cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid identification of properties of column-supported bridge-type structure by using vibratory response

Some engineering structures, such as bridges in transportation network, may be subject to unexpected hazardous events, which calls for the rapid identification of their structural properties using portable hardware and data analysis system to evaluate their remaining load-carrying capacity. A significant challenge in such mission is the lack of baseline information of the structure to be evaluated. In this research, we formulate a vibration-based methodology using modal testing to identify properties of column-supported bridge-type structure. An assumed-mode based discretization is adopted to establish an equivalent nominal model that is a function of the unknown structural properties. The system identification algorithm is built upon the mass response method, i.e., introducing a known added mass to the structure and measuring respectively the modal information before and after this mass is added. This approach enables the structural identification without a priori information of the mass. Systematic case...
An Analysis Of Solid Waste Transportation And Disposal Alternatives

AbstractThe requirements of a solid wnste collection, transportation and disposal system are formulated using mixtid integer linear programming. The object of the study reported herein is to identify from among several alternatives which sanitary landfill site or sites should be seriously considered for disposal. Costs for collection vehicles, transfer stations, large road carriers, and landfill sites are considered on a present worth basis over the time period specified. Some of the data have been disguised to protect the interests of the client.
Impacts of a Medicaid Wraparound Model Demonstration Program on Youth Specialty Mental Health Services Use

Effective coordination of mental health care is critical in Medicaid wraparound model programs for youth. This study examined participation over time in mental health services for youth diverted or transitioned from residential care to a Medicaid wraparound demonstration program. Youth in wraparound had more sustained use of mental health outpatient clinic services than did propensity score matched youth who were not in wraparound. However, the rate of outpatient clinic follow-up after inpatient discharge was no greater in wraparound. Routine assessment of wraparound programs’ impacts on receipt of mental health care may inform the development of Medicaid wraparound program performance standards.
The Stuart Phase (1603—1700)

In my remarks “To the General Reader” I suggested that the Renaissance revival of Plato in England appears to have gone through three phases:
Combined plant and controller performance analysis and optimization for an energy-harvesting tethered wing

This paper presents a combined plant and controller analysis and optimization for a tethered rigid wing with on-board rotors, flying in crosswind patterns. Specifically, we use a 3-D model of the tethered wing to assess the influence of critical design parameters on both quality of flight and energy generation performance, as quantified by the “Loyd Factor” [1], which compares energy generation performance to a theoretical upper bound established by Miles Loyd [2]. Recognizing that the optimal performance occurs when the system is on the verge of instability, we demonstrate how a combined optimization of the plant and controller can aid in further pushing the boundaries of the system. The results of this combined optimization show a critical trade-off between robustness and energy generation performance, wherein the attainment of peak performance not only requires operation on the verge of instability but also results in the shrinking of the set of parameters for which the system is stable.
Acceptance of the Roebling Medal of the Mineralogical Society of America for 2000

Mr. President and members of the society: I accept the Roebling Medal with gratitude and humility. Gratitude to the American Mineralogical Society for honoring me, and gratitude toward my colleagues who supported my nomination. I am humbled when I examine the list of names of past Roebling medalists, and when I conside others who are also deserving but have not yet been selected. I hope their time comes soon. I was raised in the small town of Dalton, Pennsylvania, and attended Dalton High School. My first interest in science goes back to a Christmas when I was perhaps 10 years old. A friend of mine had received a Gilbert Chemistry set for Christmas and he invited me to his home to examine it. I was hooked, and over the years of my high shool education, I continued to build up an impressive chemistry lab at home. This was made possible by the encouragement of our school principal, Mr. Lippert, who allowed me to add my lists of glassware and chemicals to periodic orders that the school placed. My father was away in the army from 1941 to 1945 and thus was not present in our household during my teen age years. As an only child, I must have been a handful for my mother who nevertheless managed very well in my father’s absence. I graduated in 1945, and after a partial semester at Penn State University, was drafted into the U.S Army Air Corps in the fall of 1945. I spent about one year of a two-year period in occupation duty in Japan where I played trumpet in an Air Force Band. I was discharged in 1947 and attended Keystone Junior College for two years, and Lafayette College where I graduated with a major in geology in 1950. At this …
Whole Exome Sequencing Defines the Genetic Differences Between Pediatric and Adult Follicular Lymphoma

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common low grade lymphoma in adults, but uncommon in children. While the two diseases are similar in morphology and immunophenotype, pediatric-type FLs manifest higher grade histology with most cases being localized and curable with standard therapy. Pediatric-type FLs are thought arise from germinal center B cells and typically demonstrate higher expression of the germinal center B cell markers BCL6 and CD10. While the genetic basis of adult FL has been studied previously, the genetic basis of pediatric-type FL remains largely unknown. In this study, we sought to define the gene coding mutations occurring in pediatric FL and compared them to those of 48 adult FLs, as well as other adult lymphomas derived from germinal center B cells including 88 GCB DLBCLs and 67 cases of BL that we, and others, have published previously. We obtained a total of 32 pediatric-type FLs along with paired normal tissue. The median age wa 8 years with 62% male patients. We performed whole-exome sequencing for these cases using the Agilent solution-based system of exon capture, which uses RNA baits to target all protein coding genes (CCDS database), as well as ~700 human miRNAs from miRBase (v13). In all, we generated over 6 GB of sequencing data using high throughput sequencing on the Illumina platform. Using bioinformatics approaches that we have described previously, we identified 26 candidate cancer genes that were recurrently somatically mutated in pediatric FL. We found that the genes mutated in pediatric FLs were from three predominant ontologies/pathways. These included DNA damage repair (40%, ATM, RB1), chromatin modification (34%, SETD2, SMARCA4 and TET2) and alternative splicing (12%, SF3B1). We also noted IRF4 translocations and TNFRSF14 mutations in 10% of the cases as has been described previously. We further compared pediatric FLs to other germinal center B cell derived lymphomas and, in particular, FLs occurring in adults. We found that the mutations that characterize adult FLs including MLL2, CREBBP, and GNA13 were absent in pediatric FLs. There was only one pediatric FL case with an EZH2 mutation, which otherwise occur commonly in germinal center B cell derived lymphomas. Thus, pediatric FLs are genetically unlike both adult FLs and other germinal center B cell derived lymphomas. Our data provide new clues to the distinctive genetic basis of these tumors and their clinical behavior. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Salsalate treatment for prediabetes: a therapeutic alternative?

Recent studies [1,2] in insulin-resistant individuals without diabetes have been unable to confirm previous findings [3] that salsalate, a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory salicylate derivative can enhance insulin sensitivity; however, failure to improve insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese, insulin-resistant individuals without diabetes should not necessarily lead to the conclusion that salsalate is without therapeutic potential in this population. Indeed, an argument can be made that administration of salsalate may be of unique benefit to such individuals; that is, those who are overweight/obese and insulin-resistant before gross decompensation of glucose tolerance, but at increased risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. For example, in the two recent studies of overweight/obese, insulin-resistant individuals without diabetes, fasting plasma glucose concentration fell by 6% [1] and 7% [2] after salsalate treatment. In addition, fasting plasma triglyceride concentrations decreased by ~25% in both studies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Graph Structure Similarity using Spectral Graph Theory

In understanding an unknown network we search for metrics to determine how close an inferred network that is being analyzed, is to the truth. We develop a metric to test for similarity between an inferred network and the true network. Our method uses the eigenvalues of the adjacency matrix and of the Laplacian at each step of the network discovery to decide on the comparison to the ground truth. We consider synthetic networks and real terrorist networks for our analysis.
MARC Format for Medieval Manuscript Images

Although it was developed primarily for the cataloging of modem printed books, the MARC (MAchine-Readable Cataloging) format is versatile enough to be used in the cataloging of materials that are neither modem, nor printed, nor books. As evidence of its versatility, this paper will review the use of the MARC format in the creation of the Index of Medieval Medical Images, or IMMI, a project funded by the National Library of Medicine.1 Dr. Ynez Viole O’Neill, professor of the History of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, is directing the IMMI project, and she is assisted by Dr. . . .
The bad data estimation based on the Current Reckoning Method

The Current Reckoning Method is carried out in the paper, which adopts the link branch reckoning technology based on the measuring current information to achieve data digging and realize identification of bad data in the measurements set, and can identify bad data in the node injection measurement as well. Final, carry out analysis and verifying based on the modular system, which has a certain of application value in the engineering.
Barriers against and actions towards renewable energy technologies diffusion: A Principal Component Analysis for residential ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems

Abstract The residential sector is responsible for 20% of the total energy consumption worldwide, with fossil fuels being its main energy source. Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems are an alternative option for heating, cooling and Domestic Hot Water (DHW) production in the residential sector, offering several advantages compared to conventional systems. Through a survey, this paper examines the views of people involved in the Greek GSHP sector, regarding existing and future adoption level of residential GSHP systems, dissemination barriers and actions that can contribute to their adoption. The conducted Categorical Principal Components Analysis (CatPCA) indicates that diffusion barriers can be classified to market and information barriers, regulatory and financial barriers, installation barriers and siting barriers, with a) lack of public awareness on the GSHP technology and its benefits, b) economic recession, c) lack of adequate subsidies or tax exemptions for the installation and d) installation cost being considered as the most significant ones. In accordance, diffusion actions that can contribute to the penetration of the technology can be categorized to regulatory and technology improvements, financial incentives and awareness activities, with tax reductions suited for GSHPs, public awareness activities on the technology and its benefits and training activities for installers being considered as the most important ones.
A Typology of Interruptions in Online Training

A conceptual framework was used to develop an internet-based survey that was distributed to individuals who had experienced interruptions during online training. Data from the survey was used to ex...
A Primer on Foraging and the Explore/Exploit Trade-Off for Psychiatry Research

Foraging is a fundamental behavior, and many types of animals appear to have solved foraging problems using a shared set of mechanisms. Perhaps the most common foraging problem is the choice between exploiting a familiar option for a known reward and exploring unfamiliar options for unknown rewards—the so-called explore/exploit trade-off. This trade-off has been studied extensively in behavioral ecology and computational neuroscience, but is relatively new to the field of psychiatry. Explore/exploit paradigms can offer psychiatry research a new approach to studying motivation, outcome valuation, and effort-related processes, which are disrupted in many mental and emotional disorders. In addition, the explore/exploit trade-off encompasses elements of risk-taking and impulsivity—common behaviors in psychiatric disorders—and provides a novel framework for understanding these behaviors within an ecological context. Here we explain relevant concepts and some common paradigms used to measure explore/exploit decisions in the laboratory, review clinically relevant research on the neurobiology and neuroanatomy of explore/exploit decision making, and discuss how computational psychiatry can benefit from foraging theory.
Abstract 312: Troponin I Phosphorylation Crosstalk

The troponin (Tn) complex is a critical regulatory and integrative hub for myofilament post-translational modifications that regulate cardiac contraction. Beta-adrenergic-induced protein kinase A (PKA) phosphorylation of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) at Ser-23/24 is a major myofilament cardiac contractile modulator. In addition to this PKA-induced phosphorylation, cTnI can be simultaneously phosphorylated at a number of other residues. To fully understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie cardiac muscle regulation at the myofilament level, cTnI phosphorylations must be studied as integrated events. As an initial step towards understanding the integration of these events, we employed a phosphomimetic approach to investigate the effect of cTnI Ser-150 pseudo-phosphorylation (TnI-S150D) on cTnI PKA pseudo-phosphorylation (TnI-S23/24D) function within the thin filament. The combinatorial effect of these phosphorylation events were determined by measuring the binding of calcium to troponin C in thin filaments reconstituted with human Tn. The steady-state calcium sensitivity of TnC was increased ∼2.3 fold in thin filaments reconstituted with TnI-S150D containing Tn, while TnI-S23/24D containing filaments exhibited an ∼3.9 fold decrease of calcium sensitivity. Importantly, in the presence of both cTnI pseudo-phosphorylations (TnI-S23/24/150D) calcium binding was not different from that of wild-type. Likewise, calcium dissociation from thin filaments reconstituted with TnI-S23/24D was increased by ∼3.5 fold, while TnI-S150D containing filaments demonstrated a decrease in calcium dissociation of ∼2.3 fold compared to wild-type filaments. Interestingly the combined pseudo-phosphorylations of TnI-S23/24/150D only blunted TnI-23/24D calcium dissociation kinetics to ∼1.2 fold of the TnI-S23/24D filaments alone. These findings demonstrate the integrated effects of cTnI site-specific phosphorylation crosstalk to affect the function of cTnI PKA-induced phosphorylation. These data further highlight the importance of understanding the integrated role of Tn phosphorylation crosstalk on cardiac contractile regulation.
Fugitive gas emission rate estimation using multiple heterogeneous mobile sensors

This paper presents an approach for autonomous and reliable localization of fugitive methane emissions and quantification of source emission rates over large regions of interest. Previous methods have used single mobile unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) leak localization, but as a result cannot disambiguate multiple sources when plumes overlap. The novel method presented in this paper implements a mobile heterogeneous sensor network comprised of aerial- and ground-based platforms equipped with on-board concentration sensors. The UGVs use a recursive Bayesian method to probabilistically determine all source rates in a region of interest (RoI). Using a flux estimation method for path integrated concentration measurements surrounding a point source, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are shown to reliably estimate source emission rates. By communicating information about concentration measurements to the UAVs, the UGVs are shown able to collaboratively plan efficient measurement paths resulting in accurate disambiguation and estimation of all source emission rates in the RoI.
Positioning Performance of Power and Manual Drivers in Posterior Spinal Fusion Procedures.

This work presents an analysis and comparison of the efficacy of two methods for pedicle screw placement during posterior spinal fusion surgery. A total of 100 screws (64 manual and 36 power driven), all placed utilizing a surgical navigation system, were analyzed and compared. Final screw placement was compared to initial surgical plans using the navigation system, and the final screw locations were analyzed on the basis of angular deviation from these planned trajectories as well as screw translation within a critical reference plane. The power driver was found to insignificantly decrease the resulting angular deviation of these pedicle screws with a mean deviation of 3.35 degrees compared to 3.44 degrees with the manual driver ( ). Conversely, the power driver was found to increase the translational distance in the critical region, with mean deviations of 2.45 mm for the power driver compared to 1.54 mm with the manual driver. The increase in translational deviation was significant ( ) indicating that there may be some loss in performance from the adoption of the power driver.
Longitudinal Impact of Hurricane Sandy Exposure on Mental Health Symptoms

Hurricane Sandy hit the eastern coast of the United States in October 2012, causing billions of dollars in damage and acute physical and mental health problems. The long-term mental health consequences of the storm and their predictors have not been studied. New York City and Long Island residents completed questionnaires regarding their initial Hurricane Sandy exposure and mental health symptoms at baseline and 1 year later (N = 130). There were statistically significant decreases in anxiety scores (mean difference = -0.33, p < 0.01) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scores (mean difference = -1.98, p = 0.001) between baseline and follow-up. Experiencing a combination of personal and property damage was positively associated with long-term PTSD symptoms (ORadj 1.2, 95% CI [1.1-1.4]) but not with anxiety or depression. Having anxiety, depression, or PTSD at baseline was a significant predictor of persistent anxiety (ORadj 2.8 95% CI [1.1-6.8], depression (ORadj 7.4 95% CI [2.3-24.1) and PTSD (ORadj 4.1 95% CI [1.1-14.6]) at follow-up. Exposure to Hurricane Sandy has an impact on PTSD symptoms that persists over time. Given the likelihood of more frequent and intense hurricanes due to climate change, future hurricane recovery efforts must consider the long-term effects of hurricane exposure on mental health, especially on PTSD, when providing appropriate assistance and treatment.
Medical Management for Pituitary Adenoma Patients

Management of patients with pituitary adenomas undergoing transsphenoidal surgery requires an understanding of the various medical issues relevant to the preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative states. The identification and appropriate management of tumor-induced hypopituitarism can lessen the potential for operative complications; hypopituitarism itself can be a complication of surgery requiring long-term medical management to ensure optimal health for the patient. While transsphenoidal surgery functions as the preferred management strategy for many pituitary adenomas, medical therapy is effective for several types of clinically functioning adenomas. The high efficacy of medical therapy in treating prolactinomas is well established; surgery serves an adjunctive role in this condition. Medical therapy of acromegaly and Cushing’s disease is often utilized in the setting of persistent disease after surgery or while awaiting the therapeutic effect of radiation therapy to occur. While numerous medical options are available for treating both acromegaly and Cushing’s disease, the selection of a particular agent can be a challenging endeavor requiring a thorough knowledge of the risks and benefits of each medication. An understanding of the issues relevant to medical therapy of individuals undergoing transsphenoidal surgery is critical to providing optimal multidisciplinary care to this subset of patients.
A weekly diary study of minority stress, coping, and internalizing symptoms among gay men.

Objective Research has demonstrated that gay men are at increased risk for internalizing disorders compared with heterosexual men and that minority stressors are risk factors. However, the mechanisms underlying the associations between minority stressors and internalizing symptoms remain unclear. The current study examined coping strategies (active and disengaged coping) as mediators of the associations between minority stressors (internalized homonegativity [IH] and rejection sensitivity [RS]) and internalizing symptoms. Method A sample of 147 gay men completed a baseline questionnaire and weekly questionnaires for seven consecutive weeks. Results At the between-person level, higher IH and RS were associated with higher disengaged coping, but not active coping. In turn, higher disengaged coping was associated with higher internalizing symptoms. Disengaged coping mediated the between-person association between IH and internalizing symptoms. At the within-person level, higher IH and RS were associated with higher disengaged coping, which, in turn, was associated with higher internalizing symptoms. Higher RS was also associated with higher active coping. Disengaged coping mediated the within-person associations between both minority stressors and internalizing symptoms. Of note, some associations with IH became nonsignificant controlling for RS, suggesting that the latter has a stronger influence on coping and internalizing symptoms. Conclusions Findings demonstrate that gay men's negative thoughts and feelings about their sexual orientation and anxious expectations of rejection vary from week to week and this weekly fluctuation has an impact on mental health. Further, findings implicate disengaged coping as a mechanism through which minority stressors influence internalizing symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record
Illustrating the Molecular Origin of Mechanical Stress in Ductile Deformation of Polymer Glasses

New experiments show that tensile stress vanishes shortly after preyield deformation of polymer glasses while tensile stress after postyield deformation stays high and relaxes on much longer time scales, thus hinting at a specific molecular origin of stress in ductile cold drawing: chain tension rather than intersegmental interactions. Molecular dynamics simulation based on a coarse-grained model for polystyrene confirms the conclusion that the chain network plays an essential role, causing the glassy state to yield and to respond with a high level of intrachain retractive stress. This identification sheds light on the future development regarding an improved theoretical account for molecular mechanics of polymer glasses and the molecular design of stronger polymeric materials to enhance their mechanical performance.
Alanine-Glyoxylate Aminotransferase 1 (AGXT1) is a Novel Marker for Hepatocellular Carcinomas

Arginase-1 has been demonstrated as a marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with higher sensitivity and specificity than HepPar-1 and glypican-3. However, its sensitivity is diminished in moderately and poorly differentiated HCCs. In the current study, we evaluated the utility of AGXT1 as a diagnostic marker. Immunostains for AGXT1 and arginase-1 were performed in tissue microarrays of 139 HCCs and 374 gastrointestinal and nongastrointestinal carcinomas. AGXT1 exhibited granular cytoplasmic immunoreactivity in contrast to the diffuse cytoplasmic staining characteristic of arginase-1 in nonneoplastic and neoplastic hepatocytes. Sensitivities of AGXT1 for all HCCs were 90.0% compared to 87.8% for arginase-1. A small number of tumors expressed only 1 of the 2 markers. Sensitivity increased to 92.1% when the presence of either marker was considered positive. Excepting 5 cases of cholangiocarcinoma, both AGXT1 and arginase-1 were negative in all non-HCC tumors with specificities of 98.7%. Our data support the consideration of AGXT1 as a novel hepatocellular marker with equally high specificity and slightly higher sensitivity as compared to arginase-1. AGXT1 may aid in diagnostic workup especially in conjunction with arginase-1 for HCCs that may otherwise defy conventional immunostaining patterns.
Coarse-graining and Hierarchical Simulation of Magnetic Materials: the Fast Multipole Method

The previous two chapters have discussed the micromagnetic simulation of magnetic materials. One of the most difficult problems in this area is dealing with the long range of the magnetic dipole interaction. Traditionally this problem is deal with by a mean field approach, assuming that the effect of distant dipoles is to produce a magnetic field locally that is proportional to the total magnetization of the system. There is a huge amount of literature on mean field approaches, but its accuracy is often such as to produce only qualitative rather than quantitatively correct results. Recently another approach has been developed to deal mathematically with the problem of long ranged interactions, known as the Fast Multipole Method (FMM). The original mathematical development of this method is rather complicated, but it has a simple physical interpretation for magnetic systems.
Phase Transitions at Interfaces: Roughening, Surface Melting, and Triple Point Wetting

Roughening, surface melting, and wetting are three closely related topics of great current interest in surface science. They involve the fundamental properties of thin films, and they are important phenomena in modern interface technology. Each has a long, nearly independent scientific history reaching back to the 19th Century, and we are only now learning how closely they are related. We are finding that much of the early work is inaccurate and just plain wrong, but a portion is bearing up surprisingly well. The state of knowledge in all three fields has improved considerably in the past few years, but some of the original speculations are still being tested.
Predictors of Asthma/COPD Overlap in FDNY Firefighters With World Trade Center Dust Exposure: A Longitudinal Study.

Background Previously healthy firefighters with World Trade Center (WTC) dust exposure developed airway disease. Risk factors for irritant-associated asthma/COPD overlap are poorly defined. Methods This study included 2,137 WTC-exposed firefighters who underwent a clinically indicated bronchodilator pulmonary function test (BD-PFT) between 9/11/2001 and 9/10/2017. A post-BD FEV1 increase of > 12% and 200 mL from baseline defined asthma, and a post-BD FEV1/FVC ratio Results BD-PFT diagnosed asthma/COPD overlap in 99 subjects (4.6%), isolated-asthma in 202 (9.5%), and isolated-COPD in 215 (10.1%). Eosinophil concentration ≥ 300 cells/μL was associated with increased risk of asthma/COPD overlap (hazard ratio [HR], 1.85; 95% CI, 1.16-2.95) but not with isolated-asthma or isolated-COPD. Serum IL-4 also predicted asthma/COPD overlap (HR, 1.51 per doubling of cytokine concentration; 95% CI, 1.17-1.95). Greater IL-21 concentration was associated with both isolated-asthma and isolated-COPD (HRs of 1.73 [95% CI, 1.27-2.35] and 2.06 [95% CI, 1.31-3.23], respectively). Conclusions In WTC-exposed firefighters, elevated blood eosinophil and IL-4 levels are associated with subsequent asthma/COPD overlap. Disease-specific T-helper cell type 2 biomarkers present years before diagnosis suggest patient-intrinsic predisposition to irritant-associated asthma/COPD overlap.
A UNIQUE CASE OF VENOTHROMBOEMBOLISM TREATED WITH THE ANGIOVAC SYSTEM

The management of massive venothromboembolism (VTE) with “clot-in-transit” classically involves surgical embolectomy; however, selected patients may be at prohibitive risk for surgical treatment. We describe a complex case involving a massive right atrial thrombus extending from a venous cannula
The Chamber Wall Index for Gas–Wall Interactions in Atmospheric Environmental Enclosures

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles, which are formed and aged in Earth’s oxidizing atmosphere, influence climate and human health. Quantifying properties of SOA particles and oxidized organic compounds (OVOCs) requires controlled experiments in enclosures, but enclosures have walls that can alter the chemistry. Comparing wall effects for widely used large environmental chambers (ECs) and portable oxidative flow reactors (OFRs) is difficult. In this work, the Chamber Wall Index (CWI) is developed as the minimum ratio of the initial wall uptake time constant divided by the enclosure residence time. This index demonstrates that walls alter the chemistry less in OFRs than in ECs, due primarily to shorter residence times. Much shorter residence times may not be feasible because oxidation chemistry and microphysics need time to produce atmospherically relevant SOA and OVOCs. While all current OFRs have wall effects, it may be possible to develop a “wall-less” OFR.
Spin-Hall-Effect-Based Stochastic Number Generator for Parallel Stochastic Computing

Stochastic computing (SC) is a promising technology that can be used for low-cost hardware designs. However, SC suffers from its long latency. Although parallel processing can efficiently shorten the latency, duplicated stochastic number generators (SNGs) are necessary, which cause substantial hardware overhead. This paper proposes a scalable SNG based on the spin-Hall-effect (SHE), which is capable of generating multiple independent stochastic streams simultaneously. The design takes advantages of the efficient charge-to-spin conversion from the Spin-Hall material and the intrinsic stochasticity of nanomagnets. Compared to previous spintronic SNGs, the SHE-SNG can reduce the area by $1.6\times -7.8\times $ and the power by $4.9\times -13\times $ while increasing the degree of parallelism from 1 to 16. Compared to CMOS-based SNGs, the proposed SNG obtained $24\times -120\times $ and $53\times $ reduction in terms of area and power, respectively. Finally, three benchmarks were implemented, and the results indicate that SC implementations with the proposed SHE-SNG can achieve $1.2\times -29\times $ reduction of hardware resources compared to implementations with previous CMOS- and spintronic-based designs while scaling the degree of parallelism from 1 to 64.
A 58 Year Old with Sun Damaged Skin

A 58-year-old white female presents to the office with complaints of wrinkles and light brown “sun spots” on her cheeks and forehead. The patient reports that people often mistake her for a much older woman. She admits to frequent sunbathing during the summer months until age 40 with little to no use of sunscreen and feels that her skin changes may be related to this prior sun exposure. She reports feeling overwhelmed by the number of over-the-counter anti-wrinkle creams and would like to know which cosmeceuticals are most effective and will truly help her appear her stated age.
Tissue-specific expression of ribosomal protein paralogue eRpL22-like in Drosophila melanogaster eye development

Background Differences in core or tissue-specific ribosomal protein (Rp) composition within ribosomes contribute to ribosome heterogeneity and functional variability. Yet, the degree to which ribosome heterogeneity modulates development is unknown. The Drosophila melanogaster eRpL22 family contains structurally diverse paralogues, eRpL22 and eRpL22-like. Unlike ubiquitously expressed eRpL22, eRpL22-like expression is tissue-specific, notably within the male germline and the eye. We investigated expression within the developing eye to uncover tissue/cell types where specific paralogue roles might be defined. Results Immunohistochemistry analysis confirms ubiquitous eRpL22 expression throughout eye development. In larvae, eRpL22-like is ubiquitously expressed, but highly enriched in the peripodial epithelium (PE). In early pupae, eRpL22-like is broadly distributed in multiple cell types, but later, is primarily enriched in interommatidial hair cells (IoHC). Adult patterns include the ring of accessory cells around ommatidia. Adult retinae IoHC patterning phenotypes (shown by scanning electron microscopy) may be linked to RNAi-mediated eRpL22-like depletion within larval PE. Immunoblots and polysome profile analyses show multiple variants of eRpL22-like across development, with the variant at the expected molecular mass co-sedimenting with active ribosomes. Conclusion Our data reveal differential patterns of eRpL22-like expression relative to eRpL22 and suggest a specific role for eRpL22-like in developmental patterning of the eye. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Chapter Seven – ESTIMATION

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews some of the problems of statistical inference such as what can be determined about a random variable from a random sample of the values it assumes. It lists some of the most common concerns as a sequence of cosmic questions. It discusses some properties of estimators and has shown that for some special populations, the sample mean X and the sample variance S2 have many of these properties. The chapter discusses some methods for constructing estimators and illustrates the two most popular techniques for estimation, namely, the method of moments estimation and the maximum likelihood method. The method of moments has the twin virtues of being intuitively satisfying and easy to apply in most cases. However, the maximum likelihood method is even more intuitively appealing; it also has a deeper theoretical foundation. Thus, anyone using it can feel smug about using a highly sophisticated technique that is also easy to understand and use. In many cases, the two methods yield the same estimators. Some nice properties of estimators are unbiased, consistent, and the minimum variance unbiased estimator. However, not one of these desirable properties is of any help in making a probability judgment about the quality or accuracy of the estimate delivered. The confidence interval is what enables one to do that. The idea of a confidence interval is similar to that of an error limit in numerical analysis. The chapter discusses some sequence of theorems that indicate the way to calculate confidence intervals for the parameters of some random variables of interest. The theorems are interspersed with partial proofs and examples in the chapter. The chapter describes applications of estimating to queueing systems and presents some confidence interval estimators for parameters of queueing systems.
Explicit Pseudo-K\"ahler Metrics on Flag Manifolds

The coadjoint orbits of compact Lie groups each carry a canonical (positive definite) Kahler structure, famously used to realize the group's irreducible representations in holomorphic sections of appropriate line bundles (Borel-Weil theorem). Less studied are the (indefinite) invariant *pseudo*-Kahler structures they also admit, which can be used to realize the same representations in higher cohomology of the sections (Bott's theorem). Using ``eigenflag'' embeddings, we give a very explicit description of these metrics in the case of the unitary group. As a byproduct we show that $U_n/(U_{n_1}\times\cdots\times U_{n_k})$ has exactly $k!$ invariant complex structures, a count which seems to have hitherto escaped attention.
Survival analysis of farm bankruptcy filings: Evaluating the time to completion of chapter 12 bankruptcy cases

We examine trends in bankruptcy completion times and financial characteristics for farmers filing for chapter 12 bankruptcy after it became a permanent fixture in bankruptcy law to assess justifications for the recently enacted Family Farmer Bankruptcy Clarification Act of 2017 and Family Farmer Relief Act of 2019. Since 2007, chapter 12 filers have seen noticeable increases in their debt levels whereas alternative business bankruptcies have either stagnated or declined in their debt. Using survival analysis methods to correct for the censored nature of open cases, we find that the average time to completion has consistently been longer for chapter 12 than the comparable chapters (7, 11, and 13) of business bankruptcies. Although chapter 12 completion times have not been increasing over time, we find that chapter 7 and 11 completion times have been declining over time for comparable businesses and that debt levels are a significant factor in increased completion times. Our results are consistent with claims that farmers have had rising debt levels in comparison to similar businesses filing for bankruptcy and provide evidence that farmers with increasing debt have had a more difficult time restructuring through chapter 12. EconLit citations: G33, K35, Q14, Q18.
Bringing the clinical laboratory into the strategy to advance diagnostic excellence.

Objectives Clinical laboratory testing provides essential data for making medical diagnoses. Generating accurate and timely test results clearly communicated to the treating clinician, and ultimately the patient, is a critical component that supports diagnostic excellence. On the other hand, failure to achieve this can lead to diagnostic errors that manifest in missed, delayed and wrong diagnoses. Content Innovations that support diagnostic excellence address: 1) test utilization, 2) leveraging clinical and laboratory data, 3) promoting the use of credible information resources, 4) enhancing communication among laboratory professionals, health care providers and the patient, and 5) advancing the use of diagnostic management teams. Integrating evidence-based laboratory and patient-care quality management approaches may provide a strategy to support diagnostic excellence. Professional societies, government agencies, and healthcare systems are actively engaged in efforts to advance diagnostic excellence. Leveraging clinical laboratory capabilities within a healthcare system can measurably improve the diagnostic process and reduce diagnostic errors. Summary An expanded quality management approach that builds on existing processes and measures can promote diagnostic excellence and provide a pathway to transition innovative concepts to practice. Outlook There are increasing opportunities for clinical laboratory professionals and organizations to be part of a strategy to improve diagnoses.
Suppression of Fatty Acid Oxidation by Thioesterase Superfamily Member 2 in Skeletal Muscle Promotes Hepatic Steatosis and Insulin Resistance

ABSTRACT Thioesterase superfamily member 2 (Them2) is highly expressed in oxidative tissues where it hydrolyzes long chain fatty acyl-CoA esters to free fatty acids and CoA. Although mice globally lacking Them2 (Them2-/-) are protected against diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis, liver-specific Them2-/- mice remain susceptible. To explore the contribution of Them2 in extrahepatic tissues, we created mice with Them2 deleted in skeletal muscle (S-Them2-/-), cardiac muscle (C-Them2-/-) or adipose tissue (A-Them2-/-). When fed a high-fat diet, S-Them2-/- but not C-Them2-/- or A-Them2-/- mice exhibited reduced weight gain. Only S-Them2-/- mice exhibited improved glucose homeostasis together with improved insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle. Increased rates of fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle of S-Them2-/- mice were reflected in alterations in skeletal muscle metabolites, including short chain fatty acids, branched chain amino acids and the pentose phosphate pathway. Protection from diet-induced hepatic steatosis in S-Them2-/- mice was attributable to increased VLDL triglyceride secretion rates in support of demands of increased muscle fatty acid utilization. These results reveal a key role for skeletal muscle Them2 in the pathogenesis of diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis.
Vps501, a novel vacuolar SNX-BAR protein cooperates with the SEA complex to induce autophagy

Abstract The sorting nexins (SNX), constitute a diverse family of molecules that play varied roles in membrane trafficking, cell signaling, membrane remodeling, organelle motility and autophagy. In particular, the SNX-BAR proteins, a SNX subfamily characterized by a C-terminal dimeric Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) lipid curvature domain and a conserved Phox-homology domain, are of great interest. In budding yeast, many SNX-BARs proteins have well-characterized endo-vacuolar trafficking roles. Phylogenetic analyses allowed us to identify an additional SNX-BAR protein, Vps501, with a novel endo-vacuolar role. We report that Vps501 uniquely localizes to the vacuolar membrane and works with the SEA complex to regulate autophagy. Furthermore, we found cells displayed a severe deficiency in starvation-induced/nonselective autophagy only when SEA complex subunits are ablated in combination with Vps501, indicating a cooperative role with the SEA complex during autophagy. Additionally, we found the SEA complex becomes destabilized in vps501Δsea1Δ cells, which resulted in aberrant TORC1 hyperactivity and misregulation of autophagy induction.
Overview of Cell–Cell and Cell–Matrix Interactions

Publisher Summary This chapter gives an overview on cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions. Cell signaling pathways form extensive interactive networks that results in the distinctive features distinguishing many of the response properties of specific tissues and organs. An idea that chemical signals may be provided locally or regionally in tissues by a group of mechanisms that have become known as paracrine, autocrine, intracrine, and juxtacrine interactions constitutes the means for regulating tissue-specific signal responses by providing the needed signals only on a local basis. The localized signaling mechanisms can be conveniently sub-grouped into four types. Paracrine interactions induce signaling activities that occur from cell to cell within a given tissue or organ, rather than through the general circulation. This takes place as locally produced hormones or other small signaling molecules exit their cell of origin, and then, by diffusion or local circulation, act only regionally on other cells of a different type within that tissue. The local concentrations of paracrine signals can be quite high compared to the circulating levels, and thus can trigger effects by acting on low-affinity receptors or by supplying sufficient local signals to bind to high-affinity receptors even when the circulating level of a molecule that produces a similar signal is too low to do so. Two mechanisms that further extend cell signaling beyond the action of circulating messengers include juxtacrine signals, in which the signaling entity (receptor ligand) is not soluble but is membrane-bound on one cell, and is delivered by cell–cell physical approximation to the cell bearing the receptor, and intracrine signals, in which both receptor and ligand are expressed intracellularly and signals are generated without external stimuli.
Thermogravimetry and Thermomagnetometry

Publisher Summary This chapter describes (1) the particular instrumentation and modifications utilized, (2) potential sources of error, and (3) the general methodology associated with both thermogravimetry (TG) and thermomagnetometry (TM). Applications are used occasionally in the chapter as examples of a particular aspect under discussion. Another related area concerns evolved gas analysis (EGA) or evolved gas detection (EGD). EGA identifies the products and is either qualitative or quantitative in operation. EGD is directly analogous to TG in nature, as the specific nature of the gaseous products is not determined, only their presence. These methods are the direct complement of TG in that they measure the same loss of mass but in a different manner. The important complementary aspect is that EGA identifies the compounds lost or gained, whereas TG only indicates an amount. Once the chemical nature of the products(s) is determined, however, the mass loss or gain may be a more quantitative or convenient measure of the amount.
Earthquake magnitude scaling using seismogeodetic data

[1] The combination of GPS and strong-motion data to estimate seismogeodetic waveforms creates a data set that is sensitive to the entire spectrum of ground displacement and the full extent of coseismic slip. In this study we derive earthquake magnitude scaling relationships using seismogeodetic observations of either P wave amplitude or peak ground displacements from five earthquakes in Japan and California ranging in magnitude from 5.3 to 9.0. The addition of the low-frequency component allows rapid distinction of earthquake size for large magnitude events with high precision, unlike accelerometer data that saturate for earthquakes greater than M 7 to 8, and is available well before the coseismic displacements are emplaced. These results, though based on a limited seismogeodetic data set, support earlier studies that propose it may be possible to estimate the final magnitude of an earthquake well before the rupture is complete.
Toward a Model of Meme Diffusion (M3D)

An approach to modeling meme diffusion is proposed, drawing on insights from evolutionary theory, information theory, meme theory, frame analysis, general systems theory, social identity theory, communicative competence theory, narrative rationality theory, social network analysis, and diffusion of innovation theory. The model framework proposes that memes compete at multiple levels to occupy information niches. The purpose of this synthesis is to provide a heuristic framework for organizing manifold investigations into the roles that new media are playing in the diffusion of ideas in cyberspace and real space. The result is an outline of a multilevel model of meme diffusion (M 3 D) that seeks to integrate these theories and to stimulate new theory development in the fields of big data and new media.
Partial pivoting in the computation of Krylov subspaces of large sparse systems

The use of Krylov subspace approaches, based on the Arnoldi iteration, has become a preferred technique for the solution of several medium to high order matrix equations. These include linear algebraic systems of equations as well as Riccati, Lyapunov and Sylvester equations encountered in control systems. In this paper it is shown that existing implementations of Arnoldi iteration for computation of orthogonal basis of Krylov subspace can lead to erroneous conclusions. A partial pivoting strategy is proposed that overcomes the pitfall in implementations currently in use.
Chaperoning extended life

The capacity to moderate internal and external stress is arguably the central function regulating senescence in whole-animal ageing1,2,3. During ageing, molecular chaperones such as heat-shock proteins are thought to combat stress-related senescent dysfunction4,5. In transgenic Drosophila melanogaster, with varying copy numbers of the gene hsp70 encoding heat-shock protein hsp70, we found that heat-induced expression of hsp70 increased lifespan at normal temperatures. Only a brief, low level of expression was required to obtain a long-term improvement in survival.