cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Engineering Others, Engineering Ourselves:

The concept of terraforming, the engineered transformation of alien planets into habitats suitable for human settlement, has taken on new meaning in science fiction and contemporary culture as climate change has indicated that human beings are currently transforming this planet but without a clear plan for sustaining inhabitability. Literary depictions by Kim Stanley Robinson of both climate change and terraforming raise ethical questions about the engineering of this and other planets, while the science fiction novels of Joan Slonczewski raise ethical questions about engineering human beings to adapt to alien environments. Together, they provide ways of thinking about the intertwined ethical questions of engineering the biosphere and engineering the species in the context of human and environmental sustainability. In particular, some works, such as the novels of Karen Traviss, raise the issue of how much the human species might have to engineer itself to pay the price of its unplanned engineering of planet Earth.
Multicultural Personality: An Evolving Theory of Optimal Functioning in Culturally Heterogeneous Societies:

The present article provides an update of the author’s evolving theory of the “multicultural personality” (MP). The MP is conceptualized as a narrow matrix of personality traits or dispositions (characteristic adaptations) that can be subsumed under broad trait models of personality (e.g., Big Five). MP theory posits that its constituent factors will demonstrate incremental validity over broad personality traits in predicting adaptive human behavior in increasingly culturally heterogeneous societies. The present theory of the MP is anchored across the disciplines of evolutionary biology, human ecology, personality and developmental psychology, and counseling and positive psychology. The specific definition of the MP is based on an integration of leading theories and constructs in multicultural psychology. Limitations of MP theory are highlighted, future directions for research presented, and tentative implications for counseling training and practice noted.
Horizons: Biological Monitoring VIII: Interference of Alcoholic Beverage Consumption with Biological Monitoring of Occupational Exposure to Industrial Chemicals

(1993). Horizons: Biological Monitoring VIII: Interference of Alcoholic Beverage Consumption with Biological Monitoring of Occupational Exposure to Industrial Chemicals. Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene: Vol. 8, No. 9, pp. 757-760.
What Do Resource- and Capability-Based Theories Propose?

The purpose of this editorial is to review the basic definitions, assumptions, and propositions offered by the resource-based, strategic factor market, and dynamic capability literature streams. Considering the underlying definitions and assumptions associated with these approaches leads directly to a set of refutable propositions that highlight the distinct insights offered by each of these literatures. It is hoped that accentuating these distinctions may stimulate dialogue regarding the underlying causal mechanisms associated with these approaches and foster future empirical work testing these related perspectives.
Evaluation of diagnostic methods for Helicobacter pylori gastritis

The authors evaluated the use of direct Gram-stained smears, 1- and 24-hour urease broth tests, histologic examination, and culture to detect Helicobacter pylori in 100 gastric biopsy specimens from 97 patients with epigastric symptoms. Twenty-six patients had positive cultures and 27 had H. pylori identifiable in hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections. The gastric biopsy specimens from the 29 patients with culture and/or histologic findings positive for H. pylori showed active gastritis in 27 cases (93%), compared with 26 cases (37%) without H. pylori (P less than 0.0001). Chronic gastritis was present in 25 cases (86%) with H. pylori and 40 cases (56%) without H. pylori (P less than 0.01). Twenty patients had positive Gram-stained smears. Fifteen patients had positive 1-hour urease tests, and 3 had delayed positive 24-hour urease tests. There were no false-positive Gram's stain results, three false-positive 24-hour urease tests, two false-negative histologic results, and three false-negative cultures (one inadvertently incubated anaerobically). The sensitivities of the methods were as follows: 62% for the 24-hour urease test, 69% for direct Gram's stain, 90% for culture, and 93% for histologic examination. The authors conclude that the urease test used in this study has low sensitivity and limited specificity; that the direct Gram-stained smear is a useful, highly specific, rapid screening test; and that the lengthier methods of culture and histologic examination have comparably high sensitivity for the definitive diagnosis of H. pylori gastritis.
ProtQuant: a tool for the label-free quantification of MudPIT proteomics data

Effective and economical methods for quantitative analysis of high throughput mass spectrometry data are essential to meet the goals of directly identifying, characterizing, and quantifying proteins from a particular cell state. Multidimensional Protein Identification Technology (MudPIT) is a common approach used in protein identification. Two types of methods are used to detect differential protein expression in MudPIT experiments: those involving stable isotope labelling and the so-called label-free methods. Label-free methods are based on the relationship between protein abundance and sampling statistics such as peptide count, spectral count, probabilistic peptide identification scores, and sum of peptide Sequest XCorr scores (ΣXCorr). Although a number of label-free methods for protein quantification have been described in the literature, there are few publicly available tools that implement these methods. We describe ProtQuant, a Java-based tool for label-free protein quantification that uses the previously published ΣXCorr method for quantification and includes an improved method for handling missing data. ProtQuant was designed for ease of use and portability for the bench scientist. It implements the ΣXCorr method for label free protein quantification from MudPIT datasets. ProtQuant has a graphical user interface, accepts multiple file formats, is not limited by the size of the input files, and can process any number of replicates and any number of treatments. In addition,ProtQuant implements a new method for dealing with missing values for peptide scores used for quantification. The new algorithm, called ΣXCorr*, uses "below threshold" peptide scores to provide meaningful non-zero values for missing data points. We demonstrate that ΣXCorr* produces an average reduction in false positive identifications of differential expression of 25% compared to ΣXCorr. ProtQuant is a tool for protein quantification built for multi-platform use with an intuitive user interface. ProtQuant efficiently and uniquely performs label-free quantification of protein datasets produced with Sequest and provides the user with facilities for data management and analysis. Importantly, ProtQuant is available as a self-installing executable for the Windows environment used by many bench scientists.
The State as a Conceptual Variable

The concept of state is not much in vogue in the social sciences right now. Yet it retains a skeletal, ghostly existence largely because, for all the changes in emphasis and interest of research, the thing exists and no amount of conceptual restructuring can dissolve it. The present article develops a conceptual approach in which no violence is done to historical or empirical fact, but which offers a means of integrating the concept of state into the current primacy of social science concerns and analytical methods. It is hoped that this approach not only will provide a convenient conceptualization, but will contribute to attacking a substantive problem of some consequence. Since the relevant area is potentially huge, no more than a brushstroke configuration can be attempted.
Providing Quality of Service in Fourth Generation Composite Radio Networks

One of the promises of the Fourth Generation wireless systems is the collaboration between various radio access networks providing a broad range of services to the users anywhere, anytime. The development effort toward the integration of these technologies that will form Fourth Generation systems is called "Beyond 3G Systems" or the composite radio concept. In a multiaccess radio environment provisioning of the required capacity and quality of service for the users' traffic flows in a cost-effective way is a challenging task. The users should be able to select among various radio access technologies that can individually or collectively satisfy the users' capacity and quality of service requirements. We present a novel protocol that allows users to select the most appropriate radio access technologies for the requested services offered by composite networks. Our selection protocol can discover multiple, least cost paths that can individually or collectively provide the required capacity and quality of service between end users and services.
Flexible electronics-based transformers for extreme environments

This paper provides a survey of the use of modular multifunctional systems, called Flexible Transformers, to facilitate the exploration of extreme and previously inaccessible environments. A novel dynamics and control model of a modular algorithm for assembly, folding, and unfolding of these innovative structural systems is also described, together with the control model and the simulation results.
Rapid generation of collagen-based microtissues to study cell–matrix interactions

The objective of this study was to create a method for studying cell–matrix interactions in a physiologically relevant 3D protein-based tissue construct that could be scaled up to perform large-scale screens, study cell–matrix interactions on a population basis, or be remodeled by cells to build larger tissues. We have developed an easy-to-use method to miniaturize protein-based tissue constructs that maintains the 3D in vitro environment, while alleviating several obstacles associated with larger avascular tissue constructs. In this study, we demonstrate that (i) cells can interact with the 3D environment both while encapsulated or while interacting only with the surface of the microtissues, (ii) encapsulated cells are highly viable and, for the first time, (iii) microtissues on this size scale (~200 μm) can be used to quantify cell contractility. This versatile platform should facilitate large-scale screens in 3D in vitro culture conditions for drug development and high throughput mechanistic biology.
Effect of Electronic Cigarette Use on the Urge-to-Cough Sensation.

Introduction Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) have attained common usage worldwide, yet knowledge of their physiological effects remains minimal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a single exposure to e-cig vapor on the urge-to-cough (UTC) threshold and C5. Methods Seventeen healthy nonsmokers underwent C5 measurement employing capsaicin cough challenge at baseline, 15 minutes, and 24 hours after e-cig exposure (30 puffs 30 seconds apart). The endpoint of cough challenge is C5, the concentration of capsaicin inducing five or more coughs. The UTC threshold (Cu) is defined as the lowest concentration of capsaicin inducing UTC without an associated motor cough. Results The Cu and C5 were significantly inhibited (Cu and C5 increased) 15 minutes after e-cig use. Mean log Cu rose from -0.035±0.08 (SEM) to 0.21±0.12 (P = .005). Mean log C5 increased from 0.60±0.11 to 0.92±0.16 (P = .001). By 24 hours after e-cig exposure, Cu and C5 had returned to baseline levels. Conclusions A single session of e-cig use, approximating nicotine exposure of one tobacco cigarette, induces significant inhibition of the Cu, as well as C5. Previous studies implicate nicotine as the agent responsible for suppression of C5, and we hypothesize a similar role for nicotine in the suppression of the Cu. Given our observation of the effect of a single e-cig exposure, studies of the respiratory physiologic implications of repeated or chronic e-cig use are warranted. Implications This is the first study to demonstrate that a single exposure to an e-cig significantly inhibits the Cu as measured by capsaicin cough challenge testing. These findings add to the growing body of evidence that e-cig vapor is not a physiologically benign substance, and support further investigation of the effects of repeated or chronic use of e-cigs on cough sensitivity and other respiratory parameters.
Dispersion-curve imaging nonuniqueness studies from multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) using synthetic seismic data

Summary We use the multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) method to analyze synthetic seismic data calculated from models that produce very similar high-velocity dispersion curve gradients at low frequencies. The MASW dispersioncurve images of the Rayleigh wave were obtained from data calculated using simple layered models with high (2-layer) and gradual (10-layer) shear-wave velocity (Vs) vertical gradients. The tests demonstrated that, for most of the frequency range, the corresponding dispersion-curve images are near identical with a high-velocity-gradient along low frequencies (HVGLF). The HVGLF trend obtained from the 2-layer model is a result of fundamental-mode Rayleigh-wave transitioning into the first higher mode, a ‘mode kissing.’ The HVGLF trend obtained from the 10-layer model is a result of only the fundamental-mode Rayleigh wave. It was observed that such nonuniqueness can lead to erroneous interpretation of dispersion events and consequent Vs inversion results. Further analysis showed that dispersion curve image patterns differ at relatively very low and very high frequency ranges. As a result, it was concluded that it might be possible to obtain evidence of how to interpret HVGLF dispersion curve images by observing specific patterns that fall outside the main HVGLF dispersion-curve feature at lower and higher frequencies.
Angle Resolved Photoelectron Phase Shifts in Above Threshold Ionization

We observed angle resolved phase shifts from interfering ionization pathways in strong field two-color above threshold ionization spectrum of argon. 2D Phase maps are obtained for both tunneling ionization and multi-photon ionization regimes.
Abstract 986: Sildenafil potentiates the anticancer activity of paclitaxel in ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistance xenograft model.

The multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype caused by the overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters promotes the cellular efflux of a variety of anticancer drugs that may lead to cancer treatment failure. Previous in vitro studies from our group reported sildenafil, a PDE-5 inhibitor, could significantly block the function of ABCB1/P-glycoprotein and reverse ABCB1/P-glycoprotein-mediated MDR. In the current study we investigated the effect of sildenafil on the ABCB1-mediated MDR in vivo. To determine this effect we developed ABCB1-xenograft nude muse model using ABCB1 overexpressing KB-C2 cell line. We found that sildenafil significantly enhanced the chemotherapeutic response of paclitaxel in the ABCB1-xenograft nude mouse model. The combination treatment with sildenafil and paclitaxel attenuated the tumor growth synergistically. In addition, there was no visible toxicity, weight loss or other gross phenotypic changes with combination treatment. The positive effects of sildenafil can be attributed to inhibition of ABCB1-mediated drug efflux. This phenomenon was further supported by increased concentrations of paclitaxel in ABCB1-overexpressing tumors in the combination treatment group compared to paclitaxel alone. In addition, pharmacokinetic analysis showed increase in the plasma paclitaxel concentration in the combination group. These beneficial actions of sildenafil can be considered as viable option for combination therapy with the clinical anticancer drugs that succumb to ABCB1-mediated insensitivity. Citation Format: Kamlesh Sodani, Amit K. Tiwari, Chun-ling Dai, Alaa H. Abuznait, Zhi-jie Xiao, Amal Kaddouni, Zhe-Sheng Chen. Sildenafil potentiates the anticancer activity of paclitaxel in ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistance xenograft model. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 986. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-986
Divergence and Bayes error based soft decision for decentralized signal detection of correlated sensor data

In decentralized cooperative sensing for cognitive radio, a few secondary users (SUs) sense the spectrum, process individual observation and then pass quantized data to the fusion center (FC), where the decision on signal present hypothesis or signal absent hypothesis is made. When the reporting channels between SUs and the FC are bandlimited and error prone, a quantization scheme was proposed recently based on divergence measures for independent observations. In this paper, we extend the design of quantizers to correlated sensor data. With the assumption that two SUs' observations are jointly distributed as bivariate Gaussian with identical marginals, we design quantizers based on both divergence measures and the Bayes error. Our simulation results demonstrate that a quantizer designed with the knowledge of known joint distributions outperform the quantizer designed with independent sensor data assumption. Thus, it is important to account for correlation in the quantizer design in distributed cooperative sensing.
Vitamin K antagonists, direct oral anticoagulants, and the rationale for reversal agents.

Until late 2010, the vitamin K antagonist warfarin was the only oral anticoagulant approved in the United States for the prevention of thromboembolic events in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) or the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). With decades of
Investigation on pollution of self-water supply in an armitary unit

Objective This work aimed to investigate the status of drinking water pollution in a military unit, so as to provide scientific evidences for improving the quality of drinking-water in troops. Methods Water samples were collected and tested according to the Standard Examination Methods for Drinking Water(GB 5750-2006) by both on-site investigation and laboratory examination, and the results were evaluated according to the Standards for Drinking Water Quality(GB 5749-2006). Incidence of diarrhea, registration of clinic service, and the record of hospitalization cases were analyzed and questionnaire survey was conducted. Results The surrounding of drinking water source was in poor hygienic situation. In the past three years, various indexes of water quality exceeded the limits. Specifically, the index of opacity, iron, manganese, and total coliform bacteria were out of limit in 2011, and chromaticity, opacity, iron, sulfate, the total coliform bacteria in 2012, and chromaticity, opacity, foul and flavor, naked eye visible residue, iron, sulfate, the total coliform bacteria in 2013. The incidence of diarrhea were significantly higher than that of similar military units, but the incidence proportion of diseases showed no significant difference. Conclusion The drinking water in this military unit was polluted, and already caused harm to the health of soldiers. Comprehensive measures must be taken to improve the water quality.
The Choice of the Goal of Chinese Public Budgeting Reform

This article applies Caiden's(1978) budget pattern theory to analyze the choice of the goal of Chinese public budgeting reform.The main theme is!as follows.At current stage,China should continue to concentrate on creating a "control-oriented" public budgeting system.The urgent need of Chinese budgeting reform is to incorporate both political and administrative control into the budgetary process.Finally,it is argued that although new performance budgeting is an ideal model of budgeting,the basic conditions for it to operate are absent in China.And,for the purpose of making new performance budgeting practicable in the future,it is necessary for China to first put a control-oriented budgeting system in place.
Review of the Brachial Plexus Part II: Reconstruction After Chronic Upper Plexus Injuries

Chronic and complete, brachial plexus injuries are a burden for society and the patient. A literature review reveals the different options in treating upper plexus deficits. Analysis of early, and more recent, results is provided with an emphasis placed on the more reliable procedures to date.
A Brief Introduction to RNAi and MicroRNAs in Stem Cells

Recently, RNAi, including microRNAs (miRNAs), has become an important tool to investigate the regulatory mechanism of stem cell maintenance and differentiation. In this short chapter, we will give a brief overview of the discovery history, functions, and mechanisms of RNAi and miRNAs. We will also discuss RNAi as a tool to study stem cell function and the potential future practical applications.
The Inaugural Dissertation

In the Dreams , Kant appealed to the notion of delusion in order to limit material knowledge claims to objects (data) given to our senses. In line with this, the possibility of acquiring any metaphysical knowledge of reality was bracketed off, at least until such time as the relation between the conceptions at issue and the cognitive capacities could be established. This last project is again taken up in the Inaugural Dissertation of 1770. In the Dissertation , however, the possibility of acquiring metaphysical knowledge of reality is explicitly left open, and the theory of illusion is developed as part of a methodological procedure designed to avoid the errors presumably generated by incorrectly applying sensitive conditions to objects of pure reason. This method is thus supposed to provide a means of avoiding metaphysical errors without denying the possibility of a nonfallacious metaphysics . In yet another letter to Lambert (Sept. 2, 1770), Kant describes the problem as follows: The most universal laws of sensibility play an unjustifiably large role in metaphysics, where, after all, it is merely concepts and principles [ Grundsatze ] of pure reason that are at issue. A quite special, though purely negative science, general phenomenology [ phaenomologia generalis ], seems to me to be presupposed by metaphysics. In it the principles of sensibility, their validity and their limitations, would be determined, so that these principles could not be confusedly applied to objects of pure reason, as has heretofore almost always happened. […]
Mobile device forensics: threats, challenges, and future trends

Abstract Recent implementations of cutting-edge features in smart mobile devices have consumers turning to such technology in increasing numbers as their primary source of communication and information sue to their high degree of portability, privacy, and functionality. As such, emerging technologies have driven substantial progress and unparalleled growth in the field of mobile device forensics, but not without creating challenges and pitfalls to developers and those examining the devices alike. This chapter seeks to describe the factors that have driven this change in mobile technology, the current challenges faced in examining these devices, and current and future trends that may effect the field of mobile device forensics.
Malware Phylogenetics Based on the Multiview Graphical Lasso

Malware phylogenetics has gained a lot of traction over the past several years. More recently, researchers have begun looking at directed acyclic graphs (DAG) to model the evolutionary relationships between samples of malware. Phylogenetic graphs offer analysts a better understanding of how malware has evolved by clearly illustrating the lineage of a given family. In this paper, we present a novel algorithm based on graphical lasso. We extend graphical lasso to incorporate multiple views, both static and dynamic, of malware. For each program family, a convex combination of the views is found such that the objective function of graphical lasso is maximized. Learning the weights of each view on a per-family basis, as opposed to treating all views as an extended feature vector, is essential in the malware domain because different families employ different obfuscation strategies which limits the information of different views. We demonstrate results on three malicious families and two benign families where the ground truth is known.
Valgancyclovir Significantly Reduced Reactivation of CMV Following Mini-Transplantation with MAP (Mitoxantrone, Ara-C, and Pentostatin) Regimen.

CMV reactivation remains a significant morbidity following allogeneic transplantation. IV gancyclovir may cause myelosuppresion and renal toxicity. It is reserved for the therapy of CMV reactivation. We initiated prophylaxis with Valgancyclovir (Valcyte, manufactured by Hoffman-LaRoche), an oral pro-drug of gancyclovir, against CMV reactivation in patients with CMV exposure history. The Valgancyclovir was given as 450 mg po BID three times a week when post-transplant WBC exceed 1500. In this study, 50 patients who received mini-allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation following MAP regimen (mitoxantrone, AraC, pentostatin) were included for analysis. 30 patients had prior exposure to CMV (pre-transplant CMV IgG + for patient and /or donor), 20 patients had no evidence of prior exposure. Among the 30 patients who had exposure, 10 patients had antigenemia. Among the 20 patients who did not have exposure history, 2 had CMV antigenemia. Among the 30 patients who had exposure, 19 received Valgancyclovir prophylaxis, 10 received acyclovir, and 1 received gancyclovir. 2 of 19 patients (10%) among the valgancyclovir group had CMV antigenemia, whereas 8 of 11 (72%) who did not receive valgancyclovir prophylaxis had CMV antigenemia (table 1). We conclude that valgancyclovir prophylaxis significantly reduced CMV reactivation (p=0.0009) in patients who had history of CMV exposure and received mini-transplantation after MAP conditioning regimen. CMV reactivation post-minitransplantation with MAP regimen | | *CMV-Ag + | CMV-Ag − | |:--------------------------- | --------- | -------- | | *p=0.0009 | | Valgancyclovir n=19 | 2 | 17 | | Acyclovir /Gancyclovir n=11 | 8 | 3 |
Conservation laws corresponding to the Noether symmetries of the geodetic Lagrangian in spherically symmetric spacetimes

In this paper, we present a complete list of spherically symmetric nonstatic spacetimes along with the generators of all Noether symmetries of the geodetic Lagrangian for such metrics. Moreover, physical and geometrical interpretations of the conserved quantities (conservation laws) corresponding to each Noether symmetry are also given.
Short range order characterization of the Na2S + SiS2 glass system using Raman, infrared and 29Si magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies

Abstract Sodium thiosilicate glasses are of interest in electrochemical applications as fast ion conducting solid state electrolyte materials. While some structural studies have been performed on this glass series, their short range order (SRO) structure has not been fully realized. Specifically the SiS4 tetrahedra corner sharing behavior in these glasses appears to be less understood, particularly the existence and nature of the Si3, where the superscript describes the number of bridge bonds of the form Si S Si , structure in this glass system has not been fully examined. In this paper, glasses and polycrystals in the sodium thiosilicate system have been explored and characterized using a combination 29Si magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) spectroscopy, infrared (IR) spectroscopy and for the first time Raman spectroscopy. Raman and IR spectroscopy have been used to determine the composition dependence of the structural units in this system. Specifically, the Raman spectra were used to differentiate corner shared Si3, Si2, and Si1 units and edge shared Si2 structure units.29Si MAS NMR spectra were then deconvoluted to determine the composition dependence of the populations of these different structural units.
Un)documented immigrant media makers and the search for connection online

This essay examines the grassroots digital media produced by young undocumented immigrants to reveal how these media both enable and restrain immigrants in processes of negotiating the effects of s...
An Efficient Single-Cell RNA-Seq Approach to Identify Neoantigen-Specific T Cell Receptors

The adoptive transfer of neoantigen-reactive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can result in tumor regression in patients with metastatic cancer. To improve the efficacy of adoptive T cell therapy targeting these tumor-specific mutations, we have proposed a new therapeutic strategy, which involves the genetic modification of autologous T cells with neoantigen-specific T cell receptors (TCRs) and the transfer of these modified T cells back to cancer patients. However, the current techniques to isolate neoantigen-specific TCRs are labor intensive, time consuming, and technically challenging, not suitable for clinical applications. To facilitate this process, a new approach was developed, which included the co-culture of TILs with tandem minigene (TMG)-transfected or peptide-pulsed autologous antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and the single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of T cells to identify paired TCR sequences associated with cells expressing high levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL-2). Following this new approach, multiple TCRs were identified, synthesized, cloned into a retroviral vector, and then transduced into donor T cells. These transduced T cells were shown to specifically recognize the neoantigens presented by autologous APCs. In conclusion, this approach provides an efficient procedure to isolate neoantigen-specific TCRs for clinical applications, as well as for basic and translational research.
Resampling for Assessing Prediction and Classification

The most common procedure for assessing the performance of a prediction or classification model is to split the data collection into two subsets. The model is trained with one dataset, the training set, and then tested with a completely independent dataset, the test set or validation set or out-of-sample set. (The choice of term is usually personal preference.) A performance measure, such as mean squared error, median absolute error, profit factor, cost, or any other custom figure, is computed for the independent set. This performance measure provides a quality judgment for the model. Naive researchers stop here. But enlightened researchers go one step further. They use the methods described in Chapter 3 to evaluate the reliability of the performance measure.
Spread spectrum in random PWM DC-DC converters by PSO&GA optimized randomness levels

This paper proposes an optimized spread spectrum Random PWM technique for the reduction of Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) in DC-DC converter to improve the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) of the system. In particular, the Randomized Pulse Position Modulation (RPPM) is considered and a study of the random laws is developed. Different density probability distributions are analyzed and the randomness levels, that characterize each probability distribution, are optimized in order to reduce the Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the DC-DC converter output voltage. Two optimization techniques are used: the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) technique and the Genetic Algorithm (GA). Four probability density distributions are analyzed, Uniform, Normal, Beta and Generalized Extreme Value Distribution (GEV) distributions, and their effectiveness on spreading the PSD is analyzed. Finally, the effects on the reduction of the output EMI of the converter is shown.
Laugh Literary and Man the Humping Guns: A Conversation with Neeli Cherkovski

ABSTRACTNeeli Cherkovski is a celebrated poet and literary biographer who also has significant experience editing and publishing little magazines, both alone and in collaboration with fellow poets. The best known of these publishing ventures is Laugh Literary and Man the Humping Guns, which he produced with Charles Bukowski. Other magazines with which Cherkovski has been associated include Black Cat Review and Beatitude. In this interview, he discusses his experiences in little magazine publishing.
Design of adaptive lighting system based on fuzzy PID

In order to meet the requirement of settling time at different conditions and increase the practicality and applicability of lighting system, this paper puts forward an adaptive lighting system based on fuzzy PID. This system selects the indoor brightness provided by natural light and lighting equipment as feedback. The fuzzy control theory is used to modify the PID parameters online which can enable the system to obtain reasonable settling time according to the variation degree of the natural light's brightness. Meanwhile, it can avoid lighting equipment flickers due to the rapid changes of light output. The simulation result based on MATLAB/Simulink platform shows that this control system can extend the settling time appropriately as the brightness indoor has a rapid change while guaranteeing the control precision. avoiding the rapid changes of lighting equipment's light output. In conclusion, this paper increases the practicability and applicability of lighting system.
A Comparison of Heterogeneous Nuclear-Reactor Lattice Theory with Experiment

Source-sink methods of calculation are compared with a set of experiments with mixed-fuel lattices in a heavy-water moderator. The theoretical model used was C. N. Klahr's modification of the Feinb...
Anti-RNPC-3 (U11/U12) Antibodies in Systemic Sclerosis in Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Gastrointestinal Dysmotility.

OBJECTIVE To examine the association of anti-RNPC-3 antibodies in patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma or SSc) with selected gastrointestinal (GI) tract complications. METHODS Sera from patients with SSc with or without severe GI dysfunction (total parenteral nutrition dependence) from the Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center were screened for anti-RNPC-3 antibodies. We then examined anti-RNPC-3-positive cases and negative SSc controls from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) scleroderma cohort to confirm our findings and to examine whether specific GI features were associated with anti-RNPC-3 antibodies. RESULTS In the discovery cohort, patients with SSc with severe GI dysfunction (n = 37) and without GI dysfunction (n = 38) were screened for anti-RNPC-3 antibodies. The former were more likely to have anti-RNPC-3 antibodies (14% versus 3%; P = 0.11). In the Pittsburgh cohort, moderate-to-severe GI dysfunction (Medsger GI score ≥2) was present in 36% of anti-RNPC-3-positive patients versus 15% of anti-RNPC-3-negative patients (P ≤ 0.01). Anti-RNPC-3-positive patients were more likely to be male (31% versus 15%; P = 0.04), African American (18% versus 6%; P = 0.02), have esophageal dysmotility (93% versus 62%; P < 0.01), and interstitial lung disease (ILD) (77% versus 35%; P < 0.01). After adjusting for relevant covariates and potential confounders, moderate-to-severe GI disease was associated with anti-RNPC-3 antibodies (odds ratio [OR] 3.8 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.0-14.3]), and ILD trended toward significance (OR 2.8 [95% CI 1.0-8.2]). CONCLUSION Patients with SSc and anti-RNPC-3 antibodies are more likely to be male and African American and to have moderate-to-severe GI disease and ILD. Further studies on larger patient cohorts may be helpful in further defining subsets of patients with SSc at risk for severe GI involvement.
Modelling and simulation of AC–DC hybrid distribution network based on flexible DC interconnection

AC and DC hybrid distribution network detailed modelling and multi-operation conditions of the simulation analysis will effectively support the distribution network project reliable and stable operation. However, at present, large-scale system-level simulation of AC–DC hybrid distribution network based on flexible DC is the lack of timeliness and practicability. Based on the real-time digital simulation platform RT-LAB, ACDC distribution network model is established, which includes ±20 kV flexible DC interconnection system, distributed photovoltaic, wind power, energy storage system, electric vehicle and the corresponding converter control detailed modelling. In view of the limitation of the balance of energy storage system, the flexible DC interconnection is applied to active distribution network, which can provide power supply when the power gap occurs. The conditions of consumptive mode by the energy storage system, power supply through flexible DC interconnection from external power grid were simulated and analysed. The model verifies the validity of the system application in distribution network. This study provides preliminary design reference for active distribution network construction.
TIME’S UP Healthcare: Can we put an end to gender inequality and harassment in medicine?

Female doctors are calling for safer and more equal workplaces for the benefit of the workforce and patients
An Anthropology of Ethics

Through an ambitious and critical revision of Michel Foucault's investigation of ethics, James Faubion develops an original program of empirical inquiry into the ethical domain. From an anthropological perspective, Faubion argues that Foucault's specification of the analytical parameters of this domain is the most productive point of departure in conceptualizing its distinctive features. He further argues that Foucault's framework is in need of substantial revision to be of genuinely anthropological scope. In making this revision, Faubion illustrates his program with two extended case studies: one of a Portuguese marquis and the other of a dual subject made up of the author and a millenarian prophetess. The result is a conceptual apparatus that is able to accommodate ethical pluralism and yield an account of the limits of ethical variation, providing a novel resolution of the problem of relativism that has haunted anthropological inquiry into ethics since its inception.
Biomechanical Analysis of Wide Posterior Releases Compared With Inferior Facetectomy and Discectomy in the Thoracolumbar and Lumbar Spine.

Abstract Study Design In vitro biomechanical analysis. Objectives Compare the destabilizing effects of anterior discectomy to posterior spinal releases. Summary of Background Data Posterior release and pedicle screw fixation has become the accepted form of treatment for lumbar and thoracolumbar pediatric scoliotic spinal deformity. A biomechanical evaluation of posterior releases with comparison to traditional anterior releases has not been reported in the lumbar spine. Methods Eleven fresh-frozen human thoracolumbar specimens (T9–L5) were tested by a robotic manipulator (Staubli RX90; moment target of 5.0 Nm, force target of 50 N) in axial rotation (AR), plus lateral and anterior translation (LT and AT). Specimens underwent either sequential anterior release (partial and full discectomy) or posterior release (inferior facetectomy and wide posterior release) from T10 to L4. Partial discectomy retained the posterior 50% of disc and posterior longitudinal ligament, whereas full discectomy removed all of the disc and PLL. Wide posterior release included total facetectomy plus ligamentum flavum and spinous process resection. Results Inferior facetectomy produced an average increase of 1.5° ± 1.0° (p = .0625), 1.0 ± 0.8 mm (p = .0313), and 0.2 ± 0.3 mm (p = .156) in AR, LT, and AT, respectively. Compared with partial facetectomy, wide posterior release produced an average additional increase of 8.1° ± 4.0° (p = .0312), 2.0 ± 2.2 mm (p = .4062), and 1.1 ± 1.0 mm (p = .0625) in AR, LT, and AT, respectively. Full discectomy produced 201%, 161%, and 153% of the motion relative to wide posterior release in AR, LT, and AT, respectively (p = .0043, .0087, and .0173). Partial discectomy and wide posterior release proved statistically equivalent. Conclusions Wide posterior release of the thoracolumbar spine allows significant correction and may be superior to inferior facetectomy in axial rotation. Although complete discectomy with PLL resection would likely allow greater correction, a more clinically realistic partial discectomy confers similar corrective potential in vitro compared with wide posterior release. Level of Evidence Not applicable.
Draft Genome Sequence of Massilia sp. Strain ONC3, a Novel Bacterial Species of the Oxalobacteraceae Family Isolated from Garden Soil.

ABSTRACT From garden soil, we isolated and sequenced Massilia sp. strain ONC3, a new member of the Oxalobacteraceae within the Massilia genus. Sequence analysis showed an assembled genome size of 5,622,601 bp, with a predicted total of 5,104 protein-coding sequences, 3,194 functionally assigned genes, 2 rRNA operons, and 56 tRNAs.
Linking dimensions and dynamics in psychopathology research: An example using DSM-5 instruments

Abstract The DSM-5 includes two measures to assess dimensions of personality pathology (Personality Inventory for DSM-5; PID-5) and cross-cutting symptoms of psychopathology (DSM-5 Cross-cutting Symptom Measure; CCS). Few studies have evaluated these measures in an ecologically valid context. Participants (N = 248, student sample) completed self-report versions of the DSM-5 measures, and then completed a two-week daily diary of internalizing and externalizing outcomes. The CCS scales evidenced convergent and discriminant validity with these outcomes, PID-5 Negative Affectivity and Detachment were related to internalizing outcomes, and PID-5 Antagonism was related to externalizing outcomes. We also demonstrated the benefit of linking static dimensions to temporally-dynamic processes by examining how PID-5/CCS dimensions moderated the within-person associations among daily cognitive distortions and internalizing and externalizing outcomes.
A Convenient, One-Step Synthesis of YBa2CU3O7-x Superconductors: An Undergraduate Inorganic/Materials Laboratory Experiment

The preparation of YBa2Cu3O7-x (Y-123) high-temperature superconductor material generally requires repeated grinding and heating of binary oxide or carbonate reactants to inhibit the formation of the low-melting insulating phases BaCuO2 and Y2BaCuO5 (Y-211). This multiple processing renders the synthesis tedious and somewhat impractical for use in an undergraduate laboratory setting. We describe here a convenient, single-step synthesis of Y-123 from the ternary oxide precursors Y2Cu2O5 and BaCuO2. This reaction can be accomplished in a single 24 hour period and does not suffer from the formation of eutectic phases. The precursor materials can be prepared and stored in advance of the experiment. Students are also exposed to the concepts of ternary phase equilibria and other concepts of modem material processing.
Performing the Lived Experiences of LGBTQIA+ Individuals From Religious Backgrounds:

This article shares the playscript of an ethnodrama by and about people from religious backgrounds who identify as LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, and As...
Machinoia, Machine of Multiple Me: Integrating with Past, Future and Alternative Selves

Our body and mind relate in ways which are extraordinarily enigmatic and seemingly incomprehensible. Recent findings exemplify this by showing not just that our minds can phenomenologically inhabit multiple bodies but also that our body can be accessed by multiple minds. As an exploration of this concept, we present Machinoia, a symbiotic augmentation that extends the user with two additional heads each of which are unique variations of the users identity: who you once were, and who you’ll eventually become. We used a generative adversarial network to synthesize life-like human faces and controlled them through artificial attitude models extracted from social media data of the wearer, thus creating “artificial personal intelligences” of the wearer, bringing to life past and future versions of oneself.
Person-Centered Care in Nursing Homes: Potential of Complementary and Alternative Approaches and Their Challenges:

A person-centered approach to care shifts the mind-set of care partners from a traditional medical model to a social model in managing chronic conditions. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, ...
Local Controller for an Autonomous Grid-Supportive Battery Energy Storage System

This article presents the complete design of a local controller for a grid-supportive battery energy storage (BES) system. The controller's objectives are: 1) to execute commands issued from the secondary controller; 2) to provide grid support; 3) to prevent converter overcurrent during transient low-voltage incidents; and 4) to maintain the state of charge of the battery. The grid support is divided into static, i.e., the droop-based, and dynamic, i.e., the inertia-based, voltage supports. The proposed controller uses an optimally designed full-state feedback approach, which merges the voltage and current controllers. This makes the design more systematic, flexible, and with better tradeoff in speed and damping. The proposed BES is autonomous, meaning that it does not have to be colocated with a renewable resource. This autonomous feature allows the BES to connect to any critical node in a system, detect disturbances through local measurements, and provide support regardless of the origin of the disturbance. Mathematical derivations, computer simulations, and laboratory experimental results of the proposed controller are presented in this article.
Treatment Decisions and Clinical Mastitis Cure Rates Monitoring Using DHIA SCC Data

Somatic cell count (SCC) cure reflects both bacteriological cure and resolution of tissue inflammation. Farmers receive premiums and penalties related to the sale of somatic cells in fluid milk, thus SCC cure has some advantages over other monitors of treatment success or failure. Although pathogen specific patterns of SCC change during clinical mastitis have been well described (de Haas et al, 2002), use of SCC cure in commercial herds has been poorly documented. The objective of this paper was to report on the use of a method to assess clinical mastitis cure using SCC in monthly tested Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) recorded dairy herds with records of clinical mastitis events.
Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Heart Failure With a Preserved Ejection Fraction: Insights Into the Cardiorenal Syndrome.

Background: The management of clinical heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is often complicated by concurrent renal dysfunction, known as the cardiorenal syndrome. This, combin...