cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Continuous Conditional Dependency Network for Structured Regression.

Structured regression on graphs aims to predict response variables from multiple nodes by discovering and exploiting the dependency structure among response variables. This problem is challenging since dependencies among response variables are always unknown, and the associated prior knowledge is non-symmetric. In previous studies, various promising solutions were proposed to improve structured regression by utilizing symmetric prior knowledge, learning sparse dependency structure among response variables, or learning representations of attributes of multiple nodes. However, none of them are capable of efficiently learning dependency structure while incorporating non-symmetric prior knowledge. To achieve these objectives, we proposed Continuous Conditional Dependency Network (CCDN) for structured regression. The intuitive idea behind this model is that each response variable is not only dependent on attributes from the same node, but also on response variables from all other nodes. This results in a joint modeling of local conditional probabilities. The parameter learning is formulated as a convex optimization problem and an effective sampling algorithm is proposed for inference. CCDN is flexible in absorbing non-symmetric prior knowledge. The performance of CCDN on multiple datasets provides evidence of its structure recovery ability and superior effectiveness and efficiency as compared to the state-of-the-art alternatives.
Early response of ground layer plant communities to wildfire and harvesting disturbance in forested peatland ecosystems in northern Minnesota, USA

Abstract A rare, stand-replacing fire in northern Minnesota, USA provided the opportunity to compare the effects of wildfire and timber harvesting in two peatland forest communities, nutrient-poor black spruce (Picea mariana) bogs (BSB) and nutrient-rich tamarack (Larix laricina) swamps (RTS). We found the response between the two communities and their corresponding vegetation to be highly sensitive to different types and severity of disturbance, ranging from modest shifts in ground layer vascular plants and bryophyte species abundance, to wholesale plant community transformation resulting from the removal of the upper peat surface. Fire had a positive influence on black spruce regeneration within BSB sites, particularly areas experiencing lower levels of fire severity, with seedling densities significantly higher than harvest and control areas. Our results also suggest that ecosystem recovery will be rapid after low-severity fire in these areas, given that localized areas of peat combustion created suitable microsites for black spruce seedling establishment ensuring this species will remain a component of the post-fire communities. In contrast, tamarack regeneration was only documented in harvested RTS sites. For BSB, there was spatial heterogeneity in peat consumption as a result of fire behavior interacting with varying moisture conditions throughout peat hummocks and hollows. Light to moderate burning created suitable black spruce seedbeds by reducing cover of Sphagnum moss and the dominant ericaceous shrub Rhododendron groenlandicum, and increasing the cover of pioneering mosses, such as Polytrichum strictum. In RTS sites, fire typically consumed the entire upper peat surface, resulting in homogenization of community composition and retrogression towards marsh-like conditions dominated by cattails (Typha spp.). These findings underscore the importance of accounting for post-fire microsite heterogeneity when developing silvicultural systems for emulating natural disturbance processes in conifer forests with a naturally accumulated surface peat layer. In addition, the state shifts observed in areas experiencing high severity fire suggest that increases in fire frequency and severity may create significant challenges to maintaining forested conditions in these areas, particularly in RTS.
Interethnic Differences in Serum Lipids and Implications for Cardiometabolic Disease Risk in African Ancestry Populations

African Americans generally have a healthier lipid profile (lower triglycerides and higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration) compared with those of other ethnicities. Paradoxically, African Americans do not experience a decreased risk of the cardiometabolic diseases that serum lipids are expected to predict. This review explores this mismatch between biomarker and disease among African ancestry individuals by investigating the presence of interethnic differences in the biological relationships underlying the serum lipids-disease association. This review also discusses the physiologic and genomic factors underlying these interethnic differences. Additionally, because of the importance of serum lipids in assessing disease risk, interethnic differences in serum lipids have implications for identifying African ancestry individuals at risk of cardiometabolic disease. Where possible, data from Africa is included, to further elucidate these ancestral differences in the context of a different environmental background.
Women Students’ Interactions with Faculty and Exposure to Good Teaching at Colleges and Universities with Varying Histories of Admitting Women

This study considers how institutional histories of admitting women are associated with present college experiences, and uses data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education to compare the experiences of women at women’s colleges or former women’s colleges to those of women at former men’s colleges and colleges that have always been coeducational. Results indicate that women attending former men’s colleges and colleges that have always been coeducational seem to experience similar or greater frequency and quality of student–faculty interaction and exposure to good teaching practices, compared to women attending women’s or former women’s colleges. Results also suggest that considering the gender enrollment histories of colleges and universities may provide valuable context for evaluating the experiences of women at women’s colleges and coeducational institutions.
3D printed multilayer mm-wave dielectric rod antenna with enhanced gain

A multilayer dielectric rod antenna (DRA) design is proposed for mm-wave applications. The multilayer DRA is formed by a medium permittivity dielectric rod core encased by a low permittivity cladding to increase the peak gain. The antenna is fabricated using fused deposition modeling (FDM) of two thermoplastics; a ceramic composite material for the core and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) for the cladding. The antenna performance is measured from 30 to 40 GHz and the results are validated using numerical simulations. The peak gain of the multilayer antenna is over 22 dBi for the entire frequency range. The effect of the cladding on the antenna performance is to increase the gain by 3–8.5 dB, with a reduction in the half power beamwidth of 22 degrees at the center frequency. The multilayer DRA design offers high gain performance, scalability to other frequency ranges and low-cost fabrication.
Persons with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Have Decreased Natural Killer Cell and Increased Toll-Like Receptor/Inflammatory Gene Expression.

Abstract Infections are the leading cause of death for individuals with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Along with increased infection rates, inflammation is often also observed in persons with chronic SCI. Together, immunological changes post-SCI are also poised to impede neurological recovery and mediate common medical consequences of SCI, including atherogenesis and neuropathic pain. The molecular mechanisms contributing to increased infection susceptibility and inflammation in persons living with SCI are poorly understood. Here, we used tools of functional genomics to perform a pilot study to compare whole-blood gene expression in individuals with chronic SCI (≥1 year from initial injury; N = 31) and uninjured individuals (N = 26). We identified 1815 differentially expressed genes in all SCI participants and 2226 differentially expressed genes in persons with SCI rostral to thoracic level 5, compared to uninjured participants. This included marked downregulation of natural killer cell genes and up...
Case-study analysis of apparent color for camouflage fabrics

Advanced combat uniforms with multiple tonal (blended) colors and highly detailed camouflage patterning require additional test methodologies for color evaluation. Here the apparent color, which is the combination of all visible wavelengths (380-700 nm) of light reflected from large (≥1m 2 ) fabric sample sizes for a given standoff distance (25-100 ft), is evaluated as a potential test method. Camouflage patterns lose resolution with increasing standoff distance, and eventually all colors within the pattern appear monotone (the “apparent color” of the camouflage pattern). This paper presents a case-study analysis using apparent color for the purpose of model development relevant to evaluating color in camouflage fabrics.
Newtonian Analysis of a Folded Chain Drop

Consider a chain of length L that hangs in a U shape with end A fixed to a rigid support and free end E released from rest starting from the same initial height (call it y = 0) as A. Figure 1 sketches the chain after end E has fallen a distance y. Points O and A are assumed to be close enough to each other and the chain flexible enough that the radius of curvature r at the bottom point C can be taken to be negligibly small (compared to the length of the chain). The problem is to compare the speed of descent v(y) = dy/dt of the free end E of the chain to the speed vfree(y)=2gy of a free-falling point mass that has descended the same distance y. If v(y) > vfree (y) for all y > 0, then, in a race to fall any arbitrary distance Y (where 0 < Y < L), the chain end E will always beat a simultaneously released point mass, because the fall time t for E will be shorter than tfree for the point mass, t=∫0Ydyv(y)<tfree=∫0Ydyvfree(y).(1) Experimentally, this outcome of the race is observed in a “Veritasium” video.
Applications and Limitations of the Drug Discrimination Method for the Study Of Drug Abuse

This paper describes the advantages and disadvantages of drug discrimination (DD) procedures as methods for obtaining information about the properties of drugs that underlie drug abuse. The paper (1) describes the DD behavioral procedures that are available, (2) enumerates the properties of these procedures that are advantageous for the study of drug effects that cause drug abuse, (3) summarizes properties of DD procedures that are disadvantageous for the study of preclinical psychopharmacology in general and of drug abuse in particular, (4) discusses the face validity of DD procedures, (5) reviews evidence supporting the idea that “sensory” or subjective effects of drugs mediate the formation of DDs, (6) reviews evidence that is not supportive of this explanation for DDs, and (7) describes the types of studies relevant to drug abuse that can be conducted with DD procedures.
Mapping the universe of registered reports

Registered reports present a substantial departure from traditional publishing models with the goal of enhancing the transparency and credibility of the scientific literature. We map the evolving universe of registered reports to assess their growth, implementation and shortcomings at journals across scientific disciplines.
Nonlinear Properties of the Peripheral Auditory System of Anurans

The vertebrate ear is highly nonlinear. This is rather surprising since its vibrational amplitudes are so minute in response to normal sound pressures. Generally, one might expect a stable mechanical system to respond linearly when disturbed slightly from its resting state. Thus the nonlinear properties of the peripheral auditory system are of considerable interest inasmuch as they can provide valuable insight into the underlying transduction process in the ear. The two most prominent nonlinear properties are inter-modulation distortion and two-tone suppression. Their characteristics have been studied extensively in the mammalian auditory system by a number of investigators. To provide a comparative view, a series of electrophysiological experiments were conducted in order to determine the nonlinear behavior of the anuran’s peripheral auditory system. The results have interesting implications regarding the origin of nonlinearities, as well as the mechanical basis for frequency analysis, in the vertebrate inner ear in general. Before presenting these findings, several relevant studies of nonlinearities in the mammalian auditory system are summarized, followed by a brief review of the anatomy of the anuran’s ear.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Depression

Is there an association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and depression? OSA is a common breathing-related sleep disorder. There have been reports that depressive symptoms can be associated with this sleep disorder. A number of investigations have addressed this issue. Although some have found no correlation, most studies have concluded that there is an association between OSA and depressive symptoms. Other investigations have shown that depressive symptoms improve with treatment of OSA, and that untreated OSA may contribute to treatment resistance in some cases of mood disorders. Within the framework of current psychiatric diagnostic criteria, the depressive symptoms associated with OSA can be viewed as a combination of a mood disorder secondary to a primary medical condition and an adjustment disorder with depressed mood. The question of whether OSA causes depressive symptoms can perhaps be best answered by viewing OSA and depression as having certain symptoms that are common to both disorders.
The Development and Failures of the Empirical Literature on the Demand for Money

It is quite likely that no subject has attracted more attention, consumed more pages in economic journals, nor resulted in more mining and remining of the same data sets as the search for a satisfactory empirical representation of the demand function for real balances. The high point in this effort was realized in the early 1970s when, in summarizing the literature to that date, Boorman (1976) could claim: “The first and most important result of this survey is that the evidence supporting the existence of a reasonably stable demand for money function would seem to be overwhelming. This is true both of long-term evidence covering the last seventy years or so and of the evidence from the postwar period until 1973. Second, and perhaps next in importance for the conduct of monetary policy, the vast majority of this same evidence supports the hypothesis that the nominal interest rate plays a significant role in the determination of the public’s desired money balances has been fairly narrowly circumscribed, with the best possible results suggesting an elasticity of about - 0.2 for the short rate and approximately - 0.7 for the long rate.” (p. 356)
Salinity from NaCl changes the nutrient and polyphenolic composition of basil leaves

Abstract Decreasing availability and rising costs of high quality water for irrigation, results in more frequent use of saline water sources in many crop production systems. The effect of salinity on biomass yield has been the focus of most salinity studies with basil, and a few studies have reported how salinity influences basil polyphenolic composition. Two basil cultivars [Ocimum basilicum L. ‘Sweet Broadleaf’ (SB) and ‘Siam Queen’ (SQ)] were grown hydroponically for 71 d with four different concentrations of NaCl (no NaCl, Low, Moderate, and High) to determine whether the phenolic and elemental composition of leaves is altered by salinity. Salinity in the hydroponic solution reached as high as 20 dS m-1 at the highest NaCl level. Salinity had no influence on leaf color or plant mortality and minimal leaf necrosis occurred during the experiment. Compared with controls, NaCl decreased leaf biomass only at the highest salinity level. Salinity increased K concentrations in leaves, and plants generally excluded Na from leaves except at the highest NaCl level. Levels of salinity that altered basil leaf polyphenolic and nutrient composition were lower than those that influenced yield (leaf biomass). In both cultivars, salinity increased leaf concentrations of certain caffeic acid derivatives, caftaric acid, cinnamyl malic acid, and feruloyl tartaric acid and decreased concentrations of chicoric acid. In SB, salinity increased leaf concentrations of the two of the major polyphenolics in basil leaves, quercetin-rutinoside and rosmarinic acid. In contrast, salinity decreased concentrations of rosmarinic acid in SQ leaves. Effects of salinity on leaf concentrations of elements other than Na, Cl, K, and Mg, were not directly related to effects of salinity on polyphenolics. Salinity levels that do not influence biomass yield in basil may negatively impact yield of certain polyphenolics important to quality.
Inhibition of cell-mediated cytotoxicity by Corynebacterium parvum: Influence of dose and route of administration

We investigated the effect of altering dose and route of Corynebacterium parvum (C. parvum) administration on the adjuvant's inhibition of cell-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC). Primary in vivo and secondary in vitro CMC of C57B1/6 mice alloimmunized to P815 were depressed if C. parvum was administered systemically (IV or IP) but not when it was given SC. Similarly, only systemic C. parvum generated cells capable of suppressing in vitro CMC. Primary and secondary CMC in spleen was equally inhibited by 700 and 70 μg, whereas suppressor cell activity was marked with 700 μg and minimal with 70 μg. Administration of C. parvum SC admixed with alloantigen resulted in early enhancement and late depression of primary CMC. Secondary CMC was depressed but suppressor activity was absent. Dissociation of CMC depression from suppressor cell generation indicates that these phenomena can be separated under certain conditions.
HYPOTENSIVE RESPONSE DURING DOBUTAMINE STRESS ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING ORTHOTOPIC LIVER TRANSPLANTATION IS PREDICTIVE OF LONG-TERM MORTALITY

In exercise stress tests, a severe hypotensive response (SHR) is a predictor of poor outcomes. Hypotension during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) has not been shown to predict adverse outcomes in the general population. However, whether SHR during DSE is predictive in patients undergoing
Video Streaming Licenses: Using a Decision Tree and Workflow Chart

This paper documents the results of a three-year process at a university library to develop a workflow for acquiring streaming video for use in face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses. The authors of this paper created two tools that guide their library in acquiring streaming video: the Streaming Resources Decision Tree (SRDT) and the Streaming Video Workflow Chart (SVWC). This paper describes the SRDT in depth, and the SVWC in brief. This paper describes the legal rationale behind the SRDT, which explores the limits of the right to fair use in U.S. copyright law.
An Examination of Consumers’ Subjective Views that Affect the Favorability of Organizational Logos: An Exploratory Study Using Q Methodology

This study used Q methodology to uncover the different perspectives that exist regarding the factors that affect the favorability of organizational logos. Studies that have examined the factors that influence consumers’ attitudes toward logos have largely used traditional research methods based on measures that have been prespecified by the researcher(s). Q methodology takes a fundamentally different approach—it is a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative aspects of research that allows participants to speak for themselves. In this study, we used unstructured sampling of 50 logos and had 40 participants rank-order the logos from “most appealing” (+ 5) to “most unappealing” (− 5). Three different perspectives emerged from the correlation and factor analysis. The first group preferred logos with bright colors, the second group thought logos with living creatures were appealing, and the third group was attracted to logos evoking a sense of movement. The findings and implications of this Q methodology study can help managers develop more effective communication strategies using organizational logos.
“Imagine That—A Wildcat at Biomed!” Organizational Justice and the Anatomy of a Wildcat Strike at a Nonunion Medical Electronics Factory

Although the occurrences of wildcat strikes are inextricably linked to violations of organizational justice, only a minimal amount has been written with respect to the relationship between the occurrence of organizational injustice and the presence of employee collective action. And while research on wildcat strikes in unionized settings is fairly extensive, there has virtually been no treatment of nonunion wildcat strikes in the scholarly literature. This paper presents an industrial ethnographic account of a nonunion wildcat strike in terms of analyzing the conditions and process under which a breakdown in organizational justice leads to employee collective action. In analyzing this nonunion wildcat strike, Sheppard, Lewicki, and Minton's seven propositions are utilized to understand the conditions under which a breakdown of organizational justice increases the likelihood of the occurrence of employee collective action (Sheppard, B. H., Lewicki, R. J., & Minton, J. W. Organizational Justice: The Search for Fairness in the Workplace. New York: Lexington Books, 1992). The paper concludes with a discussion of an inexpensive human resource management practice that can be implemented for achieving some type of organizational justice in order to minimize the occurrence of nonunion wildcat strikes.
Meeting the discipline challenge: Capacity-building youth-adult leadership

Because misbehavior in schools is often instigated by a confluence of organizational features, the purpose of this research was to understand what Youth Court reveals about the causes of in-school conflicts and to what extent its processes help to address them. This multi-site qualitative case study collected data in the form of observations, documents, semi-structured and focus group interviews in order to explore Youth Court processes and outcomes. Double-loop learning was used to describe the extent and quality of dialogue and interventions. The research questions were: Does Youth Court facilitate double-loop learning? What contributing variables influencing student misbehavior does this discourse reveal? What is the impact of this discourse on school policies and practices? Youth Court surfaces vital information about students, teachers, classrooms, and school-wide policy necessary to inform the development or adaptation of discipline policies and practices; in some cases, that information became a catalyst for changes in classroom and school-wide policies and practices. Youth Court helped to address individual instances of misbehavior with interventions that were restorative rather than punitive. And yet, the greater benefits of Youth Court, namely improvements to a school’s culture and climate, were not necessarily fully realized because Youth Court activity and other school processes and structures are not formally linked. Further research using linkage theory would help to unpack why successes in Youth Court did and did not spread to other areas of school.
What’s God Got to Do With It?

In 1633, the Tuscan scientist Galileo Galilei was brought before the Roman Inquisition to be tried for heresy. Galileo’s crime was publishing an account of heliocentricism, the concept that the Earth is neither the center of the universe nor is it fixed in place, both of which are contrary to scripture. He was pronounced guilty and condemned to house arrest for the remainder of his life.
Etiology and Outcomes of Spinal Cord Infarct: A Case Series From a Level 1 Trauma Center.

Study Design:Retrospective study.Objectives:To evaluate the demographics, prevalence, etiology, severity, and outcomes of spinal cord injuries (SCIs) resulting from ischemic infarction.Methods:All ...
Cross-scale interactions and non-native cattails influence the distributions of a wetland-obligate species

Landscape configuration and composition can influence the spatial distribution of species. Cross-scale interactions may exist when multiscale effects interplay to shape species’ distribution patterns. We investigated how the spatial distribution of a semiaquatic mammal, muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), is influenced by local-scale resource characteristics. We also assessed how fetch, the unobstructed distance wind can travel across water, influences fine-scale habitat use by muskrats. We used 2 years of presence-absence surveys (2015–2016) at 71 wetland sites to evaluate the spatial distribution of muskrats in a lacustrine system in Minnesota, USA. We expected site occupancy and colonization to be positively associated with the amount of Typha x glauca (a rapidly establishing invasive hybrid cattail species) at sites, and negatively associated with fetch impact, water depths, and open water areas. As expected, sites with greater coverage of T. x glauca, shallower water depths, and less open water had greater initial occupancy probabilities. Muskrats were more likely to colonize fetch-impacted sites if there were also greater coverages of T. x glauca present. The distribution and intensity of fetch, dictated by the watershed-scale configuration of upland landscapes, influenced site colonization by muskrats. Our results suggest that this landscape-scale effect is mediated by the amount of T. x glauca present at much finer scales. This cross-scale interaction may facilitate distribution expansions of wetland-obligate species into otherwise unsuitable habitats.
Estimating cost implications of potentially avoidable hospitalizations among Oncology Care Model patients with prostate cancer.

Abstract Purpose/Objectives We sought to estimate the expected cost savings generated if a set of potentially avoidable hospitalizations (PAHs) among oncology care model (OCM) patients with prostate cancer were shifted to an acute care model in the outpatient setting. Methods We previously identified a set of 28 PAHs among OCM prostate cancer patients. Outpatient management costs for a characteristically similar cohort of cancer patients were obtained from our institution’s ambulatory acute-care Oncology Care Unit (OCU). We excluded OCU visits resulting in hospitalization, involving non-cancer diagnoses, and those missing clinical/financial information. Exact-matching based on the strata of age, categorically-defined presenting complaint, and systemic disease was used to match PAHs to OCU acute care visits. PAH costs obtained from OCM data were compared to costs from matched OCU visits. Results We identified 130 acute care OCU visits, of which 47 met inclusion criteria. Twenty-four PAHs (89%) matched to 26 of these OCU visits. PAHs accounted for 5.8% of OCM expenditures during our study period. The mean inpatient cost among matched PAHs was $15,885 compared to $6227 for matched OCU visits. Boot strapping within each match stratum produced a mean estimated cost savings of $12,151 (95% CI $10,488 to $13,814) per PAH. We estimate this per event savings to yield a 4.4% (95% CI 3.8% to 5.0%) an overall spending decrement for OCM prostate cancer episodes. Conclusions PAHs contribute meaningfully to costs of care in oncology. Investment in specialized ambulatory acute care services for oncology patients could lead to substantial cost savings.
Ultrahigh capacitive energy density in ion-bombarded relaxor ferroelectric films

Dielectric capacitors can store and release electric energy at ultrafast rates and are extensively studied for applications in electronics and electric power systems. Among various candidates, thin films based on relaxor ferroelectrics, a special kind of ferroelectric with nanometer-sized domains, have attracted special attention because of their high energy densities and efficiencies. We show that high-energy ion bombardment improves the energy storage performance of relaxor ferroelectric thin films. Intrinsic point defects created by ion bombardment reduce leakage, delay low-field polarization saturation, enhance high-field polarizability, and improve breakdown strength. We demonstrate energy storage densities as high as ~133 joules per cubic centimeter with efficiencies exceeding 75%. Deterministic control of defects by means of postsynthesis processing methods such as ion bombardment can be used to overcome the trade-off between high polarizability and breakdown strength.
Omega-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Intake by Ethnicity, Income, and Education Level in the United States: NHANES 2003-2014.

Although there are many recognized health benefits for the consumption of omega-3 (n-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), intake in the United States remains below recommended amounts. This analysis was designed to provide an updated assessment of fish and n-3 LCPUFA intake (eicosapentaenoic (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and EPA+DHA) in the United States adult population, based on education, income, and race/ethnicity, using data from the 2003-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (n = 44,585). Over this survey period, participants with less education and lower income had significantly lower n-3 LCPUFA intakes and fish intakes (p < 0.001 for all between group comparisons). N-3 LCPUFA intake differed significantly according to ethnicity (p < 0.001), with the highest intake of n-3 LCPUFA and fish in individuals in the “Other” category (including Asian Americans). Supplement use increased EPA + DHA intake, but only 7.4% of individuals consistently took supplements. Overall, n-3 LCPUFA intake in this study population was low, but our findings indicate that individuals with lower educational attainment and income are at even higher risk of lower n-3 LCPUFA and fish intake.
Dual regulation of planar polarization by secreted Wnts and Vangl2 in the developing mouse cochlea.

Planar cell polarity (PCP) proteins localize asymmetrically to instruct cell polarity within the tissue plane, with defects leading to deformities of the limbs, neural tube, and inner ear. Wnt proteins are evolutionarily conserved polarity cues, yet Wnt mutants display variable PCP defects, thus how Wnts regulate PCP remains unresolved. Here, we used the developing cochlea as a model system to show that secreted Wnts regulate PCP through polarizing a specific subset of PCP proteins. Conditional deletion of Wntless or Porcupine, both essential for secretion of Wnts, caused misrotated sensory cells and shortened cochlea-both hallmarks of PCP defects. Wntless-deficient cochleae lacked the polarized PCP components Dishevelled1/2 and Frizzled3/6, while other PCP proteins (Vangl1/2, Celsr1, Dishevelled3) remained localized. We identified seven Wnt paralogues, including the major PCP regulator Wnt5a, which was surprisingly dispensable for planar polarization in the cochlea. Finally, Vangl2 haploinsufficiency markedly accentuated sensory cell polarization defects in Wntless-deficient cochlea. Together, our study indicates that secreted Wnts and Vangl2 coordinate to ensure proper tissue polarization during development.
The Benefit of Distraction: Denoising Remote Vitals Measurements Using Inverse Attention

Attention is a powerful concept in computer vision. End-to-end networks that learn to focus selectively on regions of an image or video often perform strongly. However, other image regions, while not necessarily containing the signal of interest, may contain useful context. We present an approach that exploits the idea that statistics of noise may be shared between the regions that contain the signal of interest and those that do not. Our technique uses the inverse of an attention mask to generate a noise estimate that is then used to denoise temporal observations. We apply this to the task of camera-based physiological measurement. A convolutional attention network is used to learn which regions of a video contain the physiological signal and generate a preliminary estimate. A noise estimate is obtained by using the pixel intensities in the inverse regions of the learned attention mask, this in turn is used to refine the estimate of the physiological signal. We perform experiments on two large benchmark datasets and show that this approach produces state-of-the-art results, increasing the signal-to-noise ratio by up to 5.8 dB, reducing heart rate and breathing rate estimation error by as much as 30%, recovering subtle pulse waveform dynamics, and generalizing from RGB to NIR videos without retraining.
Outcomes of Very Preterm Infants Conceived with Assisted Reproductive Technologies

Objective To compare mortality and early respiratory outcomes of very preterm infants conceived via assisted reproductive technology (ART) vs spontaneously. Study design We identified inborn infants (July 2014-July 2019) with gestational age Results Women who conceived via ART had increased rates of prepregnancy and gestational diabetes, and no differences in rates of hypertensive disorders. Infant 1-year mortality was not different by mode of conception (ART 11.8% vs spontaneous 7.1%, P = .49). Infants conceived by ART were less likely to receive respiratory support or supplemental oxygen at all time points, but this relationship only reached significance for receipt of oxygen at 28 days (ART 20.8% vs spontaneous 39.0%, P = .03); this remained true after adjustment for race/ethnicity and socioeconomic index. Conclusions When controlling for gestational age and multiple gestation status, very preterm infants conceived following ART had similar outcomes as those conceived spontaneously.
Single pot catalyst strategy to branched products via adhesive isomerization and hydrocracking of polyethylene over platinum tungstated zirconia

Abstract Hydrocracking is an insufficiently explored route for chemical recycling of plastics waste. Platinum tungstated zirconia (Pt-WZr) was used in a batch reactor at low temperatures of 250 °C and 30 bar H2 pressure for 1−24 h reaction times using low-density polyethylene (LDPE, Mw∼76 kDa). We find Pt-WZr is a bifunctional catalyst for LDPE hydrocracking leading to higher value branched fuel- and lubricant-ranged alkanes. We demonstrate that the catalyst metal-to-acid site molar ratio (MAB) shifts the product distribution to larger cracked products and increases the isomerization degree in the residual polymer. We propose a new adhesive isomerization mechanism between the metal and Bronsted acid sites in parallel with slow polymer chain cracking, caused by competitive adsorption of the polymer over the liquid products and stereochemical hindrance of methines. This study provides a blueprint on how to engineer effective catalysts for hydrocracking polyolefin plastic wastes using the MAB as a catalyst descriptor.
Characterization of DREADD receptor expression and function in rhesus macaques trained to discriminate ethanol.

Circuit manipulation has been a staple technique in neuroscience to identify how the brain functions to control complex behaviors. Chemogenetics, including designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs), have proven to be a powerful tool for the reversible modulation of discrete brain circuitry without the need for implantable devices, thereby making them especially useful in awake and unrestrained animals. This study used a DREADD approach to query the role of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in mediating the interoceptive effects of 1.0 g/kg ethanol (i.g.) in rhesus monkeys (n = 7) using a drug discrimination procedure. After training, stereotaxic surgery was performed to introduce an AAV carrying the human muscarinic 4 receptor DREADD (hM4Di) bilaterally into the NAc. The hypothesis was that decreasing the output of the NAc by activation of hM4Di with the DREADD actuator, clozapine-n-oxide (CNO), would potentiate the discriminative stimulus effect of ethanol (i.e., a leftward shift the ethanol dose discrimination curve). The results showed individual variability shifts of the ethanol dose-response determination under DREADD activation. Characterization of the expression and function of hM4Di with MRI, immunohistochemical, and electrophysiological techniques found the selectivity of NAc transduction was proportional to behavioral effect. Specifically, the proportion of hM4Di expression restricted to the NAc was associated with the potency of the discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol. Together, these experiments highlight the NAc in mediating the interoceptive effects of ethanol, provide a framework for validation of chemogenetic tools in primates, and underscore the importance of robust within-subjects examination of DREADD expression for interpretation of behavioral findings.
A Metal-Free, Photocatalytic Method for Aerobic Alkane Iodination.

Halogenation is an important alkane functionalization strategy, but O2 is widely considered the most desirable terminal oxidant. Here, the aerobic iodination of alkanes, including methane, was performed using catalytic [nBu4N]Cl and light irradiation (390 nm). Up to 10 turnovers of CH3I were obtained from CH4 and air, using a stop-flow microtubing system. Mechanistic studies using cyclohexane as the substrate revealed important details about the iodination reaction. Iodine (I2) serves multiple roles in the catalysis: (1) as the alkyl radical trap, (2) as a precursor for the light absorber, and (3) as a mediator of aerobic oxidation. The alkane activation is attributed to Cl• derived from photofragmentation of the electron donor-acceptor complex of I2 and Cl-. The kinetic profile of cyclohexane iodination showed that aerobic oxidation of I3- to produce I2 in CH3CN is turnover-limiting.
ACOUSTIC EMISSION MONITORING OF SEEPAGE

This technical note is presented with the goal in mind of showing the technical feasibility of the method and of quantifying certain aspects of AE monitoring of seepage of water through soil. The work is a laboratory study in which both clear water and turbid water were passed through a column of soil at various flow velocities. Flow rates are AE rates from these laboratory test are then compared to a previously-conducted field study at the site of reservoir leakage beneath a small earth dam.
Analysis of Local Void Coefficients of Reactivity in the Reduced-Moderation BWR

An expression is derived for attributing the reactivity response due to perturbations to spectral, spatial, and isotopic effects. It is shown to be consistent at a global level with similar express...
Exemplar S-and X-Class: 2nd Generation of High-Performance Systems with a Global Shared Memory Architecture

The Exemplar Technical Servers from Hewlett-Packard address major computing challenges like compute, file, product data management, storage and intranet applications, and range from the entry-level D-Class systems to the high-end X-Class supercomputing level systems. This article focuses on the architecture and the system software of a new generation of parallel high-end systems: the S- and X-Class.
Chapter 7 Potassium Recycling

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the evidence for potassium (K) recycling and discusses a role of recycling in the regulation of urinary K excretion. K excretion is governed primarily by the regulation of K secretion in the distal nephron and collecting duct in accordance with the classic model. The chapter explains that renal K transport is a more complex process involving functional heterogeneity between the superficial and juxtamedullary nephron and among successive segments of the same nephron. From analysis of the mass flow of K along the superficial and juxtamedullary nephrons, the K is recycled in the medulla; that is, K is reabsorbed from the outer medullary collecting duct (and normally also from the thick ascending limb) and secreted into the pars recta and thin descending limb of Henle's loop.The recycling of K inhibits NaCl reabsorption in the medullary thick ascending limb and the increased NaCl delivery (perhaps primarily in the juxtamedullary nephron) stimulates the secretion of K in the cortical collecting tubule. The medullary recycling of K initiates a positive feedback, which accelerates the excretion of an acute K load.
Differential biological activity of quercetin-3-sulfate in normal and cancerous human breast cells

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 45, 2004 1377 It is known that the sulfate metabolites of estrogens and bioflavoniods have relatively long half-lives and could still exert biological functions following their metabolic desulfation. Recent studies by us and others have shown that cultured human cells appear to have the ability to re-uptake sulfated estrogens and bioflavonoids. In the present study, we used quercetin and quercetin-3-sulfate as model compounds to probe the roles of cellular transporter activity and metabolic desulfation in modulating the actions of drug sulfates in human mammary cells. Experimentally, since quercetin is a growth inhibitor whereas quercetin-3-sulfate is inactive (unless desulfated), we thus have chosen to measure cell growth as a reliable parameter for their biologic activity. Our data showed that quercetin inhibited growth of normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs) and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The IC50 values for quercetin in inhibiting the growth of HMECs and MDA-MB-231 cells were ∼20 and 50 uM, respectively. Quercetin also showed a higher efficacy in inhibiting the growth of HMECs than the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells. Interestingly, quercetin-3-sulfate, when tested under the same experimental conditions, displayed exactly the opposite potency and efficacy in inhibiting the growth of these two human cell lines. As part of our continuing effort to search for the underlying mechanisms, we systematically analyzed the expression of genes encoding various organic anion transporters (OATs) and organic anion-transporting polypeptides (OATPs) by using the real time RT-PCR assay. Our data showed that a number of the transporters (such as OATP-B, D, and E) were expressed in HMECs and MDA-MB-231 cells, and their levels of expression did not appear to differ markedly. Although more studies are needed, the results of our present study, along with our other data on the sulfatase activity, suggest that cellular desulfation activity plays a more important role than the drug sulfate transporter activity in determining the biologic activities of various sulfated endobiotics, xenobiotics, as well as sulfated metabolites of anticancer drugs in human mammary cells. [Supported by Special Coordination Funds from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of the Japanese government.]
Prosecution (is) Complex

Book review of "Prosecution Complex: America's Race to Convict and Its Impact on The Innocent" by Daniel S. Medwed
Impure AdS/CFT correspondence

We study momentum relaxation due to dilute, weak impurities in a strongly coupled CFT, a truncation of the M2 brane theory. Using the AdS/CFT correspondence, we compute the relaxation time scale as a function of the background magnetic field B and charge density {rho}. The theory admits two different types of impurities. We find that for magnetic impurities, momentum relaxation due to the impurity is suppressed by a background B or {rho}. For electric impurities, due to an underlying instability in the theory toward an ordered phase, the inverse relaxation time scale increases dramatically near {radical}(B{sup 2}+{rho}{sup 2}/{sigma}{sub 0}{sup 2}){approx}21T{sup 2}. We compute the Nernst response for the impure theory, and comment on similarities with recent measurements in superconductors.
The Endocrine Response to Critical Illness

The traditional view of the hormonal response to critical illness, including severe infection, trauma, and hemodynamic collapse, has described a ­singular set of changes. However, clinical research has uncovered two ­distinct sets of responses to severe illness: an acute response at the onset and a chronic response stimulated by the continuation of extreme stress.
Art, Dance, and Music Therapies

Art, dance, and music therapies comprise the helping professions known as the creative arts therapies. Although clinical psychologists, counselors, and other mental health and medical professionals can integrate the creative arts into their work, the approaches also represent unique disciplines with distinct programs of study and professional recognition. Although there is a rich clinical literature describing creative arts interventions with a wide range of populations, scientific research on their efficacy is limited. The existing research consists mostly of uncontrolled pilot studies, and the few randomized trials that have been conducted are marked by methodological limitations that preclude conclusions regarding the specific effectiveness of these interventions. Keywords: children-s drawing; art therapy; coping; creative arts therapy; dance therapy; music therapy; therapy
A self-test methodology for restructurable WSI

Progress in Wafer Scale Integration (WSI) has brought the problems of system level testing into the semiconductor manufacturing arena. Full wafer testing is complicated by the reduced controllability and observability implicit at this level of integration. Under a DARPA sponsored microelectronics research project at the University of South Florida, several monolithic WSI designs are being developed. A Standard Test Interface (STI) is included on each cell or functional module of each design. It will provide support for built-in self-test, scan based test, boundary scan test, and ad hoc module testing schemes. In addition, use of the STI standard can reduce test complexity and cost because all cells on the wafer will be tested using a single probe card. The author's WSI Standard Test Interface is based upon the proposed IEEE P1149.1 test bus standard which has been derived from the JTAG standards. It represents an extended version of the JTAG Test Access Port, and allows for simultaneous initialization, as well as individual programmability, control, and testing of all chip sites in a WSI system. >
Replacement Planning: A Starting Point for Succession Planning and Talent Management.

Replacement planning is a process of identifying short-term or long-term backups so that organizations have people who can assume responsibility for critical positions during emergencies. Individuals identified as ‘replacements’ are not promised promotions; rather, they are prepared to the point where they can assume a critical position long enough for the organization's leaders to do a proper internal and external search for a permanent replacement. It should not be confused with succession planning, which focuses on developing a pool of people to consider for promotion, or talent management, which focuses on attracting, developing, deploying and retaining the best people. Using a case study approach, this article describes how one organization used replacement planning as a means to raise and consider important issues as a starting point for the eventual implementation of succession planning.
Spectral modeling for accelerated pH spectroscopy using EPR

A data modeling and processing method for electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)-based pH spectroscopy is presented. The proposed method models the EPR spectrum of a pH-sensitive probe in both protonated and unprotonated forms. Under slow-exchange conditions, the EPR spectrum of a sample with an unknown pH value can be accurately represented by a weighted sum of the two models, with the pH value completely determined by their relative weights. Unlike traditional pH spectroscopy, which relies on locating resonance peaks, the proposed modeling-based approach utilizes the information from the entire scan and hence leads to more accurate estimation of pH for a given acquisition time. By employing the proposed methodology, we expect a reduction in the pH estimation error by more than a factor of three, which represents an order of magnitude reduction in acquisition time compared to the traditional method.