cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New recursive-least-squares algorithms for nonlinear active control of sound and vibration using neural networks

In recent years, a few articles describing the use of neural networks for nonlinear active control of sound and vibration were published. Using a control structure with two multilayer feedforward neural networks (one as a nonlinear controller and one as a nonlinear plant model), steepest descent algorithms based on two distinct gradient approaches were introduced for the training of the controller network. The two gradient approaches were sometimes called the filtered-x approach and the adjoint approach. Some recursive-least-squares algorithms were also introduced, using the adjoint approach. In this paper, an heuristic procedure is introduced for the development of recursive-least-squares algorithms based on the filtered-x and the adjoint gradient approaches. This leads to the development of new recursive-least-squares algorithms for the training of the controller neural network in the two networks structure. These new algorithms produce a better convergence performance than previously published algorithms. Differences in the performance of algorithms using the filtered-x and the adjoint gradient approaches are discussed in the paper. The computational load of the algorithms discussed in the paper is evaluated for multichannel systems of nonlinear active control. Simulation results are presented to compare the convergence performance of the algorithms, showing the convergence gain provided by the new algorithms.
In vitro evaluation, biodistribution and scintigraphic imaging in mice of radiolabeled anthrax toxins.

Introduction: There is a lot of interest towards creating therapies and vaccines for Bacillus anthracis, a bacterium which causes anthrax in humans and which spores can be made into potent biological weapons. Systemic injection of lethal factor (LF), edema factor (EF) and protective antigen (PA) in mice produces toxicity, and this protocol is commonly used to investigate the efficacy of specific antibodies in passive protection and vaccine studies. Availability of toxins labeled with imageable radioisotopes would allow to demonstrate their tissue distribution after intravenous injection at toxin concentration that are below pharmacologically significant to avoid masking by toxic effects. Methods: LF, EF and PAwere radiolabeled with 188 Re and 99m Tc, and their performance in vitro was evaluated by macrophages and Chinese hamster ovary cells toxicity assays and by binding to macrophages. Scintigraphic imaging and biodistribution of intravenously (IV) injected 99m Tc-and 123 I-labeled toxins was performed in BALB/c mice. Results: Radiolabeled toxins preserved their biological activity. Scatchard-type analysis of the binding of radiolabeled PA to the J774.16 macrophage-like cells revealed 6.6×10 4 binding sites per cell with a dissociation constant of 6.7 nM. Comparative scintigraphic imaging of mice injected intravenously with either 99m Tc-or 123 I-labeled PA, EF and LF toxins demonstrated similar biodistribution patterns with early localization of radioactivity in the liver, spleen, intestines and excretion through kidneys. The finding of renal excretion shortly after IV injection strongly suggests that toxins are rapidly degraded which could contribute to the variability of mouse toxigenic assays. Biodistribution studies confirmed that all three toxins concentrated in the liver and the presence of high levels of radioactivity again implied rapid degradation in vivo. Conclusions: The availability of 188 Re and 99m Tc-labeled PA, LF and EF toxins allowed us to confirm the number of PA binding sites per
Amino acid content of corn produced with different fertilizer treatments.

Abstract During the last decade a considerable amount of interest has been shown relative to the effect of fertilization upon the nutritional value of the crop produced. Markely et al. (1959) suggested that as little as 25 pounds of nitrogen per acre increased the crude protein content of grass hays. Wagnon et al. (1958) previously found that the addition of sulfur to range pastures had increased deer gains. Later Breniman et al. (1961) found that the addition of either manure or nitrogenous fertilizers greatly increased the nitrate and nitrite contents of corn forage and corn silage. There is little information available on the effect of fertilization on nutritive value of grains. Gunthardt and McGinnis (1957) studied the effect of nitrogen fertilization on whole wheat and found that the total protein level was increased and that the ratio of amino acids was relatively unchanged. There was, however, a significant increase in the…
From Ciphers to Conﬁdentiality: Secrecy, Openness and Priority in Science

I make three related claims. First, certain seemingly secretive behaviours displayed by scientists and inventors are expression neither of socio-professional values nor of strategies for the maximization of the economic value of their knowledge. They are, instead, protective responses to unavoidable risks inherent in the process of publication and priority claiming. Scientists and inventors fear being scooped by direct competitors, but have also worried about people who publish their claims or determine their priority: journal editors or referees who may appropriate the claims in the manuscript they review or patent clerks who may claim or leak the inventions contained in the applications that cross their desks. Second, these protective responses point to the existence of an unavoidable moment of instability in any procedure aimed at establishing priority. Making things public is an inherently risky business and it is impossible, I argue, to ensure that priority may not be lost in the very process that is supposed to establish it. Third, I offer a brief archaeology of regimes and techniques of priority registration, showing the distinctly different definitions of priority developed by each system.
CR Cistrome: a ChIP-Seq database for chromatin regulators and histone modification linkages in human and mouse

Diversified histone modifications (HMs) are essential epigenetic features. They play important roles in fundamental biological processes including transcription, DNA repair and DNA replication. Chromatin regulators (CRs), which are indispensable in epigenetics, can mediate HMs to adjust chromatin structures and functions. With the development of ChIP-Seq technology, there is an opportunity to study CR and HM profiles at the whole-genome scale. However, no specific resource for the integration of CR ChIP-Seq data or CR-HM ChIP-Seq linkage pairs is currently available. Therefore, we constructed the CR Cistrome database, available online at http://compbio.tongji.edu.cn/cr and http://cistrome.org/cr/, to further elucidate CR functions and CR-HM linkages. Within this database, we collected all publicly available ChIP-Seq data on CRs in human and mouse and categorized the data into four cohorts: the reader, writer, eraser and remodeler cohorts, together with curated introductions and ChIP-Seq data analysis results. For the HM readers, writers and erasers, we provided further ChIP-Seq analysis data for the targeted HMs and schematized the relationships between them. We believe CR Cistrome is a valuable resource for the epigenetics community.
Bad (or good) things come in small packages.

In this issue of Blood , Betapudi and colleagues report that anti–β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI) antibodies stimulate the release of endothelial cell microparticles (EMPs) via a nonmuscle myosin II motor protein-dependent pathway that involves phosphorylation of its regulatory light chains. The
Strategic hedging and the future of Asia‐pacific stability

Because Washington and Beijing are both hedging their security bets about the other at precisely the time that the East Asian regional order is being redefined, reciprocal hedging today could precipitate a shift toward rivalry and regional instability unless it is carefully managed.
Are Errors in Official U.S. Budget Receipts Forecasts Just Noise? / 2005

Existing evidence suggests that U.S. Government budget receipts forecasts are unbiased and efficient. Our study is an attempt to examine the veracity of these findings. The time series framework employed in this study is distinguished from previous work in three ways. First, we build a model that explicitly admits serial correlation in the residuals by allowing for autoregressive, moving-average, serial correlation. Second, we employ the nonparametric Monte-Carlo bootstrap to free ourselves from reliance on asymptotic distribution theory which is suspect given the short data series available for this study. Third, we control for errors in the macroeconomic and financial assumptions used to produce the U.S. Government's budget forecasts. We find that the U.S. Government's annual, one-year ahead, budget receipts forecasts for fiscal years 1963 through 2003 are biased and inefficient. In addition, we find that these forecasts exhibit serial correlation in their errors and thus do not efficiently exploit all available information. Finally, we find evidence that is consistent with strategic bias that may reflect the political goals of the Administration in power.
Shared Performance: The Proactive Diffusion of Competitiveness and Industrial and Local Development

Abstract This article extends the study of corporate restructuring to the issue of performance by integrating the performance of individual firms with the performance of an industrial system and local economy. We view the spread of performance throughout the system as “development,” which we define (in contrast to much of the industrial literature) in terms of both corporate and worker welfare. Reconceptualizing the concept of “transfer,” we broaden conventinal “technology transfer” to “competitiveness transfer,” whereby the transfer of intangibles such as knowledge and learning capability as preeminent in a people-first strategy of competitiveness enhancement. The study reconceptualizes firm performance by introducing new criteria, namely a firm's intent to improve performance and diffusion capability, i.e., the process by which competitiveness is transferred or spread to other firms. The latter criterion reflects corporate strategy to achieve system-wide competitiveness. A case study of a foreign-owned ...
The application of neural networks to predict abnormal stock returns using insider trading data

Until now, data mining statistical techniques have not been used to improve the prediction of abnormal stock returns using insider trading data. Consequently, an investigation using neural network analysis was initiated. The research covered 343 companies for a period of 4½ years. Study findings revealed that the prediction of abnormal returns could be enhanced in the following ways: (1) extending the time of the future forecast up to 1 year; (2) increasing the period of back aggregated data; (3) narrowing the assessment to certain industries such as electronic equipment and business services and (4) focusing on small and midsize rather than large companies. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Photoreceptors in plant photomorphogenesis to date. Five phytochromes, two cryptochromes, one phototropin, and one superchrome.

Plants are bombarded by a myriad of signals, not just from their physical environment, but from friend and foe alike. As a consequence, they have evolved a remarkably sophisticated system of receptors and signal transduction pathways that generate appropriate responses. That light plays a major
Lightweight time synchronization for sensor networks

This paper presents lightweight tree-based synchronization (LTS) methods for sensor networks. First, a single-hop, pair-wise synchronization scheme is analyzed. This scheme requires the exchange of only three messages and has Gaussian error properties. The single-hop approach is extended to a centralized multi-hop synchronization method. Multi-hop synchronization consists of pair-wise synchronizations performed along the edges of a spanning tree. Multi-hop synchronization requires only n-1 pair-wise synchronizations for a network of n nodes. In addition, we show that the communication complexity and accuracy of multi-hop synchronization is a function of the construction and depth of the spanning tree; several spanning-tree construction algorithms are described. Further, the required refresh rate of multi-hop synchronization is shown as a function of clock drift and the accuracy of single-hop synchronization. Finally, a distributed multi-hop synchronization is presented where nodes keep track of their own clock drift and their synchronization accuracy. In this scheme, nodes initialize their own resynchronization as needed.
Maintenance of genetic integrity during natural and assisted reproduction

The essence of reproduction involves propagation of genetic information from parents to offspring. In mammals, the frequency of spontaneously acquired mutations is lower in germ-line cells than in somatic cells, reflecting the role played by germline cells in the propagation of genetic information and the importance of maintaining genetic integrity in these cells. The Big Blue((R)) transgenic mouse model was used to investigate the frequency and spectrum of: (i) spontaneous point mutations in germ cells as they develop naturally during the life cycle of the mouse; and (ii) acquired mutations that are normally transmitted from parents to offspring during natural and assisted reproduction. The study found that germ cells normally maintain a frequency of spontaneous point mutations that is 5-10-fold lower than that observed in somatic cells from the same individual, leading to embryos with very low frequencies of point mutations in the next generation. No significant differences in the frequency or spectrum of mutations between naturally conceived fetuses and assisted-conception fetuses were observed, indicating that, with respect to maintenance of genetic integrity, these methods are safe. Preliminary analysis of fetuses produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer indicates that maintenance of genetic integrity is regulated in a tissue-specific manner by epigenetic mechanisms that are subject to reprogramming during cloning.
Spontaneously proliferating lymphocytes from bovine leukaemia virus-infected, lymphocytotic cattle are not the virus-expressing lymphocytes, as these cells are delayed in G0/G1 of the cell cycle and are spared from apoptosis

Bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) is in the family of oncogenic retroviruses which includes human T cell leukaemia virus (HTLV). BLV infects B lymphocytes and induces a non-neoplastic persistent lymphocytosis (PL) of B lymphocytes in cattle. A characteristic of BLV- and HTLV-induced disease is spontaneous lymphocyte proliferation of cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). To investigate the role of virus expression on lymphocyte survival and proliferation, we evaluated cell cycle position, apoptosis and virus expression on a single-cell basis of cultured PBMC from BLV-infected PL cattle, BLV-infected non-PL cattle and uninfected cattle. Results demonstrated that the majority of bovine B lymphocytes spontaneously entered G(2)/M of the cell cycle and died by apoptosis by 24 h post-culture, regardless of BLV infection or PL status. The spontaneous proliferation that characterizes PL cattle was primarily due to a small population of surviving B lymphocytes, but T lymphocytes also contributed. Viral protein expression was detectable in only 5-15% of cultured PBMC from PL cattle and the majority of these lymphocytes were delayed in cell cycle and spared from apoptosis. Unexpectedly, we determined that only 3% of the spontaneously proliferating lymphocytes expressed viral proteins. Previous reports show that spontaneous proliferation decreases when virus expression is suppressed. Together with our results, this suggests that virus expression by one population of B lymphocytes promotes proliferation of another population of B lymphocytes that does not express virus. This may be due to an effect of virus on CD4 T lymphocytes, as depletion of CD4 T lymphocytes significantly decreased spontaneous proliferation.
Bringing Guarantees of Control Law Performance from Specications to Code

As the digital world enters further into everyday life, questions are raised about the increasing challenges brought by the interaction of real-time software with physical devices. Many accidents and incidents encountered in areas as diverse as medical systems, transportation systems or weapon systems are ultimately attributed to \software failures". Since real-time software that interacts with physical systems might as well be called control software, the long litany of accidents due to real-time software failures might be taken as an equally long list of opportunities for control systems engineering. In this paper, we are interested only in run-time errors in those pieces of software that are a direct implementation of control system specications: For well-dened and well-understood control architectures such as those present in standard textbooks on digital control systems, the current state of theoretical computer science is well-equipped enough to address and analyze control algorithms. It appears that a central element to these analyses is Lyapunov stability theory, which translate into invariant theory in computer implementations.
Software Metrics for Multimedia Languages

Software engineering researchers have attempted to improve the software development process for over two decades. A primary thrust in this process lies in the arena of measurement. “You can’t control what you can’t measure” [5] This research applies software metric techniques to the development of multimedia products. Problem areas such as education, instruction, training, and information systems can all benefit from more controlled approaches to development with multimedia tools. As an example, we focus on one multimedia language for creating multimedia products: Macromedia’s Authorware. This paper describes the measurement of various distinguishing properties of this language, together with an evaluation of the measurement process. The evaluation gives insight into the next step in establishing the goal of control, through measurement, of the multimedia software development process.
3d early transition metal complexes supported by a new sterically demanding aryloxide ligand

The bulky aryloxide 2,6-bis(diphenylmethyl)-4-tert-butylphenol [HOAr(tBu)] (1) can be synthesized from 4-tert-butylphenol and benzhydrol in solvent-free conditions and obtained pure in 91% yield. Deprotonation of HOAr(tBu) is accomplished with M(N(SiMe3)2) (M = Na, Li), yielding the corresponding salts of the aryloxide [MOAr(tBu)] (M(+) = Na (2), Li(3)) in 83% and 73% yield, respectively. Facile salt formation of the aryloxide ligand allows for transmetalation to a variety of metal halides. Through transmetalation reactions involving two aryloxides, mononuclear complexes of the type [M'(OAr(tBu))2Cl(THF)2] (M' = Sc (4), V (5), Cr (6), Ti (7)) can be prepared from the corresponding metal halide precursor MCl3(THF)3. Additionally, two aryloxides can be coordinated to Ti(IV) via a protonolysis route of Ti(NMe2)2Cl2 and 2 equiv of HOAr(tBu) to yield [Ti(OAr(tBu))2Cl2(NHMe2)] (8) in 72% isolated yield. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies of 1, 2, and the 3d metal complexes 5-8 clearly show the steric demand of the bulky ligand, whereas in transition metal complexes we do not observe the formation of mononuclear tris-aryloxide complexes.
Role of muscarinic receptors in renal response to acetylcholine

Renal arterial infusion of acetylcholine (ACh) (40 micrograms/min) in control dogs produced an ipsilateral increase in renal plasma flow (RPF) and in sodium excretion (UNaV) without a change in glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The increase in RPF and UNaV was maintained during the infusion of ACh. In indomethacin (Indo)-treated dogs (5 mg/kg) ACh produced a transient rise in RPF and UNaV, followed by a progressive decline in RPF and UNaV. The profound renal vasoconstriction was accompanied by a decline in GFR. To determine the role of the muscarinic receptor in the renal vasodilation and in vasoconstriction produced by ACh in Indo-treated dogs, atropine at 6, 60, and 600 micrograms/min was infused into the renal artery before and during the infusion of ACh. In Indo-treated dogs, all dosages of atropine prevented renal vasoconstriction by ACh. Renal arterial infusion of atropine at 600 micrograms/min completely inhibited the renal vasodilation produced by ACh. Atropine infused at 60 micrograms/min partially inhibited, whereas 6 micrograms/min atropine failed to inhibit, the renal vasodilation produced by ACh. Our data suggest that the renal vasodilator and vasoconstrictor effects of ACh in Indo-treated dogs are mediated by two separate types of muscarinic receptors.
Effect of initial panel slenderness on efficiency of Strengthening-By-Stiffening using FRP for shear deficient steel beams

Abstract The need for strengthening steel structures is as important as it is for concrete structures, or any other aging structure. Strengthening concrete structures by externally bonding thin composite materials in the form of laminates or strips has proven to be an efficient way for enhancing the flexural, shear, and axial strength of deficient elements. Use of external bonding of thin composite material to strengthen steel structures can also be found in literature. This paper presents another effective strengthening technique in which pultruded GFRP sections are bonded to shear deficient regions to enhance the local buckling resistance of thin walled steel structures. Three steel beams with different web thicknesses were tested experimentally with and without GFRP stiffeners to study the efficiency of the new technique; Strengthening-By-Stiffening or SBS. The ultimate shear capacities of the beams were enhanced by a minimum of 30% when one stiffener was used on a beam with a square panel and a maximum of 40% for beams with larger rectangular panel with two stiffeners (one on each side). The initial global stiffness was also enhanced between 5% and 41% for the strengthened beams as a result of the externally bonding the GFRP stiffeners. Unlike the one stiffener configuration which experienced a major load drop at high load levels, the post yielding behavior of the two stiffener configuration exhibited a sustainable load capacity around the peak load without any major load drop. Strain reading from the top and bottom flanges at the loading point revealed that a sway frame mechanism became the main shear resisting mechanism after the critical panel buckled due to shear.
What do residents need to be competent laparoscopic and endoscopic surgeons

Despite numerous efforts to ensure that surgery residents are adequately trained in the areas of laparoscopy and flexible endoscopy, there remain significant concerns that graduates are not comfortable performing many of these procedures. Online surveys were sent to surgery residents (98 items, PGY1-5 Categorical) and faculty (78 items, general surgery, and gastrointestinal specialties) at seven institutions. De-identified data were analyzed under an IRB-approved protocol. Ninety-five faculty and 121 residents responded, with response rates of 65 and 52 %, respectively. Seventy-three percent of faculty indicated that competency of their graduating residents were dramatically or slightly worse than previous graduates. Only 29 % of graduating residents felt very comfortable performing advanced laparoscopic (AL) cases and 5 % performing therapeutic endoscopy (TE) cases immediately after graduation. Over half of interns expressed a need for fellowship to feel comfortable performing AL and TE procedures, and this need did not decrease as residents neared graduation. For these procedures, residents receive only “little to some” autonomy, as reported by both faculty and PGY5s. Residents reported that current curricula for laparoscopy and endoscopy consist primarily of clinical experience. Both residents and faculty, though, reported considerable value in other training modalities, including simulations, live animal laboratories, cadavers, and additional didactics. These data indicate that both residents and faculty perceive significant competency gaps for both laparoscopy and flexible endoscopy, with the most notable shortcomings for advanced and therapeutic cases, respectively. Improvement in resident training methods in these areas is warranted.
Clinical Significance in Detection of Promyelocytic Leukemia-Retinoid Acid Receptor α Fusion Gene in Children

Objective To investigate the clinical significance in the detection of promyelocytic leukemia-retinoid acid receptor α(PML-RARα) fusion gene in children with acute promyelocytic leukemia(APL).Methods RT-PCR was performed to detect PML-RARα fusion gene in 35 children diagnosed as APL according to MIC criteria. The patients were treated with protocol including induction of differentiation with ATRA followed by consolidation therapy with DA, HA or BFM protocol. Results PML-RARα fusion gene was detected in all the 35 children with APL. 3, 21, 6 and 5 patients carried L form, Lform +L form variants, L form variants and S form,respectively. The positive ratios of L form, L form variants and S form were 68.6%, 77.1%, 14.3% respectively. All the 18 patients treated systematically had complete remission(CR) in 14-50 days. In 5 patients who were screened for PML-RARα at this time, 1 patient was negative. The other 4 patients were positive, then they were all negative after the third month after initiation of chemotherapy. 14 patients were followed-up till February 2005. The duration of follow-up was 6 to 36 months in 6 patients, medium duration being 12 months. MRD findings were negative for PML-RARα fusion gene in these 6 patients with consolidation therapy, and they were all in CR.Conclusions Detection of PML-RARα fusion gene using RT-PCR is not only significant for diagnosis, but also helpful for evaluating prognosis and preventing relapse in children with APL.
Anxiety and gastrointestinal illness.

Anxiety has a direct effect on the gastrointestinal tract, which in turn plays an important role in some gastrointestinal illnesses. Acute stress experiments demonstrate measurable changes in gastrointestinal organs, which can occur from stressful central stimuli. Clinical observations indicate that several common gastrointestinal illnesses are closely correlated with anxiety and other psychiatric disorders; such illnesses are the best candidates for a direct association of the emotional and physical disorders.
Hierarchical Representations of Behavior for Efficient Creative Search.

Options Results Experiments Creative Search We adopt a Darwinian view of creativity, in which creative products are • assembled through a sequential decision process in a trial-and-error fashion. This search process consists of trajectories through the space of creative • products and selective retention of highly-valued results (and the means for constructing them). An explict population is not maintained, however. Rather, an implict “pop• ulation” of potential creative products exists at a given time, any member of which can be realized via some behavioral operator. One “member” of each “population” is thus selected at each step given the • current product (context), and a new “population” results at the next step.
The Use of Local Languages for Effective Science Literacy as a Human Right

The chapter will give attention to several aspects aimed at improving the quality of learning science using local languages in education and local curriculum. The chapter draws on my research on the teaching of science subjects in Zanzibar, Tanzania (The United Republic of Tanzania)1, South Africa, Nigeria, Norway and the United States, as well as on a review of research on critical issues related to the learning of science that arise from decontextualized teaching and learning in Africa.
Review of: eGods: Faith versus Fantasy in Computer Gaming, by W. S. Bainbridge

Bainbridge, W. S. (2013). eGods: Faith versus fantasy in computer gaming. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 328 pp., $24.96 (paperback).The current demographics of video game play appear jarri...
EFFECT OF DIELDRIN ON BACTERIA PRODUCING LACTIC ACID

All lactic organisms tested produced acid slowly in lactose broth contaminated with 5 ppm dieldrin. Inhibition of acid production was greater than in milk where lipophilic milk constituents exerted a protective effect. Milk proteins added to lactose broth decreased inhibition by dieldrin, with α-lactalbumin being most effective. Moreover, lactic organisms can adsorb dieldrin making metabolic interference possible.
Orbit Determination Using Flash Lidar Around Small Bodies

This paper investigates the feasibility of relative navigation in proximity to small bodies using only flash light detection and ranging (lidar) data. A flash lidar returns a three-dimensional poin...
Second energy variation in heterogeneous systems with electrostatic and magnetostatic interaction

The Gibbs's variational principles allow to investigate equilibrium and stability conditions for the systems consisting of different physical phases and having multiple components. In the paper, we suggest a generalization of those principles, allowing to take into account non-local interactions (in particular, electrostatic or magnetostatic dipolar forces.) We presently explicit formulas of the first energy variation, allowing to address the equilibrium conditions, and of the second variation, allowing to explore the stability conditions. We, then, discuss possible applications and the theoretical results.
Revisiting the 'Reformed Objection' to Natural Theology

In the present paper I address two significant and prevalent errors concerning opposition to natural theology within the Reformed theological tradition. First, contrary to Alvin Plantinga, I argue that the idea of properly basic theistic belief has not motivated or otherwise grounded opposition to natural theology within the Reformed tradition. There is, in fact, a Reformed endorsement of natural theology grounded in the notion that theistic belief can be properly basic. Secondly, I argue that late nineteenth- and twentieth-century Reformed criticisms of natural theology do not constitute an objection to natural theology as such but rather an objection to natural theology construed in a particular way. I explore the nature of this objection and its compatibility with an alternative understanding of natural theology.
Scholars, Teachers, and Servants

I would like to play a time-worn tune—an academic’s apology for academia—in a fresh way. The conventional defenses of research are not wrong, but their accent falls on the wrong beat. We place too much emphasis on writing and not enough on reading, and in so doing we artificially isolate scholarship from teaching and service. Scholarly publication is important, yes, but it is not not the essence of what we do. So: take it from the top, once more with feeling.
The complex genetics of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, affecting 1% to 2% of the populations of North America and Europe and up to 9% of people >80 years of age ([1,2][1]). Appropriate recognition and treatment can diminish the likelihood of its 2 most serious complications,
Detecting denial of service attacks using database queries

In most current generation intrusion detection technology systems the output data are stored into flat files. By contrast, ease in storing, analyzing, categorizing, and accessing data are major advantages that accrue when using databases in hold intrusion detection data. Often, security analysts have to repeatedly perform the difficult task of sorting through a haystack of attack alerts, many of which turn out to be inaccurate. It is possible to make the job of managing these alerts, analyzing data with high precision, and searching for attacks or intrusions easier by using database query oriented analysis. This project was conducted in order to demonstrate, as proof of concept, the effectiveness in intrusion detection handling of intrusion data when writing them into a database system and analyzing them with SQL. A database plug-in was developed that deposits the data from an intrusion detection system to a database. Subsequently, statistical analysis was conducted, which showed that database query methods can be effective in detecting intrusions, while decreasing the challenge of the analysis of intrusions.
Toxicity and immunomodulatory effects of interleukin-2 after autologous bone marrow transplantation for hematologic malignancies.

Autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) for advanced hematologic malignancies is associated with high relapse rates. Interleukin-2 (IL- 2) and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells represent a potentially non-cross-resistant therapeutic modality that might prevent or delay relapses if used early after ABMT at a time when the tumor burden is minimal. However, high-dose chemoradiotherapy and ABMT might increase patients' susceptibility to IL-2 toxicity, and might interfere with immunologic responses to IL-2 in vivo. Therefore, to determine safety, tolerance, and immunomodulatory effects of IL-2 therapy early after ABMT, IL-2 was administered by continuous intravenous infusion to 16 patients 14 to 91 days (median, 33) after ABMT for acute leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma. Patients were sequentially assigned to escalating IL-2 “induction” doses (0.3 to 4.5 x 10(6) U/m2/d, days 1 to 5), and all patients received a nonescalating IL-2 “maintenance” dose (0.3 x 10(6) U/m2/d, days 12 to 21). Most patients exhibited mild to moderate fever, nausea, diarrhea, and/or skin rash with IL-2 infusions. The maximum tolerated “induction” dose was 3.0 x 10(6) U/m2/d; dose- limiting toxicities were hypotension and thrombocytopenia. All toxicities reversed on stopping the IL-2 infusions, and all patients completed “maintenance.” Postinfusion lymphocytosis was exhibited by patients at all IL-2 dose levels. With the higher IL-2 doses, increased percentages of patients' PBMC expressed CD16 and CD56, with augmented lysis of K562 and Daudi, reflecting the induction of natural killer and circulating LAK effector activities. Increased LAK precursor activity was exhibited by patients at all IL-2 dose levels. Thus, the IL-2 therapy regimen was safely tolerated after ABMT, and pronounced immunomodulatory effects were observed with the higher IL-2 doses. These studies support the planned use of IL-2 and LAK cells after ABMT in an attempt to reduce relapses of advanced hematologic malignancies.
Children as Interactional Brokers of Care

Bringing together ethnographic approaches to childhood, linguistic anthropology, and relational–feminist perspectives on care, this review focuses on the role of children as interactional brokers o...
Gender bias in American Academy of Neurology recognition awards

National awards are a recognition of achievement, a source of prestige, and are used to promote advancement in medicine. In this issue of Neurology ®, Silver et al.1 report gender disparity in the number of women selected for American Academy of Neurology (AAN) awards, especially more pronounced for more prestigious awards. Recent publications on pay and advancements further demonstrate bias in advancement of women in the higher ranks of Neurology. Close to home, one of the most highly visible senior Neurology positions, President of the AAN, has only been held by one woman, Dr. Olson in 2001–2003.
Open-Path Dual Frequency Comb Spectroscopy Applied to Source Quantification

We combine a guassian plume model with dual-comb spectrometer (DCS) data to quantify both a localized leak, by measuring to a flying retroreflector, and distributed traffic carbon emissions, by differential path measurements over a city.
A Practical First Step Using Needs Assessment and a Survey Approach to Implementing a Clinical Pharmacogenomics Consult Service.

Author(s): Zakinova, Angela; Long-Boyle, Janel R; French, Deborah; Croci, Rhiannon; Wilson, Leslie; Phillips, Kathryn A; Kroetz, Deanna L; Shin, Jaekyu; Tamraz, Bani | Abstract: Introduction:Genetic-guided selection of non-oncologic medications is not commonly practiced in general, and at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Health, specifically. Understanding the unique position of clinicians with respect to clinical pharmacogenetics (PG) at a specific institution or practice is fundamental for implementing a successful PG consult service. Objectives:To assess clinicians' current practices, needs, and interests with respect to clinical PG at UCSF Health, a large tertiary academic medical center. Methods:A list of 42 target medications with clinical PG recommendations was complied. Clinical specialties that routinely used the target medications were identified. A 12-question survey focused on practice of PG for target medications was developed. Pharmacists and physicians were surveyed anonymously in several clinical specialties. Survey results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results:Of the 396 clinicians surveyed, 76 physicians and 59 pharmacists participated, resulting in 27% and 50% average response rates, respectively. The current use of PG in clinical practice for physicians and pharmacists was 29% and 32%, respectively, however this number varied across clinical specialties from 0% to 80%. Of clinicians whom reported they do not currently apply PG, 63% of physicians and 54% of pharmacists expressed interest in integrating PG. However, the level of interest varied from 20% to 100% across specialties. Of the respondents, 64% of physicians and 56% of pharmacists elected to provide contact information to investigators to further discuss their interest related to clinical PG. Conclusions:While PG is not uniformly practiced at UCSF Health, there is considerable interest in utilizing PG by the respondents. Our approach was successful at identifying clinicians and services interested in PG for specific drug-gene pairs. This work has set a foundation for next steps to advance PG integration at UCSF Health. Clinicians can adopt our approach as preliminary work to build a clinical PG program at their institutions.
Resilience in African American Women at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: an Exploratory Study.

African Americans (AAs) have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) which is not fully explained by traditional CVD risk factors such as smoking, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Evidence demonstrates that chronic stress, low subjective status, and lack of social support play important roles in increasing the risk for CVD, particularly in minority women. Increasing evidence demonstrates that resilience may ameliorate the effect of social stressors on the development of CVD. However, little is known about the social context that may influence resilience in AA women. Therefore, the purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the predictors of resilience in AA women at risk for CVD. A cross-sectional sample of AA women (N = 104) participated in the study. Participants completed measures of resilience, subjective social status, social support, and general stress. Findings revealed that participants had low levels of resilience as measured by the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (mean = 50.3 ± 11.4) compared to norms. Results of the multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that both subjective social status in relation to others in the USA (p = 0.021) and perceived social support (p < 0.001) predicted greater level of resilience. The model, controlling for age, marital status, income, level of education, and general stress, accounted for a significant proportion of variance (F[8,75] = 6.6, p < .001), explaining 41.7% of the variation in resilience. Results suggest that subjective social status and social support contribute to perceived resilience in AA women. Additional research is needed to assess the association of subjective social status and social support in longitudinal studies.
Background discrimination for neutrinoless double beta decay in liquid xenon using Cherenkov light

Abstract Neutrinoless double beta decays in liquid xenon produce a significant amount of Cherenkov light, with a photon number and angular distribution that distinguishes these events from common backgrounds. A GEANT4 simulation was used to simulate Cherenkov photon production and measurement in a liquid xenon detector and a multilayer perceptron was used to analyze the resulting distributions to classify events based on their Cherenkov photons. Our results show that a modest improvement in the sensitivity of neutrinoless double beta decay searches is possible using this technique, but the kinematics of the neutrinoless double beta decay and electron scattering in liquid xenon substantially limit this approach.
A feasibility study of dynasplint to prevent trismus in head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation therapy.

e20676 Background: Lymphedema & fibrosis is a late effect of head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment negatively affecting quality of life. Trismus is a fibrotic process of mastication structures. Inci...
Book Review: Loft Jazz by Michael C. Heller

Michael C. Heller. Loft Jazz: Improvising New York in the 1970s . Berkeley: University of California Press, 2016. 272 pp. In his engaging new book, Loft Jazz: Improvising New York in the 1970s , Michael C. Heller explores jazz communities in 1970s New York and simultaneously questions concepts of
Understanding grain boundaries – The role of crystallography, structural descriptors and machine learning

Abstract Grain boundaries (GBs) influence a wide array of physical properties in polycrystalline materials and play an important role in governing microstructural evolution under extreme environments. While the importance of interfaces is well documented, their properties are among the least understood of all the defect types present in engineering material systems. This is due to the vast configurational space of interfaces, resulting in a diverse range of structures and properties. The complexity associated with GB structures is related to the different crystallographic degrees of freedom – the misorientation, the boundary-plane orientation and the relative translations between the adjoining crystals. These unique challenges can be addressed by leveraging high-throughput simulations of GB properties and developing machine learning algorithms grounded in the concepts of bicrystallography of interfaces. To demystify the relationships between crystallography and properties, the symmetry aspects of GBs are reviewed with an emphasis on boundary-plane orientations and disconnection line defects. To quantify structure-property relationships, recent advances in describing GB structures using the polyhedral unit model and the gaussian-based approximation of local atomic environments are discussed. Finally, examples of predicting GB structure-property relationships using machine learning techniques are summarized. As part of a special issue, the goal of this review article is to motivate machine learning strategies that are informed by bicrystallography and novel structural descriptors for developing reliable crystallography-structure-property relationships for grain boundaries.
A hierarchical charging control of plug-in electric vehicles with simple flexibility model

Abstract The demand for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) is increasing exponentially, which could add a considerable amount of load onto the power grid, because charging one PEV is nearly equivalent to adding three houses to the power system. On the other hand, their capability to actively interact with the grid presents excellent opportunities for load management, demand response, and various other grid services. This paper proposes a hierarchical charging scheduling and control framework to enable PEVs for grid services while meeting vehicle owners’ travel needs. The proposed control framework consists of coordination and vehicle layers. In the vehicle layer, each set of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) is equipped with a controller that estimates charging power and energy flexibility based on vehicle characteristics, charging equipment power rating, battery energy state, and upcoming trip information. The controller also controls vehicle charging power in real-time. In the coordination layer, with the charging flexibility model received from each EVSE controller, the central coordinator determines the optimal power allocation for a look-ahead time window based on grid services to be provided. The proposed charging coordination approach can help reduce computational complexity and communication requirement compared with existing methods. It is also scalable to the expanding PEV fleet and robust to uncertainties in upcoming vehicle trips and future system condition. The proposed method is studied using a prototypical feeder developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and detailed trip information extracted from National Household Travel Survey.
Completion lymph node dissection for merkel cell carcinoma

Abstract Background Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is widely used for Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), however in SLNB positive MCC the role of completion lymph node dissection (CLND) with or without adjuvant radiation therapy is unclear. Objective Our goal was to determine the impact of CLND and adjuvant radiation therapy on survival in SLNB positive MCC. Materials and methods We examined 447 patients with MCC with a positive SLNB in the National Cancer Data Base from 2012 to 2015. We compared patients who underwent CLND versus observation with or without adjuvant radiation. Results Compared with CLND and adjuvant radiation (reference) treatment with observation (HR 3.54, CI 1.36–9.18) or CLND alone (HR 2.54, CI 1.03–6.27) were associated with worse overall survival after adjusting for clinicopathologic differences. In contrast treatment with adjuvant radiation alone without CLND was not associated with worse overall survival (HR 1.70, CI 0.74–3.92) compared with CLND and adjuvant radiation (reference). Conclusions In SLNB positive MCC, CLND alone is associated with worse survival compared with treatment with adjuvant radiation or both CLND and adjuvant radiation.
Considering Local Measures of Poverty Using Shift-Share Techniques: A Comparative Analysis

When President Lyndon Johnson enlisted aid from economists, social scientists, and policymakers for his War on Poverty, we still find it difficult four decades later maneuvering through the maze of conceptualizing and measuring poverty (Celllini et al. 2008). Is it time to reevaluate how we measure poverty? Would an alternative technique such as shift share analysis provide a better measure of poverty which could lead to a better understanding of poverty?