cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Scalable Machine Learning Approach to Go

Go is an ancient board game that poses unique opportunities and challenges for AI and machine learning. Here we develop a machine learning approach to Go, and related board games, focusing primarily on the problem of learning a good evaluation function in a scalable way. Scalability is essential at multiple levels, from the library of local tactical patterns, to the integration of patterns across the board, to the size of the board itself. The system we propose is capable of automatically learning the propensity of local patterns from a library of games. Propensity and other local tactical information are fed into a recursive neural network, derived from a Bayesian network architecture. The network integrates local information across the board and produces local outputs that represent local territory ownership probabilities. The aggregation of these probabilities provides an effective strategic evaluation function that is an estimate of the expected area at the end (or at other stages) of the game. Local area targets for training can be derived from datasets of human games. A system trained using only 9 × 9 amateur game data performs surprisingly well on a test set derived from 19 × 19 professional game data. Possible directions for further improvements are briefly discussed.
Employment Hardship Among Older Workers: Does Residential and Gender Inequality Extend Into Older Age?

Objectives. The realities of a rapidly aging society make the employment circumstances of older workers an increasingly important social issue. We examine the prevalence and correlates of underemployment among older Americans, with a special focus on residence and gender, to provide an assessment of the labor market challenges facing older workers. Methods. We analyzed data from the March Current Population Surveys for the years 2003, 2004, and 2005. We used descriptive statistics to explore the prevalence of underemployment among older workers and developed multivariate models to assess the impact of age, residence, and gender on the likelihood of underemployment, net of other predictors. Results. We found clear disadvantages for older workers relative to their middle-aged counterparts, and particular disadvantages for older rural residents and women. Multivariate models showed that the disadvantages of older age held net of other predictors. The results also indicated that much of the disadvantage faced by older rural workers and women was explained by factors other than age, particularly education. Discussion. In an aging society, underemployment among older workers comes at an increasing social cost. Policies aimed at supporting older workers and alleviating employment hardship among them are increasingly in the public interest.
Non-zoonotic Pasteurella multocida infection as a cause of septic shock in a patient with liver cirrhosis: A case report and review of the literature

Pasteurella multocida is a Gram-negative organism characterized morphologically as coccobacillus. It is the commonest organism infecting pet bites. However, severe infections may occur in the absence of animal bites or scratches. Pasteurella multocida serves as an opportunistic pathogen in humans, especially in patients with depressed immune system. Few cases in the literature identify Pasteurella multocida as the causative agent of septic shock, especially in cirrhotic patients. We report a patient who presented with septic shock as a result of Pasteurella multocida bacteremia, without prior history of animal exposure.
Studies by DNA-RNA hybridization of transcriptional diversity in human brain.

— Purified unique sequences of human DNA (from HeLa cells) were hybridized with various preparations of human brain KNA, to obtain estimates of the fraction of DNA transcribed. Values of 12 per cent were obtained for fetal brain increasing to 24 per cent for specific regions of adult brain. Right and left parietal and temporal cortical RNA gave similar plateau values but left frontal cortical RNA appeared to represent 2–3 times as much of the total genome as that from right frontal cortex. Lower values were obtained for fetal and adult brain stem and for RNA prepared from temporal cortex of a patient exhibiting gross cerebral atrophy. Attempts were made to assess the contributions of glial and neuronal cells by using human astrocytoma and mouse neuroblastoma RNA.
Crop size and fruit neighborhood effects on bird visitation to fruiting Schefflera morototoni trees in Puerto Rico

Studies of zoochorous seed dispersal systems often consider crop size, yet seldom consider the kinds and amounts of fruits surrounding parent plants (the fruit neighborhood) when attempting to explain among-plant variation in fruit removal. We studied avian frugivory at 24 Schefflera morototoni trees from February to May 1998 in central Puerto Rico. The number of fruits removed by avian seed dispersers per visit was similar among focal trees (typically 2–4). In contrast, visitation rate was highly variable (range: 0–71 visits per 4 h). We used multiple regression analyses to evaluate the relative roles of crop size (focal tree ripe fruit abundance) and fruit neighborhood variables (measured within 30 m of focal trees) in affecting visitation to focal trees by avian frugivores. Visitation rate was positively related to crop size (although this variable was only significant in one of four regression models considered) and negatively related to the presence or abundance of conspecific fruits, suggesting that trees competed intraspecifically for dispersers. Relationships between visitation and heterospecific fruits were mixed—some kinds of fruits appeared to enhance visitation to focal trees, while others seemed to reduce visitation. In most regression models, neighborhood variables had larger effects on visitation than focal tree fruit crop size. Our results highlight the important effects of local fruiting environments on the ability of individual plants to attract seed dispersers.
Complement c3a and c5a induce different signal transduction cascades in endothelial cells.

In leukocytes, C3a and C5a cause chemotaxis in a G i -dependent, pertussis toxin (PT)-sensitive fashion. Because we found that HUVECs and immortalized human dermal microvascular endothelial cells express small numbers of C3aRs and C5aRs, we asked what the function of these receptors was on these cells. Activation of the C3aR caused transient formation of actin stress fibers, which was not PT-sensitive, but depended on rho activation implying coupling to G α12 or G α13 . Activation of the C5aR caused a delayed and sustained cytoskeletal response, which was blocked by PT, and resulted in cell retraction, increased paracellular permeability, and facilitated eosinophil transmigration. C5a, but not C3a, was chemotactic for human immortalized dermal microvascular endothelial cells. The response to C5a was blocked by inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, src kinase, and of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) as well as by neutralizing Abs against the EGFR and heparin-binding EGF-like factor. Furthermore, immune precipitations showed that the EGFR was phosphorylated following stimulation with C5a. The C5aR in endothelial cells thus uses a signaling cascade–transactivation of the EGFR–that does not exist in leukocytes, while the C3aR couples to a different G protein, presumably G α12/13 .
Measurement of the skin friction associated with turbulent flows in air and water using SAW devices

Shear stress measurement under dynamic loading by a low-frequency SAW (surface acoustic wave) sensor placed in a water channel with a fully developed turbulent flow and in an air flow generated by an electric fan is discussed. The SAW sensors used in the flow facility were fully calibrated for both shear stress and normal stress measurements, and hence, by measuring shifts in the oscillator frequency under flow conditions, actual values of the stress were obtained. The measured values show agreement with conventional intrusive measurement schemes. By using an appropriately sized SAW device and adjusting the frequency of operation, any spatial scale of the turbulence features can be characterized. >
Newly observed lines of the first spectrum of selenium in the lead sulfide region

The infrared emission spectrum of Se i has been observed in the lead sulfide region for the first time. Microwave-excited selenium electrodeless-discharge sources with argon and krypton carrier gases were used. A 1-m Czerny–Turner scanning spectrometer with three different gratings blazed for 1,2.5, and 4 μm was used. A liquid-nitrogen-cooled lead sulfide detector was employed with the usual amplifying and recording accessories. Neon, argon, krypton, and xenon standard lines were used for calibration. The observations resulted in the wavelength measurements of 148 lines in the region 1–3.5 μm and of these, 118 lines are classified as transitions among known energy levels.
The relationship between sex offender registry utilization and awareness.

Although registries of convicted sexual offenders are widely popular, little is known about the impact of the policies. The goal of this research was to measure one aspect of the impact of registry...
From Flowers to Fruits: How children’s books represent plant reproduction

Children’s trade books about science may be playing an increasing role in science instruction; however, the potential effects on student learning are unknown. To investigate whether a subset of books would be appropriate for classroom instruction about a specific science topic (plant reproduction), a selection of children’s books about plants was analysed to identify how plant reproduction was portrayed and whether the book could generate misconceptions about the topic. Three types of data were collected from 69 children’s books: growth progression of the plant, textual passages describing reproduction, and descriptions of illustrations related to reproduction. These data were then sorted twice: once to identify coding categories for how plant reproduction was shown in the books, and a second time to identify potential misconceptions in the books. Most of the books showed plants progressing through a lifecycle that generated a fruit or seed. However, there were three categories of explanations for this pr...
Measuring Selective Grazing with Fistulated Steers

Abstract Four grazing trials were conducted during 1958, with three on a Kentucky bluegrass-white clover pasture and the other on a tall fescue-Ladino clover pasture. Steers with either rumen or esophageal fistulas were used to sample the forage at two- to three-day intervals. Selective grazing was exhibited on the pasture studies. Botanical analysis indicated in all cases that grass increased in the grazing animal's diet as the period progressed and, conversely, clover decreased. Protein decreased and crude fiber increased in fistula samples, with respect to time, even though the chemical composition of clipped samples remained fairly constant. The composition of fistula samples failed to agree with the composition of samples hand-harvested from under cages the same day.
Evaluation and Nonoperative Management of Colonic Diverticular Disease

Diverticulitis is an increasingly common problem within the Western population. For the vast majority of patients with diverticulitis, nonoperative management is the preferred treatment method. In this review, we examine the current evidence related to the evaluation and treatment acute diverticulitis to further clarify its nonoperative management strategies. Our review finds little high-level evidence to guide management decisions. Given this absence of evidence, physicians need to exercise judgment and avoidance of unnecessary risk in the treatment of diverticulitis. There also appears to be evidence that inpatient management is overused, but the extent to which this is the case is difficult to quantify.
Modulation of Tropical Cyclones over the Eastern Pacific by the Intraseasonal Variability Simulated in an AGCM

AbstractThis study illustrates that observed modulations of tropical cyclone (TC) genesis over the eastern Pacific (EPAC) by large-scale intraseasonal variability (ISV) are well represented in a recently developed high-resolution atmospheric model (HiRAM) at the NOAA/Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) with a horizontal resolution of about 50 km. Considering the intrinsic predictability of the ISV of 2–4 weeks, this analysis thus has significant implications for dynamically based TC predictions on intraseasonal time scales. Analysis indicates that the genesis potential index (GPI) anomalies associated with the ISV can generally well depict ISV modulations of EPAC TC genesis in both observations and HiRAM simulations. Further investigation is conducted to explore the key factors associated with ISV modulation of TC activity based on an analysis of budget terms of the observed GPI during the ISV life cycle. It is found that, while relative roles of GPI factors are dependent on ISV phase and locatio...
Current measures of metabolic heterogeneity within cervical cancer do not predict disease outcome

A previous study evaluated the intra-tumoral heterogeneity observed in the uptake of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in pre-treatment positron emission tomography (PET) scans of cancers of the uterine cervix as an indicator of disease outcome. This was done via a novel statistic which ostensibly measured the spatial variations in intra-tumoral metabolic activity. In this work, we argue that statistic is intrinsically non-spatial, and that the apparent delineation between unsuccessfully- and successfully-treated patient groups via that statistic is spurious. We first offer a straightforward mathematical demonstration of our argument. Next, we recapitulate an assiduous re-analysis of the originally published data which was derived from FDG-PET imagery. Finally, we present the results of a principal component analysis of FDG-PET images similar to those previously analyzed. We find that the previously published measure of intra-tumoral heterogeneity is intrinsically non-spatial, and actually is only a surrogate for tumor volume. We also find that an optimized linear combination of more canonical heterogeneity quantifiers does not predict disease outcome. Current measures of intra-tumoral metabolic activity are not predictive of disease outcome as has been claimed previously. The implications of this finding are: clinical categorization of patients based upon these statistics is invalid; more sophisticated, and perhaps innately-geometric, quantifications of metabolic activity are required for predicting disease outcome.
El Nin˜o/Southern Oscillation and the annual cycle: subharmonic frequency-locking and aperiodicity

Abstract An intermediate coupled model for the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon is used to examine the interaction of ENSO with the seasonal cycle and how this is related to the irregularity of ENSO time series. Under annual mean conditions, the mechanisms that give rise to an inherent ENSO frequency and spatial pattern are well understood in this model. When the annual cycle is included, the ENSO cycle tends to lock to rational multiples of the annual frequency. The role of such subharmonic frequency locking in the transition to chaos in ENSO models has recently been examined by Jin et al., Tziperman et al. and Chang et al. Here we fit this transition scenario into a broader perspective. We emphasize three main points: (1) Using Floquet theory, we show step by step the relation of the ENSO mode in the linearized annual average case to the linear and nonlinear cases with the seasonal cycle. The dynamics that determine the spatial pattern and the basic oscillation mechanism are the same, thus putting a decade of theory on the linear annual average case onto firmer ground. (2) The quasi-periodicity scenario for the transition to chaos fundamentally involves two parameters, one governing the amplitude of the ENSO cycle, the other the inherent period. Examining model behavior as a function of parameters reveals that at reasonable amplitude of the ENSO cycle, superstable frequency-locked regimes are more prevalent than chaotic regimes. (3) When stochastic forcing by atmospheric uncoupled variability-“weather noise”-is included, the resulting irregularity in frequency-locked regimes still carries the signature of the frequency-locked spectral peaks. Thus the role of subharmonic frequency-locked resonances is important whether or not irregularity is due to internal chaotic behavior or to weather noise.
Stronger Instruments By Design

Natural experiments provide one means for credibly estimating causal eects with observational data. The instrumental variable (IV) method is often applied to natural experiment reecting a belief that combining the power of natural random assignment with an instrumental variable approach will solve many of the problems endemic to observational data. While IV analysis can be quite powerful, they also rest on a series of strong assumptions that may not be credible within a specic natural experiment. Here, we highlight how the bias from weak instruments is amplied when instruments are not as-if randomly assigned. We demonstrate how using an IV estimator based on matching and randomization inference can both correct for departures from as-if random assignment and strengthen the instrument. Specically, we combine a matching algorithm with a reverse caliper and penalties to strengthen the instrument within a subset of the overall study population. We also demonstrate how researchers can probe the random assignment of the instrument assumption with a sensitivity analysis. We provide substantive examples of the proposed approach with a reevaluation and extension of a paper that uses rainfall as an instrument for voter turnout in U.S. counties (Hansford and Gomez 2010).
Association of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations with body mass index and waist circumference: a cross-sectional study of NHANES data, 1999–2002

Although diet and activity are key factors in the obesity epidemic, laboratory studies suggest that endocrine disrupting chemicals may also affect obesity. We analyzed associations between six phthalate metabolites measured in urine and body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) participants aged 6–80. We included 4369 participants from NHANES 1999–2002, with data on mono-ethyl (MEP), mono-2-ethylhexyl (MEHP), mono-n-butyl (MBP), and mono-benzyl (MBzP) phthalate; 2286 also had data on mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl (MEHHP) and mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl (MEOHP) phthalate (2001–2002). Using multiple regression, we computed mean BMI and WC within phthalate quartiles in eight age/gender specific models. The most consistent associations were in males aged 20–59; BMI and WC increased across quartiles of MBzP (adjusted mean BMI = 26.7, 27.2, 28.4, 29.0, p-trend = 0.0002), and positive associations were also found for MEOHP, MEHHP, MEP, and MBP. In females, BMI and WC increased with MEP quartile in adolescent girls (adjusted mean BMI = 22.9, 23.8, 24.1, 24.7, p-trend = 0.03), and a similar but less strong pattern was seen in 20–59 year olds. In contrast, MEHP was inversely related to BMI in adolescent girls (adjusted mean BMI = 25.4, 23.8, 23.4, 22.9, p-trend = 0.02) and females aged 20–59 (adjusted mean BMI = 29.9, 29.9, 27.9, 27.6, p-trend = 0.02). There were no important associations among children, but several inverse associations among 60–80 year olds. This exploratory, cross-sectional analysis revealed a number of interesting associations with different phthalate metabolites and obesity outcomes, including notable differences by gender and age subgroups. Effects of endocrine disruptors, such as phthalates, may depend upon endogenous hormone levels, which vary dramatically by age and gender. Individual phthalates also have different biologic and hormonal effects. Although our study has limitations, both of these factors could explain some of the variation in the observed associations. These preliminary data support the need for prospective studies in populations at risk for obesity.
Resolved: there is sufficient scientific evidence that decreasing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption will reduce the prevalence of obesity and obesity-related diseases

Summary Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are the single largest source of added sugar and the top source of energy intake in the U.S. diet. In this review, we evaluate whether there is sufficient scientific evidence that decreasing SSB consumption will reduce the prevalence of obesity and its related diseases. Because prospective cohort studies address dietary determinants of long-term weight gain and chronic diseases, whereas randomized clinical trials (RCTs) typically evaluate short-term effects of specific interventions on weight change, both types of evidence are critical in evaluating causality. Findings from well-powered prospective cohorts have consistently shown a significant association, established temporality and demonstrated a direct dose‐response relationship between SSB consumption and long-term weight gain and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). A recently published meta-analysis of RCTs commissioned by the World Health Organization found that decreased intake of added sugars significantly reduced body weight (0.80 kg, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39‐1.21; P < 0.001), whereas increased sugar intake led to a comparable weight increase (0.75 kg, 0.30‐1.19; P = 0.001). A parallel meta-analysis of cohort studies also found that higher intake of SSBs among children was associated with 55% (95% CI 32‐82%) higher risk of being overweight or obese compared with those with lower intake. Another metaanalysis of eight prospective cohort studies found that one to two servings per day of SSB intake was associated with a 26% (95% CI 12‐41%) greater risk of developing T2D compared with occasional intake (less than one serving per month). Recently, two large RCTs with a high degree of compliance provided convincing data that reducing consumption of SSBs significantly decreases weight gain and adiposity in children and adolescents. Taken together, the evidence that decreasing SSBs will decrease the risk of obesity and related diseases such as T2D is compelling. Several additional issues warrant further discussion. First, prevention of long-term weight gain through dietary changes such as limiting consumption of SSBs is more important than short-term weight loss in reducing the prevalence of obesity in the population. This is due to the fact that once an individual becomes obese, it is difficult to lose weight and keep it off. Second, we should consider the totality of evidence rather than selective pieces of evidence (e.g. from short-term RCTs only). Finally, while recognizing that the evidence of harm on health against SSBs is strong, we should avoid the trap of waiting for absolute proof before allowing public health action to be taken.
Commentary: First, AIDE for Pediatric Psychology

Addressing the state of pediatric psychology as a practice subspecialty, Rae (this issue) provides an excellent overview of the history and current status of the field from a perspective of fiscal travail. He bemoans the current reimbursement system for mental health services, as applied to pediatric psychology, and identifies three promising areas he hopes may lead our field to economic viability. These include: focusing our attention on our market niche (e.g., close alliance with pediatrics, directed toward primary care and chronic medical conditions); prevention of psychological dysfunction; and demonstrating the benefits of medical-cost offset. Rae concludes on a relatively plaintive note, recalling the mournful words of a Depression-era song and urging us to keep the faith. In this author’s view, Rae’s commentary is partially correct, but far too passive. Pediatric psychologists cannot afford to depend on the largesse of others for the ‘‘dime.’’ We must first ‘‘AIDE’’ ourselves. Rae has essentially recognized that we already have the ability to do this. The agenda must be aggressively pursued. In this context the ‘‘A’’ is for sound clinical applications. As Rae notes, our field has already developed many assessment and intervention strategies related to everything from infant feeding protocols to problem solving regarding incontinence (e.g., adherence, pain control, hospitalization preparation, school reintegration, parent training). We must continue to innovate and test treatment approaches, prevention strategies, and primary care interventions for the problems most vexing to pediatric practitioners, the patients they care for, and the parents who live with the problems on a day-in/day-out basis. The ‘‘I’’ stands for integration and refers to Rae’s
The Effects of Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment on Go/NoGo Semantic Categorization Task Performance and Event-Related Potentials

We examined the effects of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) on behavioral (response times and error rates) and scalp-recorded event-related potential (ERP) measures of response execution and inhibition, using Go/NoGo tasks involving basic and superordinate semantic categorization. Twenty-five aMCI (16 F; 68.5±8 years) and 25 age- and gender-matched normal control subjects (16 F; 65.4±7.1 years) completed two visual Go/NoGo tasks. In the single car task, responses were made based on single exemplars of a car (Go) and a dog (NoGo) (basic). In the object animal task, responses were based on multiple exemplars of objects (Go) and animals (NoGo) (superordinate). The aMCI subjects had higher commission errors on the NoGo trials compared to the control subjects, whereas both groups had comparable omission errors and reaction times during the Go trials. The aMCI subjects had significantly prolonged N2 ERP latency during Go and NoGo trials across tasks compared to the controls. Both groups showed similar categorization effects and response type effects in N2/P3 ERP latencies and P3 amplitude. Our findings indicate that altered early neural processing indexed by N2 latency distinguishes subjects with aMCI from controls during the Go/NoGo task. Prolonged Go-N2 latency in aMCI appears to precede behavioral changes in response execution, whereas prolonged NoGo-N2 latency underlies behavioral deterioration in response inhibition.
Candidate Race and Legislative Elections in Brazil

Researchers broadly agree that racial disparities not only pervade Brazilian society, but permeate its political bodies. In this paper I test competing explanations for Afro-Brazilian political underrepresentation using data from Brazil's 2014 Federal Deputy elections. My findings indicate that Afro-Brazilians do not compete in proportion to their population size nor do they win in proportion to the rates at which they run. Furthermore, Afro-Brazilian candidates and their White counterparts differ with respect to educational attainment, occupational prestige, political experience, and campaign resources. Nonetheless, when I control for such differences, there remains a strong association between candidate race and electoral outcomes. These results suggest that racial stratification extends to Brazil's highest political bodies.
An Algorithm for Surgical Approach to the Anterior Skull Base.

Objective To characterize our experience with the surgical management of anterior skull base malignancy, and to propose an algorithm for surgical approach to anterior skull base malignancies. Design Retrospective review. Setting Academic cranial base center. Participants Sixty-seven patients who underwent resection of paranasal sinus or anterior skull base malignancy with an endoscopic, cranioendoscopic, or traditional anterior craniofacial approach. Outcome Measures Complications, recurrence, and survival. Results There were 48 males and 19 females, ranging from 6 to 88 years old. There were three groups: endonasal endoscopic resection (n = 10), cranioendoscopic resection (n = 12), and traditional craniofacial resection (n = 45). The most common tumor pathologies included esthesioneuroblastoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma. Patients with T3/T4 disease were less likely to undergo endoscopic resection (p = 0.007). The 5-year disease-free survival was 82.1% overall, with no statistically significant differences among approaches. There were no differences in orbital complications, meningitis, or cerebrospinal fluid leak. Use of a transfacial incisions predisposed patients to surgical site infection and sinocutaneous fistulae. An algorithm for surgical approach was developed based on these results. Conclusion Sinonasal and skull base malignancies can be safely surgically addressed via several approaches. Surgical approach should be selected algorithmically based on preoperative clinical assessment of the tumor and known postoperative complication rates.
Abstract SY39-01: Harnessing cancer genome diversity for intervention target discovery and development

The diverse assortment of somatic lesions associated with human cancer initiation and progression presents a formidable challenge against efforts to develop molecularly targeted therapeutic interventions. Here we are modeling genetic diversity within lung cancer using a panel of over 100 non small cell lung cancer derived cell lines. Broad-scale parallel testing of genetic and chemical perturbations, together with high-resolution genomic characterization, is being used to parse this panel into subtypes with shared target opportunities and molecular correlates that predict response to target intervention. In this way, we have begun to identify somatic allele combinations that drive sensitivity to selective gene depletions and to synthetic small molecules that target these genes and/or the biological processes they serve. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr SY39-01. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-SY39-01
Universality of the Exponent η to Order ε 2 for a Class of Renormalization Groups

A formula for the exponent $\ensuremath{\eta}$ to order ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{2}$ previously derived is generalized to a wider class of groups which includes the sharp-cutoff group and is shown to be universal to this order.
Implementations of double-resonance slow light

Recent experiments demonstrating slow light between two absorbing resonances are reviewed as well as some recently demonstrated implementations, including low-light level buffering, image delays and interferometry.
Hypothesis Testing with Scanner Data: The Advantage of Bayesian Methods:

The author presents a Bayesian method of testing possibly non-nested restrictions in a multivariate linear model and, using store-level scanner data, compares it with classical methods. The Bayesia...
Following Edwards, Godinez Revisited

In United States v. deShazar , 554 F.3d 1281(10th Cir. 2009), the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit examined competence to stand trial, competence to waive the right to counsel, and competence to represent oneself in light of Godinez v. Moran , 509 U.S. 389 (1993) and the U.S.
Design of Tension Insulator Protective Cover in 10kV Power Distribution Networks

The masking effect of tension insulating protective cover significantly influences the indicator of criterion layer in safety analysis and evaluation of live work, and further influences the ultimate state of safety analysis to live work. In this paper, the stress-strain performance of silicone rubber through experiment is analyzed and the relevant characteristic curves of material are obtained. It turns out that the silicone rubber is of good mechanical performance. On account of the potential safety hazard caused by defects can not fully covered to insulator, some improvements to the shape of traditional tension insulating protective cover are made. The results show that the new-style cover can satisfy the requirements for matching with the neighboring insulation cover, improve the importance coefficient and safety level, and increase the safety of live work.
Role of PTH, metabolic factors and other hormones in extra-renal acid buffering.

The maintenance of normal acid-base homeostasis is dependent on the renal excretion of acid (as well as the reclamation of bicarbonate) and extra-renal buffering of acid which originates either from normal metabolism or from exogenous sources. The factors influencing renal acid excretion have been well studied. Those events which control the buffering of an acid load are less completely understood (1). Since it is believed that the skeleton is a major source of buffer, events which influence the metabolism of bone may have a profound effect on extra-renal buffering. Fraley and Adler, as well as our own group, have demonstrated that parathyroid hormone (PTH) plays a major role in the buffering of acute acid loads (2,3). More recently we have had the opportunity to study the effects of a number of other hormonal and metabolic factors which influence extra-renal buffering (4). This paper reviews our work; it examines the effect of PTH and other metabolic regulators on extra-renal buffering.
Increasing klystron efficiency using COM and BAC tuning and application to the 5045 klystron

The Core Oscillation Method (COM) and Bunch-Align-Compress (BAC) cavity tuning schemes are discussed and applied to the re-design of the 5045 klystron towards achieving the highest efficiency micro-perveance 2.0 tube ever built.
The Rockingham Ministry, 1782

The Marquis of Rockingham was a man of modest demeanor, but he inspired respect among the aristocracy and intense loyalty from his friends. Tenaciously, he had held his party together for 16 years against the power of the Court and Treasury Party and the reluctance of the independent members to oppose the ministry of the day without extreme provocation. Rockingham knew the King was hostile, his Cabinet was divided, and the parliamentary support of his government was likely to disappear once peace was made. He expected that his tenure in office would be short, but the changes that he intended would make it easier for an organized Opposition to check the influence of the Crown in the future.
Direct Detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Antigen in Clinical Specimens by a Monoclonal Antibody Immunoblot Assay

Throat swabs from patients with pharyngitis and sputum specimens from patients with atypical pneumonia were tested for the presence of a Mycoplasma pneumoniae polypeptide with a molecular weight of 43,000 with the use of an M. pneumoniae species-specific monoclonal antibody in an immunoblot assay. This 43,000-dalton polypeptide was detectable in 33 of 33 throat swabs from patients with pharyngitis that were positive for M. pneumoniae by conventional culture as well as a culture-amplified enzyme immunoassay. The 43,000-dalton polypeptide was also detected in three of three M. pneumoniae culture-positive sputum specimens. It was not detected in 3 sputum specimens culture-confirmed for Legionella pneumo-phila , 10 sputum specimens from normal persons, or 25 throat swabs also from normal persons. This immunoblot assay could be completed within five hours and may be an alternative method for detecting M. pneumoniae antigen directly in sputum or throat swab specimens.
Living a Life of Light and Imaginary Creatures

This installment of Notes from the Community covers new pervasive technologies using light, new features for smartphones, better interfaces for wearables, and Pokemon Go craziness.
Coronary Artery Calcification and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Death Among Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Importance Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is highly prevalent in dialysis-naive patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, there are sparse data on the association of CAC with subsequent risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in this population. Objective To study the prospective association of CAC with risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality among dialysis-naive patients with CKD. Design, Setting, and Participants The prospective Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort study recruited adults with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 20 to 70 mL/min/1.73 m 2 from 7 clinical centers in the United States. There were 1541 participants without cardiovascular disease at baseline who had CAC scores. Exposures Coronary artery calcification was assessed using electron-beam or multidetector computed tomography. Main Outcomes and Measures Incidence of cardiovascular disease (including myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke) and all-cause mortality were reported every 6 months and confirmed by medical record adjudication. Results During an average follow-up of 5.9 years in 1541 participants aged 21 to 74 years, there were 188 cardiovascular disease events (60 cases of myocardial infarction, 120 heart failures, and 27 strokes; patients may have had >1 event) and 137 all-cause deaths. In Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, race, clinical site, education level, physical activity, total cholesterol level, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, systolic blood pressure, use of antihypertensive treatment, current cigarette smoking, diabetes status, body mass index, C-reactive protein level, hemoglobin A 1c level, phosphorus level, troponin T level, log N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide level, fibroblast growth factor 23 level, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and proteinuria, the hazard ratios associated with per 1 SD log of CAC were 1.40 (95% CI, 1.16-1.69; P P = .04) for myocardial infarction, 1.39 (95% CI, 1.10-1.76; P = .006) for heart failure, and 1.19 (95% CI, 0.94-1.51; P = .15) for all-cause mortality. In addition, inclusion of CAC score led to an increase in the C statistic of 0.02 (95% CI, 0-0.09; P Conclusions and Relevance Coronary artery calcification is independently and significantly related to the risks of cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, and heart failure in patients with CKD. In addition, CAC improves risk prediction for cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, and heart failure over use of established and novel cardiovascular disease risk factors among patients with CKD; however, the changes in the C statistic are small.
Intelligent Motion Planning and Control for Robot Arms

Abstract A new planning and control scheme for robot arms is presented. First, the event-based motion reference is introduced. Applying time and energy optimization techniques, an event-based trajectory can be obtained. A new event-based error definition and computation scheme has been introduced and combined with nonlinear feedback control law, which linearizes and decouples the controls in the task space. The scheme is also extended to multi-robot coordination. The event-based planning and control schemes were expermentally implemented and tested on two 6 DOF PUMA 560 robots with very good results.
The value of competition: competitive balance as a predictor of attendance in spectator sports

This paper investigates the role of competitive balance among teams in a league in predicting attendance at spectator sporting events. It also controls for the demographic and economic characteristics of the league's markets, and changes in the number of teams in the league. The research relies on a sample that includes 707 non-major professional team seasonal win-loss records (12,956 games) from five sports, aggregated into 75 seasons to develop a model consistent with extant literature. The authors find that competitive balance and average income in the league's markets are significant predictors of leaguewide attendance.
Transition of a Text-Based Insulin Titration Program From a Randomized Controlled Trial Into Real-World Settings: Implementation Study.

Background: The Mobile Insulin Titration Intervention (MITI) program helps patients with type 2 diabetes find their correct basal insulin dose without in-person care. Requiring only basic cell phone technology (text messages and phone calls), MITI is highly accessible to patients receiving care in safety-net settings. MITI was shown in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to be efficacious at a New York City (NYC) safety-net clinic where patients often have challenges coming for in-person care. In 2016, MITI was implemented as usual care at Bellevue Hospital (the site of the original RCT) and at Gouverneur Health (a second NYC safety-net clinic) under 2 different staffing models. Objective: This implementation study examined MITI’s transition into real-world settings. To understand MITI’s flexibility, generalizability, and acceptability among patients and providers, we evaluated whether MITI continued to produce positive outcomes in expanded underserved populations, outside of an RCT setting. Methods: Patients enrolled in MITI received weekday text messages asking for their fasting blood glucose (FBG) values and a weekly titration call. The goal was for patients to reach their optimal insulin dose (OID), defined either as the dose of once-daily basal insulin required to achieve either an FBG of 80-130 mg/dL (4.4-7.2 mmol/L) or as the reaching of the maximum dose of 50 units. After 12 weeks, if OID was not reached, the patients were asked to return to the clinic for in-person care and titration. MITI program outcomes, clinical outcomes, process outcomes, and patient satisfaction were assessed. Results: MITI was successful at both sites, each with a different staffing model. Providers referred 170 patients to the program—129 of whom (75.9%, 129/170) were eligible. Of these, 113 (87.6%, 113/129) enrolled. Moreover, 84.1% (95/113) of patients reached their OID, and they did so in an average of 24 days. Clinical outcomes show that mean FBG levels fell from 209 mg/dL (11.6 mmol/L) to 141 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L), P<.001. HbA1c levels fell from 11.4% (101 mmol/mol) to 10.0% (86 mmol/mol), P<.001. Process outcomes show that 90.1% of MITI’s text message prompts received a response, nurses connected with patients 81.9% of weeks to provide titration instructions, and 85% of attending physicians made at least one referral to the MITI program. Satisfaction surveys showed that most patients felt comfortable sharing information over text and felt the texts reminded them to take their insulin, check their sugar, and make healthy food choices. Conclusions: This implementation study showed MITI to have continued success after transitioning from an RCT program into real-world settings. MITI showed itself to be flexible and generalizable as it easily fits into a second site staffed by general medical clinic–registered nurses and remained acceptable to patients and staff who had high levels of engagement with the program. [J Med Internet Res 2018;20(3):e93]
A copula approach for testing independence between poisson distributed variables

ABSTRACTAn increasingly popular approach to model the dependence between random variables centers on the use of copula functions. Herein, a score test for testing independence of response variables using the Normal copula function is proposed for the specific case, where the marginal distributions are known to be Poisson; to our knowledge, this approach to testing independence is unique to this article. The simulation study shows the test that keeps the significance level close to the nominal one. Similarly, the estimated significance level and power of the likelihood ratio and Wald tests are also compared to show our test is numerically stable and superior in very small samples. A real-world dataset is used to demonstrate the application of our test.
Recovering function fields from their decomposition graphs

We develop the global theory of a strategy to tackle a program initiated by Bogomolov in 1990. That program aims at giving a group-theoretical recipe by which one can reconstruct function fields K | k with td(K | k) > 1 and k algebraically closed from the maximal pro-l abelian-by-central Galois group Π K c of K, where l is any prime number ≠char(k).
Systematic Patterns in Daily Treasury Bill Returns and Spreads

Nonparametric tests reject that rankings of Treasury bill returns are random within months. Treasury bills tend to earn lower returns on the first trading day of the month of January. This pattern in January does not extend to the other months of the year. Unlike stocks, bill returns are approximately equal during the first and second half of the month. Bid-ask spreads, however, are much larger during the second half of the month than during the first.
Comparative sensitivity of the MoCA and Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-2 in Parkinson's disease

Background Clinicians and researchers commonly use global cognitive assessments to screen for impairment. Currently there are no published studies directly comparing the sensitivity and specificity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-2 in PD. The objective of this study was to identify the relative sensitivity and specificity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-2 in PD. Methods The Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-2 were administered to training and validation cohorts. Cutoff scores were determined within the training cohort (n = 85) to optimize sensitivity and specificity for cognitive impairment and were applied to an independent validation cohort (n = 521). Results The Montreal Cognitive Assessment was consistently sensitive across training and validation cohorts (90.0% and 80.3%, respectively), whereas the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-2 was not (87.5% and 60.3%, respectively). In individual domains, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment remained sensitive to memory and visuospatial impairments (91.9% and 87.8%, respectively), whereas the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-2 was sensitive to executive impairments (86.2%). Conclusion The Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-2 demonstrated individual strengths. Future work should focus on developing domain-specific cognitive screening tools for PD. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Network Data Bases (CODASYL)

This chapter discusses the organization of network or CODASYL model data base management systems. Therefore, it is likely that people now entering the field of computer science will use CODASYL data bases. The main concept of the network system is that of linking together two record types where there is a many-one relationship between the two record types. The chapter discusses how to use the DDL of the CODASYL specifications to design a schema. First, find the attributes of the data and the functional dependencies— and possibly multidependencies—between them. Next, use normalization methods to group them into different record types. When one has normalized one's data and organized normalized record types into CODASYL set pairings, one is ready to tackle the data definition language. Calc key is the mode used for all system-owned sets for which no order is specified. In calc key sets some hashing method is used to locate the record instance.
SURVIVAL VALUE OF FEVER

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the survival value of fever. Fever, an elevated thermoregulatory set point, results in the active elevation in body temperature using both physiological and behavioral effector mechanisms. The febrile organism utilizes whatever effector mechanisms are available to it to raise its body temperature to this elevated set point. In mammals, this might include shivering, peripheral vasoconstriction, huddling, and seeking a warmer environment. In an ectotherm, such as the desert iguana, this elevation in body temperature is primarily the result of the behavioral selection of a warmer microclimate. A fever in response to a contact with infectious agents has probably been a component of the host response to infection for hundreds of millions of years because vertebrates from fishes to mammals develop fevers in response to remarkably similar stimuli. This chapter reviews the evidence concerning the hypothesis that moderate fevers have survival value to the host. In addition, the possible interaction of some of the responses as synergistic host defense responses is also discussed in the chapter.