cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retrieval expectations, cluster-based effectiveness, and performance standards in the CF database

Abstract Retrieval performance of controlled and uncontrolled subject representations is investigated as a function of retrieval expectations in the cystic fibrosis (CF) database. Controlled subject representations are based on Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), and uncontrolled subject representations are based on word stems derived from titles and abstracts. Retrieval expectations are varied systematically from comprehensive (in which marginally relevant documents are acceptable) to specific (in which only highly relevant documents are sought). A maximally effective cluster-based search strategy selects the most appropriate cluster from the set of available clusters for each query and isolates retrieval effectiveness from the uncertainties of an operational search strategy and the competence of a searcher. A maximally effective feedback strategy optimizes the exhaustivity of subject representations for each query. Retrieval performance measures reveal the capacity of each representation to associate documents relevant to the same query and disassociate those that are not relevant in single-link hierarchies. Controlled and uncontrolled subject representations produce equivalent levels of performance at all levels of retrieval expectation. Combinations of retrieval outcomes are consistently more effective than outcomes of either subject representation. Low performance standards, derived from random structures, distinguish between unacceptably low and questionable levels of performance and between questionable and acceptable levels of performance in the CF database. A distinction between acceptable and high levels of performance is based on normative considerations. The retrieval effectiveness associated with each query is characterized as unacceptable, questionable, acceptable, or high. Results suggest that the low performance standards constitute a severe test of the utility of search strategies or document representations in the CF database.
Contingent Self-Esteem and Race: Implications for the Black Self-Esteem Advantage.

Previous research has found that despite being aware of negative stereotypes about their group and experiencing prejudice and discrimination, Blacks tend to report higher levels of self-esteem than Whites. Despite the robust nature of the Black self-esteem advantage, an adequate explanation for the higher selfesteem of Blacks relative to Whites has yet to be offered. The present studies examine whether Blacks and Whites differ in the domains on which their selfesteem is based and whether these differences mediate the relationship between race and self-esteem. The present studies found that Blacks and Whites tend to base their self-esteem on different domains and that the tendency of Whites to base their self-esteem on the approval of others provides a partial explanation for the Black self-esteem advantage. These findings are discussed in terms of their relevance to racial differences in self-esteem.
A Comparison of the Moment and Factorial Moment Bounds for Discrete Random Variables

In this note, we establish the superiority of the factorial moment bound over the moment bound for nonnegative integer-valued discrete random variables. This solves a problem given earlier. We use some results from approximation theory/ numerical analysis to compare the bounds.
Getting Down to Business: A Look at Leadership Education in Business Schools

In the context of business schools, the word “leade rship” is widely used in missions, visions, and marketing materials. However, underlying support and the infrastructure to truly develop leaders may be lacking. The purpose of this paper is to hig hlight the challenges and issues facing leadership education in the context of business edu cation. More specifically, we highlight some of the structural challenges, foundational issues, and research related problems and identify several opportunities to address some of the areas for development. Throughout this paper, we discuss how the National Leadership Education Research Agenda can spark research that will legitimize our work not only in business, but acros s disciplines.
Cystic intraventricular schwannoma: a case report.

Supratentorial schwannomas, especially those related to the cerebral ventricles, are rare lesions. A unique case is presented with CT, MR, and clinicopathologic correlation
Group-ordered SPRT for distributed detection

We consider the problem of distributed detection in a large wireless sensor network. An adaptive data fusion scheme, group-ordered sequential probability ratio test (GO-SPRT), is proposed. This scheme groups sensors according to the informativeness of their data. Fusion center collects sensor data sequentially, starting from the most informative data and terminates the process when the target performance is reached. To analyze the average sample number, we establish the asymptotic equivalence between GO-SPRT, a multinomial experiment, and a normal experiment. Closed-form approximates are obtained. Our analysis and simulations show that, compared with fixed sample size test and traditional sequential probability ratio test (SPRT), the proposed scheme achieves significant savings in the cost of data fusion.
Exchange Rate Exposure and Competition: Evidence from the World Automotive Industry

Financial theory predicts that a change in the real exchange rate should affect the value of a multinational firm. To a large extent, past empirical research has not supported this theory. This study discusses and evaluates the effect of real exchange rate changes on a multinational firm and a global competitor and incorporates the effect of industry competition on the relation between exchange rates and firm value. In order to better test the hypothesis and address the shortcomings of previous studies, tests are conducted using a sample of automotive firms from the U.S., Japan and Germany. The analysis is done at the country specific portfolio level as well as the firm specific level. Consistent with the hypothesis, I find significant rate exposure to exchange rate shocks. Moreover, there is evidence of time variation in exchange rate exposure which is consistent with a change in the competitive environment within the industry. Finally, evidence is presented that is consistent with the hedging value of a firm producing in the export market, but only after production exceeds a certain level of sales in the export market.
Two simple hearts : Balzac's Eugénie and Flaubert's Félicité

(1995). Two Simple Hearts: Balzac's Eugenie and Flaubert's Felicite. Romance Quarterly: Vol. 42, No. 4, pp. 195-202.
The Pathogenesis of Rabies Virus Infection: An Abstract

rus in reservoir host populations and, in turn, to continuing risk of human exposure. Understanding the pathogenetic "weak links"-potential sites in the course of infection where the virus may be especially susceptible to interventive approaches is the key to designing the most effective control programs. Such programs may someday rely on novel immunologic, chemoprophylactic, and ecologic approaches; they also will continue to have as their goal preexposure
Toward a New Literary History

The past twenty years witnessed a dramatic transformation in Arabic literature studies in the United States. In the early 1990s, the field was still almost exclusively a satellite of area studies and largely bound by Orientalist historical and epistemological paradigms. Graduate students—even those wishing to focus entirely on modern literature—were trained to competence in the entire span of the Arabic literary tradition starting with pre-Islamic times, and secondary research languages were still rooted in the philological tradition of classical scholarship. The standard requirement was German, with Spanish as a distant second for those interested in Andalusia, but rarely French, say, or Italian or Russian. Other Middle Eastern languages were mainly conceived as primary-text languages rather than research languages. Philology, traditional literary history, and New Criticism formed the methodological boundaries of research. “Theory”—even when it purported to speak of the world outside Europe—was something that was generated by departments of English and comparative literature on the other side of campus, and crossings were rare and complicated in both the disciplinary and the institutional sense. Of course, one branch of “theory”—postcolonial studies—made its way into area studies much faster than the more eclectic offshoots of continental philosophy, for obvious reasons. From nationalism studies to subaltern studies, from Benedict Anderson to Gayatri Spivak, the wave of postcolonial critical theory that swept through U.S. academia in the 1980s and 1990s sparked an uprising in area studies at large and particularly in the literature disciplines. One of the first casualties of this uprising was the old historical paradigm itself: narratives of rise and fall, golden ages, and ages of decadence. Slowly but surely, scholars began to question the entire epistemological edifice through which Arabic literary history had been constructed by Orientalism. It was through the postcolonial theory of the 1980s that Arabic literature came to a broader rapprochement with poststructuralism: Foucault, Derrida, Ricoeur, Jameson, and White, to name a few of the major thinkers who began to transform the field in the late 1990s.
Determination of Number of Activated Sites Present during Olefin Metathesis by Supported ReOx/Al2O3 Catalysts

The number of surface rhenia sites on alumina participating in olefin metathesis, usually counted by chemical titration of surface reaction intermediates with olefins, has been debated for several decades. The current olefin titration measurements, however, demonstrate that the number of reactive surface intermediates on supported rhenia/alumina catalysts is strongly dependent on the experimental variables. The new findings reveal that the accepted titration procedures significantly undercount the number of activated surface rhenia sites upon exposure to olefins by ∼101–102 because of invalid assumptions.
A watering manipulation in a semiarid grassland induced changes in fungal but not bacterial community composition

Abstract Monsoon precipitation in the arid southwestern United States is an important driver of ecosystem productivity, delivering up to 50% of annual precipitation during the summer months. These sporadic rainfall events typify drying-rewetting cycles and impose a physiological stress on the soil microbial communities responsible for carbon and nutrient cycling. As one aspect of climate change is an intensification of the hydrologic cycle, understanding how soil microbial communities and the processes they mediate are impacted by moisture fluctuations is increasingly important. We performed a month-long watering manipulation in the field and characterized bacterial and fungal communities across five time points using high-throughput sequencing. Watering treatment had a significant impact on fungal community composition, and there was a trend toward decreased fungal diversity and OTU richness in watered plots. In contrast, no significant differences were observed in bacterial communities between watered and control plots nor among sampling times. These findings suggest that fungi are more sensitive than bacteria to changes in soil moisture.
Epidemiological characteristics of severe HFMD in Longgang District of Shenzhen City in 2011

[Objective]To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of severe hand-foot-mouth disease(HFMD) in Longgang District of Shenzhen City in 2011,and provide evidence for severe HFMD prevention and control.[Methods]Descriptive epidemiological analysis was conduct on the data of case questionnaire and the surveillance data of severe HFMD reported through national disease reporting information system and Shenzhen communicable disease information system.[Results] A total of 12 098 cases of HFMD were reported in Longgang District of Shenzhen City in 2011,with incidence of 341.50/100 000;including 55 severe ones(0.45%) and 4 deaths(0.03%).The peak of the severe cases appeared in May-July,and the sub-peak appeared in September-November.Eight out of 11 subdistricts had severe cases,18 cases(32.7%) were reported in Bantian subdistrict.The feature of aggregation appeared in some areas.The severe cases mainly occurred in children under 3 years old(65.45%).Most cases were scattered children and preschool children,with 80.00% and 14.55% respectively.Etiological surveillance indicated that the major pathogen was EV71(84.38%).[Conclusion]Since the cases of severe HFMD increased significantly in Longgang district,it has become the serious public health problem in local area.Further researches on causes of severe HFMD should be conducted and comprehensive preventive measures should be taken to prevent and control the occurrence of severe HFMD and reduce the number of cases and mortality.
Office dermatologic surgery and laser therapy.

PreviewDermatology has evolved into a specialty that includes oncologic and reconstructive surgery and cosmetic cutaneous procedures. Areas of active research include laser therapy and photoaging, and current public health efforts are focusing on early detection and treatment of skin cancer. Dr Roenigk discusses several dermatologic procedures now commonly performed on an outpatient basis.
β-Amyloid in Alzheimer’s Disease

Recent evidence has been accumulating to suggest that the peptide β-amyloid may be implicated as a causative agent in Alzheimer’s disease. This compound is known to accumulate in the cerebral plaques that are characteristic of the disease. Whether β-amyloid is toxic per se is yet to be established, but several options are available which may reduce the toxicity of the agent and, thus, have potential in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Dispersion impairments in analog polarization modulated links

The effect of dispersion on an analog link employing polarization modulation is studied experimentally. Dispersion impairments are observed in a 25 km link. The effects of dispersion are dependent on receiver design.
From B-Cell Tolerance to Autoimmunity

Despite numerous mechanisms that exist to purge the B-cell repertoire of potentially dangerous autoreactive cells, it is now clear that numerous cells with the capability of binding self determinants survive negative selection and persist peripherally as anergic or ignorant cells. Exactly how these B cells are normally constrained, and then aberrantly activated in the context of autoimmunity, are two major questions in B-cell biology. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved in these processes could provide important insights to the regulation of alloreactivity. One clue to our understanding of autoimmunity comes from the nature of the autoantigens commonly targeted in systemic autoimmune diseases. Autoantigens often consist of macromolecular complexes that incorporate self-nucleic acids, and numerous in vitro studies have now shown that many of these canonical autoantigens are essentially potent endogenous autoadjuvants. Mice expressing a low affinity BCR specific for autologous IgG2a can be potently activated by DNA or RNA-associated immune complexes through a mechanism dependent on both the BCR and either TLR9 or TLR7, and serve as a useful prototype for autoreactive B cells in general. A number of groups have now tested this BCR/TLR paradigm in vivo . As expected, Tlr9-/- autoimmune-prone mice fail to produce autoantibodies directed against chromatin, while Tlr7-/- mice fail to produce autoantibodies directed against numerous RNA-associated proteins. However, the Tlr9-/- mice develop accelerated clinical disease, while the Tlr7-/- mice exhibit remarkably prolonged survival. We have now shown that BCR/TLR9 and BCR/TLR7 induce inherently different functional outcomes in B cells. Quite remarkably, both in vitro and in vivo , BCR/TLR7-dependent activation of autoreactive B cells leads to a more prolonged response and increased numbers of antibody producing cells. This response can be defined by a unique gene-expression profile and associated with proteins known to promote plasmablast differentiation. By contrast, BCR/TLR9 activation appears to initially limit autoreactive B-cell expansion; although in the context of systemic autoimmunity TLR9 is required for the production of DNA-reactive autoantibodies. Together these data indicate that the outcome BCR/TLR9 engagement of autoreactive B cells is highly dependent on environmental cues, and suggest that BCR/TLR7 B-cell activation is a key factor in the initiation of systemic lupus erythematosus and other systemic disorders. Disclosures: Marshak-Rothstein: Idera Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Genentech: Honoraria.
A review of spin determination at the LHC

We review the prospects of direct spin determination of new particles which may be discovered at the LHC. We discuss the general framework and the different channels which contain spin information. The experimental challenges associated with such measurements are briefly discussed and the most urgent unresolved problems are emphasized.
Toward a Comprehensive Policy to Reduce Disparities in Youth Violence.

An introduction is presented in which the author discusses an article in the journal which deals with a decline in fighting, attacks, and group combat involving youths between 2002 and 2014 in America, and it mentions racial differences and a policy to reduce disparities in youth violence.
Formation of Epitaxially Connected Quantum Dot Solids: Nucleation and Coherent Phase Transition

The formation of epitaxially connected quantum dot solids involves a complex interplay of interfacial assembly, surface chemistry, and irreversible-directed attachment. We describe the basic mechanism in the context of a coherent phase transition with distinct nucleation and propagation steps. The proposed mechanism explains how defects in the preassembled structure influence nucleation and how basic geometric relationships govern the transformation from hexagonal assemblies of isolated dots to interconnected solids with square symmetry. We anticipate that new mechanistic insights will guide future advances in the formation of high-fidelity quantum dot solids with enhanced grain size, interconnectivity, and control over polymorph structures.
CT Findings of Traumatic Bucket-Handle Mesenteric Injuries.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to describe a specific type of blunt traumatic mesenteric injury called a bucket-handle tear, review its varied CT appearances, and discuss the role of CT in...
The Role of Leadership in Surviving a School Shooting

At a small rural middle school in the southern United States, two students murdered a teacher, four students, and injured 10 during a shooting spree. This case represents the lived experiences of a...
Differential effects of silver nanoparticles on DNA damage and DNA repair gene expression in Ogg1-deficient and wild type mice.

Due to extensive use in consumer goods, it is important to understand the genotoxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and identify susceptible populations. 8-Oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (OGG1) ex...
Morbid Obesity Does not Increase Morbidity or Mortality in Robotic Cardiac Surgery.

ObjectiveMorbid obesity (body mass index S 35 kg/m2)usually confers a higher perioperative risk in cardiac surgery. Robotic cardiac surgery may have many advantages for these high-risk patients.Met...
Marking the Past: Civil Rights Tourism and the Mississippi Freedom Trail

This essay explores the rhetorical framing of civil rights tourism in Mississippi, a state that has invested considerable resources towards developing an infrastructure for attracting heritage tour...
Hammersmith interview course

With core medical interviews coming up, I decided to invest in an interview skills course to boost my chances of success. One course that is often talked about is the Hammersmith interview course in London. The testimonials of previous attendants posted on its website, along with the claim that “we are the most experienced interview trainers in the UK,” were enough to persuade me to sign up and pay up. The Hammersmith interview course runs two sessions side by side on the day, one for candidates preparing for consultant interviews and the other for more junior doctors hoping for success at core trainee, specialty trainee, or specialty registrar interviews. The course is held in a …
Identifying Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Advanced Fibrosis in the Veterans Health Administration.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease. Severe NAFLD with advanced fibrosis results in substantial morbidity and mortality. Associated with metabolic syndrome, NAFLD is often initially clinically silent, yet intensive lifestyle intervention with 7% or greater weight loss can improve or resolve NAFLD. Using a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) liver biopsy cohort, we evaluated simple noninvasive fibrosis scoring systems to identify NAFLD with advanced fibrosis (or severe disease) to assist providers. In our retrospective study of a national VHA sample of patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD or normal liver (2005–2015), we segregated patients by fibrosis stage (0–4). Non-NAFLD liver disease was excluded. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), fibrosis-4 calculator (FIB-4), aspartate aminotransferase-to-alanine aminotransferase ratio (AST/ALT ratio), AST-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), and body mass index, AST/ALT ratio, and diabetes (BARD) score by age groups. We included 329 patients with well-defined liver histology (296 NAFLD and 33 normal controls without fibrosis), in which 92 (28%) had advanced (stage 3–4) fibrosis. Across all age groups, NFS and FIB-4 best predicted advanced fibrosis (NFS with 0.676 threshold: AUROC 0.71–0.76, LR + 2.30–22.05, OR 6.00–39.58; FIB-4 with 2.67 threshold: AUROC of 0.62–0.80, LR + 4.70–27.45, OR 16.34–59.65). While NFS and FIB-4 scores exhibit good diagnostic accuracy, FIB-4 is optimal in identifying NAFLD advanced fibrosis in the VHA. Easily implemented as a point-of-care clinical test, FIB-4 can be useful in directing patients that are most likely to have advanced fibrosis to GI/hepatology consultation and follow-up.
Stress experiences in neighborhood and social environments (SENSE): a pilot study to integrate the quantified self with citizen science to improve the built environment and health

Identifying elements of one’s environment—observable and unobservable—that contribute to chronic stress including the perception of comfort and discomfort associated with different settings, presents many methodological and analytical challenges. However, it also presents an opportunity to engage the public in collecting and analyzing their own geospatial and biometric data to increase community member understanding of their local environments and activate potential environmental improvements. In this first-generation project, we developed a methodology to integrate geospatial technology with biometric sensing within a previously developed, evidence-based “citizen science” protocol, called “Our Voice.” Participants used a smartphone/tablet-based application, called the Discovery Tool (DT), to collect photos and audio narratives about elements of the built environment that contributed to or detracted from their well-being. A wrist-worn sensor (Empatica E4) was used to collect time-stamped data, including 3-axis accelerometry, skin temperature, blood volume pressure, heart rate, heartbeat inter-beat interval, and electrodermal activity (EDA). Open-source R packages were employed to automatically organize, clean, geocode, and visualize the biometric data. In total, 14 adults (8 women, 6 men) were successfully recruited to participate in the investigation. Participants recorded 174 images and 124 audio files with the DT. Among captured images with a participant-determined positive or negative rating (n = 131), over half were positive (58.8%, n = 77). Within-participant positive/negative rating ratios were similar, with most participants rating 53.0% of their images as positive (SD 21.4%). Significant spatial clusters of positive and negative photos were identified using the Getis-Ord Gi* local statistic, and significant associations between participant EDA and distance to DT photos, and street and land use characteristics were also observed with linear mixed models. Interactive data maps allowed participants to (1) reflect on data collected during the neighborhood walk, (2) see how EDA levels changed over the course of the walk in relation to objective neighborhood features (using basemap and DT app photos), and (3) compare their data to other participants along the same route. Participants identified a variety of social and environmental features that contributed to or detracted from their well-being. This initial investigation sets the stage for further research combining qualitative and quantitative data capture and interpretation to identify objective and perceived elements of the built environment influence our embodied experience in different settings. It provides a systematic process for simultaneously collecting multiple kinds of data, and lays a foundation for future statistical and spatial analyses in addition to more in-depth interpretation of how these responses vary within and between individuals.
Potential Use of Proteinase Inhibitors, Avidin, and other Bio-reagents for Synergizing Bt Performance and Delaying Resistance Development to Bt

After being ingested by target insects, the insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) need to go through a proteolytic process by insect midgut proteinases to become activated. At the same time, Bt can be hydrolyzed and degraded by midgut proteinases to become non-toxic to target insects. Once activated, the Bt proteins need to bind to midgut brush border membrane vesicle (BBMV) to cause gut lining lesions and eventually death in the target insect. A few bio-reagents may interact with the Bt binding to the receptors. By applying proteinase inhibitors to Bt-containing (sublethal dose) diet, the growth and development of Helicoverpa zea were significantly decreased when compared with the Bt only control. Midgut samples tested against the substrates for major midgut enzymes showed significant decreases in the protease activity of larvae fed Bt plus inhibitor versus control. Avidin, causing sequestration of biotin and vitamin deficiency, potentially interacts with Bt by binding to biotin-containing proteins. Besides possessing insecticidal toxicity itself, avidin at a sublethal dose could significantly synergize Bt toxicity against H. zea larvae. Because of different modes of action from that of Bt, proteinase inhibitors, avidin, and other bio-reagents could be used to enhance Bt performance, delay resistance development to Bt, and expand control range beyond lepidopterans.
Critical Roles of Stromal Fibroblasts in the Cancer Microenvironments

This review summarizes current research defining the intricate relationship between tumor and stroma with special emphasis on the origin of stromal fibroblasts, their heterogeneity, and their co-evolution with cancer epithelium. The concept of co-targeting tumor and stroma and the opportunity to develop clinical biomarkers for predictive oncology are discussed. Finally, recent investigations of the pluripotent and multi-potent properties of embryonic and adult stem and mesenchymal cells expand our understanding of the diverse ways stromal fibroblasts contribute to prostate cancer growth and progression.
Abstract 5246: Lifetime trajectories of cigarette smoking and cancer mortality among older adults in a large cohort in the United States

Background: Despite declining prevalence, cigarette smoking causes about 30% of all cancer deaths in the United States. More than a quarter of daily cigarette smokers in the United States smoke 10 or less cigarettes per day (CPD), encompassing a heterogeneous group of lifelong low-intensity smokers and formerly heavier smokers who have cut down their CPD. The impact of prior smoking history on the disease risks of low-intensity cigarette smokers is poorly understood. Methods: In the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study, a prospective cohort study of older adults in the United States, a questionnaire administered in 2004-2005 assessed CPD during nine age-periods over the lifetime ( Results: We identified nine trajectory patterns in both men and women. Mortality risks varied substantially by trajectory: the HRs for overall cancer mortality ranged from 1.17 to 4.03 in men and 0.83 to 3.42 in women. Similarly, the HRs for lung cancer mortality ranged from 5.20 to 23.88 in men and 8.00 to 23.08 in women. Mortality risks were substantially higher among participants who had cut down their CPD than among participants who reported smoking at low-intensity for all age-periods that they smoked. For example, in men, the HR for lung cancer mortality was 23.88 (95% CI=12.10-47.13) among low-intensity smokers who previously smoked 31-40 CPD, whereas it was 9.36 (95% CI=5.92-14.79) among lifelong 1-10 CPD smokers. Similarly, in women, the HR for lung cancer mortality was 19.76 (95% CI=8.71-44.85) among women who previously smoked 21-30 CPD, whereas it was 9.26 (95% CI=2.98-14.34) among lifelong 1-10 CPD smokers. Conclusions: In a large prospective cohort study of older adults in the United States, risks among low-intensity smokers for overall and lung-cancer mortality varied substantially by prior smoking history. These results suggest that it is important for risk prediction models, such as for lung cancer-screening, to incorporate lifetime smoking history into their algorithms. Citation Format: Maki Inoue-Choi, Scott P. Kelly, Kelvin Choi, Neal D. Freedman. Lifetime trajectories of cigarette smoking and cancer mortality among older adults in a large cohort in the United States [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5246.
Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI) in Neuroscience

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) is an emerging label-free modality that attracts significant interest in biomedicine in general and neuroscience in particular. Based on the principle of interferometry, QPI precisely maps the optical pathlength induced by the sample, and, thus, can visualize extremely transparent samples. The QPI field has grown rapidly in the past decade, and reliable instruments have been developed for in-depth biological studies. One particular figure of merit associated with QPI techniques describes the temporal phase sensitivity of instruments. Recently, several common path interferometry methods have been developed, which yield high stability and nanometer scale pathlength sensitivity. In neuroscience, QPI has shown unique capabilities in quantifying neural growth and dynamics in cell cultures, as well as high contrast imaging of brain tissue slices. In this paper, we review the principles of QPI, novel QPI technology, advances in data processing, and a number of exciting applications in neuroscience.
Do Bony Orbit Dimensions Predict Diel Activity Pattern in Sciurid Rodents

Diel activity pattern (DAP) is a key aspect of an animal's ecology, but it is difficult to infer when behavior cannot be directly observed, as in the fossil record. Various anatomical correlates have therefore been used to attempt to classify DAP. Eyeball dimensions are good predictors of DAP because they relate directly to light sensitivity of the eye. Osteological characters, such as scleral ring dimensions, are also reliable proxies, but bony orbit dimensions alone have proven less reliable because soft tissues other than the eyeball can affect orbit size and shape. However, it would be useful if bony orbit dimensions could be used to determine DAP, particularly for mammals, which have no scleral ring, and nonmammalian synapsids, which infrequently preserve scleral rings. We investigated the possibility of predicting DAP in sciurids (Mammalia: Rodentia: Sciuridae) using orbit measurements and other cranial dimensions, and a variety of quantitative methods, including phylogenetic flexible discriminant analysis, classification trees, and logistic regression. The latter two methods do not require a priori assignment of DAP and therefore reflect the situation in a fossil data set. We find that although there are some interfering phylogenetic factors, nocturnal and non-nocturnal sciurids can be differentiated from one another with over 80% accuracy using all methods investigated here; attempts to differentiate crepuscular animals from nocturnal and diurnal species proved much less successful. Our results indicate that these analyses offer several viable options for predicting DAP in the fossil record, but such analyses should be conducted in a phylogenetic context whenever possible. Anat Rec, 301:1774-1787, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Local effects of a military spending shock: Evidence from shipbuilding in the 1930s

Abstract Using novel county-level data on shipbuilding contracts awarded during the Great Depression by the federal government, I estimate a local government spending multiplier. Manufacturing output, value added, employment, and average earnings all rise significantly in counties receiving naval spending. Contracts worth 12 percent of lagged output generate an extra 1.9 percentage points of manufacturing output growth over the following two years. The effects grow over time, and spillovers are estimated to be positive. Household survey data suggests that consumption rises at the household level.
Direct and indirect parental exposure to endocrine disruptors and elevated temperature influences gene expression across generations in a euryhaline model fish

Aquatic organisms inhabiting polluted waterways face numerous adverse effects, including physiological disruption by endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). Little is known about how the temperatures associated with global climate change may influence the response of organisms exposed to EDCs, and the effects that these combined stressors may have on molecular endpoints such as gene expression. We exposed Menidia beryllina (inland silversides) to environmentally relevant concentrations (1 ng/L) of two estrogenic EDCs (bifenthrin and 17α-ethinylestradiol; EE2) at 22 °C and 28 °C. We conducted this experiment over multiple generations to better understand the potential effects to chronically exposed populations in the wild. We exposed adult parental fish (F0) for 14 days prior to spawning of the next generation. F1 larvae were then exposed from fertilization until 21 days post hatch (dph) before being transferred to clean water tanks. F1 larvae were reared to adulthood, then spawned in clean water to test for further effects of parental exposure on offspring (F2 generation). Gene expression was quantified by performing qPCR on F0 and F1 gonads, as well as F1 and F2 larvae. We did not detect any significant differences in the expression of genes measured in the parental or F1 adult gonads. We found that the 28 °C EE2 treatment significantly decreased the expression of nearly all genes measured in the F1 larvae. This pattern was transferred to the F2 generation for expression of the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) gene. Expression of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) and G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) revealed changes not measured in the previous generation. Effects of the bifenthrin treatments were not observed until the F2 generation, which were exposed to the chemicals indirectly as germ cells. Our results indicate that effects of EDCs and their interactions with abiotic factors, may not be adequately represented by singular generation testing. These findings will contribute to the determination of the risk of EDC contamination to organisms inhabiting contaminated waterways under changing temperature regimes.
A Framework for Enabling OpenMP Autotuning

This paper describes a lightweight framework that enables autotuning of OpenMP pragmas to ease performance tuning of OpenMP codes across platforms. This paper describes a prototype of the framework and demonstrates its use in identifying best-performing parallel loop schedules and number of threads for five codes from the PolyBench benchmark suite. This process is facilitated by a tool for taking a compact search-space description of pragmas to apply to the loop nest and chooses the best solution using model-based search. This tool offers the potential to achieve performance portability of OpenMP across platforms without burdening the programmer with exploring this search space manually. Performance results show that the tool identifies different selections for schedule and thread count applied to parallel loops across benchmarks, data set sizes and architectures. Performance gain over the baseline with default settings of up to \(1.17{\times }\), but slowdowns of \(0.5{\times }\) show the importance of preserving default settings. More importantly, this experiment sets the stage for more elaborate experiments to map new OpenMP features such as GPU offloading and the new loop pragma.
Force Distribution Algorithms for Multifingered Grippers

ABSTRACT The work described in this paper addresses the problem of determination of the appropriate distribution of forces between the fingers of a multifingered gripper grasping an object. The finger-object interactions are modeled as point contacts. The system is statically indeterminate and an optimal solution for the this problem is desired for force control. A fast and efficient method for computing the grasping forces is presented. Some simple grasps are used to evaluate the proposed algorithms.
Comparison of primary total hip replacements performed with a standard incision or a mini-incision.

To The Editor: The study “Comparison of Primary Total Hip Replacements Performed with a Standard Incision or a Mini-Incision” (2004;86:1353-8), by Woolson et al., is probably the quintessential example of comparing apples to oranges because the authors retrospectively compared their standard operation (with which it is assumed they were skilled) and a new operation (with which they were not skilled), without any scientific model, training, instrumentation, or guidance. It was also bad science because they performed a study operation on patients without institutional review board approval. This is the second study from Stanford University published in the last year in which the institutional review board was not involved in surgery that was “experimental.”1 This manuscript is simply an arrogant statement by the authors who assumed that, with fellowship training and more than ten years of experience, they could perform a new operation as well as they perform the operations they have done for all those previous years. There is not a single innovator of the small incision operations who has suggested that these operations are as easy as total hip arthroplasty with use of standard incisions or that they are not more stressful or do not require a learning curve with special instrumentation. At every meeting at which I have participated regarding this … Corresponding author: Steven T. Woolson, MD 1101 Welch Road, Suite C8 Palo Alto, CA 94304 stevewoolson{at}yahoo.com
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Affective Symptoms, and Neuroactive Steroids: a Focus on Allopregnanolone.

To provide an overview of existing studies on alterations in gonadal and neuroactive steroids (NASs) and mood symptoms among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Recent studies have demonstrated a previously underappreciated association between PCOS and comorbid depression and anxiety. However, most studies on affective symptoms among women with PCOS have been cross-sectional, limiting our knowledge about fluctuations in symptoms over the menstrual cycle and reproductive lifespan for women with PCOS, as well as the potential interplay between NAS alterations and mood symptoms. Changes in the NAS allopregnanolone (ALLO) have been implicated in several reproductive-related psychiatric disorders (e.g., premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and postpartum depression (PPD)) as well as in normal reproductive functioning, warranting further investigation for its potential role in the psychiatric symptoms observed in women with PCOS. Prospective studies evaluating associations between psychiatric symptoms and NAS are needed to elucidate the biological causes of the increased rates of psychiatric symptoms among women with PCOS and inform clinical treatment. ALLO, with its role in normal reproductive function, menstrual dysregulation among women with PCOS, and reproductive-related psychiatric conditions, makes it a particularly intriguing candidate for future investigation.
Trans-synaptic regulation of NMDA receptor RNAs during optic nerve regeneration

A goldfish NMDA receptor (NMDAR) cDNA was used to analyze NMDAR RNA expression during optic nerve regeneration. Following crush of the optic nerve, NMDAR RNA levels initially decrease and then increase in retinal ganglion cells. This latter increase corresponds with the time when ganglion cell axons are forming stable connections with their targets in the optic tectum. NMDAR RNA stability assays indicate that the increase in this RNA is largely a result of increased NMDAR gene expression. This increase requires return of electrical activity in the regenerating axons, interaction between ganglion cell axons and their targets in the optic tectum, and functional NMDARs in the postsynaptic tectal cells. These requirements for induction of presynaptic NMDAR RNA are similar to those proposed for synapse stabilization during development and regeneration of the visual system and during long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus.
A combined approach for purging multidrug-resistant leukemic cell lines in bone marrow using a monoclonal antibody and chemotherapy.

Selective removal of malignant cells (purging) from bone marrow (BM) is a concern in autologous BM transplantation (ABMT). Use of vincristine, etoposide, or doxorubicin for purging could be rendered ineffective by the presence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tumor cells. To circumvent this particular problem, we investigated whether 17F9, a monoclonal IgG2b antibody directed against the cell surface product of the MDR gene, P-glycoprotein, is effective in selective removal of MDR cells from BM when used with rabbit complement (C′). Using two different cell lines we have demonstrated that 17F9 + C′ selectively lyses MDR- positive cells. Three rounds of antibody + C′ resulted in 96.4% +/- 3.6% kill of K562/DOX and 100% +/- 0% of CEM/VLB cells. Mixtures of malignant cells and normal BM resulted in 99.85% removal of K562/DOX and 99.91% removal of CEM/VLB clonogenic cells. This treatment did not affect normal committed precursors compared with C′ alone. The addition of the cytotoxic agent etoposide (VP-16) following antibody purging results in a 4.6 log reduction of malignant cells. Furthermore, this antibody was effective when used against patients' leukemic blasts. These results suggest the use of 17F9 + C′ is effective and selective for removal of MDR cells from BM before ABMT and the addition of VP-16 enhances the purging efficacy.
Alteration in the coding potential and expression of H-ras in human cytomegalovirus-transformed cells.

CMV-transformed cell lines demonstrated a greater level of H-ras RNA (7.5-to 9.5-fold) relative to the level for H-ras in parental cells. Nuclear run off assays showed that the RNA levels for the H-ras gene were regulated at the level of transcriptional initiation. The increased RNA levels for H-ras correlated with the level of p21rasVal-12 in transformed cells, while p21raiVal-12 was below the level of detection in nontransformed cells using Western blot analysis. In addition, an activating mutation was identified in both alleles of the first exon, codon 12 of H-ras resulting in a G:C to T:A transversion in all transformed cell lines examined in this study. These results suggest that the mutated H-ras may be one of the components by which an oncogenic phenotype is maintained in these CMV-transformed cells.
The Economics of Company Housing: Historical Perspectives from the Coal Fields

Students of economic organizations often have debated whether the organizations were a means of obtaining monopoly power or of reducing transactions costs. One organization commonly cited as a classic example of monopoly is the employer-owned company town. In a typical company town, the employer owned the store, the housing, and often provided governmental services, like sanitation and law enforcement. While Fishback (1986) dealt in depth with company stores, in this article, I focus on the essence of the company town: the company's provision of housing. The market-power views of company housing focus on the housing and labor markets. Traditionally, since the company owned the only housing in town, many economists saw company housing as the classic local monopoly. The labor history literature insists that the companies not only exploited the local housing monopoly but used control of housing to limit collective action by workers and obtain monopsony power in the labor market (Corbin, Seltzer). On the other hand, Williamson (1985)
The food chain as a source of human exposure from municipal waste combustion: An uncertainty analysis

The current installed incineration capacity of municipal waste combustors (MWCs) in the United States has reached approximately 50 thousand tons per day and is projected to triple over the next decade.1 As the use of MWCs as a waste management alternative has increased, public concern over possible environmental and human health effects has also increased. Of particular concern are health risks associated with potential exposures through the food chain.
Ultrastructural Studies of Sporulation in a Conditionally Temperature-Sensitive Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase Mutant of Bacillus subtilis

Morphological studies of a conditionally temperature-sensitive ribonucleic acid polymerase mutant of Bacillus subtilis have revealed that sporulation is inhibited at stage II when the cells are grown at 47.5 C. Growth and sporulation occur normally at 30 C with the mutant. The mutant grows normally at 47.5 C but is prevented from sporulating at the nonpermissive temperature by an abnormal septation during forespore membrane formation which prevents the subsequent engulfment process (stage III). The mutation affects the normal functioning of ribonucleic acid polymerase at the nonpermissive temperature resulting in abortive sporulation.
Statistical Machine Translation in Low Resource Settings

My thesis will explore ways to improve the performance of statistical machine translation (SMT) in low resource conditions. Specifically, it aims to reduce the dependence of modern SMT systems on expensive parallel data. We define low resource settings as having only small amounts of parallel data available, which is the case for many language pairs. All current SMT models use parallel data during training for extracting translation rules and estimating translation probabilities. The theme of our approach is the integration of information from alternate data sources, other than parallel corpora, into the statistical model. In particular, we focus on making use of large monolingual and comparable corpora. By augmenting components of the SMT framework, we hope to extend its applicability beyond the small handful of language pairs with large amounts of available parallel text.