cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testing Incentive Compatibility in Display Ad Auctions

Consider a buyer participating in a repeated auction, such as those prevalent in display advertising. How would she test whether the auction is incentive compatible? To bid effectively, she is interested in whether the auction is single-shot incentive compatible---a pure second-price auction, with fixed reserve price---and also dynamically incentive compatible---her bids are not used to set future reserve prices. In this work we develop tests based on simple bid perturbations that a buyer can use to answer these questions, with a focus on dynamic incentive compatibility. There are many potential A/B testing setups that one could use, but we find that many natural experimental designs are, in fact, flawed. For instance, we show that additive perturbations can lead to paradoxical results, where higher bids lead to lower optimal reserve prices. We precisely characterize this phenomenon and show that reserve prices are only guaranteed to be monotone for distributions satisfying the Monotone Hazard Rate (MHR) property. The experimenter must also decide how to split traffic to apply systematic perturbations. It is tempting to have this split be randomized, but we demonstrate empirically that unless the perturbations are aligned with the partitions used by the seller to compute reserve prices, the results are guaranteed to be inconclusive. We validate our results with experiments on real display auction data and show that a buyer can quantify both single-shot and dynamic incentive compatibility even under realistic conditions where only the cost of the impression is observed (as opposed to the exact reserve price). We analyze the cost of running such experiments, exposing trade-offs between test accuracy, cost, and underlying market dynamics.
Mappings Between Topological Spaces

We shall now generalize the definition of a mapping, in such a way that it will apply to functions f: X − Y, where [X,O] and [Y,O′] are any topological spaces. The idea that is needed here is brought out in the following two theorems.
Process Improvement in Financial Services: A Focused Approach

According to various sources, the number of formal service quality programs among the top 300 U.S. commercial banks grew from only 28 in 1985 to 232 in 19942. The reasons for their implementation range from worthy service quality concerns to simple “follow-the-leader” strategies. The benefits garnered from such programs, however, were not as widespread as their implementation: a majority of institutions surveyed in the U.S. and U.K. remain hard-pressed to find any tangible financial benefits from their quality initiatives (see Figure 1).3
APOE ɛ4 is a risk factor for chronic traumatic encephalopathy severity (S9.001)

Objective: To investigate whether APOEɛ4 is a risk factor for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) severity. Background: CTE is a neurodegenerative disease associated with exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI). CTE has distinct neuropathology consisting of perivascular hyperphosphorylated tau (ptau) deposition. All cases of neuropathologically confirmed CTE have had a history of RHI exposure; however, only a subset exposed to RHI develop CTE, suggesting a role for genetic risk factors. There is mixed evidence suggesting that APOEɛ4 confers risk for CTE, but it is unknown whether APOEɛ4 is a risk factor for ptau severity in CTE or whether this effect is modified by RHI exposure. Design/Methods: 110 autopsy-confirmed CTE cases of European ancestry from the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank were evaluated for CTE stage (1–4, 4 most severe). Informants were asked about participants’ years of organized football played. We assessed the relationship between APOEɛ4 (0–2 alleles) and CTE stage. Among football players only (n= 85), we assessed the interaction of APOEɛ4 with years of play. Age of death was controlled for in each model. Results: APOEɛ4 was significantly associated with CTE stage (OR=2.99 for an increase in 1 stage, p=0.006). Among football players, the interaction between APOEɛ4 and years of play was significantly associated with CTE stage (p=0.024). In analyses stratified by median years of play (high ≥ 14 years, low Conclusions: Among people with CTE, APOEɛ4 may be a risk factor for disease severity with a larger effect at low levels of RHI exposure. Disclosure: Dr. Verscaj has nothing to disclose. Dr. Abdolmohammadi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kiernan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chung has nothing to disclose. Dr. Crary has nothing to disclose. Dr. Stein has nothing to disclose. Dr. Farrer has nothing to disclose. Dr. McKee has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mez has nothing to disclose.
Impact of age on outcomes with PD-(L)1 blockade in patients (Pts) with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

10040Background: As the population ages, it has become increasingly important to understand the risks and benefits of novel agents among older adults with cancer. Immunotherapy (IO) has revolutioni...
Writing Dollars into Sense: Simplifying Financial Aid for L2 Students.

Research suggests that L2 students (English-language learners) do not access postsecondary education as the same level as L1 (native English-speaking) peers. Using a computational linguistics appro...
Transcriptomic analysis of hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum life cycle stages reveals changes in G-protein coupled receptor diversity associated with the onset of parasitism.

Abstract Free-living nematodes respond to variable and unpredictable environmental stimuli whereas parasitic nematodes exist in a more stable host environment. A positive correlation between the presence of environmental stages in the nematode life cycle and an increasing number of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) reflects this difference in free-living and parasitic lifestyles. As hookworm larvae move from the external environment into a host, they detect uncharacterized host components, initiating a signalling cascade that results in the resumption of development and eventual maturation. Previous studies suggest this process is mediated by GPCRs in amphidial neurons. Here we set out to uncover candidate GPCRs required by a hookworm to recognise its host. First, we identified all potential Ancylostoma ceylanicum GPCRs encoded in the genome. We then used life cycle stage-specific RNA-seq data to identify differentially expressed GPCRs between the free-living infective L3 (iL3) and subsequent parasitic stages to identify receptors involved in the transition to parasitism. We reasoned that GPCRs involved in host recognition and developmental activation would be expressed at higher levels in the environmental iL3 stage than in subsequent stages. Our results support the model that a decrease in GPCR diversity occurs as the larvae develop from the free-living iL3 stage to the parasitic L3 (pL3) in the host over 24–72 h. We find that overall GPCR expression and diversity is highest in the iL3 compared with subsequent parasitic stages. By 72 h, there was an approximately 50% decrease in GPCR richness associated with the moult from the pL3 to the L4. Taken together, our data uncover a negative correlation between GPCR diversity and parasitic development in hookworm. Finally, we demonstrate proof of principal that Caenorhabditis elegans can be used as a heterologous system to examine the expression pattern of candidate host signal chemoreceptors (CRs) from hookworm. We observe expression of candidate host signal CRs in C. elegans, demonstrating that C. elegans can be effectively used as a surrogate to identify expressed hookworm genes. We present several preliminary examples of this strategy and confirm a candidate CR as neuronally expressed.
An Investigation of the Garment Pressure for Developing Yoga Sports Bras in Ergonomic Design

This study was designed to develop yoga sports bras by investigating women’s preferences in the sports bra types and garment pressures during yoga practice. The participants responded to a set of questionnaires, pertaining to satisfaction of the current sports bra types. In an experiment, five women evaluated garment pressures in five different types of sports bras during yoga practice. The result shows that compression sports bra type was the most favorable design feature. However, it was identified as the least comfortable type due to high garment pressure on the body. The greater garment pressure was identified at the shoulder straps, the bottom side seams, and the scapula. Skin irritation and feeling of discomfort from the garment pressure were reported from the experiment.
Rasch Measurement Estimation Procedures

The core components of Rasch measurement techniques are the mathematics and the philosophy of the Rasch model. To compute Rasch person measures and Rasch item measures, an analyst must apply the Rasch model to an appropriate data set. This chapter presents the ins and outs of different estimation techniques that are used by different Rasch software programs. Our discussion considers the differences and similarities of analysis results as a function of different estimation procedures.
Anp Production Is Impaired in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is secreted under myocardial stress in heart failure (HF) as a compensatory mechanism sustaining cardiorenal homeostasis. Recent studies have underscored the importance of ANP in HF as with sacubitril/valsartan administration, ANP is markedly increased in the absence of an increase in BNP, supportive of ANP's cardiorenal enhancing properties. However, the presence of an ANP deficiency in HF may attenuate ANP's beneficial actions in HF. As ANP is highly susceptible to degradation by neprilysin, characterizing ANP levels within the circulation becomes difficult when assessing whether production or degradation may confer this deficiency state. By using ANP's biologically inactive equivalent, NTproANP, which is highly resistant to degradation, one may quantify production/secretion of the ANP system to assess the overall biological activity of ANP. Therefore, we sought to characterize NTproANP in human acute decompensated HF (ADHF) to elucidate this potential ANP deficiency state and to provide details into its regulation in ADHF. We prospectively recruited 47 healthy individuals without cardiovascular or metabolic disease to determine NTproANP in healthy subjects. A contemporary NTproANP cutoff was then created by using the 95th percentile NTproANP value within this healthy cohort, to distinguish amongst our 107 prospectively recruited ADHF patients whom had either NTproANP values below the NTproANP cutoff, deemed NTproANP Deficient, or above the cutoff, deemed having an Elevated NTproANP. Clinical biomarkers between subgroups were then compared to determine whether differences persisted based upon NTproANP levels. In ADHF, 20% of patients were NTproANP Deficient whereas 80% had an Elevated NTproANP . The NTproANP Deficient cohort demonstrated lower median NTproANP (116.1 vs. 708.6 pg/mL, p
Semiparametric Estimation for Causal Mediation Analysis with Multiple Causally Ordered Mediators.

Causal mediation analysis concerns the pathways through which a treatment affects an outcome. While most of the mediation literature focuses on settings with a single mediator, a flourishing line of research has considered settings involving multiple causally ordered mediators, under which a set of path-specific effects (PSEs) are often of interest. We consider estimation of PSEs for the general case where the treatment effect operates through $K(\geq1)$ causally ordered, possibly multivariate mediators. We first define a set of PSEs that are identified under Pearl's nonparametric structural equation model. These PSEs are defined as contrasts between the expectations of $2^{K+1}$ potential outcomes, which are identified via what we call the generalized mediation functional (GMF). We introduce an array of regression-imputation, weighting, and "hybrid" estimators, and, in particular, two $K+2$-robust and locally semiparametric efficient estimators for the GMF. The latter estimators are well suited to the use of data-adaptive methods for estimating their nuisance functions. We establish rate conditions required of the nuisance functions for semiparametric efficiency. We also discuss how our framework applies to several causal and noncausal estimands that may be of particular interest in empirical applications. The proposed estimators are illustrated with a simulation study and an empirical example.
Online learning for orientation estimation during translation in an insect ring attractor network

Insect neural systems are a promising source of inspiration for new algorithms for navigation, especially on low size, weight, and power platforms. There have been unprecedented recent neuroscience breakthroughs with Drosophila in behavioral and neural imaging experiments as well as the mapping of detailed connectivity of neural structures. General mechanisms for learning orientation in the central complex (CX) of Drosophila have been investigated previously; however, it is unclear how these underlying mechanisms extend to cases where there is translation through an environment (beyond only rotation), which is critical for navigation in robotic systems. Here, we develop a CX neural connectivity-constrained model that performs sensor fusion, as well as unsupervised learning of visual features for path integration; we demonstrate the viability of this circuit for use in robotic systems in simulated and physical environments. Furthermore, we propose a theoretical understanding of how distributed online unsupervised network weight modification can be leveraged for learning in a trajectory through an environment by minimizing of orientation estimation error. Overall, our results here may enable a new class of CX-derived low power robotic navigation algorithms and lead to testable predictions to inform future neuroscience experiments.
Effect of Protein Intake on Visceral Abdominal Fat and Metabolic Biomarkers in Older Men with Functional Limitations: Results from a Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND It remains controversial whether high protein diets improve cardiometabolic profile. We investigated whether increasing protein intake to 1.3 g/kg/day in functionally limited older adults with usual protein intake ≤RDA (0.8 g/kg/day) improves visceral fat accumulation and serum cardiovascular risk markers more than the recommended daily allowance (RDA). METHODS The Optimizing Protein Intake in Older Men Trial was a placebo-controlled, randomized trial in which 92 functionally limited men, ≥65 years, with usual protein intake ≤RDA were randomized for 6 months to: 0.8 g/kg/day protein plus placebo; 1.3 g/kg/day protein plus placebo; 0.8 g/kg/day protein plus testosterone enanthate 100 mg weekly; or 1.3 g/kg/day protein plus testosterone enanthate 100 mg weekly. In this substudy, metabolic and inflammatory serum markers were measured in 77 men, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in 56 men. RESULTS Treatment groups were similar in their baseline characteristics. Randomization to 1.3 g/kg/day protein group was associated with greater reduction in VAT compared to 0.8 g/kg/day group (between-group difference: -17.3 cm2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -29.7 to -4.8 cm2, p = .008), regardless of whether they received testosterone or placebo. Changes in fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, leptin, adiponectin, IL-6, and hs-CRP did not differ between the 0.8 versus 1.3 g/kg/day protein groups regardless of testosterone use. CONCLUSIONS Protein intake >RDA decreased VAT in functionally limited older men but did not improve cardiovascular disease risk markers. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT01275365.
Illumination compensation algorithm for colorimetric detection of microfluidic paper-based devices with a smartphone

Colorimetric detection using microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) and smartphones enable lowcost mobile chemical analysis solutions. However, variable illumination conditions and phone characteristics (i.e. camera hardware and software capabilities) limit the accurate interpretation and reproducibility of quantitative results. In this paper, we describe a method to automatically compensate an image captured by a smartphone camera under variable illumination conditions. By incorporating a two-step algorithm, we approximate the mobile camera picture color distribution to resemble a laboratory-grade measurement under reference illumination conditions. For every test image, the algorithm first applies a color mapping step that performs histogram matching of a set of color reference spots printed on the device to a laboratory reference measurement. After this initial correction step, a transformation matrix is computed via a least-square fit to minimize the differences between the device and the laboratory references. This matrix is then applied to the RGB channel values obtained from a µPAD to correct for illumination variations. The methodology was tested by correcting a test dataset captured using a smartphone to approximate to a calibration dataset acquired using a lab-grade camera. After correction, the relative error between the datasets fell to 10-20%, leading to an increase in classification accuracy between 12-33%. This approach enables colorimetric chemical analysis with smartphones outside the lab, removing the need to control external lighting conditions.
Assessing the Trustworthiness of Crowdsourced Rainfall Networks: A Reputation System Approach

High resolution and accurate rainfall information is essential to modeling and predicting hydrological processes. Crowdsourced personal weather stations (PWSs) have become increasingly popular in r...
Dendrimer-based nanoformulations as drug carriers for cancer treatment

Abstract Nanomedicine has received significant attention as drug delivery systems for cancer therapy. Nanoparticle drug delivery systems are widely studied for different formulations in anticancer drug and gene delivery. Dendrimers are polymer-based nanoparticles that are used for improving therapeutic efficiency where conventional chemotherapy has disadvantages. This chapter discusses the different methods for the synthesis of dendrimers. The chemistry and structure properties of dendrimers are provided. We highlight designing dendrimers with biocompatible properties for cancer therapy. This chapter also gives an overview of dendrimers used in cancer therapy, provides an outline of different cancer types, and offers examples of dendrimers used in anticancer agent complexes.
Cross-cultural comparisons of popular YouTube ads: A content analysis of YouTube video ads in the U.S. and South Korea

This study examined whether online video ads in the U.S. and South Korea reflect their cultural values in the same way as traditional advertising has shown. A content analysis was conducted on popu...
Heterogeneous Catalysis on Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers

Hydrogen is recognized as an ideal substitute for conventional energy sources due to its exceptional merits. However, the lack of inexpensive and efficient hydrogen storage approaches is the main obstacle for the “Hydrogen Economy”. Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) are attractive due to the decoupling of energy generation and usage in both space and time. Herein, we surveyed the recent advances of heterogeneous catalysts for different LOHCs, including methanol, ethanol, formic acid, formate salts, toluene, dibenzyl-toluene, and heterocycles. This review categorizes the catalysts by other metal species and discusses their catalytic mechanisms on hydrogenation and dehydrogenation. The challenges associated with the development of nanoscale heterogeneous catalysts and the possible solutions are also discussed. Finally, the future research directions for developing next-generation heterogeneous catalysts are outlined.
Perception of Static Position and Kinesthesia of the Finger using Vibratory Stimulation

Proprioception provides information regarding the state of an individual's limb in terms of static position and kinesthesia (dynamic movement). When such feedback is lost or impaired, the performance of dexterous control of our biological limbs or assistive devices tends to deteriorate. In this study, we determined if external vibratory stimulation patterns could allow for the perception of a finger's static position and kinesthesia. Using four tactors and two stimulus levels, eight vibratory settings corresponded to eight discrete finger positions. The transition patterns between these eight settings corresponded to kinesthesia. Three experimental blocks assessed the perception of a finger's static position, speed, and movement (amplitude and direction). Our results demonstrated that both position and kinesthesia could be recognized with over 93% accuracy. The outcomes suggest that vibratory stimulus can inform subjects of static and dynamic aspects of finger proprioception. This sensory stimulation approach can be implemented to improve outcomes in clinical populations with sensory deficits, and to enhance user experience when users interact with assistive devices.
RECKONING AND REPAIR: THE URGENT CONVERSATION ABOUT RACE IN THE BLACK CHRISTIAN PODCAST CIRCUIT

This paper focuses on the Black Christian response to the 2020 uprisings against police brutality in the United States. Through a critical discourse analysis of three podcasts and interviews with podcasters, this paper argues that the Black, Christian podcast circuit is a counterpublic (Squires, 2002) that seeks to change Christian culture in America. I argue that it is the affordances of the medium of podcasting that make this counterpublic possible and that make it a potent force for changing the Christian conversation about race. These podcasters offer a portrait of a divided Christian church in need of repair and they make the case that repair is only possible through decolonizing the Christian faith, repenting and offering reparations for the racial trauma caused by white Christians, sparking Christians’ activist inclinations in favor of racial justice causes, and interrogating and correcting sexism within both the Black church and white evangelical culture.
Comprehensive analytical and empirical evaluation of genomic prediction across diverse accessions in maize

Efficiently exploiting natural genetic diversity captured by accessions stored in genebanks is crucial to genetic improvement of major crops. Selecting accessions of interest from genebanks has traditionally required information from extensive and expensive evaluation; however, low-cost genotyping combined with genomic prediction have enabled us to generate predicted genetic merits for the entire set with targeted phenotypic evaluation of representative subsets. To explore this general approach, analytical assessment and empirical validation of the maize (Zea mays L.) association population (MAP) as a training population were conducted in the present study. Cross-validation within the MAP revealed mostly modest to strong predictive ability for 36 traits, generally in parallel with the square root of heritability. The MAP was then used to train the prediction models to generate genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) for the Ames Diversity Panel. Empirical validation conducted for nine traits across two validation populations confirmed the accuracy level indicated by the cross-validation of the training population. An upper bound for reliability (U value) was calculated for the accessions in the prediction population using genotypic data. The group of accessions with high U values generally had high predictive ability, even though the range of observed trait values was similar to the group of accessions with low U values. Our comprehensive analysis validated the general approach of turbocharging genebanks with genomics and genomic prediction. In addition, breeders and researchers can consider both GEBVs and U values to balance the needs of improving specific traits and broadening genetic diversity when selecting accessions from genebanks.
Mechanism of mismatch-provoked excision in a defined mismatch repair system (735.14)

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is a highly conserved genome-maintenance pathway that ensures replication fidelity by targeting repair of replication-induced mispairs to the newly-synthesized strand. Despite that both the bacterial and the human MMR reactions have been reconstituted in vitro using purified proteins, many fundamental questions in MMR remain unanswered, one of which concerns the mechanism by which MMR proteins facilitate communication between the mismatch and a distant strand discrimination signal (a single strand nick). At least two models have been proposed to address this issue. The moving model suggests that mismatch recognition protein (MutS in E. coli and MutSα or MutSβ in eukaryotes) slides along the DNA helix from the mismatch to the strand break, where an exonuclease is recruited to initiate mismatch removal. However, the stationary model emphasizes that MutS proteins, while staying bound at the mismatch, interacts with other MMR proteins loaded at the strand break to induce DNA bending ...
Comfort and caring at the end of life: Baylor's doula program.

I magine yourself alone in a hospital room. Your trusted physician has just left after telling you that things are not working out the way he had hoped. Th e treatment options have been exhausted and you have weeks, perhaps months, to live. Your spouse or life partner died a year ago. If you are lucky enough to have supportive friends and family, you do not want to burden them with long hours at the hospital and add to the stress in their lives. All of a sudden you are fl ooded with a myriad of emotions, decisions, and questions that need to be addressed. Despite the frequent visits from nurses, technicians, doctors, and therapists, your room feels empty and cold. You dread the long night ahead. You begin to wonder what death will be like and who and what you will need to get through the time you have left. You’re overwhelmed and feel very much alone in the journey you are about to make. Out of a fi rm belief that no patients at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas should have to struggle with this experience or die alone, Baylor’s Supportive and Palliative Care Service developed and implemented the Doula to Accompany and Comfort Program. After reading a 2004 New York Times article, “In Death Watch for Stranger, Becoming a Friend to the End,” by N. R. Kleinfeld, one of the team members brought the concept of a doula program to the weekly team meeting for consideration. Th e term doula has been around for centuries. In ancient Greece, it was used to describe a household servant. It can also mean an individual trained to provide comfort and support to women during labor and childbirth. More recently, it has been associated with those trained to provide support at the end of life. In 1998, the Shira Ruskay Foundation in New York sponsored a conference on end-of-life issues and care. Dr. Sherwin Nuland, professor of surgery at Yale University School of Medicine and author of How We Die: Refl ections on Life’s Final Chapter, spoke of the Yiddish and Hebrew word for funeral, levaya, which means “to accompany.” Dr. Nuland emphasized the importance of accompanying the seriously ill through the dying process. Phyllis Farley, chairman of the board of the Maternity Center Association in Manhattan, suggested that well-prepared volunteers could make a signifi cant diff erence to those who would otherwise die alone. Her suggestion, as well as her assistance in gaining funding for the pilot program, birthed the From the Supportive and Palliative Care Service, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.
Susceptibility of the pupal stage of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni, to nuclear-polyhedrosis virus. II. Histopathology.

Abstract When the histopathology of infections of nuclear-polyhedrosis virus in pupae of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni , was studied, all tissues observed to be infected in larvae were also infected in pupae. Also, the follicular and germarium regions of the ovaries, the optic apparatus, and the lamellae of the developing wings were infected as were other tissues of unknown origin, some with densely packed nuclei and probably imaginal anlagen. However, the fat body, a major site of infection in the larval stage, was not as heavily infected in pupae as in larvae.
A Psychographic Analysis of Generation Y College Students

ABSTRACT Generation Y is regarded as the elusive new youth market, whose members are as resistant to advertising efforts as were members of Generation X before them. To investigate various factors that influence the use of advertising among the college segment of Generation Y, a survey was administered to a random sample of 368 college students. Questions probed self-identity, relevance of depictions in the media, and the informational value of advertising across eight media. Results show that gender and a variety of personality traits such as introversion/extroversion affect both the perceived value of advertising as an information source and the relevance of depictions in the media. Depictions in movies and television were rated significantly better than depictions in advertising. Implications are drawn for both media planners and marketing strategists trying to communicate with this elusive group.
Distributional impacts of water markets on small farmers: Is there a safety net?

[1] The United Nations 2006 human development report states that water markets have not been shown to protect the interests of the poor, while other research has found that water markets have benefited smaller, resource-constrained farmers. This article provides insight into this international development debate by analyzing the impact of water markets on small farmers in the Limari River Basin of Chile. The analysis is based on data collected from an extensive in-person survey of 316 farmers in the basin. Results show that water markets in the basin have been successful in moving water and water rights from low- to high-valued uses and that resource-constrained farmers use temporary water sales as a safety net. The long-term beneficial effects of water market trades for the most resource-constrained farmers, however, remain unclear. These results are relevant to both Chile and a host of developing countries where agriculture is a predominant activity and water resources are scarce. They are also applicable to the western United States, where water market trades often originate in the agricultural sector.
Acute testosterone infusion does not exacerbate arrhythmias in the rat model of ischemia/reperfusion (547.15)

Introduction: With increasing direct-to-consumer marketing, testosterone (T) prescriptions have tripled over the past decade. Clinical literature suggests that exogenous T use may increase various arrhythmias. Therefore, we examined the effect of exogenous T in an acute rat model of arrhythmias. Methods and Results: Anesthetized female Sprague Dawley rats (250g) were given T (2.5 mg/kg, n=9) or vehicle (n=10) intravenously 15 minutes before 5 minutes of coronary artery occlusion. Rats were then reperfused for 5 minutes and arrhythmias were examined. T levels were measured one minute before occlusion. T levels were different between groups (5.4 ± 1 ng/mL control; 206.9 ± 35 ng/mL T, P < 0.001). The ischemic risk zone as a percentage of the left ventricle did not differ between groups (33 ± 2% control; 29 ± 3% T, P = 0.48). The number of episodes of ventricular tachycardia did not differ between groups (11.7 ± 3.2 control; 8.8 ± 3.0 T, P = 0.3). There was a non-significant trend toward fewer ventricular pre...
Robot Programming by Demonstration with situated spatial language understanding

Robot Programming by Demonstration (PbD) allows users to program a robot by demonstrating the desired behavior. Providing these demonstrations typically involves moving the robot through a sequence of states, often by physically manipulating it. This requires users to be co-located with the robot and have the physical ability to manipulate it. In this paper, we present a natural language based interface for PbD that removes these requirements and enables hands-free programming. We focus on programming object manipulation actions—our key insight is that such actions can be decomposed into known types of manipulator movements that are naturally described using spatial language; e.g., object reference expressions and prepositions. Our method takes a natural language command and the current world state to infer the intended movement command and its parametrization. We implement this method on a two-armed mobile manipulator and demonstrate the different types of manipulation actions that can be programmed with it. We compare it to a kinesthetic PbD interface and we demonstrate our method's ability to deal with incomplete language.
The Twilight of the Opera Pirates: A Prehistory of the Right of Public Performance for Musical Compositions

The exclusive right of public performance of a musical composition now brings to composers and songwriters revenue of approximately one billion dollars a year in the US alone. However, this right was not firmly established until a century after America's first copyright statute, relying until then on the common-law principles that protected unpublished works. The first effort to create this right by statute was the Ingersoll Copyright Bill, an omnibus revision in 1844 which died quickly in committee. After that 50 years passed, and in the final quarter of the nineteenth century the need for statutory protection for public performance became more and more obvious as a result of litigation, especially that surrounding the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Mikado. In the mid-1890s the right was once again proposed in an omnibus revision that died in committee, the Treloar Copyright Bill. Simultaneously though, this right went through Congress and was passed as part of an amendatory act which also increased penalties for all unlawful public performances (including drama). This article traces the history of these acts and the litigation in the later nineteenth century, telling a story that has heretofore not been told - the prehistory of the right of public of public performance for musical compositions.
Relationship between ileal symbiont intracellularis and porcine proliferative enteritis

The relationship between Ileal symbiont (IS) intracellularis, formerly known as a Campylobacter-like organism, and porcine proliferative enteritis (PE) was studied by use of pigs with experimentally transmitted PE. Twenty one pigs were experimentally inoculated with homogenized ileal mucosa from a pig that died with PE, and 7 were maintained as uninoculated controls. Fecal samples were collected, and pigs were necropsied weekly postinoculation. Light microscopy and electron microscopy were used to examine tissues for lesions of PE and infectious agents. DNA was extracted from the fecal samples and assayed for the presence of sequences specific for IS intracellularis by dot blot hybridization and polymerase chain reaction amplification. IS intracellularis was detected by the polymerase chain reaction in the feces of 20 of 21 inoculated pigs but not in the feces of uninoculated pigs. Seven inoculated pigs but no uninoculated pigs were detected shedding IS intracellularis by dot blot hybridization. Shedding was detected 1 to 5 weeks after inoculation, and clinical signs were seen in the second to fifth weeks after inoculation. Few pigs without lesions of PE were found to shed IS intracellularis. There was a highly significant association between the presence of IS intracellularis in feces or tissue and the presence of microscopic proliferative lesions and between the severity of the lesions of PE and the percentage of IS intracellularis-infected intestinal crypts. Pigs that ceased shedding IS intracellularis were significantly less likely to have proliferative lesions. These and previous reports are consistent with the hypothesis that IS intracellularis is a necessary causative agent of PE.
A kinetic study of the reaction of atomic oxygen with SO2

Abstract The effective second-order rate constant for O + SO2 (+Ar) → SO3 (+Ar) has been measured by pulsed laser-photolysis with resonance fluorescence detection of atomic oxygen under pseudo-first-order conditions. The pressure dependence was determined at five temperatures in the range 290–840 K. The results obtained at pressures up to 880 mbar reveal fall-off behavior. With an estimated broadening parameter Fc, Troe fits to the measurements yield the low-pressure limit k0 = 9.5 × 10−23 T−3 exp (−2400/T) cm6 molecule−2 s−1 and the high-pressure limit k∞ = 6.1 × 10−13 exp (−850/T) cm3 molecule−1 s−1. An RRKM extrapolation of the present k0 values yields k0 = 6.7 × 10−21 T−3.6 exp (−2610/T) cm6 molecule−2 s−1, which is in good accord with several literature values over 220–2500 K. At low temperatures, k0 shows a positive activation energy rationalized in terms of a barrier of 15.9 kJ mol−1, and k0 reaches a maximum at around 750 K. Our expression for k∞ is in order-of-magnitude accord with values used to model a flow reactor and indicates a small pre-exponential factor. This may reflect the probability of triplet–singlet transitions in the spin-forbidden addition reaction and/or a tight transition state.
A generalized deterministic algorithm for blind channel identification with filter bank precoders

It is well-known that redundant filter bank precoders can be used for blind identification as well as equalization of FIR channels. Several algorithms have been proposed in the literature exploiting trailing zeros in the transmitter. In this paper we propose a generalized algorithm of which the previous algorithms are special cases. By carefully choosing system parameters, we can jointly optimize the system performance and computational complexity. Simulation shows that the proposed algorithm outperforms the previous ones when the parameters are optimally chosen.
Synthesis of threose nucleic acid (TNA) triphosphates and oligonucleotides by polymerase-mediated primer extension.

This unit describes the chemical synthesis of α-l-threofuranosyl nucleic acid (TNA) triphosphates for thymidine (T), guanosine (G), cytidine (C), and the diaminopurine (D) analog of adenosine and their incorporation into TNA oligonucleotides by enzyme-mediated polymerization of a DNA primer-template complex. Starting from suitably protected threofuranosyl nucleosides, TNA triphosphates are synthesized in a single-pot reaction and purified by ion-exchange and HPLC chromatography. Purified TNA triphosphates are diluted into stock solutions and used as substrates for the synthesis of TNA oligonucleotides. Oligonucleotide synthesis is accomplished using Therminator DNA polymerase, a commercial variant of the 9oN DNA polymerase bearing the A485L mutation. Curr. Protoc. Nucleic Acid Chem. 52:4.54.1-4.54.17. © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: alternative nucleic acids; threose nucleic acid (TNA); triphosphates; oligonucleotide; polymerase-mediated primer extension
A Randomized Distributed Encoding of the Pi-Calculus with Mixed Choice

We consider the problem of encoding the π-calculus (more precisely, the version of the π-calculus with mixed choice) into the asynchronous π-calculus via a uniform translation preserving a reasonable semantics. Although it has been shown that this is not possible with an exact encoding, we suggest a randomized approach using a probabilistic extension of the asynchronousπ-calculus, and we show that our solution is correct with probability 1 under any proper adversary wrt a notion of testing semantics. This result establishes the basis for a distributed and symmetric implementation of mixed choice which, differently from previous proposals in literature, does not rely on assumptions on the relative speed of processes and is robust to attacks of proper adversaries.
Reliability and validity of a self-efficacy instrument for hepatitis C antiviral treatment regimens

Self-efficacy or confidence in one's ability to successfully engage in goal-directed behaviour has been shown to influence medication adherence across many chronic illnesses. In the present study, we investigated the psychometric properties of a self-efficacy instrument used during treatment for chronic hepatitis C viral infection (HCV). Baseline (n = 394) and treatment week 24 (n = 254) data from the prospective, longitudinal Viral Resistance to Antiviral Therapy of Chronic Hepatitis C study were examined. Baseline participants were randomly split into two equal-sized subsamples (S(1) and S(2) ). Initial exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA/CFA) were performed on S(1), while S(2) was used to validate the factor structure of the S(1) results using CFA. An additional CFA was performed on the treatment week 24 participants. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed by comparing the revised instrument with other psychosocial measures: depression, social support, quality of life and medication-taking behaviour. Our findings supported a reduced 17-item global measure of HCV treatment self-efficacy (HCV-TSE) with four underlying factors: patient communication self-efficacy, general physical coping self-efficacy, general psychological coping self-efficacy and adherence self-efficacy. The global score (0.92-0.94) and four factors (0.85-0.96) demonstrated good internal consistency. Correlations of convergent and discriminant validity yielded low to moderate associations with other measures of psychosocial functioning. The revised HCV-TSE instrument provides a reliable and valid global estimate of confidence in one's ability to engage in and adhere to HCV antiviral treatment. The four-factor structure suggests different types of efficacy beliefs may function during HCV treatment and should be explored further in relation to clinical outcomes.
A structural investigation of Ag0.167TiS2 by time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction

Abstract The structure of Ag 0.167 TiS 2 has been determined at several temperatures from time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction data. At 305 K, Ag 0.167 TiS 2 is a stage-II complex which belongs to the space group P3¯m1 , with a = 3.4161(4) Aand c = 12.100(2) A. When the temperature is lowered to 13 K, the lattice parameters decrease, but no phase change or superlattice formation is observed. Upon heating to 1123 K, this compound transforms to a stage-I structure belonging to the space group P3¯m1 , with a = 3.4676(1) Aand c = 6.2247(4) A. No further phase changes are observed when the temperature is raised to 1323 K. When this compound is slowly cooled to ambient temperature from 1323 K, it transforms quantitatively to the original stage-II structure. The Rietveld refinements of Ag 0.167 TiS 2 at six temperatures are presented and discussed.
NOx Production from the Combustion of Ethane Doped with Ammonia in a Thermally Stabilized Plug Flow Burner

Abstract The oxidation of ammonia during the combustion of ethane in a thermally stabilized burner (TS8) was studied in order to test the independence of the mechanism of fuel-NOx production on the type of nitrogen in the fuel. In a previous investigation of fuel-NOx production in the TSB using carbon-containing fuel-nitrogen compounds, nitrogen was found to be converted almost entirely to NOx at equivalence ratios near stoichiometric for post-flame residence times greater than 1.5 ms. This result was reproduced by the current study using ammonia as the fuel-nitrogen source. For fuel-rich stoichiometrics, NOx production from the ammonia was found to be a stronger function of post-flame residence time, with the peak in the concentration of NOx occurring at about 1.5-2 ms after the flame front, and a moderate reduction thereafter. These results were confirmed theoretically using a plug-flow model for the TSB coupled with reaction mechanisms for ethane and ammonia oxidation. The fractional"conversion of ammo...
Thapsigargin resistance in human prostate cancer cells.

BACKGROUND. Thapsigargin (TG) is a potent inhibitor of sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPases (SERCAs). TG-based prodrugs are being developed for the treatment of prostate cancer (PC). To develop optimal TG-based therapeutics it is important to understand the mechanisms of resistance to TG that may potentially occur in cancer cells. METHODS. DU145/TG and PC3/TG cells were derived from human PC DU145 and PC3 cells, respectively, by incremental exposure to TG. Growth assays, Western blot analyses, cDNA microarrays, semiquantitative and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Northern blot analyses, and immunohistochemistry were used to study these cells. RESULTS. DU145/TG cells are 1100-fold and PC3/TG cells are 1350-fold resistant to TG. Although expression of both SERCA and p-glycoprotein can mediate TG resistance in hamster cells, neither is modulated in DU145/TG cells. In contrast, in PC3/TG cells, SERCA, and not p-glycoprotein, is significantly overexpressed but cannot by itself account for the 1350-fold resistance to TG in these cells. Several genes not previously identified to be altered by TG selection are modulated in DU145/TG and PC3/TG cells. Furthermore, the spectrum of genes modulated in DU145/TG cells are distinct from that in PC3/TG cells, even though both cells are of prostate origin and share the same TG-resistant phenotype. CONCLUSIONS. PC cells can adapt to SERCA inhibition by TG. However, they demonstrate cell type-specific plasticity with respect to gene expression upon TG selection. Further, previously not described mechanisms of resistance appear to be recruited in the TG-resistant PC cells, which provide a novel model to study mechanisms of resistance and adaptation in PC on TG-mediated dysregulation of Ca2+ homeostasis. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
A reduced routing network architecture for partial parallel LDPC decoders

A novel partial parallel decoding scheme based on the matrix structure of LDPC codes proposed in IEEE 802.15.3c and IEEE 802.11ad standards is presented that significantly simplifies the routing network of the decoder, and the class of parity-check matrices for which the method can be used is defined. The proposed method results in an almost complete elimination of logic gates on the routing network, which yields improvements in area, speed and power, with an identical error correction performance to conventional partial-parallel decoders. A decoder for the (672,588) LDPC code adopted in the IEEE 802.15.3c is implemented in a 65 nm CMOS technology including place & route with both proposed permutational decoder, and conventional partial-parallel architecture. The proposed permutational LDPC decoder operates at 235 MHz and delivers a throughput of 7.9 Gbps with 5 decoding iterations per block. The proposed permutational decoder has a throughput 30% higher and is approximately 24% smaller than the conventional partial-parallel decoder.
Novel epigenetic mechanisms that control pluripotency and quiescence of adult bone marrow-derived Oct4+ very small embryonic-like stem cells

Recently, we identified in adult tissues a population of Oct4(+)SSEA-1(+)Sca-1(+)lin(-)CD45(-) very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs). First, to address recent controversies on Oct4 expression in cells isolated from adult organs, we show here evidence that Oct4 promoter in bone marrow (BM)-derived VSELs has an open chromatin structure and is actively transcribed. Next, to explain VSELs quiescence and lack of teratoma formation, we demonstrate a unique DNA methylation pattern at some developmentally crucial imprinted genes, showing hypomethylation/erasure of imprints in paternally methylated and hypermethylation of imprints in maternally methylated ones. These epigenetic characteristics leading to upregulation in VSELs of H19 and p57(KIP2) (also known as Cdkn1c) and repression of Igf2 and Rasgrf1 explain VSEL's quiescent status. Interestingly, this unique pattern in imprinted gene methylation is reverted in cocultures with a C2C12 supportive cell-line when VSELs are induced to form VSEL-derived spheres (VSEL-DSs) enriched for stem cells able to differentiate into all three germ layers. Therefore, we suggest that the proliferative/developmental potential of Oct4(+) VSELs is epigenetically regulated by expression of Oct4 and some imprinted genes, and postulate that restoring the proper methylation pattern of imprinted genes will be a crucial step for using these cells in regenerative medicine.