cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal Mission Paths for the Uninhabited Loyal Wingman

The Department of Defense has established a need for manned unmanned teaming (MUM-T), which includes the concept of the uninhabited loyal wingman. Given the vast number of technology pieces which must be advanced, this work first establishes operational objectives for the manned unmanned teaming of aerial vehicles used to guide this research and establishes a candidate scenario useful for demonstrating a multipletarget, low communication bandwidth, online optimal mission plan, which includes breaking from formation to complete an assigned task, and rejoining formation once the task is complete. A literature review establishes the use of direct orthogonal collocation as a viable solution technique for solving the optimal mission planning problem. A two-dimensional small-scale optimal control problem is formulated and results are provided. These results reveal the sensitivity of locally optimal solutions to the initial guess provided to the nonlinear programming solver. A discussion ensues suggesting the use of a particle swarm optimization algorithm as a technique for providing an initial guess to the nonlinear programming solver which will ameliorate concerns of converging on locally optimal solutions that would otherwise not be chosen in practical (real-world) applications. This paper suggests future research which will include a conversion to a full-scale three-dimensional model in which the loyal wingman must successfully estimate and avoid dynamic nondeterministic threats as well as be able to dynamically replan the mission in the presence of pop-up threats.
Game programming concepts can be taught at CP-CCSC schools: panel discussion

Computer and Video gaming have made a significant impact upon our current generation of college students, in particular computing students. We can tap into that interest within our departments in several different ways: We can offer a beginning game programming class with the resources we already have; or we can incorporate the concepts in a section of a CSO Alice based class; or have a portion of a computational intelligence class address the topic from a game programming standpoint. We will discuss these different approaches, the successes and failures. We will also talk about what we propose at our schools in the future.
Application of Indefinite Delivery–Indefinite Quantity Construction Strategies at the Federal Level

AbstractIndefinite delivery-indefinite quantity (IDIQ) construction contracts use an overarching master contract between an owner and contractor for multiple projects over a specified time period. The practice is widespread in the federal government but its efficacy has been the subject of relatively few studies. Content analysis of 90 federal requests for proposal advertised between 2010 and 2014 reveals IDIQ contracting use for a wide range of facility types and construction services. Owners most often use best-value procurement methods, emphasize qualifications over price to initially select the IDIQ pool of contractors, and use seed projects for initial price evaluations. Findings also suggest that IDIQ contracts reflect the inherent paradoxical organizational tensions in public sector procurements. On one hand, IDIQ contracts reflect a desire for flexibility, simplified procurement processes, and finding the most qualified contractors for long-term performance. On the other hand, public owners must p...
Using MapInfo to Generate Vector Data of Gas Pipe Network by Scanning Method

The article introduces the whole procedure of generating vector data of gas pipe network by scan method using MapInfo, including, image process, registering, adjusting, digitalization, checking, attribute connecting and so on, The practice shows that the method is economical, convenient and practical.
The visual perception of distance ratios in physical space

Past studies have consistently demonstrated that human observers cannot accurately perceive environmental distances. Even so, we obviously detect sufficient spatial information to meet the demands of everyday life. In the current experiment, ten younger adults (mean age was 21.8years) and ten older adults (mean age was 72.3years) estimated distance ratios in physical space. On any given trial, observers judged how long one distance interval was relative to another. The 18 stimulus ratios ranged from 1.0 to 9.5; the observers judged each stimulus ratio three times. The average correlation coefficient relating actual distance ratios to perceived ratios was identical (r=0.87) for both younger and older age groups. Despite this strong relationship between perception and reality, the judgments of many individual observers were inaccurate. For example, ten percent of the observers overestimated the stimulus ratios, while fifty percent underestimated the stimulus ratios. Although both under- and overestimation occurred in the current experiment, the results nevertheless demonstrate that human adults can reliably compare environmental distances in different directions.
Analyzing the global chromatin structure of keratinocytes by MNase-seq.

Eukaryotic DNA is wrapped around histone octamers, known as nucleosomes, in an orderly fashion that provides the primary structure of chromatin organization. The compaction of DNA into nucleosomal repeats not only allows the tight packaging of the large eukaryotic genomes into the nucleus, it also dictates the accessibility of genetic information. Thus, in order to understand how nucleosomes can affect the dynamics of DNA-protein interactions, such as those associated with transcriptional regulatory mechanisms, it is important to define nucleosomal positioning and occupancy along genomic DNA. Here we describe a method that relies on the enzymatic activity of micrococcal nuclease (MNase) to determine nucleosomal footprints and boundaries. By pairing this technique with next generation sequencing techniques (i.e., MNase-seq), it is possible to generate a genome-wide detailed map of chromatin architecture.
SU-C-BRB-03: Cross-Institutional Validation of An Ultrafast Automatic Planning Platform for Breast Irradiation

Purpose: Recently an ultrafast automatic planning system for breast irradiation using tangential beams was developed by modeling relationships between patient anatomy and achieved dose distribution. This study evaluates the performance of this system when applied to a different patient population and dose calculation algorithm. Methods: The system and its anatomy-to-dose models was developed at institution A based on 20 cases, which were planned using manual fluence painting technique and calculated WITH heterogeneity correction. Institution B uses field-in-field planning technique and dose calculation WITHOUT heterogeneity correction. 11 breast cases treated at Institution B were randomly selected for retrospective study, including left and right sides, and different breast size (irradiated volumes defined by Jaw/MLC opening range from 875cc to 3516cc). Comparisons between plans generated automatically (Auto-Plans) and those used for treatment (Clinical-Plans) included: energy choice (single/mixed), volumes receiving 95%/100%/105%/110% Rx dose (V95%/V100%/V105%/V100%) relative to irradiated volume, D1cc, and LungV20Gy. Results: In 9 out of 11 cases single/mixed energy choice made by the software agreed with Clinical-Plans. For the remaining 2 cases software recommended using mixed energy and dosimetric improvements were observed. V100% were similar (p=0.223, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test) between Auto-Plans and Clinical-Plans (57.6±8.9% vs. 54.8±9.5%). V95% is 2.3±3.0% higher for Auto-Plans (p=0.027), indicating reduced cold areas. Hot spot volume V105% were significantly reduced in Auto-Plan by 14.4±7.2% (p=0.004). Absolute V105% was reduced from 395.6±359.9cc for Clinical-Plans to 108.7±163cc for Auto-Plans. D1cc was 107.4±2.8% for Auto-Plans, and 109.2±2.4% for Clinical-Plans (p=0.056). LungV20Gy were 13.6±4.0% for Auto-Plan vs. 14.0±4.1% for Clinical-Plans (p=0.043). All optimizations were finished within 1.5min. Conclusion: The performance of this breast auto-planning system remained stable and satisfactory when applied to a different patient population and dose calculation algorithm. The auto-planning system was able to produce clinically similar Rx dose coverage with significantly improved homogeneity inside breast tissue, in less than 1.5min.
Somatic Variants in the Human Lens Epithelium: A Preliminary Assessment.

PURPOSE We hypothesize that somatic mutations accumulate in cells of the human lens and may contribute to the development of cortical or posterior sub-capsular cataracts. Here, we used a Next-generation sequencing (NGS) strategy to screen for low-allelic frequency variants in DNA extracted from human lens epithelial samples. METHODS Next-Generation sequencing of 151 cancer-related genes (WUCaMP2 panel) was performed on DNA extracted from post-mortem or surgical specimens obtained from 24 individuals. Usually, pairwise comparisons were made between two or more ocular samples from the same individual, allowing putative somatic variants detected in lens samples to be differentiated from germline variants. RESULTS Use of a targeted hybridization approach enabled high sequence coverage (>1000-fold) of the WUCaMP2 genes. In addition to high-frequency variants (corresponding to homozygous or heterozygous SNPs and Indels), somatic variants with allelic frequencies of 1-4% were detected in the lens epithelial samples. The presence of one such variant, a T > C point substitution at position 32907082 in BRCA2, was verified subsequently using droplet digital PCR. CONCLUSIONS Low-allelic fraction variants are present in the human lens epithelium, at frequencies consistent with the presence of millimeter-sized clones.
SoK: Everyone Hates Robocalls: A Survey of Techniques Against Telephone Spam

Telephone spam costs United States consumers $8.6 billion annually. In 2014, the Federal Trade Commission has received over 22 million complaints of illegal and wanted calls. Telephone spammers today are leveraging recent technical advances in the telephony ecosystem to distribute massive automated spam calls known as robocalls. Given that anti-spam techniques and approaches are effective in the email domain, the question we address is: what are the effective defenses against spam calls? In this paper, we first describe the telephone spam ecosystem, specifically focusing on the differences between email and telephone spam. Then, we survey the existing telephone spam solutions and, by analyzing the failings of the current techniques, derive evaluation criteria that are critical to an acceptable solution. We believe that this work will help guide the development of effective telephone spam defenses, as well as provide a framework to evaluate future defenses.
Irradiation & Cognitive Outcome in Medulloblastoma

The relation between supratentorial irradiation dose and intellectual outcome in 36 children (ages 5 to 15 years) treated for medulloblastoma was evaluated at the Gustave Roussy Institute, Villejuif, France.
First experimental results from a prototype rotating slit-slat collimator

We have previously found and validated expressions for slit-slat (SS) geometric efficiency and resolution. These expressions have suggested that SS may be a good choice for imaging mid-size objects or objects that are long axially since (i) the geometric efficiency increases near the slit as h−1 (instead of h−2 for pinhole (PIN) and either decreasing near the collimator for fan-beam (FB) or constant for parallel-beam (PB)), where h is the distance from a point to the slit plane; (ii) the transverse resolution is comparable to PIN, which is better than FB and PB for small objects; (iii) the axial resolution is worse than PIN since there is no axial magnification; (iv) there is a large axial FOV, unlike PIN, which is likely to be useful when imaging mid-size or long objects; and (v) there is no need for 3D orbits (e.g., helical) since each slice is complete (like PB and FB).
Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibody Intact Mass Analysis by Capillary Electrophoresis–Mass Spectrometry

The characterization of monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics via mass spectroscopy is of important value in determining sequence integrity and identifying post-translational modifications. The monoclonal antibodies are commonly either reduced to generate heavy chain and light chain, or enzymatically cleaved to produce characteristic domains for subunit intact mass analysis. Toward this end, liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is usually applied for the separation of these antibody subunits followed by on-line mass analysis. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is an emerging separation technique that provides excellent protein separation efficiency at ambient temperature. The recent advancement on the coupling of capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometer has essentially eliminated the technical obstacle for the broad application of CE-MS in the intact mass analysis of monoclonal antibody therapeutics. In this chapter, we will discuss several commercially available CE-MS interfaces and their applications, followed by demonstration of the CE-MS intact mass analysis procedure that has been developed for therapeutic protein characterization.
Near-zero fluoroscopy implantation of dual-chamber pacemaker in pregnancy using electroanatomic mapping.

Background: Complete Heart Block (CHB) is uncommon in pregnancy and challenging to manage due to risks of radiation to the fetus. Methods: A 27-year-old with known 1st degree AV block at 11 weeks gestational age presents with a 5-week history of fatigue, dizziness, and severe dyspnea. BP was 110/60
Celiac Disease, Gut-Brain Axis, and Behavior: Cause, Consequence, or Merely Epiphenomenon?

* Abbreviation: CDA — : celiac disease autoimmunity The classic view of celiac disease as a gastrointestinal disorder of childhood has radically changed in the past few decades thanks to a better understanding of its pathogenesis. Celiac disease is now considered an autoimmune enteropathy triggered by the ingestion of gluten-containing grains in genetically susceptible individuals.1 Although the gastrointestinal tract is the target of the autoimmune insult, celiac disease is a systemic disease, and its presentation can involve any organ or tissue of the body.1,2 One of the most fascinating yet poorly understood clinical presentations of celiac disease involve changes in behavior, including short-term memory loss, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, cognitive impairment, psychosis, and attention-deficit disorder.3 The degree to which these symptoms are the consequence of having a chronic disease versus celiac disease itself has not been clear. In this issue of Pediatrics , however, Smith et al provide evidence suggesting that celiac disease may in fact be the cause of these … Address correspondence to Alessio Fasano, MD, Center for Celiac Research and Treatment and Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital East, Building 114, 16th Street (Mail Stop 114-3503), Charlestown, MA 02129-4404. E-mail: afasano{at}mgh.harvard.edu
Quantifying model structural error: Efficient Bayesian calibration of a regional groundwater flow model using surrogates and a data-driven error model

Groundwater model structural error is ubiquitous, due to simplification and/or misrepresentation of real aquifer systems. During model calibration, the basic hydrogeological parameters may be adjusted to compensate for structural error. This may result in biased predictions when such calibrated models are used to forecast aquifer responses to new forcing. We investigate the impact of model structural error on calibration and prediction of a real-world groundwater flow model, using a Bayesian method with a data-driven error model [Xu and Valocchi, 2015a] to explicitly account for model structural error. The error-explicit Bayesian method jointly infers model parameters and structural error and thereby reduces parameter compensation. In this study, Bayesian inference is facilitated using high performance computing and fast surrogate models (based on machine learning techniques) as a substitute for the computationally expensive groundwater model. We demonstrate that with explicit treatment of model structural error, the Bayesian method yields parameter posterior distributions that are substantially different from those derived using classical Bayesian calibration that does not account for model structural error. We also found that the error-explicit Bayesian method gives significantly more accurate prediction along with reasonable credible intervals. Finally, through variance decomposition we provide a comprehensive assessment of prediction uncertainty contributed from parameter, model structure, and measurement uncertainty. The results suggest that the error-explicit Bayesian approach provides a solution to real-world modeling applications for which data support the presence of model structural error, yet model deficiency cannot be specifically identified or corrected.
A PLACE FOR GMOs IN FOOD SOVEREIGNTY

Over the past two years I have been developing research on the geopolitics of knowledge in food-sovereignty knowledge exchange. As part of this work, I travel with groups of people who are interested in how farmers and others involved in agriculture and food production are working to build food sovereignty in their communities. In January 2017, I was traveling with a group in Cuba. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The etiology of oxidative stress in insulin resistance

Insulin resistance is a prevalent syndrome in developed as well as developing countries. It is the predisposing factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus, the most common end stage development of metabolic syndrome in the United States. Previously, studies investigating type 2 diabetes have focused on beta cell dysfunction in the pancreas and insulin resistance, and developing ways to correct these dysfunctions. However, in recent years, there has been a profound interest in the role that oxidative stress in the peripheral tissues plays to induce insulin resistance. The objective of this review is to focus on the mechanism of oxidative species generation and its direct correlation to insulin resistance, to discuss the role of obesity in the pathophysiology of this phenomenon, and to explore the potential of antioxidants as treatments for metabolic dysfunction.
Moral Argument and Social Vision in the Courts: A Study of Tort Accident Law. By Henry J. Steiner

(1990). Moral Argument and Social Vision in the Courts: A Study of Tort Accident Law. By Henry J. Steiner. Argumentation and Advocacy: Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 120-122.
The automated battlefield

In Army of None , Paul Scharre offers an authoritative and sobering perspective on the automated battlefields that will very soon come to characterize military conflict, predicting that autonomous robots, many fully armed and capable of independent targeting decisions, will inevitably come to rule the waves, as well as prevailing on the ground, in the air, and especially in space.
Timed Up and Go como ferramenta de screening para fragilidade em idosos fisicamente ativos

Resumo Objetivo O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a performance do Timed Up and Go (TUG) como ferramenta de rastreamento para fragilidade em idosos fisicamente ativos. Metodo Realizou-se estudo transversal e uma curva Receiver-Operating Characteristic (ROC) foi construida para avaliar a capacidade diagnostica do teste. Reultados O TUG apresentou adequada sensibilidade (90,0%), especificidade (35,5%), VPP (32,6%) e VPN (90,9%) na predicao da fragilidade, com ponto de corte de TUG≥7,21 segundos. Conclusao Alem da facil aplicabilidade e baixo custo, o TUG passa ser importante para o rastreamento, podendo identificar precocemente individuos com provavel fragilidade, possibilitando o planejamento de intervencoes, prevenindo o declinio funcional.
The Certification Paradox

It is commonly observed that certification intermediaries mitigate informational asymmetries by “lending” reputational capital to support transacting parties’ quality commitments. However, this proposition is challenged by cases in which well-established intermediaries have failed to detect fraud, misrepresentation and other misbehavior. The “certification paradox” provides a more nuanced account that anticipates both the general success, and periodic failure, of certification intermediaries. Transacting parties minimize search and evaluation costs by using a small number of certification intermediaries with large stocks of reputational capital. Incumbent certifiers are substantially protected by entrants’ high costs of accumulating sufficient reputational capital and users’ high costs of switching to new certifiers. Incumbent certifiers have incentives to preserve reputational capital by generally maintaining investments in informational accuracy but, given the limited threats of competitive entry and user defection, to periodically save on costs by reducing certification effort. At least historically, certifiers have sought to commit against opportunistic reductions in informational accuracy by adopting non-profit, partnership and other “constrained” organizational forms that cap the gains from shirking on certification effort. This organizational prophylactic against certification failure may outperform direct regulatory interventions, which are liable to overestimate the demand for informational accuracy or erode the market rents that support certifiers’ incentives generally to maintain informational accuracy.
Superconductor-in-an-Hour: Spark Plasma Synthesis of Co- and Ni-Doped BaFe2As2

BaFe2As2 superconductors doped with Co or Ni were synthesized by heat treatment of the reactive BaH2 precursor and elemental Fe, Co, Ni, and As in a sealed niobium container. The hydride route prov...
The emergence of the maker movement: Implications for entrepreneurship research

Abstract The maker movement has been touted as a harbinger of the next industrial revolution. Through shared access to tools and digital fabrication technologies, makers can act as producers in the sharing economy and potentially increase entrepreneurship rates, catalyze advanced manufacturing, and spur economic development. We develop a model of the maker movement configured around social exchange, technology resources, and knowledge creation and sharing. We highlight opportunities for studying the conditions under which the movement might foster entrepreneurship outcomes and discuss how research on the maker movement can deepen our understanding of entrepreneurial teams and corporate entrepreneurship.
In-Office Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Neck Masses/Thyroid Nodules

Office-based ultrasonography is increasingly becoming an integral part of an otolaryngology-head and neck surgery practice. A thorough knowledge of the ultrasonic appearance of normal and abnormal pathology are key for performing/interpreting office-based head and neck ultrasonography. A focused but systematic approach allows for efficient and effective office-based head and neck ultrasonography. Office-based ultrasonography also allows for imaging procedures expanding the otolaryngologist's armamentarium. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (USgFNA) is an integral part of clinician-performed ultrasonography because it allows cytologic diagnosis of suspicious lesions. Understanding the successful techniques and pitfalls in this procedure are critical for the otolaryngologist performing USgFNA.
Group versus individual format of intervention for aggressive children: moderators and predictors of outcomes through 4 years after intervention

This study originated in collaboration with Thomas Dishion because of concerns that a group format for aggressive children might dampen the effects of cognitive-behavioral intervention. Three hundred sixty aggressive preadolescent children were screened through teacher and parent ratings. Schools were randomized to receive either an individual or a group format of the child component of the same evidence-based program. The results indicate that there is variability in how group-based cognitive-behavioral intervention can affect aggressive children through a long 4-year follow-up after the end of the intervention. Aggressive children who have higher skin conductance reactivity (potentially an indicator of poorer emotion regulation) and who have a variant of the oxytocin receptor gene that may be associated with being hyperinvolved in social bonding have better outcomes in their teacher-rated externalizing behavior outcomes over time if they were seen individually rather than in groups. Analyses also indicated that higher levels of the group leaders' clinical skills predicted reduced externalizing behavior problems. Implications for group versus individual format of cognitive-behavioral interventions for aggressive children, and for intensive training for group therapists, informed by these results, are discussed.
Predictors and Outcomes of Hemodynamic and Functional LVAD Non-Responders: An Analysis of the INTERMACS Registry

Purpose Despite recent advancements in left ventricular assist device (LVAD) technology, there remains a population of patients who experience ongoing signs and symptoms of heart failure during LVAD support. We sought to describe risk factors and outcomes for LVAD Non-Responders (NR). Methods The INTERMACS database was used to identify LVAD recipients from 2010-2018. Follow up data at 3 and 6 months were assessed for NYHA functional class and invasive hemodynamic data. Patients were considered functional NR if they had NYHA III-IV symptoms and hemodynamic NR if they met 2 of the 3 criteria: CVP =18, or CI Results 1544 patients had sufficient data to be included in the final study population. Eight percent of patients were both hemodynamic and functional NR, with an additional 30% either hemodynamic or functional NR (Figure 1A). On-device survival was strongly related to degree of NR (Figure 1B) with combined functional and hemodynamic NR associated with inferior 2-year survival. Functional NR appeared to portend a worse prognosis than hemodynamic NR. In multivariable analysis, age (OR: 1.20, p=0.062), BMI >30 (OR: 1.83, p=0.004), centrifugal device type (OR: 1.69, p=0.011), BUN (OR: 1.16, p=0.016), and presence of a CRT device (OR: 1.51, p=0.048) were associated with combined hemodynamic and functional NR. Conclusion Up to 40% of patients with post-implant hemodynamics were non-responders to LVAD therapy in important HF domains. Pre-implant age, high BMI, device type, elevated BUN, and presence of CRT device were associated with hemodynamic and functional NR. Future research is warranted to understand whether LVAD non-responsiveness can be modified with device modification and/or medical therapy.
Simulation of mixed-mode fracture using the combined finite–discrete element method

It has been shown experimentally that under mixed tensile and compressive stress states, a corresponding mixed-mode fracture will occur. In this paper, the formation of mixed-mode fractures is investigated using the combined finite–discrete element method. A series of simulations with confining pressures ranging from 7.5 to 150 MPa generate a spectrum of mixed-mode failure conditions. These stress states at failure span the transition from the tensile to compressive failure. The models reproduce previous experiments on Carrara marble using a dog-bone geometry, and a comparison shows good qualitative agreement with the experimental observations. This paper demonstrates that mixed-mode fracture can be captured via numerical simulations and identifies areas where further research is required to better understand mixed-mode fracture processes.
Effects of electronic cigarette aerosol exposure on oral and systemic health

Conventional cigarette smoke harms nearly every organ of the body and is the leading cause of death in the United States and in the world. Decades of research have associated conventional cigarette smoke with several diseases and death. Heavily marketed, electronic nicotine delivery systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are available in a variety of flavors and high nicotine concentrations. In 2019, a severe lung disease outbreak linked to e-cigarette use led to several deaths, which was called electronic-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI). Even though the trend of e-cigarette use among teens continues to increase, information on the effects of e-cigarette smoke on oral and overall health are still scarce. This review discusses the possible health effects due to unregulated e-cigarette use, as well as the health effects of second-hand smoke and third-hand smoke on non-smokers.
Physician well-being in allergy and immunology: Creating a culture of wellness.

Abstract Objective There are 3 domains of physician wellness: (1) the culture of wellness, (2) efficiency of practice, and (3) physician resilience. The culture of wellness encompasses an organization’s values, environment, and behaviors that foster compassion and growth in its physicians. Data Sources Studies have reported that burnout affects a physician’s professionalism, altruism, and a sense of calling. Furthermore, burnout increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, alcohol abuse, divorce, depression, and even suicide among physicians. Physician burnout is associated with decreased efficiency at work, which can affect patient care, patient satisfaction, and even patient safety. As such, it is imperative that we develop a culture of wellness. Study Selections A culture of wellness reflects shared values and a sense of community within an organization. When a culture of wellness is present, leaders prioritize the personal and professional growth of its team members. Results This article instructs readers on methods that can be used to develop a culture of wellness. Conclusion We need to address burnout at every level in health care, namely at health care organization and system levels, individual teams and offices, and at an individual level. In doing so, it becomes obvious that a lack of wellness (burnout) is a systems problem and not an individual’s fault. We are all responsible for taking steps to change the culture to one of wellness. Working within our practices, organization, and allergy societies, we can change the culture to one of wellness.
Detection of D 2 H + in the Dense Interstellar Medium

The 692 GHz para ground-state line of D2H+ has been detected at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory toward the prestellar core 16293E. The derived D2H+ abundance is comparable to that of H2D+, as determined by observations of the 372 GHz line of ortho-H2D+. This is an observational verification of recent theoretical predictions, developed to explain the large deuteration ratios observed in cold, high-density regions of the interstellar medium associated with low-mass prestellar cores and protostars. This detection confirms expectations that the multiply deuterated forms of H were missing factors of earlier models. The inclusion of D2H+ and D in the models leads to predictions of higher values of the D/H ratio in the gas phase.
DQLearn : A Toolkit for Structured Data Quality Learning

Data Quality (DQ) has been one of the key focuses as Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) fields continue to grow. Yet, data quality analysis has mostly been a disjointed, ad-hoc, and cumbersome process in the overall data analysis workflow. There have been ongoing attempts to formalize this process, but the solutions that have come out are not universally applicable. Most of the proposed solutions try to address the problem of data quality from a limited perspective and suc-cessfully address only a subset of all challenges. These solutions fail to translate to other domains due to a lack of structure. In this paper, we present DQLearn, a toolkit for structured data quality learning. We start by presenting the core principle on which we build our library and introduce the four components that provide a solid base to address the needs of the data quality problem. Then, we showcase our automation structure - "Workflows", and the two optimization techniques equipped with it, that help the users to structure their learning problem very easily. Next, we discuss four important scenarios of the DQ Workflows in the overall life-cycle. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of the proposed toolkit with public datasets and show benchmark results from optimization experiments.
Tibiofemoral Cartilage Contact Pressures in Athletes During Landing: A Dynamic Finite Element Study

Cartilage defects are common in the knee joint of active athletes and remain a problem as a strong risk factor for osteoarthritis. We hypothesized that landing during sport activities, implication for subfailure ACL loading, would generate greater contact pressures (CP) at the lateral knee compartment. The purpose of this study is to investigate tibiofemoral cartilage CP of athletes during landing. Tibiofemoral cartilage contact pressures (TCCP) under clinically relevant anterior cruciate ligament subfailure external loadings were predicted using four dynamic explicit finite element (FE) models (2 males and 2 females) of the knee. Bipedal landing from a jump for five cases of varying magnitudes of external loadings (knee abduction moment, internal tibial torque, and anterior tibial shear) followed by an impact load were simulated. Lateral TCCP from meniscus (area under meniscus) and from femur (area under femur) increased by up to 94% and %30 respectively when external loads were incorporated with impact load in all the models compared to impact-only case. In addition, FE model predicted higher CP in lateral compartment by up to 37% (11.87 MPa versus 8.67 MPa) and 52% (20.19 MPa versus 13.29 MPa) for 90% and 50% percentile models, respectively. For the same percentile populations, CPs were higher by up to 25% and 82% in smaller size models than larger size models. We showed that subfailure ACL loadings obtained from previously conducted in vivo study led to high pressures on the tibiofemoral cartilage. This knowledge is helpful in enhancing neuromuscular training for athletes to prevent cartilage damage.
America in Italy: the United States in the political thought and imagination of the Risorgimento, 1763–1865: by Axel Körner. Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2017, xix + 351 pp., $45.00 (hard cover), ISBN: 9780691164854

Axel Korner challenges the notion that the American Revolution and its Constitution was a major influence upon Italy’s long struggle for independence from the late eighteenth century to the America...
Lelooska: The Life of a Northwest Coast Artist

Don Smith, or Lelooska, (1933-1996) was well-known in the Pacific Northwest as a Native American artist and storyteller. Of 'mixed-blood' Cherokee heritage, he was adopted as an adult by the prestigious Kwakiutl Sewid clan and had relationships with elders from a wide range of tribal backgrounds. Initially producing curio items for sale to tourists and regalia for Oregon Indians, he emerged in the late 1950s as one of a handful of artists who proved critical in the renaissance of Northwest Coast Indian art. He also developed into a supreme performer and educator, staging shows of dances, songs, and storytelling. During the peak years from the 1970s to the early 1990s, the family shows with Lelooska as the centerpiece attracted as many as 30,000 people annually.In this book, historian and family friend Chris Friday shares and annotates interviews that he conducted with Lelooska between 1993 and 1996. In the process, he develops a portrait that is large enough to embrace the contradictory elements of Lelooska's life. What, he asks, is Native identity? What is 'authenticity' in art? How are we to understand the concept of pan-Indianism? What are the politics of Indian tribal adoption? By engaging these questions and the contradictions that produce them, Friday honors Lelooska's complexity and constructs Lelooska's life as a prism for viewing the shifting and historically indeterminate nature of twentieth-century Indian identities. Chris Friday is professor of history and director of the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies at Western Washington University.
Did You Think It Was Going to Be Easy

One disadvantage of no longer taking a problem for granted is that one may begin to appreciate just how difficult the problem is. In a 1992 address to the American Psychological Association, Ralph Reitan indicated that the development of methods for the detection of malingering might require an effort not that different in scope from that required to derive neuropsychological methods for the detection of brain dysfunction. That distressing thought could certainly be viewed as a constructive call to action.
Les Missions De La Commission Des Operations De Bourse

This article describes and examines the functions and modes of operation of the French Cominission des Opirations de Bourse, or Stock Exchange Commission. In particular, it focuses upon two commission tasks: improving the quality of information that flows from public companies to stockholders and the public, and insuring fair trade practices on the stock exchange, especially with regard to insider trading and tender offers. To accomplish these tasks, the Commission makes creative use of its statutorily granted controls over public companies and company auditors. In addition, it utilizes a system of incentives to bring about meaningful improvements in the thinking and behavior of management personnel. On the whole, this article asserts, the Commission has achieved a great deal of success and shows the promise of future success.
Reduction of Electon-Phonon Scattering Rates by Total Spatial Quantization

The physics of spatially quantized systems has been the subject of intense investigation since the introduction of MBE and MOCVD. Quantum wells have been exhaustively examined since the seminal works of Dingle et al[1]. More recently, studies on quantum wires[2] have yielded interesting new properties. Here, we present data on a completely spatial quantized system that shows unique photoluminescence structure resulting from an electron or hole phonon scattering bottleneck. This paper discloses evidence of the modification of carrier-phonon scattering rates by the imposition of complete spatial quantization on GaAs-AlGaAs quantum wells. The photoluminescence spectra exhibit striking structure in the normal intrinsic exciton luminescence of the confined quantum well states which is best explained by a bottleneck for electron/hole energy loss. We believe that this bottleneck is a direct consequence of the quantization of the electronic and/or phonon dispersion relations. This photoluminescence structure does not occur for samples of higher dimensionality.
Generalized periodic discharges and 'triphasic waves': A blinded evaluation of inter-rater agreement and clinical significance.

Abstract Objectives Generalized periodic discharges (GPDs) are associated with nonconvulsive seizures. Triphasic waves (TWs), a subtype of GPDs, have been described in relation to metabolic encephalopathy and not felt to be associated with seizures. We sought to establish the consistency of use of this descriptive term and its association with seizures. Methods 11 experts in continuous EEG monitoring scored 20 cEEG samples containing GPDs using Standardized Critical Care EEG Terminology. In the absence of patient information, the inter-rater agreement (IRA) for EEG descriptors including TWs was assessed along with raters' clinical EEG interpretation and compared with actual patient information. Results The IRA for ‘generalized' and ‘periodic' was near-perfect (kappa=0.81), but fair for ‘triphasic' (kappa=0.33). Patients with TWs were as likely to develop seizures as those without (25% vs 26%, N.S.) and surprisingly, patients with TWs were less likely to have toxic-metabolic encephalopathy than those without TWs (55% vs 79%, p Conclusions While IRA for the terms "generalized" and "periodic" is high, it is only fair for TWs. EEG interpreted as TWs presents similar risk for seizures as GPDs without triphasic appearance. GPDs are commonly associated with metabolic encephalopathy, but ‘triphasic' appearance is not predictive. Significance Conventional association of ‘triphasic waves' with specific clinical conditions may lead to inaccurate EEG interpretation.
A Comparison of the M-PCP, D-PCP, and FMLP on LITMUSRT

This paper presents a performance comparison of three multiprocessor real-time locking protocols: the multiprocessor priority ceiling protocol (M-PCP), the distributed priority ceiling protocol (D-PCP), and the flexible multiprocessor locking protocol (FMLP). In the FMLP, blocking is implemented via either suspending or spinning, while in the M-PCP and D-PCP, all blocking is by suspending. The presented comparison was conducted using a UNC-produced Linux extension called LITMUSRT. In this comparison, schedulability experiments were conducted in which runtime overheads as measured on LITMUSRT were used. In these experiments, the spin-based FMLP variant always exhibited the best performance, and the M-PCP and D-PCP almost always exhibited poor performance. These results call into question the practical viability of the M-PCP and D-PCP, which have been the de-facto standard for real-time multiprocessor locking for the last 20 years.
Improving our understanding of epicardial ventricular tachycardia in nonischemic cardiomyopathy.

Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a well-established therapeutic technique. Focal VT in structurally normal hearts can be cured by catheter ablation and meaningful clinical results can be achieved in patients with structural heart disease who have drug refractory arrhythmias resulting in device therapy. When hemodynamically stable and sustained, VTs, can be ablated using activation and entrainment mapping. In the past several years, even hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardias have been managed by catheter ablation. This has been achieved by targeting potential arrhythmia circuits that are identified by mapping the myocardial substrate during sinus rhythm (or a paced rhythm) (1,2). The evolution of substrate-based ablation of ventricular tachycardia has been aided by three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping that has allows localization of scars in relation to the ventricle using local electrogram voltage characteristics obtained using point-by-point intracardiac mapping in sinus rhythm.(3) With an accurate real-time representation of scar anatomy, ablation along border zone tissue to mimic surgical encircling subendocardial resection has been demonstrated to be an effective technique when VT is unsuitable for entrainment mapping.(4-8) The recognition of the importance of the electrical characteristics of scars in the genesis of VTs and the characterization of their extent and location has been a major advancement in the field of VT ablation.
Glycoprotein Biosynthesis in Small Intestinal Mucosa I. A STUDY OF GLYCOSYLTRANSFERASES IN MICROSOMAL SUBFRACTIONS

Abstract An active multiglycosyltransferase system involved in the transfer of N-acetylgalactosamine, N-acetylglucosamine, and galactose to various glycoprotein acceptors was found in the rat small intestinal mucosa. The present studies are concerned with the subcellular localization of these glycosyltransferases. Satisfactory isolation of smooth and rough surfaced microsomes from the intestinal mucosa was obtained by modifying the method of Dallner (Acta Pathol. Microbiol. Scand Suppl., 166, 1 (1963)). Kinetic studies, performed to establish optimum conditions for quantitative assays of the glycosyltransferases, were linear with respect to enzyme concentration and time. Smooth surfaced microsomes were the main submicrosomal loci for the glycosyltransferases; for example 95% of total microsomal polypeptidyl:N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase activity was found in the smooth surfaced microsomes. The results of alkaline borohydride treatment and acid hydrolysis indicated that N-acetylgalactosamine was incorporated into the heat-treated rough surfaced microsomal acceptors primarily at the protein to carbohydrate linkages while in the case of the heat-treated smooth surfaced microsomal acceptors, this sugar was probably added to positions more distal in the polysaccharide moiety. Immunodiffusion showed that only the smooth surfaced microsomes contained a component immunologically identical with purified rat small intestinal mucin. These results suggest that both stepwise glycosylation and probably the attainment of an immunological identity of rat small intestinal mucin occur in the smooth surfaced microsomes.
Graph Theoretic Techniques for Cluster Analysis Algorithms

Publisher Summary The output of a cluster analysis method is a collection of subsets of the object set termed clusters characterized in some manner by relative internal coherence and/or external isolation, along with a natural stratification of these identified clusters by levels of cohesive intensity. In formalizing a model of the cluster analysis methods, it is essential to consider the nature and inherent reliability of the proximity data that constitutes the input in substantive clustering applications. The proximity value scales are dichotomous. It is the practice of most authors of cluster methods to assume that the proximity values are available in the form of a real symmetric matrix, where any unjustified structure implicit in the real values is either to be ignored or axiomatically disallowed. The most desirable cluster analysis models for substantive applications should have the input proximity data expressible in a manner faithfully representing only the reliable information content of the empirically measured data.
Rectal cancer: the evolution of laparoscopy--what's next?

Despite advances in laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer, the role of laparoscopic approaches for rectal cancer remains controversial. A large, single-center study has now demonstrated the safety and feasibility of laparoscopy for rectal cancer, which provides new incentives for prospective clinical trials to rigorously test this surgical approach.
The nuclear import function of Smad2 is masked by SARA and unmasked by TGFbeta-dependent phosphorylation.

The nuclear import function of Smad2 is masked by SARA and unmasked by TGFb-dependent phosphorylation
The effect of pravastatin on hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase obtained from poloxamer 407-induced hyperlipidemic rats

A single 300-mg intraperitoneal injection of poloxamer 407 (P-407) to rats produces a marked hypercholesterolemia for a minimum of 96 hours and increases the activity of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase compared with the enzyme activity found in microsomal homogenates of control animals. We attempted to determine whether inhibition of microsomal HMG-CoA reductase by pravastatin sodium would yield similar values for the maximum reaction in velocity (v max ) and the HMG-CoA reductase-pravastatin dissociation constant (K i ) when the enzyme was in the activated state compared with the control state. Knowledge of the respective values for V max and K i would allow us to determine whether P-407-induced hypercholesterolemia in the rat was refractory to pravastatin treatment. Over a pravastatin concentration range of 0.5-50 nM, enzyme activity in vitro decreased as the drug's concentration increased. A standard Dixon plot of mean values of reciprocal reaction velocity versus pravastatin concentration yielded K i of 3.7 and 4.1 nM for the control and activated states, respectively. The V max for conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate in vitro in the presence of pravastatin was 3.5-fold greater when assayed in microsomal homogenates obtained from P-407-injected rats compared with control animals. Dixon plot analysis of the data resulted in V max of 58.1 and 202 pmol.min -l .mg -1 for the control and activated states, respectively. These data suggest that whereas the V max is affected, injection of P-407 to rats does not alter the binding affinity of pravastatin for receptor(s) contained in HMG-CoA reductase as reflected by similar K i values. This experimental animal model may be an additional screen with which to rank order the relative potency of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors by determining the drug's effectiveness when HMG-CoA reductase is in an activated state.