cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identifying Precursors To Student Defection

Recently, student retention has surfaced as a priority for many academic institutions. While institutions regard retaining students as important, little has been done to create a system that helps institutions “flag potential defectors” prior to leaving. By identifying “at risk” students, intervention steps can be taken to reduce the likelihood of defecting. The author proposes that institutions develop data mining procedures, similar to those used in business, to identify potential defectors. This data should include both “hard” and “soft” predictors of student defection. An added benefit of this data is that it can be used by institutional advancement, once students become alumni, to improve fundraising efforts by enabling the development of “one-to-one” fundraising/marketing programs .
‘What has supramolecular chemistry done for us?’: a personal perspective and opinions on our field

I performed my thesis work at Caltech in organometallic chemistry from 1983–1987 under the supervision of Robert Grubbs. I was fortunate to be able to sit in the Dennis Dougherty group meetings, wh...
Boundary Conditions for Paleolithic Social Systems: A Simulation Approach

Pleistocene societies are viewed in this paper as manifestations of band society from which Paleolithic archaeologists can generate hypotheses about this cultural system and against which they can evaluate the validity of general cultural explanations. A general model is posited toward the isolation of Paleolithic societies in the archaeological record. Their numerical size is predicted from Monte Carlo simulations of model populations, and ways are discussed in which distinguishable equilibrium states of such societies can be predicted in time and space. Under the assumption of maximal constraints, simulations are used to predict the size and longevity of social units. The frequency of settlements produced during an equilibrium state of a society is simulated and the utility of survey for activity areas outside the settlements is demonstrated. The models developed in this paper are intended to stimulate deductive research in Paleolithic archaeology.
Least Shrews in North-Central Kansas: Habitat and Individual Characteristics

We captured least shrews (Cryptotis parva; n = 16) in native grassland, anthropogenic and woody habitats in north-central Kansas. Total effort was ca. 100,000 trap nights [TN] in >200 herbaceous sites and ca. 20,000 TN in >20 shrubby and woody sites. Least shrews were rare in both habitat types but slightly more abundant in herbaceous (ca. 0.15 individuals/1,000 TN) than woody sites (ca. 0.05 individuals/1,000 TN). We captured 15 least shrews in grazed native mixed grass prairie, post-harvest wheat fields and fallow wheat fields combined as well as one in a shelterbelt of deciduous trees. Body mass ranged from 2.6 g–6.0 g; body length explained ∼55% of the variation in body mass. Two pregnant females (4.9–5.0 g) were trapped; a litter size of five was observed for the one necropsied female. Finally, we document the first occurrence of the least shrew in Lincoln County, Kansas.
Advances at the research on chemical composition and utilization of loquat flower

Loquat(Eriobotrya japonica Lindl. )was an evergreen fruit produced in subtropical region. China had about 70% of the world loquat yield,which provided a large quantity of loquat flowers. The flower had abundant bioactive constituents,such as flavonoid,carotenoid,oleanolic acid,ursolic acid,amygdalin etc. The recent research developments of the loquat flowers were reviewed.
Timing Speculation in Multi-Cycle Data Paths

Modern processors set timing margins conservatively at design time to support extreme variations in workload and environment, in order to operate reliably and produce expected outputs. Unfortunately, the conservative guard bands set to achieve this reliability are detrimental to processor performance and energy efficiency. In this paper, we propose the use of processors with internal transparent pipelines, which allow data to flow between stages without latching, to maximize timing speculation efficiency as they are inherently suited to slack conservation. We design a synchronous tracking mechanism which runs in parallel with the multi-cycle data path to estimate the accumulated slack across instructions/pipeline stages and then appropriately clock synchronous boundaries early to minimize wasted slack and achieve maximum clock cycle savings. Preliminary evaluations atop the CRIB processor show performance improvements of greater than 10% on average and as high as 30% for an assumed 25% slack per clock cycle.
A preliminary three-dimensional analysis of nasal aesthetics following le fort i advancement in patients with cleft lip and palate

Nasal aesthetic changes after cleft orthognathic surgery remain understudied. Previous scarring associated with prior cleft surgery may affect the predictability of outcomes after jaw surgery. This study evaluates changes in nasal aesthetics using three-dimensional photography after Le Fort I advancement in patients with nonsyndromic cleft-related maxillary hypoplasia. Cephalometric parameters were recorded pre- and postoperatively. Three-dimensional photogrammetric imaging analyzed changes in interalar width (IAW), internostril width (INW), nasal tip projection (NTP), collumelar length (CL), nasal labial angle (NLA), and nasal length (NL). Statistical significance between pre- and postoperative data was determined using T-tests for each parameter. Eleven patients underwent either single piece Le Fort I osteotomy and advancement, (3 bilateral, 4 unilateral cleft lip, and palate), or 2-piece advancement (2 bilateral, 2 unilateral). Average nasal soft tissue changes were IAW 1.9 mm (0.4-4.2), INW -0.2 mm (-2.8 to 1.6), NTP -1.0 mm (-4.0 to 2.0), CL -0.7 mm (-2.9 to 1.5), NLA -0.2° (-13.9 to 15.1), and NL -0.7 mm (-4.3 to 1.5), (P = 0.001, 0.6, 0.08, 0.01, 0.9, 0.2). For single-piece osteotomy alone changes were IAW 2.1 mm (0.6-4.1), INW -0.6 mm (-2.8 to 1.7), NTP -1.9 mm (-4.0 to 0.3), CL -1.2 mm (-2.9 to 0.03), NLA -1.3° (-13.9 to 15.0), and NL -1.1 mm (-4.3 to 0.7), (P = 0.007, 0.3, 0.009, 0.0002, 0.7, 0.2). For 2-piece osteotomy alone changes were IAW 1.6 mm (-0.4 to 3.3), INW 0.5 mm (0.4-1.6), NTP 0.5 mm (-1.1-2.0), CL 0.2 mm (-1.4 to 1.5), NLA 2.8° (-7.6 to 10.1), and NL -0.1 mm (-1.4 to 1.5), (P = 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.5, 0.9). Cleft-related scarring and malposition affect changes in nasal aesthetics following maxillary advancement that are different to the noncleft population. Two-piece Le Fort I increases variability of changes in nasal aesthetics compared with single-piece advancement.
Vix Signaled Switching for Style-Differential and Size-Differential Short-Term Stock Investing

Using VIX movements as signals, this study examines the Copeland and Copeland (1999) short-term style-differential (i.e. value versus growth) and size-differential (i.e. large-capitalization versus small-capitalization) stock allocation strategies. Unlike Copeland and Copeland (1999), this study analyzes the style-differential and size-differential strategies across low-VIX and high-VIX regimes, uses different time periods and different indices. In this study the style-differential strategy was not, while the size-differential strategy was generally statistically significantly profitable. The Copeland and Copeland (1999) anomaly that large capitalization (i.e. lower risk) stock returns exceed those for small capitalization (i.e. higher risk) stocks following VIX rises seems to be robust.
Myosin heavy chain turnover in cultured neonatal rat heart cells: effects of [Ca2+]i and contractile activity

Blockade of L-type Ca2+ channels in spontaneously contracting cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes causes contractile arrest, myofibrillar disassembly, and accelerated myofibrillar protein turnover. To determine whether myofibrillar protein turnover. To determine whether myofibrillar atrophy results indirectly from loss of mechanical signals or directly from alterations in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), contractile activity was inhibited with verapamil (10 microM) or 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM), and their effects on cell shortening, [Ca2+]i, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) turnover were assessed. Control cells demonstrated spontaneous [Ca2+]i transients (peak amplitude 232 +/- 15 nM, 1-2 Hz) and vigorous contractile activity. Verapamil inhibited shortening by eliminating spontaneous [Ca2+]i transients. Low concentrations of BDM (5.0-7.5 mM) had no effect on basal or peak [Ca2+]i transient amplitude but reduced cell shortening, whereas 10 mM BDM reduced both [Ca2+]i transient amplitude and shortening. Both agents inhibited MHC synthesis, but only verapamil accelerated MHC degradation. Thus MHC half-life does not change in parallel with contractile activity but rather more closely follows changes in [Ca2+]i. [Ca2+]i transients appear critical in maintaining myofibrillar assembly and preventing accelerated MHC proteolysis.
SU-F-T-634: Feasibility Study of Respiratory Gated RapidArc SBRT Using a 6MV FFF Photon Beam

Purpose: To conduct a feasibility study on retrospective respiratory gating and marker tracking for lung stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) with a gated RapidArc delivery using a 6MV flattened filter free photon mode. Methods: A CIRS dynamic thorax phantom Model 008A with different inserts was used for treatment planning and respiratory gating. 4D CT had a free breathing simulation followed by a respiration gated, ten phased CT using a Philips Brilliance CT with a Varian RPM respiratory gating system. The internal target volume was created from the ten phase gated CT images, followed by exporting to a Varian Eclipse TPS v11 for treatment planning on the free breath images. Both MIP and AIP were also generated for comparison of planning and target motion tracking. The planned dose was delivered with a 6MV FFF photon beam from a Varian TrueBeam accelerator. Gated target motion was also verified by tracking the implanted makers during delivery using continuous kV imaging in addition to CBCT, kV and MV localization and verification. Results: Gating was studied in three situations of lower, normal, and faster breathing at a respiratory cycle of 5, 15 and 25 breaths per minute, respectively. 4D treatment planning was performed at a normal breathing of 15 breaths per minute. The gated patterns obtained using the TrueBeam IR camera were compared with the planned ones while gating operation was added prior to delivery . Gating was realized only when the measured respiratory patterns matched to the planned ones. The gated target motion was verified within the tolerance by kV and MV imaging. Either free breathing CT or averaged CT images were studied to be good for image guidance to align the target. Conclusion: Gated RapidArc SBRT delivered with a 6MV FFF photon beam is realized using a dynamic lung phantom.
Diurnal Plasma Cortisol Measurements Utility in Differentiating Various Etiologies of Endogenous Cushing Syndrome.

Cortisol diurnal variation may be abnormal among patients with endogenous Cushing syndrome (CS). The study objective was to compare the plasma cortisol AM/PM ratios between different etiologies of CS. This is a retrospective cohort study, conducted at a clinical research center. Adult patients with CS that underwent adrenalectomy or trans-sphenoidal surgery (n=105) were divided to those with a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of Cushing disease (n=21) and those with primary adrenal CS, including unilateral adrenal adenoma (n=28), adrenocortical hyperplasia (n=45), and primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD, n=11). Diurnal plasma cortisol measurements were obtained at 11:30 PM and midnight and at 7:30 and 8:00 AM. The ratios between the mean morning levels and mean late-night levels were calculated. Mean plasma cortisol AM/PM ratio was lower among CD patients compared to those with primary adrenal CS (1.4±0.6 vs. 2.3±1.5, p 15 pg/ml) excludes CD with a 85.0% specificity and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 90.9%. Among patients with primary adrenal CS, an AM/PM cortisol≥1.2 had specificity and NPV of 100% for ruling out a diagnosis of PPNAD. Plasma cortisol AM/PM ratios are lower among patients with CD compared with primary adrenal CS, and may aid in the differential diagnosis of endogenous hypercortisolemia.
Familial erythroid multinuclearity.

1. Dysplastic erythropoiesis, erythrocyte gigantism and giant plurinucleated red cell precursors in the bone marrows of a woman and all 3 of her children are described. All 4 subjects have mild anemia without symptoms therefrom. 2. The changes described are apparently irreversible but do not represent malignant nor agonal change. 3. It is likely that these findings represent an inherited anomaly of erythropoiesis. The nature of the genetic transmission cannot be determined from these studies. 4. We propose the designation familial erythroid multinuclearity to describe this anomaly of red cell production.
Effect of increased fuel volatility on CDC operation in a light-duty CIDI engine

Abstract Alternative diesel fuels derived from biomass can vary significantly in volatility compared to their petroleum-derived counterparts, and their appropriate utilization is contingent on their compatibility with existing engine infrastructure. To investigate this compatibility, experiments were carried out to study the effect of fuel volatility on conventional diesel combustion (CDC) performance under a wide range of in-cylinder thermodynamic conditions at start of injection (SOI). Fuels of matched reactivity (i.e., cetane number (CN)) and varying volatility were produced by blending binary mixtures of 2,6,10-trimethyldodecane (farnesane) and 2,2,4,4,6,8,8-heptamethylnonane, octane number primary reference fuels (PRF), and cetane number secondary reference fuels (SRF). Nine fuel blends were tested in total, consisting of 3 volatility characteristics at 3 reactivity levels. Five engine operating conditions were utilized, ranging from 14.7–29 kg/m3 and 980–1120 K in-cylinder density and temperature at SOI. Testing was performed in a single-cylinder GM 1.9 L diesel engine. Only small differences in ignition delay (ID), in-cylinder pressure, and heat release rate (HRR) were observed between fuels of matched CN, regardless of their volatility. An analysis of the spray breakup and mixture formation process indicated that there were only small variations in ambient air entrainment and jet temperature between fuel blends, in agreement with the observed combustion behavior.
Zeta Functions of Heisenberg Graphs over Finite Rings

We investigate Ihara-Selberg zeta functions of Cayley graphs for the Heisenberg group over finite rings ℤ/p n ℤ, where p is a prime. In order to do this, we must compute the Galois group of the covering obtained by reducing coordinates in ℤ/pn+1ℤ modulo pn+1. The Ihara-Selberg zeta functions of the Heisenberg graph mod pn+1 factor as a product of Artin L-functions corresponding to the irreducible representations of the Galois group of the covering. Emphasis is on graphs of degree four. These zeta functions are compared with zeta functions of finite torus graphs which are Cayley graphs for the abelian groups (ℤ/p n ℤ) r .
Radiomics predicts clinical outcome in primary gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma treated by chemo/radiotherapy and surgery

Abstract Purpose Radiomics has shown great promise to use quantifiable imaging characteristics to predict the behavior and prognosis of neoplasms. This is the first study to evaluate whether radiomic texture analysis can predict outcomes in gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (GEJAC) treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Materials and Methods Pretreatment contrast-enhanced CT images of 146 patients with stage II-III GEJAC were reviewed (2009–2011), and randomly split into training and validation groups at a 1:1 ratio stratified with baseline clinical characteristics. Whole-tumor texture was assessed using quantitative image features based on intensity, shape, and gray-level co-occurrence matrix. The relevant pretreatment texture features, in addition to the significant baseline clinical features to predict survival, were identified using multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model with stepwise variable selection in the training sample and verified in the validation sample, to facilitate the proposal of a multi-point index for standard patient pre-treatment risk classification. Results Of the factors identified in the training cohort independently associated with OS, only shape compactness (p = 0.04) and pathologic grade differentiation (PDG) (p = 0.02) were confirmed in the validation sample. Using both parameters, we created a 3-point risk classification index: low-risk (well-moderate PDG and high compactness), medium-risk (poor PDG or low compactness), and high-risk (poor PDG and low compactness). The risk index showed a strong negative association with postoperative pathologic complete response (pCR) (p = 0.04). Median OS for the high-, medium-, and low-risk groups were 23, 51, and ≥72 months, respectively (p Conclusion Radiomic texture analysis can be used to stratify patients with GEJAC receiving trimodality therapy based on prognosis. The risk scoring system based on shape compactness and PDG shows a great potential for pre-treatment risk classification to guide surgical resection in locally advanced disease. Though in need of greater validation, these hypothesis-generating data could provide a unique platform of personalized oncologic care.
Epigenetic changes and their implications in autoimmune hepatitis.

Background The genetic risk of autoimmune hepatitis is insufficient to explain the observed risk, and epigenetic changes may explain disparities in disease occurrence in different populations within and between countries. The goal of this review was to examine how epigenetic changes induced by the environment or inherited as a phenotypic trait may affect autoimmune hepatitis and be amenable to therapeutic intervention. Materials and methods Pertinent abstracts were identified in PubMed by multiple search terms. The number of abstracts reviewed was 1689, and the number of full-length articles reviewed exceeded 150. Results Activation of pro-inflammatory genes in autoimmune disease is associated with hypomethylation of deoxyribonucleic acid and modification of histones within chromatin. Organ-specific microribonucleic acids can silence genes by marking messenger ribonucleic acids for degradation, and they can promote inflammatory activity or immunosuppression. High circulating levels of the microribonucleic acids 21 and 122 have been demonstrated in autoimmune hepatitis, and they may increase production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Microribonucleic acids are also essential for maintaining regulatory T cells. Drugs, pollutants, infections, diet and ageing can induce inheritable epigenetic changes favouring autoimmunity. Reversal is feasible by manipulating enzymes, transcription factors, gene-silencing molecules and toxic exposures or by administering methyl donors and correcting vitamin D deficiency. Gene targets, site specificity, efficacy and consequences are uncertain. Conclusions Potentially reversible epigenetic changes may affect the occurrence and outcome of autoimmune hepatitis, and investigations are warranted to determine the nature of these changes, key genomic targets, and feasible interventions and their consequences.
A physical framework for evaluating net effects of wet meadow restoration on late summer streamflow

Restoration of degraded wet meadows found on upland valley floors has been proposed to achieve a range of ecological benefits, including augmenting late‐season streamflow. There are, however, few field and modelling studies documenting hydrologic changes following restoration that can be used to validate this expectation, and published changes in groundwater levels and streamflow following restoration are inconclusive. Here, we assess the streamflow benefit that can be obtained by wet‐meadow restoration using a physically based quantitative analysis. This framework employs a 1‐dimensional linearized Boussinesq equation with a superimposed solution for changes in storage due to groundwater upwelling and evapotranspiration, calculated explicitly using the White method. The model and assumptions gave rise to predictions in good agreement with field data from the Middle Fork John Day watershed in Oregon, USA. While raising channel beds can increase total water storage via increases in water table elevation in upland valley bottoms, the contributions of both lateral and longitudinal drainage from restored floodplains to late‐summer streamflow were found to be undetectably small, while losses in streamflow due to greater transpiration, lower hydraulic gradients, and less laterally drainable pore volume were likely to be substantial. Although late‐summer streamflow increases should not be expected as a direct result of wet‐meadow restoration, these approaches offer benefits for improving the quality and health of riparian and meadow vegetation that would warrant considering such measures, even at the cost of increased water demand and reduced streamflow.
On the performance of satellite precipitation products in riverine flood modeling: a review.

Abstract This work is meant to summarize lessons learned on using satellite precipitation products for riverine flood modeling and to propose future directions in this field of research. Firstly, the most common satellite precipitation products (SPPs) during the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) eras are reviewed. Secondly, we discuss the main errors and uncertainty sources in these datasets that have the potential to affect streamflow and runoff model simulations. Thirdly, past studies that focused on using SPPs for predicting streamflow and runoff are analyzed. As the impact of floods depends not only on the characteristics of the flood itself, but also on the characteristics of the region (population density, land use, geophysical and climatic factors), a regional analysis is required to assess the performance of hydrologic models in monitoring and predicting floods. The performance of SPP-forced hydrological models was shown to largely depend on several factors, including precipitation type, seasonality, hydrological model formulation, topography. Across several basins around the world, the bias in SPPs was recognized as a major issue and bias correction methods of different complexity were shown to significantly reduce streamflow errors. Model re-calibration was also raised as a viable option to improve SPP-forced streamflow simulations, but caution is necessary when recalibrating models with SPP, which may result in unrealistic parameter values. From a general standpoint, there is significant potential for using satellite observations in flood forecasting, but the performance of SPP in hydrological modeling is still inadequate for operational purposes.
On organic interfaces.

For over four decades, our research community has taken remarkable strides in advancing human language technologies. This has resulted in the emergence of spoken dialogue interfaces that can communicate with humans on their own terms. For the most part, however, we have assumed that these interfaces are static; it knows what it knows and doesn’t know what it doesn’t. In my opinion, we are not likely to succeed until we can build interfaces that behave more like organisms that can learn, grow, reconfigure, and repair themselves, much like humans. In this paper, I will argue my case and outline some new research challenges.
The Characterization of Biologically Important Apatite Surfaces Using the Dual Constant Composition and Ftir Microscopy Techniques

The calcium phosphates are among the most important salts of orthophosphoric acid. They include a group known as apatites, derived from the Greek word απατω, which means to deceive. In the eighteenth century, Werner realized that they were frequently confused with other mineral species such as beryl. Nearly a century later, Hansen introduced the concept of different apatitic phases +1, such as carbonate apatite, sulfate apatite and hydroxyapatite. Some of the known compounds in the CaO-P2O5-H2O system are listed in Table 1.
Modelling Of Technological Renovation In Production Systems

This chapter is devoted to modelling and optimization of industrial systems (production systems). Such systems belong to engineering systems and consist of various smaller production elements (equipment). Production systems produce products (output) and require expenses for their maintenance. Modern economic growth is characterized by structural changes based on the introduction of new technologies into the production elements. The replacement and renovation of technologies in industries undergoing technological change is one of the key aspects of economic development. However, the modelling and control of the useful life (lifetime, service time) of technologies has received rather little attention, in contrast to other aspects of technological progress.
Formation of aperture sites on the pollen surface as a model for development of distinct cellular domains

Pollen grains are covered by the complex extracellular structure, called exine, which in most species is deposited on the pollen surface non-uniformly. Certain surface areas receive fewer exine deposits and develop into regions whose structure and morphology differ significantly from the rest of pollen wall. These regions are known as pollen apertures. Across species, pollen apertures can vary in their numbers, positions, and morphology, generating highly diverse patterns. The process of aperture formation involves establishment of cell polarity, formation of distinct plasma membrane domains, and deposition of extracellular materials at precise positions. Thus, pollen apertures present an excellent model for studying the development of cellular domains and formation of patterns at the single-cell level. Until very recently, the molecular mechanisms underlying the specification and formation of aperture sites were completely unknown. Here, we review recent advances in understanding of the molecular processes involved in pollen aperture formation, focusing on the molecular players identified through genetic approaches in the model plant Arabidopsis. We discuss a potential working model that describes the process of aperture formation, including specification of domains, creation of their defining features, and protection of these regions from exine deposition.
Que Podemos Hacer?: Roles for School Psychologists with Mexican and Latino Migrant Children and Families.

The economic and health situations of Mexican and Latino migrant farmworkers and their children are severe, yet employment continues to be available and migration substantial. Recent public policy ...
Haloperidol and Prostate Cancer Prevention: More Epidemiologic Research Needed.

CONTEXT The antipsychotic drug haloperidol has antiproliferative and growth-inhibiting properties on prostate cancer cell lines in vitro by binding the sigma 1 protein. Evidence is needed regarding a possible preventive association in men. OBJECTIVE To examine whether our epidemiologic data support an inverse association of haloperidol use with risk of prostate cancer. DESIGN These case-control analyses used conditional logistic regression to estimate relative risk by odds ratios (ORs) adjusting for race/ethnicity and aspects of medical care related to detection of prostate cancer. We tested 3 other commonly used antipsychotic drugs, risperidone, quetiapine, and olanzapine, for sigma 1 protein binding and inhibition of clonogenic growth of prostate cancer cells. Use of any of these by men was considered use of a comparator drug. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES 1) association of haloperidol with prostate cancer; 2) sigma 1 binding and clonogenic growth. RESULTS Probably owing to small numbers of haloperidol recipients, evidence of a preventive association was inconsistent, depending on the definition of long-term use. If duration of use was greater than 1 year, the odds ratio (OR) was 0.38 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.14-1.01) for haloperidol and 0.80 (95% CI = 0.66-0.98) for the comparator drug; if the duration of use was greater than 2 years, the OR was 0.66 (95% CI = 0.24-1.76) for haloperidol and 0.84 (95% CI = 0.66-1.08) for the comparator drug. Unlike haloperidol, risperidone, quetiapine, and olanzapine did not bind sigma 1 or inhibit clonogenic growth. CONCLUSION Given the laboratory evidence, our ambiguous epidemiologic findings should encourage more epidemiologic evaluation of haloperidol use and risk of prostate cancer. Finding a negative association could be a scientific advance in prostate cancer prevention but would not be sufficient basis for recommending the prescription of haloperidol for that purpose.
Sim2Real2Sim: Bridging the Gap Between Simulation and Real-World in Flexible Object Manipulation

This paper addresses a new strategy called Simulation-to-Real-to-Simulation (Sim2Real2Sim) to bridge the gap between simulation and real-world, and automate a flexible object manipulation task. This strategy consists of three steps: (1) using the rough environment with the estimated models to develop the methods to complete the manipulation task in the simulation; (2) applying the methods from simulation to real-world and comparing their performance; (3) updating the models and methods in simulation based on the differences between the real world and the simulation. The Plug Task from the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals is chosen to evaluate our Sim2Real2Sim strategy. A new identification approach for building the model of the linear flexible objects is derived from real-world to simulation. The automation of the DRC plug task in both simulation and real-world proves the success of the Sim2Real2Sim strategy. Numerical experiments are implemented to validate the simulated model.
Mechanism of membrane fusion: protein-protein interaction and beyond.

Membrane fusion is a universal event in all living organism. It is at the heart of intracellular organelle biogenesis and membrane traffic processes such as endocytosis and exocytosis, and is also used by enveloped viruses to enter hosting cells. Regarding the cellular mechanisms underlying membrane fusion, pioneering studies by Randy Schekman, James Rothman, Thomas C. Sudhof and their colleagues have demonstrated the function of specific proteins and protein-protein interactions as essential fusogenic factor to initiate membrane fusion. Since then, function of lipids and protein-lipid interaction has also been identified as important players in membrane fusion. Based on that NSF (NEM-sensitive factor where NEM stands for N-ethyl-maleimide) and acyl-CoA are required for the membrane fusion of transporting vesicles with Golgi cisternae, it is further suggested that the transfer of the acyl chain to a molecule(s) is essential for membrane fusion. Among the previously identified fusogens, phosphatidic acid (PA) is found as an acyl chain recipient. Functionally, acylation of PA is required for tethering the membranes of Rab5a vesicles and early endosomes together during membrane fusion. As certain threshold of proximity between the donor and acceptor membrane is required to initiate membrane fusion, fusogenic factors beyond protein-protein and protein-lipid interaction need to be identified.
The Template for Intervention Description and Replication as a Measure of Intervention Reporting Quality: Rasch Analysis.

Abstract Objective To determine whether the 12 items of the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) can be combined into a single summary score reflecting intervention reporting completeness and quality. Design Systematic review and reanalysis of published data. After a systematic search of the published literature, 16 review articles were retrieved with 489 sets of 12 TIDieR ratings of experimental intervention, comparator, or the 2 combined as reported in primary studies. These 489 sets were recoded into a common format and analyzed using Rasch analysis for binary items. Setting Not applicable. Participants Not applicable. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Psychometric qualities of a Rasch Analysis-based TIDieR summary score. Results The data fit the Rasch model. Infit and outfit values were generally acceptable (range, 0.70-1.45). TIDieR was reasonably unidimensional in its structure. However, the person (here: study) separation ratio was 1.25 with a corresponding reliability of 0.61. In addition, the confidence interval around each estimate of reporting completeness was wide (model standard error of 0.78) Conclusion Several Rasch indicators suggested that TIDieR is not a strong instrument for assessing the quality of a researcher’s reporting on an intervention. It is recommended that it be used with caution. Improvements in TIDieR itself may make it more helpful as a reporting tool.
Time-to-Task Validation in Sequential Simulations as a Component of Nursing Student Competency.

Background Time goals have not been tested as a component of nursing competence. Methods Using a known-groups approach, a multisite study was performed on prelicensure nursing students (novices) and experienced nurses (experts) who participated in 2 simulations of patient deterioration with time goals. Video capture was achieved with an eye tracker. Results While all novices did not achieve the time goals in both simulations, there was a significant improvement between the 2 simulations (P = .04). Experts were more successful in achieving the time-to-task goals in both simulations (44% and 95%, respectively). Statistical significance was found between the novice and expert groups in achieving the time goal for both simulations (P Conclusions This study was able to differentiate the expert group as being more proficient in a timed assessment, although the novices showed improvement between 2 simulations. This illustrates an opportunity for skill development among novices in managing patient deterioration amenable to time as an objective assessment.
Measuring postharvest loss inequality: Method and applications

Abstract Sustainably meeting future food demand requires increases in food production and reductions in the amount of food that is lost and wasted. This paper examines inequality in postharvest losses to reveal patterns and opportunities for intervention. We present a measure that provides information on the distribution of postharvest losses in a single graph, the postharvest loss inequality curve, or an index number, the postharvest loss inequality index. Inequality measurement can help direct policy measures to units generating the greatest postharvest losses and thereby support more favorable policy outcomes and cost/benefit relationships. Concepts and methods introduced here are empirically analyzed based on the African Postharvest Losses Information System data for maize losses in Sub-Saharan Africa. Empirical results indicate the presence of a great deal of variability and inequality in postharvest losses as measured by the postharvest loss inequality index. In the data analyzed, the postharvest loss inequality index better captures anomalies in data distribution such as outliers, skewness and kurtosis than the more direct measure of postharvest losses as a share of total maize production.
Goals, life events, and transitions: examining fertility apps for holistic health tracking.

Author(s): Costa Figueiredo, Mayara; Huynh, Thu; Takei, Anna; Epstein, Daniel A; Chen, Yunan | Abstract: ObjectiveFertility is becoming increasingly supported by consumer health technologies, especially mobile apps that support self-tracking activities. However, it is not clear whether the apps support the variety of goals and life events of those who menstruate, especially during transitions between them.MethodsThirty-one of the most popular fertility apps were evaluated, analyzing data from three sources: the content of app store pages, app features, and user reviews.FindingsResults suggest that fertility apps are designed to support specific life goals of people who menstruate, offering several data collection features and limited feedback options. However, users often desire holistic tracking that encompasses a variety of goals, life events, and the transitions among them.DiscussionThese findings suggest fertility patients can benefit more from holistic self-tracking and provide insights for future design of consumer health technologies that better support holistic fertility tracking.ConclusionFertility apps have the potential to support varied experiences of people who menstruate. But to achieve that, apps need to expand their support by offering ways for more users to perform holistic, personalized, and personally meaningful tracking, so they can derive long-term benefit from the data they collect.
Conversion from Liquid Prograf to Prograf Granules—Lessons Learned from Our Early Experience

Purpose In June 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Prograf granules for pediatric solid-organ heart transplant without a US trial. This was due to concerns over compounding errors associated with pharmacy preparation of Prograf suspension for children who cannot swallow capsules. We reviewed our early experience converting children from Prograf suspension to granules to ensure safe transition practices. Methods All children transitioned from Prograf suspension to Prograf granules at a single center in 2019 were identified using pharmacy records. The starting dose for the transition from compounded liquid to granules was determined by using a one to one dosing conversion. The steady dose of Prograf pre and post conversion were compared, as was the time to reach a therapeutic level. Patients with modified target goals (e.g. secondary to infection) before or after conversion were excluded. Results Between January and September 2019, a total of 12 children were converted from Prograf suspension to Prograf granules of whom 9 met the inclusion criteria. Of these, the median age was 6.25 (IQR 4, 8) years, the median weight was 17 (15, 21) kg; 56% were female and 67% had prior congenital heart disease. Prior to conversion, the mean daily dose was 0.106 (SD 0.07) mg/kg. Following conversion, the mean daily dose was 0.112 (SD 0.08) mg/kg, a 15% increase on average. On average, 3 levels were obtained before a goal target level was achieved at a mean of 34 days after conversion. Conclusion Children transitioned from Prograf suspension to granules often required a dosing change to achieve the same target level on Prograf granules. The number of dose increases outnumbered dose decreases. Increasing the frequency of monitoring tacrolimus levels after conversion may help to foreshorten the period of time outside the goal range.
Abstract MP43: Breast Milk-dependent Associations Of Infant Gut Microbiota With Childhood BMI Z Score

Introduction: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children ages 2-5 years continues to rise in the US. Experimental germ-free animal models indicate gut microbiota can cause excess weight g...
Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching produces acquisition of intentional communication in the natural environment in three preschool children with or at risk for autism spectrum disorder

Q 1) Does Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching (PMT) produce acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of intentional communication in three preschool children with or at risk for Autism Spectrum Disor...
Electrons to membranes

Metal–organic framework (MOF) membranes could lower the energy burden of molecular separations, but are impeded by challenges in fabricating defect-free MOF layers. Now, researchers design an electrochemical approach for growing high-performance MOF membranes on industrially relevant substrates.
Chronic Respiratory Illness

Chronic obstructive airways disease (COAD: bronchitis, emphysema and chronic asthma) is a major medical, psychological, social and economic problem. Breathlessness is one of the most distressing and disabling symptoms of COAD, and it has long been apparent that the condition results in impaired quality of life. Drawing upon sociological and psychological sources, and his own detailed research in this area, Simon Williams sesitively portrays the meaning, experience and impact of COAD. Sufferers' and their families' own accounts are used to portray the various stages and aspects of COAD, ranging from the experience of symptoms and the management of medical regimens, to the practical problems it creates in daily life and the more diffuse and intangible ways in which it impinges on social and family life. He also provides a comprehensive review of the psychosocial literature and concludes by discussing some of the policy implications for health care professionals.
Quantitative assessment of the science return from an orbiting, imaging, optical interferometer

Imaging simulations were performed with the filled Mills cross orbiting, imaging, optical interferometer proposed by Synnott et al. (1990) in order to determine its capabilities in the area of spatial resolution, dynamic range, and sensitivity. Astronomical objects have been chosen as candidate program sources to determine whether this interferometer design can accomplish research goals relating to the objects.
Global trends in surface ocean pCO2 from in situ data

[1] Ocean carbon uptake substantially reduces the rate of anthropogenic carbon accumulation in the atmosphere and thus slows global climate change. In the interest of understanding how this ocean carbon sink has responded to climate variability and climate change in recent decades, trends in globally observed surface ocean partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2s.ocean) are evaluated over 16 gyre-scale biomes covering the globe. Trends from decadal to multidecadal timescales between 1981 and 2010 are considered. On decadal timescales, pCO2s.ocean trends have been of variable magnitude and sensitive to the chosen start and end years. On longer time frames, several regions of the tropics and subtropics display pCO2s.ocean trends that are parallel to or shallower than trends in atmospheric pCO2, consistent with the ocean's long-term response to carbon accumulation in the atmosphere and with the supply of waters with low anthropogenic carbon from the deep ocean. Data are too sparse in the high latitudes to determine this long-term response. In many biomes, pCO2s.ocean trends steeper than atmospheric trends do occur on shorter timescales, which is consistent with forcing by climatic variability. In the Southern Ocean, the influence of a positive trend in the Southern Annular Mode has waned and the carbon sink has strengthened since the early 2000s. In North Atlantic subtropical and equatorial biomes, warming has become a significant and persistent contributor to the observed increase in pCO2s.ocean since the mid-2000s. This long-term warming, previously attributed to both multidecadal climate variability and anthropogenic forcing, is beginning to reduce ocean carbon uptake.
Modeling and verification of high-speed wired links with Verilog-AMS

Behavioral modeling with virtual built-in self-test verification of high-speed wired link designs is described in this paper. Our procedure is based on principles of top-down mixed-signal design combined with a behavioral description language and mixed-mode simulations. The use of Verilog-AMS is applied not only to circuit modeling but also for representing noise on the input signal. This approach provides system-level jitter tolerance estimation, circuit critical path search and overall design verification. Coding examples and simulation results are included.
Inhibition of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cell Proliferation by the CXC Chemokine, Platelet Factor 4 (PF4), Is Associated With Impaired Downregulation of p21Cip1/WAF1

Human PF4 is a heparin-binding chemokine known to be capable of inhibiting endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis. To explore the biological mechanisms responsible for this action, we investigated the effect of PF4 on epidermal growth factor (EGF)-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), a model system in which stimulation is essentially independent of interaction with cell-surface glycosaminoglycans. Based on previous findings that PF4 blocks endothelial cell cycle entry and progression into S phase, we studied the molecular mechanism(s) of PF4 interference with cell cycle machinery. PF4 treatment of EGF-stimulated HUVEC caused a decrease in cyclin E-cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (cdk2) activity with resulting attenuation of retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation. PF4-dependent downregulation of cyclin E-cdk2 activity was associated with increased binding of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21(Cip1/WAF1), to the cyclin E-cdk2 complex. Analysis of total cellular p21(Cip1/WAF1) showed that in the presence of PF4, p21(Cip1/WAF1) levels were sustained at time points when p21(Cip1/WAF1) was no longer detectable in cells stimulated by EGF in the absence of PF4. These findings indicate that PF4 inhibition of HUVEC proliferation in response to EGF is associated with impaired downregulation of p21(Cip1/WAF1) and provide the first evidence for interference with cell cycle mechanisms by a chemokine.
Algorithmic information theory: Some recollections

Presents a history of the evolution of the author's ideas on program-size complexity and its applications to metamathematics over the course of more than four decades. Includes suggestions for further work.
Stabilization and Real World Satellite Problem

Many recent investigations have concerned themselves with the development of transformations which tend to “dynamically stabilize”, “regularize”, or otherwise “smooth” the classical Newtonian equations of unperturbed motion with the goal of improving the numerical behavior of the system for the perturbed case. Examples of such transformations include stabilization by the application of integrals, independent variable transformations, and dependent variable transformations for the case of highly perturbed motion. The specific transformations examined include the energy control term and element equations developed by Stiefel, Scheifele and Baumgarte, and time regularization techniques.
The influence of advancing gestation on group B streptococcal colonization in pregnant women.

An investigation to determine the throat and vaginal colonization rates of group B streptococci among second- and third-trimester pregnant women was performed. Group B streptococci were recovered from 25.4 per cent of third-trimester and 14.8 per cent of second-trimester parturient (p = less than 0.025). Serotype distribution of isolates was similar among these two study groups. No significant differences in colonization rates were noted on the basis of age, race, parity, or complications of pregnancy.However, postpartum fever occurred in 22 per cent of colonized and only 4 per cent of noncolonized second-trimester parturients. The reason for this significant increase in group B streptococcal colonization rates with advancing gestation remains speculative.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME AND WEALTH IN JAPAN

This paper reviews research on the distribution of income and wealth in Japan, identifies sources of data on income and wealth, and describes limitations of these data. Evidence that Japan's poorest income groups are relatively well-off is convincing, but there is less evidence that the overall distribution of income in Japan is more equal than in other OECD countries. Agricultural policy, social welfare policy, the tax system, trends in earnings differentials, and the role of the Japanese family are among the many factors that have shaped Japan's income distribution. The rapid appreciation of the stock market and land prices during the late 1980s led to greater inequality in the distribution of wealth. Rapid population aging is expected to lead to an increase in total national wealth relative to national income which may have an adverse impact on the distribution of income.