cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Functional Organization of Language: Insights From Functional Neuroimaging.

One of the oldest questions in cognitive science is whether cognitive operations are modular or distributed across domains. We propose that fMRI has made a unique contribution to this question by elucidating the nature of structure–function relations. We focus our discussion on language, which is the classic domain for arguments in favor of domain specificity and a fixed neural architecture. We argue that fMRI has provided evidence for the idea that there is a dynamic functional architecture, rather than a fixed neural architecture, that emerges across the lifespan, pursuant to injury and in response to language experience. We use empirical examples to highlight how fMRI has helped restructure theory by shedding light on how functionally distinct modular components of the grammar can recruit some of the same neural regions, how areas considered to be domain-specific may be recruited in a domain-general fashion, and how language network specialization and left lateralization dynamically emerge in response ...
Stem cell maintenance and disease progression in chronic myeloid leukemia.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a cancer of blood cells driven by the BCR–ABL1 oncogenic protein tyrosine kinase, which is the product of a reciprocal chromosomal translocation known as the Philadelphia chromosome. Discovery of tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting the BCR–ABL1 kinase revolutionized CML therapy, but these drugs are unable to eradicate the disease due to the presence of a drug-insensitive stem cell population that sustains continued growth of the malignant cells. Resistance to therapies also increases the risk of relapse and disease progression to a more advanced phase. This review discusses emerging issues in CML research, and describes recent progress in elucidating the mechanisms of CML stem cell maintenance and disease progression.
Linguistic competence/language access services (LAS) in end-of-life and palliative care: a social work leadership imperative.

Abstract Despite the mandated and moral imperative to advance linguistic competence in all health care contexts, leadership that addresses this area of practice and study in end-of-life and palliative care is not readily obvious. Because social work is ideally suited to lead efforts to advance linguistically-accessible end-of-life and palliative care, social workers are encouraged to assume the challenge. This article focuses on topics that are elementary yet central to discussions on language diversity and leadership initiatives to advance language access in end-of-life and palliative care contexts: importance and function of language, extent of language diversity, inequity related to language diversity, mandates and standards related to language access, and approaches and competencies that contribute positively to language access.
Interaction potential between Li + and HD: region for rotational excitation cross sections

The interaction potential between Li + and HD (with internuclear separation fixed at 1.4 a.u.) was determined by two different methods using the results of a recent self-consistent-field calculation of the potential energy surface for Li + -H 2 . In one method, Li + -HD interaction energies were obtained utilizing an analytical representation of the Li + -H 2 surface. The second method used ab initio Li + -H 2 interaction energies directly to yield the Li + -HD potential surface by means of interpolation procedures. The interaction potentials determined by the two methods are essentially identical and have been fit to an analytical form, V(r,θ) = ∑ l v l (r)P l (cos θ), to facilitate scattering studies. For large center of mass distances, perturbation theory is in good accord with the potentials constructed by the two procedures.
An Improved Dynamical Downscaling Method with GCM Bias Corrections and Its Validation with 30 Years of Climate Simulations

AbstractAn improved dynamical downscaling method (IDD) with general circulation model (GCM) bias corrections is developed and assessed over North America. A set of regional climate simulations is performed with the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) version 3.3 embedded in the National Center for Atmospheric Research's (NCAR's) Community Atmosphere Model (CAM). The GCM climatological means and the amplitudes of interannual variations are adjusted based on the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)–NCAR global reanalysis products (NNRP) before using them to drive WRF. In this study, the WRF downscaling experiments are identical except the initial and lateral boundary conditions derived from the NNRP, original GCM output, and bias-corrected GCM output, respectively. The analysis finds that the IDD greatly improves the downscaled climate in both climatological means and extreme events relative to the traditional dynamical downscaling approach (TDD). The errors of downscaled climatolog...
Food Hardness and Feeding Behavior in Old World Fruit Bats (Pteropodidae)

Old World fruit bats (family Pteropodidae) are common throughout the Paleotropics, where they play an important ecological role as seed dispersers and pollinators. Although many regions host diverse assemblages of fruit bats, mechanisms of resource partitioning are only beginning to be documented. This study investigates the potential role of feeding behavior in patterns of resource use within a sympatric assemblage of pteropodids from Papua New Guinea. Individuals of Syconycteris australis, Dobsonia minor, Pteropus conspicillatus, Nyctimene albiventer, and Paranyctimene raptor were videotaped during feeding experiments designed to elicit shifts in feeding (biting) behavior by varying fruit hardness. Although significant variation exists among species in biting behavior, the clear association between trophic ecology and feeding behavior seen in New World fruit bats does not exist in this assemblage of Old World species. Rather, the combinations of behavior and morphology exhibited by these bats appear to represent 2 different solutions to the ecological challenge of feeding on relatively hard fruits.
Early-ripening Grapevine Cultivars for Dry-on-vine Raisins on an Open-gable Trellis

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. DOV, dried vine fruit, grapes, Vitis vinifera SUMMARY. ‘Diamond Muscat’, ‘DOVine’, ‘Fiesta’, and ‘Selma Pete’ grapevines (Vitis vinifera) were evaluated to determine their suitability for making dry-on-vine (DOV) raisins on an open-gable trellis. The experiment was a split-plot, with training system, head, bilateral, or quadrilateral cordons as the main plot, and grapevine cultivar (Diamond Muscat, DOVine, Fiesta, or Selma Pete) as the subplot. Yield components, fruit composition, and raisin yield and quality were evaluated annually. Vine training style did not affect fruit composition, or raisin yield or quality, but vines trained to quadrilateral cordons produced more clusters on renewal shoots than head-trained vines. ‘DOVine’, ‘Fiesta’, and ‘Selma Pete’ produced about 4.75 tons/acre of raisins, 10% more than ‘Diamond Muscat’. ‘Diamond Muscat’ vines produced the most clusters on renewal shoots, an undesirable trait, and the most clusters per vine. ‘Fiesta’ matured later than the other cultivars, therefore it had the lowest soluble solids, the poorest raisin grades, and the highest field moisture at harvest. ‘Selma Pete’ grapes matured as early, or earlier, than the grapes of other cultivars, they had among the highest soluble solids and raisin grades, and the raisins generally dried well. Thus, ‘Selma Pete’ grapevines had the best overall performance of the cultivars tested.
An Introduction to Mill's Utilitarian Ethics: Mill's Life and Philosophical Background

U tilitarianism as a distinct tradition in ethical thought was founded by Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832). The principle of utility, that the production of happiness and elimination of unhappiness should be the standard for the judgment of right action and for the criticism of social, political, and legal institutions, was proposed by many writers in the eighteenth century, but it was Bentham who attempted to build a complete system of moral and legal philosophy upon that basis, and it was Bentham whose doctrine became the basis of a reform movement in the nineteenth century. A brief statement of Bentham's philosophy will be given at the end of this chapter. John Stuart Mill was a direct heir of Bentham's philosophy. His father, James Mill (1773–1836), had moved from Scotland to become a freelance journalist in London, where he edited two journals, translated books, and in the period of John Stuart's childhood wrote a multivolume History of British India . This became the standard work on the subject and earned him a post with the East India Company, which, as a quasi-governmental bureau, managed British colonial interests in India. Soon after moving to London, James Mill became acquainted with Bentham. John Stuart writes in his Autobiography that his father was “the earliest Englishman of any great mark, who thoroughly understood, and in the main adopted, Bentham's general views of ethics, government, and law.”
Abstract 2707: Social Determinants are Associated with Heat Shock Protein-70 in African American and Non-Hispanic White Women with Cardiovascular Disease

Background: African American (AA) women are nearly twice as likely as non-Hispanic White (NHW) women to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD). The additional burden of CVD borne by AA women is attributed to socioeconomic status, psychosocial stress, and greater numbers of risk factors. Compelling evidence demonstrates that inflammatory biomarkers, such as heat shock protein-70 (hsp-70) are associated with CVD risk. Yet, little is known about how social determinants, such as perceived discrimination, subjective social status, and socioeconomic status, contribute to these inflammatory markers in women with CVD. Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the extent to which social determinants are associated with hsp-70 while controlling for age, race, and body mass index (BMI) in AA and NHW women with CVD. Methods: The sample was comprised of 10 AA and 21 NHW (mean age=68.7) undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention or carotid endarterectomy. Participants completed the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status ladders for both Community and United States. In addition, the, DASDS-Major Life Discrimination, and sociodemographic survey were completed. A blood sample was collected prior to intervention and was analyzed for hsp-70. Results: Lower levels of subjective social status for community (r=-0.52, p=.02) and US (r= -0.43, p=.05) were associated with higher levels of hsp-70 controlling for age, race, and BMI. Further, greater reported frequency of major life discrimination (r=.520, p=.02) were related to elevated levels of hsp-70 adjusting for age, race, and BMI. Conclusions: Results indicate that social determinants, in particular subjective social status and perceived discrimination, are associated with the inflammatory biomarker, hsp-70. Our findings support the importance of social mediators in the inflammatory cascade. Although longitudinal studies with larger samples sizes are required to confirm these results, findings imply that social determinants, which may be amenable to nursing intervention, play a more important role in predicting inflammatory markers of CVD than race.
Electrometric Determination of Surface Charge of Cultured Mammalian Cells

SummaryBy means of an electrometric method, surface charge density was measured in rabbit, myocardial cells and mouse lung cells. As the pH was varied from 7.4 to 2.2, changes in the surface charge yielded a titration curve of the surface colloids. The isoelectric point of each surface is close to pH 2.2, and most of the titratable groups occur between pH 2.2 and 3.7. Net negative charges of 0.066 equivalents (myocardial cells) and 0.060 equivalents (lung fibroblasts) are found at pH 7.4 Bivalent cations, Ca and Mg, lower the negative charge through binding and electrostatic interactions. Incubation of myocardial cells with trypsin also diminishes the density of titratable groups. Interactions of cells with each other and with other organisms, macromolecules, and electrolytes are determined by the physicochemical properties of the amphoteric surface colloids.
An Evaluation of Ballute Entry Systems for Lunar Return Missions

This study investigates the advantages and feasibility of using ballutes for Earth entry at lunar return velocities. Using analysis methods suitable for conceptual design and assuming a CEV type entry vehicle, multiple entry strategies were investigated. Entries that jettison the ballute after achieving low Earth orbit conditions were shown to reduce heating rates to within reusable thermal protection system limits. Deceleration was mitigated to approximately four g’s when a moderate amount of lift was applied subsequent to ballute jettison. Primary ballute size drivers are the thermal limitations and areal densities of the ballute material. Performance requirements for both of those metrics were generated over a range of total ballute system masses. Lastly, preliminary investigation of a lower mass cargo variant of the CEV allowed for additional reduction of ballute system mass. However, ballute system mass as a percentage of the total entry mass was shown to be relatively independent of the entry mass.
Electroresponsive aqueous silk protein as "smart" mechanical damping fluid.

Here we demonstrate the effectiveness of an electroresponsive aqueous silk protein polymer as a smart mechanical damping fluid. The aqueous polymer solution is liquid under ambient conditions, but is reversibly converted into a gel once subjected to an electric current, thereby increasing or decreasing in viscosity. This nontoxic, biodegradable, reversible, edible fluid also bonds to device surfaces and is demonstrated to reduce friction and provide striking wear protection. The friction and mechanical damping coefficients are shown to modulate with electric field exposure time and/or intensity. Damping coefficient can be modulated electrically, and then preserved without continued power for longer time scales than conventional “smart” fluid dampers.
Microfacies Study of No.2 Sand Beds Group of Saertu Servoirs in West Clinoform Region of North Songliao Basin

The characteristics of sedimentary mocrofacies of No.2 sand beds group of Saertu servoirs in the west clinoform region of north Songliao Basin are studied subtly.In the course of research,synthetically is applied up to date theories and methods of sedimentography,and geophysics,with using cores,logging,well logging,seismics,analysis assay data and paleontology data.No.2 sand beds group of Saertu servoirs distributes mainly middle part and east part.It composes mostly of delta facies and lacustrine facies in plane.Delta facies are mainly composed of delta estuarine bars,distal end bars microfacies and filling of erosion valley.Lacustrine facies aremainly composed of shore-shallow lacustrine sand bars and shore-shallow lacustrine mixing beaches mocrofacies.The scale of delta estuarine bars are relatively larger,and their physical properties are comparatively good.Delta estuarine bars are favorable servoirs of oil and gas migrating and gathering.The distribution of filling of erosion valley presents long-wide banding and its area is relatively larger.It connects eastern Qijia-gulong sag and western shore sand bars in Fulaerji region.Sandstones contain generally oil.Filling of erosion valley is important oil-gas migrating channel of Fulaerji servoirs.No.2 sand beds group of Saertu servoirs is overlain by regional caprocks of Nenjiang formation and strata of Nenjiang formation form caprock sealing.
Application of the Theory of Slope Break to Petroleum Exploration

The theory of slope break is an advance of sequence stratigraphy applied in terrestrial basin.This paper reviews the application of this theory to petroleum exploration and points out that slope-break zone can control the development of continental sequence stratigraphy,distribution of the depositional system tracts and sand bodies.Hence,the first lake flooding surface in terrestrial basin and the scope of distribution of its sand body and source rock can be determined by the theory of slope break.Slope-break zone could even control the hydrocarbon migration and accumulation.Based on these,this paper discussed the relationship between slope-break zone and non-structural reservoir and highlights how to apply this theory in prospecting of non-structural oil-gas reservoirs.It is concluded that the theory of slope break is a new thought of looking for non-structural reservoir.
Linear or Nonlinear Covariance of Seasonal Snowmelt and Snow Cover in Western Himalayas

Log-linear, exponential and fractional relations for estimating seasonal snowmelt from early-spring snow accumulation in the Indus and Kabul river basins in the western Himalayas are developed with a view to improve the prediction given by bivariate linear regression models earlier developed by the senior author in collaboration with others. This study shows that although the transformed data may improve the above prediction, they fail to satisfy the condition of nonlinearity; a property that must be borne in mind before recommending any nonlinear regression model. Any further improvement in the prediction of seasonal flow volume from basin snow cover area, therefore, has to come from within the domain of linear regression models only or from improvements in the original input data.
Prediction of Drug-Like Molecular Properties

Preventing drug-drug interactions and reducing drug-related mortalities dictate cleaner and costlier medicines. The cost to bring a new drug to market has increased dramatically over the last 10 years, with post-discovery activities (preclinical and clinical) costs representing the majority of the spend. With the ever-increasing scrutiny that new drug candidates undergo in the post-discovery assessment phases, there is increasing pressure on discovery to deliver higher-quality drug candidates. Given that compound attrition in the early clinical stages can often be attributed to metabolic liabilities, it has been of great interest lately to implement predictive measures of metabolic stability/ liability in the drug design stage of discovery. The solution to this issue is wrapped in understanding the basic of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes functions and structures. Recently, experimental information on the structure of a variety of cytochrome P450 enzymes, major contributors to phase I metabolism, has become readily available. This, coupled with the availability of experimental information on substrate specificities, has lead to the development of numerous computational models (macromolecular, pharmacophore, and structure-activity) for the rationalization and prediction of CYP liabilities. A comprehensive review of these models is presented in this chapter.
Enhancing the Photostability of Arylvinylenebipyridyl Compounds as Fluorescent Indicators for Intracellular Zinc(II) Ions

Arylvinylenebipyridyl (AVB) ligands are bright, zinc(II)-sensitive fluoroionophores. The applicability of AVBs as fluorescent indicators for imaging cellular zinc(II), however, is limited by low photostability, partially attributable to the photoisomerization of the vinylene functionality. Two configurationally immobilized (i.e., "locked") AVB analogues are prepared in this work. The zinc(II)-sensitive photophysical properties and zinc(II) affinities of both AVBs and their locked analogues are characterized in organic and aqueous media. The zinc(II) sensitivity of the emission is attributed to the zinc(II)-dependent energies of the charge transfer excited states of these compounds. The configurationally locked ligands have improved photostability, while maintaining the brightness and zinc(II) sensibility of their AVB progenitors. The feasibility of the "locked" AVB analogues with improved photostability for imaging intracellular Zn(II) of eukaryotic cells using laser confocal fluorescence microscopy is demonstrated.
Synergistic COX-2 induction by angiotensin II and pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Fifth AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, Nov 12-15, 2006 A133 Angiotensin II (Ang II) is the key effector of the rennin-angiotensin system. Although Ang II receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors are potential candidates for cancer chemoprevention, the precise mechanism(s) by which Ang II induces tumorigenesis are yet clear. Since our previous study revealed that Ang II stimulates Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in cardiovascular tissues and intestinal epithelial cells and COX-2 expression is shown to be associated with carcinogenesis, we further investigated a mechanism by which Ang II stimulates COX-2 expression. Although an increased COX-2 expression has been observed in a variety of cancer cells including colon, prostate and lung, high levels of COX-2 expression were also detected in tumor stroma. Since tumor stroma play important roles in tumorigenesis and tumor development, the aim of this study was to investigate whether synergistic induction of COX-2 occurs by Ang II and pro-inflammatory cytokines in primary cultured lung fibroblasts. Ang II induced COX-2 expression in lung fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner (1 to 100 nM). This stimulation was completely blocked by 1 µM of Ang II subtype 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist losartan but not by AT2 receptor antagonist PD123319 implying that Ang II stimulates COX-2 induction through the AT1 receptor. Ang II synergistically enhanced induction of COX-2 by pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) or tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The increase in the pro-inflammatory cytokine-induced COX-2 expression with Ang II was over 2-fold as compared to the expression induced by the cytokine alone. In addition, the duration of COX-2 expression by IL-1β or TNF-α was significantly prolonged by co-stimulation by Ang II. These results clearly suggest that Ang II has pro-tumorigenic effects by stimulating COX-2 expression in lung stromal fibroblasts synergistically with pro-inflammatory cytokines. These results indicate that AT1 receptor in fibroblasts is a potential target for lung cancer chemoprevention. This work was supported by the KSU Terry C. Johnson Center for Basic Cancer Research, KSU Provost's fund, KSU CVM Dean's fund, and NIH P20 RR017686.
An Exploratory Investigation of College Students' Views of Marketing Internships.

ABSTRACTThe authors explore college students’ views of marketing internships. Students who completed a marketing internship (n = 279) were surveyed with a comprehensive questionnaire about their internship experiences, including what they liked and disliked, surprises, problems, and suggestions. Students also responded to 50 belief statements concerning their experiences during the internship, and attitude scales were developed. Although some of the internship literature indicates that employers may take advantage of students for free labor, our results showed that most students found the internship to be a rewarding and educational experience. Suggestions are offered on how business schools can improve the internship experience of business students
Preventing Fat Gain by Blocking Follicle-Stimulating Hormone.

The level of circulating follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) increases in women after menopause. A recent study in mouse models showed that FSH binds to its receptor on white adipocytes and results in a relatively low resting energy expenditure and increased adiposity.
“It’s about respect!” college-athlete activism and left neoliberalism

ABSTRACTThis essay offers a critique of left neoliberalism with reference to certain tendencies in cultural studies, antiracist politics, disparity discourse, and college sports. Where the dominant tendency in cultural studies has been to produce complex analyses of identity-based oppression, this article insists on a conception of class politics that, on the one hand, calls for more attention to exploitation and, on the other, de-emphasizes the “working-class identity” model. By examining two recent episodes of athlete activism in college sports—namely, the much-admired “strike against racism” at the University of Missouri in 2015 and the widely condemned (and ultimately unsuccessful) effort by Northwestern University football players to form a union in 2014—the article contends that the commitment to eliminating racism and indifference to ending exploitation in these contexts reflects the broader commitments of a “left-wing” neoliberalism that devotes itself to ending inequality without redistributing w...
A Study of Two Instructional Sequences Informed by Alternative Learning Progressions in Genetics

Learning progressions (LPs) are hypothetical models of how learning in a domain develops over time with appropriate instruction. In the domain of genetics, there are two independently developed alternative LPs. The main difference between the two progressions hinges on their assumptions regarding the accessibility of classical (Mendelian) versus molecular genetics and the order in which they should be taught. In order to determine the relative difficulty of the different genetic ideas included in the two progressions, and to test which one is a better fit with students’ actual learning, we developed two modules in classical and molecular genetics and alternated their sequence in an implementation study with 11th grade students studying biology. We developed a set of 56 ordered multiple-choice items that collectively assessed both molecular and classical genetic ideas. We found significant gains in students’ learning in both molecular and classical genetics, with the largest gain relating to understanding the informational content of genes and the smallest gain in understanding modes of inheritance. Using multidimensional item response modeling, we found no statistically significant differences between the two instructional sequences. However, there was a trend of slightly higher gains for the molecular-first sequence for all genetic ideas.
Diminished respiratory sinus arrhythmia response in infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

Indicators of risk for developing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are difficult to detect within the first year of life. In this study, infants who were originally followed prospectively to examine general developmental risks due to substance exposure interacted with their mother and an unfamiliar experimenter for 2-min episodes at 4 months of age. Electrocardiogram was collected to measure respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and the session was video recorded for behavioral coding. Two groups of infants were compared: infants with a diagnosed ASD outcome (N = 8) and matched controls (N = 186). Infants were compared on mean RSA and infant behavioral codes for each 2-min episode. No significant group differences were revealed on RSA or behavior during interactions between the infants and mothers. However, in response to play with a stranger, infants with an ASD outcome had lower RSA (M = 2.49, 95% CI [2.30, 2.98]) than controls (M = 3.12, 95% CI [3.06, 3.18]). During the interaction with a stranger, lower RSA response was associated with more protesting behaviors (P < 0.01), whereas higher RSA response was associated with more social monitoring (P = 0.001). Lower RSA suggests that 4-month-old infants later diagnosed with ASD exhibited poorer autonomic regulation during interaction with an unfamiliar adult than did controls. Physiological regulation during interactions with a new social partner may be disrupted early in infancy in children with ASD, as indicated here by lower RSA, and therefore be a potential target for developing early risk screening tools for ASD. Autism Res 2018, 11: 726-731. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) emerges within the first years of life; however, it is difficult to identify children who will develop autism before 12 months of age based on behavioral measures. In a study of infants who were followed from birth, infants who were later diagnosed with ASD had poorer physiological regulation during play with a new adult. With additional evidence, poorer physiological regulation may function as an early sign of ASD risk.
Hormonal mediators of amino acid-induced glomerular hyperfiltration in humans.

It has been speculated that glucoregulatory hormones and/or renal autacoids mediate the increase in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) induced by the administration of protein or amino acids. Because infusion of a mixture of amino acids (AA mix), but not of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) alone, increases GFR, we performed a crossover study in seven normal subjects in which the glomerular hemodynamic effects of separate 3-h infusions of these two amino acid solutions were compared with changes in potential mediators of this response, i.e., glucoregulatory hormones, renin, vasodilatory prostaglandins (PGs), and guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP). As expected, infusion of the AA mix but not BCAA resulted in a prompt and sustained increase in GFR. Both infusions caused a significant increase in plasma insulin, whereas glucagon increased only with the AA mix. Plasma growth hormone was initially unchanged with both infusions but increased after 2 h of BCAA. Neither infusion significantly increased the urinary excretion of PGE2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, or cGMP. Both infusions resulted in a small but significant decrease in plasma renin activity. Infusion of BCAA but not the AA mix resulted in a progressive decrease in plasma glucose and potassium concentrations and an increase in renal sodium reabsorption that may have resulted from stimulation of insulin secretion that was not counterbalanced by a simultaneous increase in glucagon. Thus only changes in glucagon exhibited a significant temporal relationship with changes in GFR, lending further support to a role for glucagon as a mediator of amino acid-induced glomerular hyperfiltration.
An Introduction to Statistical Learning from a Regression Perspective

Statistical learning is a loose collection of procedures in which key features of the final results are determined inductively. There are clear historical links to exploratory data analysis. There are also clear links to techniques in statistics such as principle components analysis, clustering, and smoothing, and to long-standing concerns in computer science, such as pattern recognition and edge detection. But statistical learning would not exist were it not for recent developments in raw computing power, computer algorithms, and theory from statistics, computer science, and applied mathematics. It can be very computer intensive. Extensive discussions of statistical learning can be found in Hastie et al. (2009) and Bishop (2006). Statistical learning is also sometimes called machine learning or reinforcement learning, especially when discussed in the context of computer science.
Artificial intelligence and design: a mechanical engineering view

Most AI research into design has been based on or directed to the electrical circuit domain. This paper presents a mechanical engineer's view. Design of mechanical parts and products differs from design of electrical circuits in several fundamental ways: materials selection, sensitivity to manufacturing issues, non-modularity, high coupling of form and function, and especially the role of 3-D geometry. These differences, and the role of analysis in mechanical design, are discussed. A model for design is also presented based on the basically iterative nature of the design process. A brief summary of the related research at the University of Massachusetts into application of AI to mechanical design is included.
Medical cannabis legalization and state-level prevalence of serious mental illness in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) 2008–2015

AbstractAlthough research has established a link between cannabis legalization and use, and cannabis use and mental health, the relationship between medical cannabis legalization and mental health remains uncharacterized. This analysis investigated the relationship between state medical cannabis laws (restrictive, i.e. covering a narrow set of medical conditions; or liberal, i.e. covering a broad range of medical conditions), whether the law permits patients to petition their physician to approve medical cannabis use for specific medical conditions, and state prevalence of serious mental illness (SMI) in the National Survey of Drug Use and Health 2008–2015. In a covariate-adjusted meta-regression, liberal laws were significantly associated with higher prevalence of SMI (Coeff = 0.003, SE = 0.001, p < .001). Restrictive laws (Coeff = 0.001, SE = 0.001, p = .285) and the ability to petition physician approval (Coeff = −0.001, SE = 0.001, p = .140) were non-significant. When added to the model, state past-ye...
Perceived effectiveness of objective features of pictorial warning messages

Background Previous research shows that pictorial warning messages (PWMs) for tobacco cigarettes increase quit attempts and smoking-related knowledge. However, few studies have investigated what specific features within PWMs are most effective. The current study sought to examine the specific features of PWMs associated with effectiveness using four outcome measures as indicators. Method A sample of n=319 PWMs was collected and underwent systematic content analysis on 48 different content features. A sample of n=1392 current smokers each rated a subset of the labels on perceived effectiveness, negative emotional engagement, intentions to enact avoidance behaviours and intentions to forego a cigarette. Multilevel random-effects models were fitted with all coded content features and each of the outcome measures. Results Analysis across all four outcome measures shows that PWMs depicting diseased and damaged body parts and employing a testimonial format were most effective. Additional mediation analysis showed that image-level negative emotionality partially mediated the relationship between PWM features and perceived effectiveness. Conclusion The effectiveness of graphic imagery, testimonials and images that elicit negative emotions provides guidance for researchers as well as for future implementation of more effective PWMs.
Content-Adaptive Memory for Viewer-Aware Energy-Quality Scalable Mobile Video Systems

Mobile devices are becoming ever more popular for streaming videos, which account for the majority of all the data traffic on the Internet. Memory is a critical component in mobile video processing systems, increasingly dominating the power consumption. Today, memory designers are still focusing on hardware-level power optimization techniques, which usually come with significant implementation cost (e.g., silicon area overhead or performance penalty). In this paper, we propose a video content-aware memory technique for power-quality tradeoff from viewer's perspectives. Based on the influence of video macroblock characteristics on the viewer's experience, we develop two simple and effective models-decision tree and logistic regression to enable hardware adaptation. We have also implemented a novel viewer-aware bit-truncation technique which minimizes the impact on the viewer's experience, while introducing energy-quality adaptation to the video storage.
Politics and Participation in Boston’s South End

This chapter tells a detailed story of a small coalition of housing advocates in Boston’s South End. The coalition’s participants are identified only by pseudonyms,1 except for elected officials. The events of this story took place little over a decade ago – this is an important fact to keep in mind as you read further; this chapter is a history lesson in more ways than one. The events that are reported here, although they occurred in the 1990s are in fact shaped by tumultuous events that occurred in an earlier era.
Total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio discordance with LDL-cholesterol and non-HDL-cholesterol and incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in primary prevention: The ARIC study.

AimsThe total cholesterol (TC)/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio may carry additional information not available in more commonly used single cholesterol measures. Analysis of discord...
Use of pharmacogenetic data to guide individualized opioid prescribing after surgery.

Abstract Background Despite the current strategies aimed at avoiding opioid overprescription by implementing institutional guidelines, the use of opioids after surgical procedures remains highly variable. It is well known that opioids are activated by the cytochrome p450 CYP2D6 enzyme to exert pharmacologic effect. Individual variation in CYP2D6 activity affects drug metabolism, and genotyping can be performed to predict an individual’s ability to metabolize CYP2D6 substrates. We postulate that the pharmacogenomic identification of patients with different opioid metabolism capacity may allow for the individualization of postsurgical opioid prescription. Methods This study was generated by the unison of data from 2 prior initiatives taking place at our Institution. In the first study, patients undergoing 1 of 25 elective surgical procedures were prospectively identified as part of a quality initiative and surveyed by phone 21 to 35 days after hospital discharge to complete a 29-question survey regarding opioid utilization and pain experience. Additional chart abstraction was conducted to obtain prescribing data and pain scores during the hospitalization. The second study was the Mayo Clinic Right Drug, Right Dose, Right Time study protocol, in which 5 pharmacogenes, including CYP2D6, were genotyped for 1,000 Mayo Clinic Biobank participants. The goal of this study was to implement preemptive pharmacogenomics in an academic health care setting and to generate data for further pharmacogenomic research. Patients were classified by their predicted CYP2D6 activity based on their CYP2D6 genotype. Results Of the 2,486 patients with prospective opioid utilization data, 21 had pharmacogenetic data available and were included in the analysis. These patients were classified according to their activity as opioid metabolizers, with 10 patients (48%) classified as intermediate, 4 patients (19%) as intermediate to normal, and 7 patients (33%) as normal or extensive. Compared with the intermediate to normal and intermediate phenotypes, normal or extensive patients had the highest percentages of preoperative opioid naivety and recorded pain scores throughout the surgical experience. The percentage of unused opioids for intermediate, intermediate to normal, and normal or extensive categories was 79%, 63%, and 46%, respectively. Moreover, of the 14 patients declaring the highest level of satisfaction for their pain control after discharge, 60% belonged to intermediate, 100% to intermediate to normal, and 57% to the normal or extensive group. Conclusion This study outlines a possible correlation between genetically controlled metabolism and opioid requirements after surgery. In this setting, an increased CYP2D6 enzymatic activity was associated to a greater opioid consumption, lesser amount of unused opioids, and a lower satisfaction level from opioid prescription.
Jersey steer ruminal papillae histology and nutrigenomics with diet changes.

The transition from a high forage to a high concentrate diet is an important milestone for beef cattle moving from a stocker system to the feedlot. However, little is known about how this transition affects the rumen epithelial gene expression. This study assessed the effects of the transition from a high forage to a high concentrate diet as well as the transition from a high concentrate to a high forage diet on a variety of genes as well as ruminal papillae morphology in rumen fistulated Jersey steers. Jersey steers (n = 5) were fed either a high forage diet (80% forage and 20% grain) and transitioned to a high concentrate diet (20% forage and 80% grain) or a high concentrate diet (40% forage and 60% grain) and transitioned to a high forage diet (100% forage). Papillae from the rumen were collected for histology and RT-qPCR analysis. Body weight had a tendency for significant difference (p = .08). Histological analysis did not show changes in papillae length or width in steers transitioning from a high forage to a high concentrate diet or vice versa (p > .05). Genes related to cell membrane structure (CLDN1, CLDN4, DSG1), fatty acid metabolism (CPT1A, ACADSB), glycolysis (PFKL), ketogenesis (HMGCL, HMGCS2, ACAT1), lactate/pyruvate (LDHA), oxidative stress (NQO1), tissue growth (AKT3, EGFR, EREG, IGFBP5, IRS1) and the urea cycle (SLC14A1) were considered in this study. Overall, genes related to fatty acid metabolism (ACADSB) and growth and development (AKT3 and IGFBP5) had a tendency for a treatment × day on trial interaction effect. These profiles may be indicators of rumen epithelial adaptations in response to changes in diet. In conclusion, these results indicate that changes in the composition of the diet can alter the expression of genes with specific functions in rumen epithelial metabolism.
Identifying Oxacillinase-48 Carbapenemase Inhibitors Using DNA-Encoded Chemical Libraries.

Bacterial resistance to β-lactam antibiotics is largely mediated by β-lactamases, which catalyze the hydrolysis of these drugs and continue to emerge in response to antibiotic use. β-Lactamases tha...
Non-targeted screening of chemicals migrating from paper-based food packaging by GC-Orbitrap mass spectrometry.

Abstract The aim of this study was to identify chemicals migrating from paper-based food packaging materials by GC-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (MS). Migration tests were conducted with samples of butcher paper, liquid egg containers, pizza boxes and pizza box liners. A new approach for an automated data processing of GC-Orbitrap EI data was developed and evaluated with Compound Discoverer™ software. A total of 35 migrated chemicals were putatively identified. They represented natural compounds, fatty acid ethyl esters, FDA substances added to food and Indirect Additives in Food Contact Substances, common phthalates, alkanes, siloxanes, ketones, and chemicals used as additives in packaging. Additionally, some unexpected compounds suspected to be degradation products of additives were identified. Levels of 23 identified chemicals significantly (p
Considering Tax Expenditures in State Budget Deliberations

This is the manuscript of a talk given at a public forum on tax expenditures in Topeka, Kansas. It explains how tax expenditures erode tax bases and diminish the state's ability to raise revenue, and it suggests that states should treat tax expenditures like direct expenditures in budget deliberations. Finally, the talk demonstrates how tax expenditures can be unfair. Although the comments are specific to the state of Kansas, the principles apply to all governments.
Toward a virtual advanced technology imaging system

The JHU/APL-developed Virtual Advanced Imaging Technology (VAIT) models the electromagnetic reflections associated with current and future airport checkpoint scanners, producing images suited for studying threat detection phenomenology and detection algorithm training/testing. It employs an efficient GPU-based electromagnetic simulation engine that computes the field reflected by computer-modeled humans, clothing, and concealed threat items with proper material properties. Optimized image-reconstruction algorithms then use reflectivity data to render synthetic AIT images of similar quality as those produced by vendor AIT systems. The VAIT has been designed to emulate various AIT architectures, including traditional pose AIT systems and walkthrough systems.
The immunomodulatory effects of titanium dioxide and silver nanoparticles

Due to their characteristic physical, chemical and optical properties, titanium dioxide and silver nanoparticles are attractive tools for use in a wide range of applications. The use of nanoparticles for biological applications is, however, dependent upon their biocompatibility with living cells. Because of the importance of inflammation as a modulator of human health, the safe and efficacious in vivo use of titanium dioxide and silver nanoparticles is inherently linked to a favorable interaction with immune system cells. However, both titanium dioxide and silver nanoparticles have demonstrated potential to exert immunomodulatory and immunotoxic effects. Titanium dioxide and silver nanoparticles are readily internalized by immune system cells, may accumulate in peripheral lymphoid organs, and can influence multiple manifestations of immune cell activity. Although the factors influencing the biocompatibility of titanium dioxide and silver nanoparticles with immune system cells have not been fully elucidated, nanoparticle core composition, size, concentration and the duration of cell exposure seem to be important. Because titanium dioxide and silver nanoparticles are widely utilized in pharmaceutical, commercial and industrial products, it is vital that their effects on human health and immune system function be more thoroughly evaluated.
Transparency In Philanthropy: An Analysis Of Accountability, Fallacy And Voluntarism

This book explores how degrees of transparency in philanthropy currently fit with accountability under existing federal law, including applications of quid pro quo economic benefit arguments and stakeholder "rights" theories. The book also analyzes and ultimately rejects the most commonly asserted calls for changing the law to mandate more transparency from foundations, including broad notions of judging accountability and effectiveness, correcting "power asymmetry," foundations’ abilities to affect public good, and simply because doing so is good/moral/pure in its own right. Finally, it advocates that foundations do more to consider ways in which greater voluntary transparency can serve their individual strategic and operational objectives.