cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the difficulty of modular reinforcement learning for real-world partial programming

In recent years there has been a great deal of interest in "modular reinforcement learning" (MRL). Typically, problems are decomposed into concurrent subgoals, allowing increased scalability and state abstraction. An arbitrator combines the subagents' preferences to select an action. In this work, we contrast treating an MRL agent as a set of subagents with the same goal with treating an MRL agent as a set of subagents who may have different, possibly conflicting goals. We argue that the latter is a more realistic description of real-world problems, especially when building partial programs. We address a range of algorithms for single-goal MRL, and leveraging social choice theory, we present an impossibility result for applications of such algorithms to multigoal MRL. We suggest an alternative formulation of arbitration as scheduling that avoids the assumptions of comparability of preference that are implicit in single-goal MRL. A notable feature of this formulation is the explicit codification of the tradeoffs between the subproblems. Finally, we introduce A2BL, a language that encapsulates many of these ideas.
Quantitative shape analysis of Eunotia pectinalis (Bacillariophyceae) and its application to seasonal distribution patterns

A quantitative shape analysis was performed on the filamentous diatom Eunotia peclinalis (O.F. Muller?) Rabenhorst. Populations were collected from two sites over four seasons. Valve shape features...
A hardware retargetable distributed layered architecture for mobile robot control

The MIT mobile robot project has adopted a layered approach to building robust control systems for autonomous mobile robots. We build a complete control system for a very simple task achieving behavior for our robots, then lay additional complete control systems on top of it to achieve higher level tasks. We have this architecture operational on three completely different types of hardware (a general purpose computer, a special purpose multi-processor, and processor-less logic network) and are now working on a fourth, by way of a special purpose silicon compiler for it. Exactly the same high level language specification files are used on three of these four architectures. The control architect is thus freed from even the most global considerations of the target architecture.
Sex Differences in Disposition Towards Kin, Security of Adult Attachment, and Sociosexuality as a Function of Parental Divorce

Abstract Parents who are not capable of producing high-quality children tend to invest more in daughters. When parents divorce, the investment per offspring inevitably declines. It was predicted that parental divorce would result in development of more manipulative, less altruistic interpersonal attitudes—except for the relationship between daughters and kin. It also was predicted that parental divorce would produce insecurity in adult relationships, lower academic performance, and increased sexuality. Students ( N = 139) provided family demographics and personal information including American College Test score and grade-point average (GPA). They completed questionnaires measuring adult security of attachment, helping attitudes, Machiavellianism, and sexual restrictedness (sociosexuality [SOI]). Children of divorce had increased SOI scores, were less helpful, and had lower GPAs. Women whose parents had divorced were more Machiavellian towards people in general but not towards relatives, as predicted. Parental divorce was associated with reduced probability of being securely attached for women but not for men. Results indicate the need for more precise theory making different predictions for men and women.
Method and software for extracting fuzzy classification rules by subtractive clustering

We present a fast and robust method for extracting fuzzy classification rules from data. The method uses subtractive clustering to obtain the initial rules; the rule parameters are then optimized by using an efficient gradient-descent algorithm. We also describe a user-friendly Apple Macintosh software package called RIFLEX (Rockwell International Fuzzy Logic EXplorer), in which this rule extraction method has been implemented.
SMU-2 and SMU-1, Caenorhabditis elegans Homologs of Mammalian Spliceosome-Associated Proteins RED and fSAP57, Work Together To Affect Splice Site Choice

Mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans gene smu-2 suppress mec-8 and unc-52 mutations. It has been proposed that MEC-8 regulates the alternative splicing of unc-52 transcripts, which encode the core protein of perlecan, a basement membrane proteoglycan. We show that mutation in smu-2 leads to enhanced accumulation of transcripts that skip exon 17, but not exon 18, of unc-52, which explains our finding that smu-2 mutations suppress the uncoordination conferred by nonsense mutations in exon 17, but not in exon 18, of unc-52. We conclude that smu-2 encodes a ubiquitously expressed nuclear protein that is 40% identical to the human RED protein, a component of purified spliceosomes. The effects of smu-2 mutation on both unc-52 pre-mRNA splicing and the suppression of mec-8 and unc-52 mutant phenotypes are indistinguishable from the effects of mutation in smu-1, a gene that encodes a protein that is 62% identical to human spliceosome-associated protein fSAP57. We provide evidence that SMU-2 protects SMU-1 from degradation in vivo. In vitro and in vivo coimmunoprecipitation experiments indicate that SMU-2 and SMU-1 bind to each other. We propose that SMU-2 and SMU-1 function together to regulate splice site choice in the pre-mRNAs of unc-52 and other genes.
Preliminary Botanical Explorations of the Parker Creek Canyon, Sierra Ancha Mountains, Gila County, Arizona

ABSTRACT This study is a survey of the floristic composition of the Parker Creek watershed located in the Sierra Ancha Mountains of Arizona. This watershed includes ecological communities ranging from the Sonoran Upland Province to Rocky Mountain Montane Conifer Woodlands. The collections were conducted along designated routes within the lower and mid-upper reaches of the creek, including the inner canyon. A checklist was completed using both our new collections and several herbarium queries with the Southwestern Environmental Information Network (SEINet). This study reports the presence of 625 species, representing 335 genera and 94 families of vascular plants. The flora is predominantly comprised of angiosperms (ASU, Flowering plants), but also includes gymnosperms (conifers), lycophytes (club mosses), sphenophytes (horsetails) and pteridophytes (ASU, Ferns). A comparison to the nearby Sierra Ancha Wilderness, also located in the Sierra Ancha Mountains, revealed only 47% similarity to the Parker Creek w...
Telemedicine of family-based treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa: A protocol of a treatment development study

Background Family-based treatment is an efficacious treatment available for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Yet the implementation of this treatment, at least in the United States, is challenging due to a limited number of trained family-based treatment therapists and the concentration of these therapists in a limited number of urban centers. The use of telemedicine in the delivery of family-based treatment can increase access to this therapy for this patient population.
Probability of Rupture of Multiple Fault Segments

Fault segments identified from geologic and historic evidence have sometimes been adopted as features limiting the likely extends of earthquake ruptures. There is no doubt that individual segments can sometimes join together to produce larger earthquakes. This work is a trial of an objective method to determine the probability of multisegment ruptures. The frequency of occurrence of events on all conjectured combinations of adjacent segments in northern California is found by fitting to both geologic slip rates and to an assumed distribution of event sizes for the region as a whole. Uncertainty in the shape of the distribution near the maximum magnitude has a large effect on the solution. Frequencies of individual events cannot be determined, but it is possible to find a set of frequencies to fit a model closely. A robust conclusion for the San Francisco Bay region is that large multisegment events occur on the San Andreas and San Gregorio faults, but single-segment events predominate on the extended Hayward and Calaveras strands of segments.
Influence of Electronic Polarization on the Optical Properties of Insulators

The Toyozawa theory of the electronic polaron and the related Haken-Schottky theory of the optical dielectric function are applied to the alkali and silver halides and to the rare-gas solids. It is found that for most of these crystals the above dynamical theories reduce to a static limit. This in turn indicates that calculations of polarization effects based on the classical approach of Mott and Littleton will be valid. Such calculations are carried out in this paper. It is found that the self-energies due to the interaction of "bare" electrons or holes with the polarization field may be as large as several eV. Furthermore, because of the "inertialess" nature of electronic polarization, these self-energies and other polarization effects must be taken into account in the calculation of states which may be excited optically. Thus, for example, the optical band gap of certain alkali or silver halides may be as much as 5 eV smaller than a "good" one-electron band-structure calculation would yield. The available experimental data on the values of optical band gaps are critically reviewed and comparisons are made with the results of band-structure calculations. The computed $r$ dependence of the optical dielectric function indicates that for small-radius excitations (e.g., $n=1$ excitons in many substances) electronic polarization should not influence the excitation energy in an important way; the electron and hole are "bare" particles when in the same unit cell. This fact is consistent with the success of a number of calculations in which polarization has been neglected. It is shown how the polarization dependence of the binding energies of these excitations can arise from the self-energies of the conduction electron and the valence-band hole. The use of the effective-mass method for computing binding energies is briefly discussed.
Two Autumnal Crane Flies (Diptera: Tipulidae) from Michigan: Comments on the Difficulties of Tipulid Identification and a Review of the Tipula subgenus Platytipula Matsumura in the United States and Canada

Abstract. Adults of the crane flies Tipula (Platytipula) ultima Alexander and Tipula (Platytipula) spenceriana Alexander appear in early autumn in western Michigan. This is the first report of T. spenceriana from the state and the first report of the association between drying ferns (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn) of autumn and the two cryptically-protected tipulids that resemble browning fronds in color and in the shape of their wings at rest. Difficulty was encountered when identifying these species despite their large size, conspicuous flight, and abundance. Therefore, the literature of the 12 currently recognized Nearctic species of subgenus Platytipula was reviewed and illustrations are provided to assist in identification. New information about the biology of the two crane fly species is provided, including habitat and the egg stage.
Do Young Children Understand the Selling Intent of Commercials

An important question for marketers, educators, government regulators, and parents is whether young children understand the selling intent of television commercials. In a replication of an approach used by Donohue, Henke, and Donohue [6], preschoolers appeared competent in their understanding by selecting a photograph illustrating a purchase behavior. In an extension that included additional nonverbal measures, young children indicated little understanding, however, of the selling intent of commercials. Researchers interested in advertising effects on children are urged to consider the necessity and desirability of improved nonverbal measures in dealing with a subject population with limited language facility.
CHEST 2006 Overview.

CHEST 2006, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) held from October 21–26, in Salt Lake City, UT, USA, brought together specialists in pulmonary disease, critical care medicine, thoracic surgery, cardiology, cardiac surgery and related disciplines for educational sessions and presentations of original investigations. The meeting featured innovative approaches for teaching and evaluating procedural skills and original presentations focusing on clinical issues. The following article summarizes those events and presentations at the CHEST meeting of particular relevance to cardiologists and others involved in cardiology.
Nationalism and the Imagination

Nationalism is produced by tapping the most private attachment to ground for the purposes of the most public statecraft. It is predicated on reproductive heteronormativity: birthright. To "naturalize" is to legalize a simulacrum of displaced birth, which becomes an actual birthright for the next generation. Today's globalized world calls for a reinvention of the abstract state-structure for proper constitutional redress still to be available. It must be persistently cleansed of the emergence of nationalism through education. We are looking for a critical regionalism with trans-frontier jurisdiction. The international civil society has no social contract.
Channelrhodopsin-2 and optical control of excitable cells

Electrically excitable cells are important in the normal functioning and in the pathophysiology of many biological processes. These cells are typically embedded in dense, heterogeneous tissues, rendering them difficult to target selectively with conventional electrical stimulation methods. The algal protein Channelrhodopsin-2 offers a new and promising solution by permitting minimally invasive, genetically targeted and temporally precise photostimulation. Here we explore technological issues relevant to the temporal precision, spatial targeting and physiological implementation of ChR2, in the context of other photostimulation approaches to optical control of excitable cells.
A new twist on trefoils. Focus on “TFF3 modulates NF-κB and a novel regulatory molecule of NF-κB in intestinal epithelial cells via a mechanism distinct from TNF-α”

THE INTESTINAL EPITHELIUM, particularly in the colon, faces unique challenges in maintaining cell and tissue homeostasis. Unlike most other epithelia in the body, it is constantly barraged with a soup of microbes and their products. These have the potential to activate inflammation and immune responses. Indeed, the normal physiological state of the intestine appears to be one of controlled inflammation, with a variety of immune and inflammatory effector cells located in the lamina propria immediately adjacent to the epithelium, even in health. This may reflect a state of readiness, where sufficient numbers of phagocytes and other antimicrobial effectors are present to deal quickly with any possible microbial invasion before it becomes systemic. However, in susceptible individuals, the regulatory controls on this “physiological” inflammation break down, likely due to either immune defects and/or defects in the barrier properties of the epithelium itself, and chronic, pathological inflammation ensues (15). This chronic inflammation, which is driven by immune responses to the enteric flora, establishes a vicious cycle because tissue injury, particularly to the epithelium, further compromises the ability of the gut to exclude immunostimulatory molecules (3, 11, 12). There is now substantial evidence that this type of cycle is centrally involved in the pathogenesis of important digestive diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, which may also predispose sufferers to subsequent development of colon cancer (7). However, the mechanisms that normally allow individuals to restrain immune responses to the enteric flora, and thus limit inflammation, are still poorly understood. Inflammatory responses in the gut (as in other tissue sites) as well as progression to malignancy, are pivotally controlled by the transcription factor NF-B (8). This factor is normally held in an inactive state in the cell cytosol as a complex with its inhibitor, IB. In response to a variety of extracellular signals, including those delivered by microbial products or inflammatory cytokines, IB is phosphorylated, and thereby targeted for ubiquitination and subsequent degradation by the proteosome. This frees NF-B to translocate to the nucleus, where it binds to the promoter regions and evokes expression of a series of target genes that perpetuate the inflammatory response, including chemokines such as IL-8 that stimulate the influx of inflammatory cell types. In addition, NF-B can trigger the production of signals that limit epithelial apoptosis, and may be involved in the predisposition to malignancy that accompanies chronic intestinal inflammation (6). Thus NF-B can be considered a master regulator that can both initiate and
Passive transfer of the Lambert‐Eaton myasthenic syndrome: Neuromuscular transmission in mice injected with plasma

Mice were given 1 to 67 daily injections of whole plasma from a control subject and a patient with the Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LES), and the parameters of neuromuscular transmission in diaphragm muscles were studied in vitro. In animals that received 41 to 59 injections of LES plasma, mean quantum content of the endplate potentials, as measured under the conditions of low [Ca2+]0 (1.2 mM) and high [Mg2+]0 (10 mM), was reduced to 30% of the control, or 40% of the value found in normal untreated mice. When [K+]0 was elevated from 5 mM to 17.5 mM, the frequency of spontaneous miniature endplate potentials increased by a factor of 98 and 105 respectively in the control and normal mice but only 39 times in the LES plasma recipients. Despite these presynaptic abnormalities, no evidence of postsynaptic deficit, nerve conduction failure, or inability of the muscle fibers to produce normal action potentials was found. These electrophysiologic features in mice thus represent a reproduction of the human condition, supporting the concept of humoral involvement in the pathophysiology of LES. Passively transferred LES in mice is a faithful animal model of the human disease which will be useful in exploring the molecular basis of the presynaptic impairment.
Threshold models of tumor recurrence

The main advantage of threshold models of tumor recurrence is that they closely parallel the real observation process in cancer post-treatment surveillance. Such models are typically based on the assumption that a recurrent tumor becomes detectable when its size attains some threshold value which may be treated as a random variable. This paper discusses various stochastic models that have been proposed for the analysis of data on tumor latency subject to censoring effects. A new model allowing for surviving clonogenic cells is presented.
Seroprevalence of Antibodies Specific for Gram-Negative Core Antigens in Chickens on the Basis of an Escherichia coli J5 Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

SUMMARY. Antibodies directed toward gram-negative core antigens (GNCAs) have been demonstrated in many mammalian species but to date are unexamined in any avian species. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with phenol-killed whole cell Escherichia coli J5 was used to assess the presence of serum antibodies directed toward GNCAs in chickens. The first experiment consisted of collecting blood samples from randomly selected hens at egg laying ranches in northern California. The ages ranged from several days of age to 77 wk of age. Birds were classified into age groups (hatchling [1 day–4 wk], pullet [4–18 wk], pullet cycle [18–60 wk], and postmolt [>60 wk]) and husbandry style for titer comparison. The geometric mean titer (GMT) for all adult hens regardless of age was 2147. The geometric mean titers were 220, 5691, 2304, and 1776 for hatchlings, pullets, pullet cycle hens, and postmolt hens, respectively. The age group titer trends were similar to those of humans rather than those of farm animals in that t...
Anab initio investigation of rotation and inversion barriers in formylphosphine

Rotation about N−CO bonds in amides has been extensively investigated, but a corresponding barrier to rotation about the P−CO bond in an acylphosphine has yet to be observed. In the present 4-31Gab initio study of formylphosphine, rotation barriers of 9.6 and 13.5 kJ mol−1 and a phosphorus pyramidal inversion barrier of 108.0 kJ mol−1 are predicted. A comparison of STO-3G and STO-3G* barriers suggests that polarization functions are not needed to describe rotation in this system.
Character of Phospholipid (Acetone Insoluble) Fatty Acids of Serum in Infantile Eczema.

Summary and ConclusionsIn a study of the serum lipids of 7 infants with severe, generalized eczema by a microgravimetric method, the phospholipid (acetone insoluble) fatty acids were found to be more unsaturated and to have higher average molecular weights than the total fatty acids. When these findings were compared with similar information obtained in a previous study on fourteen essentially normal infants and children, the degree of unsaturation of both the total fatty acids and the phospholipid fatty acids was found to be definitely less in the eczematous subjects. These data confirm a previous finding of the author that the iodine numbers of the serum lipids tend to be lower in infants with severe eczema. In addition, they reveal the fact that the fatty acids in the phospholipid (acetone insoluble) fraction of the serum lipids partake in this reduction.
Mutation of the Predicted p34cdc2 Phosphorylation Sites in NuMA Impair the Assembly of the Mitotic Spindle and Block Mitosis

NuMA is a 236 kDa intranuclear protein that is distributed into each daughter cell during mitosis through association with the pericentrosomal region of the mitotic spindle. NuMA's interaction with the microtubules of the mitotic spindle is mediated through its 45 kDa carboxyl-terminal globular tail, and there is indirect evidence suggesting that NuMA's interaction with the mitotic spindle is controlled in a mitosis-specific manner. Consistent with this evidence is the fact that all four of the predicted p34cdc2 consensus phosphorylation sites in the NuMA protein are located in the carboxyl-terminal globular domain, and we demonstrate here that NuMA is phosphorylated in a mitosis-specific fashion in vivo. To test if the predicted p34cdc2 phosphorylation sites are necessary for NuMA's mitosis-specific interaction with the mitotic spindle, we have introduced mutations into the human NuMA cDNA that convert these predicted p34cdc2 phosphorylation sites from threonine or serine residues into alanine residues, and subsequently determined the cell cycle-dependent localization of these altered NuMA proteins following their expression in tissue culture cells. While none of these specific mutations in the NuMA sequence alters the faithful targeting of the protein into the interphase nucleus, mutation of threonine residue 2040 alone or in combination with mutations in other potential p34cdc2 phosphorylation sites abolishes NuMA's ability to associate normally with the microtubules of the mitotic spindle. Instead of binding to the mitotic spindle these mutant forms of NuMA concentrate at the plasma membrane of the mitotic cell. Cells expressing these mutant forms of NuMA have disorganized mitotic spindles, fail to complete cytokinesis normally, and assemble micronuclei in the subsequent interphase. These data suggest that NuMA's interaction with the microtubules of the mitotic spindle is controlled by cell cycle-dependent phosphorylation in addition to differential subcellular compartmentalization, and the characteristics of the dominant negative phenotype induced by these mutant forms of NuMA support a role for NuMA in the organization of the mitotic spindle apparatus.
Cruciform Packaging—A General Synthesis for Airborne Electronics

Accelerated development schedules, combined with a tremendous increase in number and complexity of design factors, have pointed out the need for a general package design adaptable to a wide variety of environmental conditions.
In the Shadow of the State Mafias and Illicit Markets

Since Charles Tilly made the comparison between state making and organized crime, it has often been assumed that illicit markets necessarily contain parallel, coercive governance structures: mafias. I argue that some illicit markets have mafias while others do not, and identify as the source of this variation the costliness of the use of force and the imperatives of territorial control. When the use of force is too costly and there is no need to control territory to conduct business, illicit entrepreneurs will not invest in the development of mafias or use violence to protect their property. I evaluate theories of both organized crime and new institutional economics to explain the relationship between the authority structures of the state and the authority structures of illicit markets. Because mafias and their use of violence can undermine state sovereignty and public order, understanding the origins of violent mafias can inform policy choices.
Influence of Grain Size on the Corrosion Resistance of Medium Chromium Ferritic Stainless Steel Containing Cu and Sn

The corrosion test of ultra purified 16. 5 wt% Cr ferritic stainless steel containing Cu and Sn was carried out by immerging the specimens into the 6 wt% FeCl3 solution at 35 ℃,and the polarization curves of the steel were measured using potentiodynamic polarization method. The influence of grain size on the corrosion resistance of ferritic stainless steel was investigated. The corrosion rates were calculated through gravimetric tests. The results show that the pitting potential of the stainless steel greatly rises with the coarsening of grain size. There is a relative reasonable range of grain size and over-fined or over-coarsened grain size are unbeneficial for the corrosion resistance of the tested steel.
Community-Based Methadone Maintenance in a Large Detention Center is Associated with Decreases in Inmate Recidivism

Because it is not common in the U.S. for jails to allow inmates to continue opioid medications that have been started in the community, we aimed to assess whether inmates maintained on methadone showed different rates of recidivism, lengths of incarceration, and types of offenses than other incarcerated groups. We also analyzed rates of return to home clinics after release. In order to answer these questions this study used extant data from 960 adult inmates in a large metropolitan detention center who were in 1 of 4 groups: general population with no known substance use disorders, alcohol detoxification, methadone maintenance (MMT), and opioid detoxification. Recidivism was assessed for 1 year after release. Data were collected from medical screening forms and jail databases and included demographic variables, dates of admission and release, number of doses and total dosage of methadone if applicable, reason for incarceration, and the date of rebooking and nature of offense, if it occurred. There was a significant difference in time to rebooking, F (3956)=13.32, p=.00, with the MMT group taking longer to be rebooked (275.6 days) than the opioid (236.3 days) and alcohol detoxification groups (229.3 days), but not the general population group (286.2 days). Survival analysis indicated significantly better survival without rebooking in the MMT and general population groups than the alcohol and opioid detoxification groups. There also were differences in length of incarceration, F (3, 954)=9.02, p=.00, with the MMT group being incarcerated longer than other substance using groups; and in misdemeanor vs. felony rebooking offenses, χ2 [3]=31.29, p<.01, with the opioid detoxification group being more likely to have a felony rebooking than the general or alcohol groups. In a separate analysis, data from 137 MMT clients, who were not precisely the same clients who were involved in other analyses reported in this article, indicated that over 97% returned to their home methadone clinics after incarceration. In summary, inmates who had been allowed to be maintained on methadone started in the community displayed a significantly longer time to be rearrested than inmates undergoing opioid or alcohol detoxification, but not inmates without substance use disorders. When they were rebooked, they were as likely as the opioid detoxification group to be rearrested for felony offenses.
Simulation of Nuclear Power Plant Core-Meltdown Accidents

This chapter provides scenarios in the case that two of the current 99 nuclear reactors in operation in the U.S. would encounter a core-meltdown accident. It also explains why a better understanding of radioactive plume dispersion is important and how projection could be completed. Further, it projects the plume dispersion pathway at downwind, under four typifying weather conditions in a calendar year, using the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant as subject of study. Plume dispersion will be addressed, with the similar method using the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant as another subject of study. Finally, this chapter explains some limitation with projection.
P077 Shared epitopes contribute to accumulation of sensitized patients in kidney paired donation

Aim Our Kidney Paired Donation (KPD) program (called the Alliance for Paired Donation; APD) arranges exchanges among patients with incompatible live donors. We evaluated the sensitization of APD patients. Methods Since 2010, the APD registered 1122 patients and arranged 418 transplants (Tx). APD patients had 40% highly sensitized (HS; cPRA of 80–100%) and 30% very highly sensitized (VHS; cPRA of 95–100%) patients. Since Tx patients had only 22% HS with half of them VHS, there was an accumulation of HS/VHS patients. Results We examined the HLA sensitization pattern: >85% HS had IgG to HLA-A; >90% to -B, 60% to -C; 82% to -DR; 85% to -DQB, 49% to -DPB, and 30% to -DQA. Sensitization was lower in HS Tx patients (Fig. 1A): the median cPRA was reduced for each HLA locus in HS Tx patients compared to the waiting HS patients (all p Conclusions (1) APD accumulates HS/VHS patients; (2) cross-reactivities within CREG groups for class I and cross-reactive HLAs for class II contribute to sensitization; and (3) shared epitopes among HLAs are involved in the sensitization. Download : Download high-res image (172KB) Download : Download full-size image
O-Mannosylation of Proteins Enables Histoplasma Yeast Survival at Mammalian Body Temperatures

ABSTRACT The ability to grow at mammalian body temperatures is critical for pathogen infection of humans. For the thermally dimorphic fungal pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum, elevated temperature is required for differentiation of mycelia or conidia into yeast cells, a step critical for invasion and replication within phagocytic immune cells. Posttranslational glycosylation of extracellular proteins characterizes factors produced by the pathogenic yeast cells but not those of avirulent mycelia, correlating glycosylation with infection. Histoplasma yeast cells lacking the Pmt1 and Pmt2 protein mannosyltransferases, which catalyze O-linked mannosylation of proteins, are severely attenuated during infection of mammalian hosts. Cells lacking Pmt2 have altered surface characteristics that increase recognition of yeast cells by the macrophage mannose receptor and reduce recognition by the β-glucan receptor Dectin-1. Despite these changes, yeast cells lacking these factors still associate with and survive within phagocytes. Depletion of macrophages or neutrophils in vivo does not recover the virulence of the mutant yeast cells. We show that yeast cells lacking Pmt functions are more sensitive to thermal stress in vitro and consequently are unable to productively infect mice, even in the absence of fever. Treatment of mice with cyclophosphamide reduces the normal core body temperature of mice, and this decrease is sufficient to restore the infectivity of O-mannosylation-deficient yeast cells. These findings demonstrate that O-mannosylation of proteins increases the thermotolerance of Histoplasma yeast cells, which facilitates infection of mammalian hosts. IMPORTANCE For dimorphic fungal pathogens, mammalian body temperature can have contrasting roles. Mammalian body temperature induces differentiation of the fungal pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum into a pathogenic state characterized by infection of host phagocytes. On the other hand, elevated temperatures represent a significant barrier to infection by many microbes. By functionally characterizing cells lacking O-linked mannosylation enzymes, we show that protein mannosylation confers thermotolerance on H. capsulatum, enabling infection of mammalian hosts.
Ultra Wide Band Near-Field 3-D Radar Cross Section (RCS) Holography

RCS impulse holography is a new concept for obtaining near-field, three-dimensional RCS measurements and low-observable diagnostic image reconstructions. The high-resolution images (holographic reconstruction) maps the target’s scattering areas and identifies the “hot spots” at each frequency (i.e., in the pulse bandwidth) which dominate the far-field return to the radar. The combination of these two salient features (i.e., predictive and diagnostic) provides an extremely attractive, economic near-field measurement technique that can be utilized by the military.
Class Invariants and Singular Moduli

So that we may define Ramanujan’sclass invariants, set $$ (a;q)_\infty = \prod\limits_{n = 0}^\infty {(1 - aq^n )} ,\left| q \right| < 1, $$ and $$ \chi (q) = ( - q;q^2 )_\infty $$ (1.1) .
Mere Phenomenal Experience

We are left with few resources in our attempt to construct a plausible account of the realization of our experience. Nothing with the characteristic intrinsic phenomenal properties remains. The only coherently conceivable resources still available are causal microevents, standing in spatio-temporal relations. But that may seem enough. Our post-galilean tradition holds, at least on one natural interpretation, that the true and objective properties and relations of things are those which our physics uncovers, and those properties and relations seem to be causal powers and spatio-temporal relations. The charge of an electron and its mass seem to be capacities to affect other particles in various ways, as the electron moves through space.
ERROR ANALYSIS AND DIFFERENCE EQUATIONS ON CURVILINEAR COORDINATE SYSTEMS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses methods for deriving difference equations on curvilinear coordinate systems and the effect of coordinate systems on the solution. A computational grid must be constructed when solving partial differential equations by finite-difference or finite element methods. At present, there are many grid generation algorithms. The choice of algorithm will depend on the users' desire for control over properties, such as orthogonality of coordinate lines, location of grid points, and smoothness of grid point distribution. All of these properties may affect the accuracy of the numerical solution. Thereafter, the interpolation technique may affect the local truncation error as well as the convergence rate of iterative algorithms and the stability of explicit algorithms. A curvilinear coordinate system in the xy-plane is understood to be the image of a rectangular Cartesian coordinate system in a ξη-plane. The induced grid is, therefore, composed of quadrilateral cells and difference equations may be derived by transforming the partial differential equation to the ξη-plane. The degree of skewness in a nonorthogonal coordinate system must be limited to maintain the order of the numerical algorithm. An alternate method, the finite volume method, for approximating conservation laws has been widely used on curvilinear coordinate systems. A loss of accuracy in the numerical algorithm may occur if the grid is severely distorted. Therefore, when the region is too complicated, it may be advisable to partition the region and construct a separate curvilinear coordinate system for each subregion.
Comparative Use of Napsin A and Glypican 3 to Distinguish Endometrial Clear Cell from Serous and Endometrioid Carcinomas

Objective Diagnosis of endometrial clear cell carcinomas is difficult owing to the low reproducibility of histological cell type in high-grade endometrial cancers. Recently, immunoreactivity for napsin A and glypican 3 has been reported in clear cell cancers. We sought to evaluate the use of napsin A and glypican 3 staining to distinguish clear cell carcinoma from other high-grade endometrial cancers. Methods/Materials Twenty cases of pure and mixed endometrial clear cell carcinoma were extracted from the 2000–2014 archival material in the Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pathology at Montefiore Medical Center and compared to serous and grade 3 endometrioid controls. Representative sections were stained with monoclonal antibodies to napsin A and glypican 3. Immunostains were independently reviewed by 2 pathologists to assess frequency and pattern of staining. Charts were reviewed for clinicopathologic and treatment data. Results Granular cytoplasmic positivity for napsin A was observed in 70% of endometrial clear cell carcinomas; only 25% showed cytoplasmic or membranous glypican 3 positivity. No serous or high-grade endometrioid tumors stained for either marker. No cases of clear cell carcinoma that stained negative for napsin A stained positive for glypican 3. No difference in the immunohistochemical profile was found between pure and mixed clear cell carcinomas and between early- and advanced-stage clear cell carcinomas. Conclusions Napsin A is a more sensitive marker for endometrial clear cell carcinoma than glypican 3. In histologically ambiguous cases, napsin A and glypican 3 may help distinguish clear cell carcinoma from other high-grade histologies. Further investigation of endometrial clear cell carcinoma is needed to identify additional diagnostic tools for this rare histology. Correlation of a unique immunohistochemical profile and clinical outcomes is necessary.
A randomized study of botulinum toxin versus botulinum toxin plus physical therapy for treatment of cervical dystonia.

Abstract Background Physical therapy (PT) for cervical dystonia is not well studied, and the underlying physiological effects are not known. Methods We enrolled 26 subjects comprising of 16 cervical dystonia and 10 healthy controls for normative physiological data. We randomized cervical dystonia patients who reported suboptimal benefits on botulinum toxin (BoNT) injections to BoNT alone (BoNT arm) or BoNT plus PT (PT-BoNT arm). PT-BoNT arm received manual PT on the injection day followed by six weeks of home-exercise program. Home-exercise program comprised of stretching, range-of-motion and isometric exercises. The primary outcome was change from baseline in Toronto Western spasmodic torticollis rating scale (TWSTRS) that was recorded six weeks after exercise program. TWSTRS was video evaluated by blinded raters. We probed sensorimotor plasticity with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) using a paired associative stimulation (PAS) paradigm. Results TWSTRS score improved (severity 31%, p = 0.002; pain 28%, p = 0.01) and PAS plasticity decreased (p = 0.01) in PT-BoNT arm compared to BoNT arm. PAS values for PT-BoNT arm were found to approach values of healthy control values. Change in PAS measure correlated significantly with TWSTRS change (severity, r = 0.56, p = 0.04; pain, r = 0.61, p = 0.03. TWSTRS disability score only approached significance (p = 0.14) when comparing the two treatment arms. Conclusion PT is a potential adjunct in patients with cervical dystonia who report suboptimal benefits with BoNT therapy. PT related benefits in cervical dystonia are likely mediated through modulation of sensorimotor plasticity.
Update in Outpatient General Internal Medicine: Practice-Changing Evidence Published in 2017

Abstract Clinicians are challenged to identify new practice-changing articles in the medical literature. To identify the practice-changing articles published in 2017 most relevant to outpatient general internal medicine, 5 internists reviewed the following sources: 1) titles and abstracts from internal medicine journals with the 7 highest impact factors, including New England Journal of Medicine , Lancet , Journal of the American Medical Association , British Medical Journal , Public Library of Science Medicine , Annals of Internal Medicine , and JAMA Internal Medicine ; 2) synopses and syntheses of individual studies, including collections in the American College of Physicians Journal Club, Journal Watch, and Evidence-Based Medicine; 3) databases of synthesis, including Evidence Updates and the Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria were perceived clinical relevance to outpatient general medicine, potential for practice change, and strength of evidence. This process yielded 140 articles. Clusters of important articles around one topic were considered as a single-candidate series. A modified Delphi method was utilized by the 5 authors to reach consensus on 7 topics to highlight and appraise from the 2017 literature
Adaptive and Maladaptive Coping with an It Threat

Numerous studies have investigated employees’ decisions to adopt IS security measures by focusing on adaptive responses. Using the Extended Parallel Processing model (EPPM), this study evaluates su...
Procedure length is independently associated with overnight hospital stay and 30-day readmission following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

The purpose was to characterize the independent effect of procedure length on the rates of 30-day perioperative complications, hospital readmissions, and overnight hospital stay in patients undergoing arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). We hypothesized that longer procedure length in primary ACLR increases the risk for post-operative complications. Primary ACLR cases from 2005 to 2015 were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program registry. Patients were categorized into two cohorts based on procedure length, either less than or greater than 90 min. Two equal-sized propensity-matched cohorts were generated to account for differences in baseline and operative characteristics. Thirty-day clinical outcomes were compared using bivariate analyses between propensity-matched groups that controlled for patient-specific factors and concurrent meniscal repair. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify independent predictors of hospital readmission and overnight hospital stay. In total, 12,077 ACLR cases were identified. The rate of any 30-day complication was increased in longer procedures relative to shorter procedures (1.6% vs 0.9%, p = 0.006), as were the rates of returning to the operating room (0.6% vs 0.3%, p = 0.03), hospital readmission (1.0% vs 0.3%, p = 0.001), and overnight hospital stay (16.2% vs 6.0%, p < 0.001). Obesity was a risk factor for both hospital readmission and overnight hospital stay, while hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and a smoking history were associated with increased rates of overnight hospital stay. The most common reasons for hospital readmission were deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism (25.0% of all readmitted patients), surgical site infection (25.0%), and post-operative pain (14.1%). In this propensity-matched analysis adjusting for baseline patient characteristics and operative factors, procedure length of greater than or equal to 90 min in ACLR was independently associated with an increased risk of hospital readmission and overnight hospital stay. As a surrogate measure of surgical complexity, operative time may be a useful perioperative variable for post-operative risk stratification and patient counseling. III
Cross Sections and Spectra for the 54Fe and 56Fe (n,xp) and (n,xα) Reactions Between 8 and 15 MeV

Cross sections and spectra for the (n,xp) and (n,xα) reactions on targets of 54Fe and 56Fe are measured at 8-, 9.5-, and 11-MeV bombarding energies. The bulk of the spectra appears to be the result...
Derivation of the Two-Exponential Probability Density Function for Rossi-Alpha Measurements of Reflected Assemblies and Validation for the Special Case of Shielded Measurements

AbstractRossi-alpha measurements of fissionable assemblies are used to estimate the prompt neutron decay constant α. Reactivity can be inferred from α if the values of the neutron generation time a...
Once upon a time in streaming video: A community college’s adventure with Kanopy’s PDA model

A recent survey found that 51% of Internet users in the United States watch online video content every day. In 2018, adults aged 18 to 34 spent a weekly average of 105 minutes watching video content on their smartphones. For better or worse, streaming video is here to stay and so is the expectation for access to it. Despite shrinking budgets, academic libraries are spending valuable funds on streaming video resources to meet these new demands.
Study of High-Frequency Magneto-Elastic Waves Using a Low-Frequency Alternating Magnetic Field

Magnetically ordered materials belong to systems with broad spectra of collective magnetic oscillations, spin waves, and systems with the highest degree of nonlinearity. We consider the possibility of studying spin waves using high-frequency harmonics, the possibility of parametric excitation of high-frequency collective magnetic oscillations using alternating magnetic fields of the lower frequency. As a model system allowing us to show proof of the principle, we use a system of magnetoelastic waves (MEWs) of high-temperature antiferromagnet with easy-plane anisotropy. The modulation method is used when an additional RF magnetic field was applied to the sample, which yielded satellites at the multiple of the pump field frequency microwave signal that passed the sample in a helix resonator when the parametric pump threshold was exceeded. We observed the process of parametric excitation of MEWs up to 64 harmonics of the pump field at a pump power up to 30 dBm. Our research is of interest for magnetic materials of nano sizes.
Testing Dynamic Tradeoff Theory: Evidence from Rebalancing Points.

We develop a simple methodology to identify firms that are at or close to their optimal capital structure. Using this methodology we present cross-sectional and time series evidence in favor of dynamic tradeoff theory. In particular, at rebalancing points the relationship between profitability and leverage is positive, consistent with theoretical predictions. Also, the time series of market leverage, profitability, and equity payouts in the years prior to rebalancing events match the patterns obtained from simulated data. Our methodology is robust to recent critiques of empirical tests of dynamic tradeoff theory.