cells in the presence of large numbers of indigenous spoilage microorganisms in milk. This is the first known demonstration of the combination of DEFT and antibody probe technology for the specific enumeration of a microbe directly in food without a growth or enrichment step.
Effect of solvent/polymer infiltration and irradiation on microstructure and tensile properties of carbon nanotube yarns

Recently carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns have been gaining importance as an approach to harvest the excellent properties of the CNTs. However, the properties of CNT yarns at this stage are well below the expected value. Investigation of the structure of CNT yarns and possible approaches to enhance the strength and modulus are reported. Scanning electron microscopy and focused ion beam imaging reveal the inherently porous structure and poor orientation, emphasizing the need to enhance packing of CNT bundles in the yarns for increased strength and modulus. Densification of CNT yarn by toluene or polystyrene increases the strength by 140 or 172 % and modulus by 79 or 218 %, respectively, as compared to that of the pristine yarn. E-beam irradiation was investigated as a means to introduce crosslinking and enhanced internanotubes bonding to increase strength and modulus. However, the irradiation resulted in generation of defects and damages to the yarn contributing to reduction in strength and modulus. Raman spectroscopy studies on the irradiated samples reveal the change in bonding characteristics resulting in poor mechanical properties. Denser packing of nanotubes and increased interaction without any damage is the key to improve the properties of CNT yarns.
Lymphocyte Depletion in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Adjuvant Dose-Dense Chemotherapy.

Background: Dose-intense chemotherapy regimens are reportedly known to cause lymphocyte depletion. Increased incidence of pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) was reported in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with dose-dense CHOP plus rituximab. No studies have been conducted to date to assess the lymphocyte depletion in breast cancer patients receiving dose-dense chemotherapy. We retrospectively compared the lymphocyte recovery in breast cancer patients treated with dose-dense (q 2 weekly) doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (AC) to those treated with AC in a non-dose-dense (q 3 weekly) method. Methods: Newly diagnosed breast cancer patients treated at our institution between 2002 and 2006, with at least 4 cycles of AC in an adjuvant/neoadjuvant setting were analyzed. Complete blood count (CBC) with differential including white blood cells (WBC), hemoglobin (Hg), platelets, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils were collected at baseline before the start of chemotherapy, before each ensuing cycle of chemotherapy and after the 4 th cycle of chemotherapy. Results: A total of 103 patients were analyzed of which 50 patients were treated with dose-dense AC and 53 patients with non-dose-dense AC. After the 4 th cycle of chemotherapy, mean absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) was 780 ± 440/mm 3 in the dose-dense group versus 950 ± 600/mm 3 in the non-dose-dense group (p = .4617), mean Hg was 11.4 ± 1.2g/dL in the dose-dense group versus 12.2 ± 0.9g/dL in the non-dose-dense group, mean platelet count was 241 ± 85 x10 9 /L in the dose-dense group versus 391 ± 128 x10 9 /L in the non-dose-dense group. No opportunistic infections were noted in the dose-dense group. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that dose-dense AC results in slightly increased lymphocyte depletion compared to non-dose-dense AC, not statistically significant. This didn’t result in any increased infectious complications. In both groups, baseline ALC was significantly positively related to ALC after the 4 th cycle of chemotherapy (p
Defining the Relationship Between Hypertension, Cognitive Decline, and Dementia: a Review.

Hypertension is a highly prevalent condition which has been established as a risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Although the understanding of the relationship between cardiocirculatory dysfunction and brain health has improved significantly over the last several decades, it is still unclear whether hypertension constitutes a potentially treatable risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. While it is clear that hypertension can affect brain structure and function, recent findings suggest that the associations between blood pressure and brain health are complex and, in many cases, dependent on factors such as age, hypertension chronicity, and antihypertensive medication use. Whereas large epidemiological studies have demonstrated a consistent association between high midlife BP and late-life cognitive decline and incident dementia, associations between late-life blood pressure and cognition have been less consistent. Recent evidence suggests that hypertension may promote alterations in brain structure and function through a process of cerebral vessel remodeling, which can lead to disruptions in cerebral autoregulation, reductions in cerebral perfusion, and limit the brain’s ability to clear potentially harmful proteins such as β-amyloid. The purpose of the current review is to synthesize recent findings from epidemiological, neuroimaging, physiological, genetic, and translational research to provide an overview of what is currently known about the association between blood pressure and cognitive function across the lifespan. In doing so, the current review also discusses the results of recent randomized controlled trials of antihypertensive therapy to reduce cognitive decline, highlights several methodological limitations, and provides recommendations for future clinical trial design.
TraceLab Components for Generating Extractive Summaries of User Stories

This artifact is a reproducibility package for experiments in user stories summarization. We implemented and packaged the artifact as a set of reusable TraceLab components. The existing implementation of the artifact was relatively difficult to use because it required the user to coordinate several different programming languages and dependencies. This artifact, available via our online appendix, provides the components, a detailed tutorial with screenshots that show exactly where to click and what to enter, and an example virtual machine image.
A New Method for Estimating the Effective Poisson’s Ratio in Ultrasound Poroelastography

Ultrasound poroelastography aims at assessing the poroelastic behavior of biological tissues via estimation of the local temporal axial strains and effective Poisson’s ratios (EPR). Currently, reliable estimation of EPR using ultrasound is a challenging task due to the limited quality of lateral strain estimation. In this paper, we propose a new two-step EPR estimation technique based on dynamic programming elastography (DPE) and Horn-Schunck (HS) optical flow estimation. In the proposed method, DPE is used to estimate the integer axial and lateral displacements while HS is used to obtain subsample axial and lateral displacements from the motion-compensated pre-compressed and post-compressed radio frequency data. Axial and lateral strains are then calculated using Kalman filter-based least square estimation. The proposed two-step technique was tested using finite-element simulations, controlled experiments and in vivo experiments, and its performance was statistically compared with that of analytic minimization (AM) and correlation-based method (CM). Our results indicate that our technique provides EPR elastograms of higher quality and accuracy than those produced by AM and CM. Regarding signal-to-noise ratio and elastographic contrast-to-noise ratio, in simulated data, the proposed method provides an average improvement of 30% and 75%, respectively, with respect to AM and of 100% and 169%, respectively, with respect to CM, whereas, in experiments, the proposed approach provides an average improvement of 30% and 67% with respect to AM and of 230% and 525% with respect to CM. Based on these results, the proposed method may be the preferred one in experimental poroelastography applications.
Matrix capsules with EM routing

A capsule is a group of neurons whose outputs represent different properties of the same entity. Each layer in a capsule network contains many capsules [a group of capsules forms a capsule layer and can be used in place of a traditional layer in a neural net]. We describe a version of capsules in which each capsule has a logistic unit to represent the presence of an entity and a 4x4 matrix which could learn to represent the relationship between that entity and the viewer (the pose). A capsule in one layer votes for the pose matrix of many different capsules in the layer above by multiplying its own pose matrix by trainable viewpoint-invariant transformation matrices that could learn to represent part-whole relationships. Each of these votes is weighted by an assignment coefficient. These coefficients are iteratively updated for each image using the Expectation-Maximization algorithm such that the output of each capsule is routed to a capsule in the layer above that receives a cluster of similar votes. The transformation matrices are trained discriminatively by backpropagating through the unrolled iterations of EM between each pair of adjacent capsule layers. On the smallNORB benchmark, capsules reduce the number of test errors by 45\% compared to the state-of-the-art. Capsules also show far more resistance to white box adversarial attack than our baseline convolutional neural network.
Malakoplakia of the Eyelid: Clinical, Histopathologic, and Ultrastructural Characteristics

A 56-year-old man had a slowly growing, elevated mass excised over the right medial canthus of the right eye. Results of histopathologic examination disclosed a dermal infiltrate of histiocytes ("von Hansemann histiocytes") containing the characteristic laminated, basophilic inclusions (Michaelis-Gutmann [M-G] bodies). Results of histochemical studies showed that the M-G bodies stained positively for calcium, iron, and mucopolysaccharides. Results of electron microscopic studies showed that the histiocytes contained numerous membrane-bound lysosomal bodies of variable size and density. Some histiocytes demonstrated coccobacilli, some of which were degenerated and incorporated into large phagolysosomes. The latter provided the nidus for the deposition of inorganic elements (calcium and iron) and mucopolysaccharides to form the M-G bodies which displayed concentric calcific rings with radiating spicules of hydroxyapatite crystals. The pathogenesis of malakoplakia is discussed. The case reported herein represents the third one involving the ocular adnexa. Only ten cases of cutaneous malakoplakia have been reported previously.
The Potential of Selectively Cultured Adult Stem Cells Re-implanted in Tissues

For stem cell research the focus in the past has been on embryonic stem cells, cells from which humans are initially constructed, but which are limited in availability. A new direction in stem cell research is looking at a different kind of pluripotent cells – adult stem cells, which are responsible for maintenance and repair of tissue. To retrieve and grow stem cells remains an important challenge in medicine, but carries the hope to cure many diseases. Pluripotent adult stem cells have been found in many organs and also in cancer tumors. Adult stem cells can both self-renew and differentiate to replace compromised tissue in the organ where they reside. If single adult tumor stem cells can re-grow into a new tumor, just as adult stem cells can rebuild a physiological organ, the potential of adult stem cells would be significant in new cancer therapy and organ engineering approaches.
Novel Computational Strategies for Solution of Large-Scale Structural Problems

Novel computational strategies are presented for the analysis of large and complex structures. The strategies are based on generating the response of the complex structure using large perturbations from that of a simpler model, associated with a simpler structure (or a simpler mathematical/discrete model of the original structure). Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the strategies developed.
Historical Development of Radar Polarimetry, Incentives for This Workshop, and Overview of Contributions to These Proceedings

A succinct overview of historical events in the development of polarimetry, in optics and in radar, is followed by a critical assessment of unresolved problems and a listing of recent workshop activities, providing the incentives for this workshop. Based on this critical assessment, the outlay of the Proceedings Topics is developed and a succinct summary of the papers is presented.
Outcomes of Community and Healthcare-onset Clostridium difficile Infections.

BACKGROUND Community-onset Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) are increasingly common, but there is little data on outcomes. The purpose of this study is to describe the epidemiology and outcomes of CDI in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system and compare these variables between hospital-onset (HCF) and community-onset (CO) cases. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study that included all patients with a positive test for C. difficile (toxin or toxin genes) within the VHA Corporate Data Warehouse between 2011 and 2014. RESULTS We identified 19270 episodes of CDI, involving 15972 unique patients; 95% were male, 44% of the cases were HCF, and 42% were CO. Regarding severity, 31% percent of cases were non-severe, 40% were severe, and 21% were fulminant. Exposure to proton pump inhibitors was found in 53% of cases (47% in CO, 62% in HCF). Overall, 40% of patients received antibiotics in the 90 days before CDI (44% in HCF, 36% in CO). Recurrence was 18.2%, and 30-day all-cause mortality was 9.2%. Risk factors for a fulminant case were exposure to clindamycin (odds ratio [OR]: 1.23, P = .01) or proton pump inhibitors (OR: 1.20, P < .001) in the 90 days prior to diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS CO accounts for a significant proportion of CDI in the VHA system. CO patients are younger and their cases are less severe, but recurrence is more common than in HCF CDI. Therefore CO CDI may account for a considerable reservoir of CDI cases, and prevention efforts should include interventions to reduce CO CDI.
Parental Beliefs About School Readiness, Home and School-Based Involvement, and Children’s Academic Achievement

The current study uses nationally representative data drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) to estimate a structural equation model that examines the associations ...
Tunable n-Type Doping of Carbon Nanotubes through Engineered Atomic Layer Deposition HfOX Films

Although digital systems fabricated from carbon-nanotube-based field-effect transistors (CNFETs) promise significant energy efficiency benefits, realizing these benefits requires a complementary CNFET technology, i.e., CNFET CMOS, comprising both PMOS and NMOS CNFETs. Furthermore, this CNFET CMOS process must be robust (e.g., air-stable), tunable (e.g., ability to control CNFET threshold voltages), and silicon CMOS compatible (to integrate within existing manufacturing facilities and process flows). Despite many efforts, such a silicon CMOS compatible CNT doping strategy for forming NMOS CNFETs does not exist. Techniques today are either not air-stable (using reactive low work function metals), not solid-state or silicon CMOS compatible (employing soluble molecular dopants in ionic solutions), or have not demonstrated precise control over the amount of doping (for setting threshold voltage, VT). Here, we demonstrate an electrostatic doping technique that meets all of these requirements. The key to our tec...
How Much Can We Learn from Regressing Corporate Characteristics Against the State of Incorporation

Several well-known papers attempted to measure the causal impact of state corporate laws on the economy by regressing a single financial or accounting variable against the state of incorporation and controls for other firm characteristics. In this paper, I provide evidence that this approach is misguided because it does not address endogeneity of firms’ incorporation choices. First, I show that all well-known results attributed to incorporation in Delaware or Nevada disappear when we control for the fact of out-of-state incorporation; this plausibly proxies for unobserved firm characteristics that drive both the choice of the state of incorporation and some of the financial and accounting values. In particular, if we do not control for the firm’s decision to incorporate outside its home state (as prior literature did), incorporation in DE predicts multiple measures of corporate quality: higher Tobin’s Q, lower R-squared, lower abnormal accruals, lower real earnings management, and lower rates of “material weakness” and “significant deficiency” reports. However, with proper controls for the out-of-state incorporation, none of these results survive, including the often-cited Tobin’s Q result. Furthermore, on most of these measures, firms incorporated in Nevada perform as well or better than Delaware firms, when we control for the out-of-state incorporation choice. Finally, I show that firms that choose to incorporate outside their home states are systematically different from firms that do not: they are more likely to have proxies for better firm-level governance.
The pose of the author: colonial Africa and the operations of genre

Focusing on the 1920s publications of the Mozambican intellectual C. Kamba Simango (1890–1966), this article explores the transformations of a single story across the pages of amateur ethnomusicolo...
The Effect of Burn Resuscitation Volumes on the Gut Microbiome in a Swine Model.

Introduction While recent reports underscore the significance of the gut microbiome (GM) in health and disease, its importance in burn outcomes remains unclear. Moreover, aggressive intravenous (IV) fluid resuscitation of patients may alter intestinal flora. Herein, we describe GM changes following a large burn in swine randomized to different volumes of IV Lactated Ringers' (LR). Methods Anesthetized Yorkshire swine sustained 40% Total body surface area full-thickness burns and were randomized to different volumes of IV LR: none (n = 3), 15 mL/kg/day (Low; n = 6), or 80 mL/kg/day (High; n = 6). At baseline and days 1 and 2, fecal swabs were collected for 16 s rDNA sequencing. Proximal jejunum was collected immediately after euthanasia (day 2) for western blot, histopathology, and cytokine analyses. Results Burns produced significant shifts in β-diversity and non-significant reductions in α-diversity that did not recover regardless of treatment group. Burn-induced increases in Proteobacteria and decreases in Firmicutes were attenuated by IV fluids in a dose-dependent manner, and also correlated with α-diversity. IV fluids caused a dose-dependent increase in Bacteroides and prevented a transient increase in the opportunistic pathogen Haemophilus parainfluenzae. While high volumes of IV fluids increased intestinal Hsp70 levels (p = 0.0464), they reduced SGLT1 (p = 0.0213) and caspase3 (p = 0.0139) levels. IV fluids elicited a non-specific cytokine response however Bacteroidetes levels correlated with intestinal IL18 levels (p = 0.0166, R = 0.4201). Conclusions We present the first report on the gut microbiome in a porcine burn model, and present data to suggest that IV fluids may influence GM and gut functional proteins following a burn. Overall, burn injury results GM diversity shifts, which may expose diagnostic and/or therapeutic targets to improve outcomes.
Abstract C005: NT5C2 small molecule inhibitor for the reversal of 6-MP resistance in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Activating mutations in the cytosolic 5’-nucleotidase II (NT5C2) gene drive resistance to chemotherapy with 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) highlighting NT5C2 as a potential therapeutic target. In efforts to reverse 6-MP therapy resistance, we performed high throughput screens to identify small molecule inhibitors of NT5C2. Using a high throughput malachite-green based NT5C2 nucleotidase assay, we identified HTP_2 as a lead compound with low micromolar inhibitory activity against NT5C2 R367Q mutant recombinant protein. HTP_2 reverses 6-MP resistance in Nt5c2+/R367Qmutant mouse lymphoblasts and NT5C2 R29Q mutant expressing human cell lines. In addition, HTP_2 treatment results in increased sensitivity to 6-MP therapy in NT5C2 wild-type cells, highlighting the role of wild-type NT5C2 activity in the clearance of 6-MP. These results support a potential therapeutic use for NT5C2 inhibitors in potentiating the effects of 6-MP based chemotherapy in NT5C2 wild-type cells as well as NT5C2 mutant cells. Overall, this study presents a framework for the development of a NT5C2 inhibitor for the reversal of 6-MP resistance in relapsed ALL patients. Citation Format: Chelsea Dieck, Clara Reglero-Gomez, Arie Zask, Brent Stockwell, Adolfo Ferrando. NT5C2 small molecule inhibitor for the reversal of 6-MP resistance in acute lymphoblastic leukemia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2019 Oct 26-30; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2019;18(12 Suppl):Abstract nr C005. doi:10.1158/1535-7163.TARG-19-C005
Poverty and Health in Tennessee.

Objectives Understanding the impact of poverty on health can inform efforts to target social programs and regional economic development. This study examined the effects of poverty on health among the 95 counties of Tennessee. Methods All of the counties of Tennessee were ranked by 5-year median household income, from the wealthiest to the poorest. The counties were divided into quintiles, from wealthiest to poorest, to reflect the general impact of wealth on health. Next, the five wealthiest counties and the five poorest counties were identified, allowing for examination of the extremes of poverty and wealth within Tennessee. Comparisons of quintiles and five wealthiest and poorest counties on key measures were performed using the independent t test. Results People living in the wealthiest quintile lived on average 2.5 to 4 years longer and had lower rates of all health behaviors and health outcomes investigated compared with those in the poorest quintile. This disparity was even more pronounced when comparing the wealthiest five counties to the poorest five. The five poorest counties, for example, had twice the years of potential life lost and were overwhelmingly rural in character, with similar accompanying disparities such as median income, high unemployment, and a more aged population. Conclusions This study highlights the fact that lower income is associated with significantly worse health outcomes in Tennessee and reinforces the importance of economic development, specifically, and addresses the social determinants, more generally, in helping to improve Tennessee's overall health statistics.
W. T. Stead: Nonconformist and Newspaper Prophet: by Stewart J. Brown, New York, Oxford University Press, 2019, xvi + 226 pp., US$40.00, ISBN 978 0 1988 3253 9

W. T. Stead (1849–1912) was one of those manically energetic Victorians whose improbable life story makes for fascinating, if slightly exhausting, reading. I, like many historians of religion, knew...
Methods for Calculation of Coronary Flow Reserve by Computer Processing of Digital Angiograms

Coronary arteriography is widely utilized to assess the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and to guide therapy in patients with coronary obstructions. However, the accuracy of conventional arteriography in accurately depicting the severity of CAD has been seriously questioned [1]. There is significant intra- and interobserver variability in the interpretation of coronary angiograms and several pathological studies have demonstrated that angiographic estimates of coronary obstruction do not necessarily correspond to subsequent pathological examination [2, 3].
A novel method for quantifying femoral neck anteversion: A case study in extinct and extant sloths.

Extinct sloths represent a wide range of morphological, locomotor, and body size variation. Researchers have examined femoral neck angle in two dimensions to hypothesize locomotor behaviors in this group; however, this measure does not account for femoral neck anteversion. Here, we present a new method for quantifying femoral neck anteversion angle, in addition to femoral neck angle, to capture the 3D position of the femoral head/neck. Femora of extant (n = 21; Bradypus and Choloepus) and extinct (n = 49; Acratocnus, Megalocnus, Neocnus, and Parocnus) sloths were surface scanned and their surface models used to calculate three angles of femoral neck anteversion and femoral neck angle. Femoral neck anteversion was calculated as the angle between the femoral neck axis and the geometric axis of the femoral condyles (GA), the 35% cross section axis, and a trochanter axis. Femoral neck angle was calculated as the angle between the femoral neck and shaft axes. Genera were compared using ANOVAs with post hoc multiple comparisons for each angle. Femoral neck angle and femoral neck anteversion relative to the cross section were also analyzed. Significant differences among genera exist for all angles, (p < .001) but not all angles separate all genera. Femoral neck and anteversion angles typically yield different results, demonstrating the utility of analyzing both angles. The GA and cross section angles are highly correlated in sloths, with the exception of comparisons among Megalocnus, Parocnus, and Neocnus, suggesting morphological variation in the distal femur. While this method was applied to sloths, it has broad applicability to mammalian groups.
The COPII components Sec23 and Sec24 form isoform specific subcomplexes with Sec23D/E and Sec24C/D essential for tip growth

COPII, a coat of proteins that form vesicles on the ER, mediates vesicle traffic from the ER to the Golgi. In contrast to metazoans that have few genes encoding each COPII component, plants have expanded these gene families leading to the hypothesis that plant COPII has functionally diversified. Here, we analyzed the gene families encoding for the Sec23/24 heterodimer in the moss Physcomitrium (Physcomitrella) patens. In P. patens, Sec23 and Sec24 gene families are each comprised of seven genes. We discovered that Sec23D is functionally redundant with Sec23E and together they are essential for protonemal development. Sec23D is critical for secretion to the Golgi and the plasma membrane in tip growing protonemata. Sec23D preferentially associates with Sec24C/D, also essential for protonemata. In contrast, the remaining five Sec23 genes are dispensable for tip growth, but are redundant with Sec23D/E for gametophore formation. While Sec23A/B/C/F/G do not quantitatively affect Golgi secretion in protonemata, they do contribute to secretion to the plasma membrane. Furthermore, the three highly expressed Sec23 genes in protonemata, Sec23B/D/G form morphologically distinct ER exit sites. These data suggest that Sec23D/E form unique ER exit sites contributing to secretion that is essential for tip growing protonemata.
Prioritizing elective cardiovascular procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic: The cardiovascular medically necessary, time-sensitive procedure scorecard.

BACKGROUND: Following the surge of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, government regulations, and recommendations from professional societies have conditioned the resumption of elective surgical and cardiovascular (CV) procedures on having strategies to prioritize cases because of concerns regarding the availability of sufficient resources and the risk of COVID-19 transmission. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the use of a scoring system for standardized triage of elective CV procedures. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed records of patients scheduled for elective CV procedures that were prioritized ad hoc to be either performed or deferred when New Jersey state orders limited the performance of elective procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients in both groups were scored using our proposed CV medically necessary, time-sensitive (MeNTS) procedure scorecard, designed to stratify procedures based on a composite measure of hospital resource utilization, risk of COVID-19 exposure, and time sensitivity. RESULTS: A total of 109 scheduled elective procedures were either deferred (n = 58) or performed (n = 51). The median and mean cumulative CV MeNTS scores for the group of performed cases were significantly lower than for the deferred group (26 (interquartile range (IQR) 22-31) vs. 33 (IQR 28-39), p < .001, and 26.4 (SE 0.34) vs. 32.9 (SE 0.35), p < .001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The CV MeNTS procedure score was able to stratify elective cases that were either performed or deferred using an ad hoc strategy. Our findings suggest that the CV MeNTS procedure scorecard may be useful for the fair triage of elective CV cases during the time when available capacity may be limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Data Mining Based Reactive Power and Voltage Operation Assessment in Power Grid

The existing voltage and reactive power management regulations which mainly assess the voltage and power factor of power grid cannot reasonably evaluate the voltage and reactive power operation state of power grid. Therefore, the evaluation index of reactive power voltage of the power grid is proposed from the aspects of voltage weak node and voltage control capability, assessing the reactive voltage operating status of the power grid on a long-time scale, and combining the evaluation results of the proposed index system to provide effective decision support. The application of the proposed indexes and decision supports in China’s regional power grids, and verified the correctness and rationality of the proposed indexes. The proposed indexes could be available for refined management of voltage and reactive power operation.
Barriers and Facilitators to Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act by the Child Welfare System: Insights from Interviews with Disabled Parents, Child Welfare Workers, and Attorneys

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed thirty years ago with the promise of “equality of opportunity” for people with disabilities. Notwithstanding, a nascent body of scholarship indicates that parents with disabilities experience substantial and pervasive inequities within the child welfare system, and that the ADA is often disregarded or misapplied by child welfare agencies and courts. Yet, despite extensive legal and social science scholarship about child welfare system involvement among parents with disabilities, no studies have empirically examined why the ADA is not effectively safeguarding the rights of parents with disabilities. This Article responds to that scholarly void and offers novel and critically needed data on the barriers and facilitators to compliance with the ADA by the child welfare system. This Study draws qualitative data from forty-five in-depth interviews with parents with disabilities, child welfare workers, and parents’ attorneys. Three themes emerged from the data indicating barriers and facilitators that affect compliance with the ADA by the child welfare system. First, knowledge, training, and information about the ADA by parents with disabilities, child welfare workers, and legal professionals impede or enable ADA compliance. Second, institutional support—especially well-defined agency policies and procedures about the ADA, agency culture and leadership, and resource availability—impact compliance with the ADA. Third, factors related to the legal and social context in which cases involving disabled parents occur—particularly tensions between children’s rights and parents’ rights and issues relating to the intersection between disability and child welfare law—are barriers or facilitators to ADA compliance. This Article concludes by identifying critical areas for further research and discussing the policy and practice implications of the findings.
Transformed-Linear Models for Time Series Extremes.

In order to capture the dependence in the upper tail of a time series, we develop non-negative regularly-varying time series models that are constructed similarly to classical non-extreme ARMA models. We first investigate consistency requirements among the finite-dimensional collections of the elements of a regularly-varying time series. We define the tail pairwise dependence function (TPDF) to quantify the extremal dependence between two elements of the regularly-varying time series, and use the TPDF to define the concept of weak tail stationarity for regularly varying time series. To develop our non-negative regularly varying ARMA-like time series models, we use transformed-linear operations. We show existence and stationarity of these models and develop their properties, such as the model TPDF's. Motivated by investigating conditions conducive to the spread of wildfires, we fit models to hourly windspeed data and find that the fitted transformed-linear models produce better estimates of upper tail quantities than alternative models.
Do Peers respond? Attendance and critical events

What motivates Peers to attend legislative sittings? Sitting attendance is a symbolic way for legislators to show citizens that they are being productive and hence is often explained by electoral motivations that Peers lack. I argue that Peers make decisions to attend sittings when critical events threaten their position in the legislature. Attending at these times—namely after scandals and House of Lords reform debates—is an attempt to counteract negative impressions about the House and its members. Other critical events that may impact elected legislators such as terrorist attacks and natural disasters should have no impact on Peers attendance. Using a newly compiled dataset on attendance and critical events, I show that Peers respond by increasing attendance only after House of Lords reform debates in either House; attendance after scandals, natural disasters, and terrorist attacks is unchanged. This suggests that Peers are responsive in only the most urgent cases: when they are in the spotlight and the future of the House is on the line. More broadly, I offer the first empirical investigation of symbolic responsiveness among unelected legislators and show that there are some situations where said legislators feel the need to respond.
Through the Guardianship Looking Glass: A Personal Perspective on Conflicting Commitments

The imposition of a guardianship exacts an extraordinary toll on both the life of the person subjected to the guardianship, curtailing fundamental freedoms and basic civil liberties, and the life of the guardian, redirecting to that guardian the overwhelming burden of taking on a decision‐making role that should ordinarily belong to another human being. This Article will examine the legal framework governing the decision-making role of a guardian and suggest that, while many guardianship statutes propose to compel a guardian to make decisions in line with the known desires of a ward, few guardianship statutes are flexible enough to account for wishes of wards that fall outside societal norms. Thus, while recognizing the delicate balance of individual safety and well being with the innate human interest in self‐determination, this Article posits that it is incumbent upon society to deeply examine the guardianship regime, its goals and the means by which it seeks to achieve them. It offers a discussion of guardianship law and suggests that states must offer greater support and guidance to guardians seeking to honor the desires of their wards while acting in compliance with decision‐making standards.
Investigating the Effects of Automated Driving Styles and Driver’s Driving Styles on Driver Trust, Acceptance, and Take Over Behaviors:

Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology has the potential to significantly improve driver safety. Unfortunately, driver could be reluctant to ride with AVs due to the lack of trust and acceptance of AV’...
Trait neuroticism does not relate to cardiovascular reactivity or habituation to repeated acute psychosocial stress.

Abstract Neuroticism has been associated with adverse cardiovascular health. Adverse cardiovascular health outcomes have also been linked to cardiovascular reactivity and cardiovascular reactivity habituation to acute psychosocial stress. As such, cardiovascular stress reactivity and habituation may be a factor in the association between neuroticism and disease risk. However, studies of the relationship between neuroticism and cardiovascular reactivity have produced mixed results. Moreover, the relationships between neuroticism, cardiovascular reactivity habituation, and general affect across a repeated stress paradigm have not been examined. The present study aimed to assess the relationships between neuroticism, positive and negative affect, and cardiovascular reactivity and habituation to acute psychosocial stress in a large, demographically diverse sample. Participants (N = 426) completed two 4-min mental arithmetic stressors, each with a separate baseline, in a single laboratory session while having discrete blood pressure and heart rate measurements taken. State positive and negative affect were measured immediately following informed consent, after receiving task instructions, and after each stress task. Trait neuroticism was measured using the Big Five Inventory. Each stress task elicited significant cardiovascular changes. Trait neuroticism was not significantly associated with cardiovascular reactivity or cardiovascular reactivity habituation, within or across stress tasks (all p's > 0.12). Across the entire study protocol, neuroticism was significantly related to lower positive affect and higher negative affect (both p's
YaNFD: Yet another named data networking forwarding daemon

We have developed YaNFD as a new software packet forwarder for NDN. YaNFD achieves compatibility with existing NDN applications and forwarders, as well as high throughput. YaNFD features multi-threaded forwarding, a smaller and more streamlined codebase compared to existing implementations, and can be managed using existing NDN forwarder management utilities and protocols. In this paper, we discuss our implementation, including how it differs from previous forwarders based upon lessons learned during their development and use over the span of multiple years. Additionally, we present the lessons learned from our experience developing a new forwarder for NDN from the ground up.
Simmel’s Soziologie in translation: A critical analysis:

Using illustrative passages and comparisons with previous partial translations, this paper reports some problems of accuracy and tone in the complete English translation of Georg Simmel’s sociologi...