cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of muscimol on glucose-stimulated somatostatin and insulin release from the isolated, perfused rat pancreas.

This study examines the effect of muscimol, a high affinity, specific gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist, on glucose-stimulated somatostatin and insulin release from the isolated, perfused rat pancreas. Perfusion with low glucose (50 mg/dl) conditions resulted in basal somatostatin release of 46 ± 4 pg/ml. Basal insulin release was less than 20 μU/ml. High glucose (300 mg/dl) conditions stimulated somatostatin and insulin release. Steady-state levels of somatostatin and insulin release under high glucose conditions were 425 ± 12 pg/ml and 419 ± 18 μU/ml, respectively. Perfusion with medium containing 1 μM muscimol inhibited glucose-stimulated somatostatin release by 38%, whereas the course of glucose-stimulated insulin release was unaffected. Tentative conclusions from this study are (1) that GABA is potentially a modulator of islet somatostatin but not insulin release, and (2) the fact that somatostatin, an inhibitor of insulin, can be suppressed 38% without coincidental increase in insulin release seems to indicate that, under high glucose conditions, somatostatin is without a significant paracrine effect on the beta-cellS.
The Not-so-Golden State of Sentencing and Corrections: California's Lessons for the Nation:

California has become the unfortunate poster child of dysfunctionality in American criminal justice, with most of its prison system under federal court control. From 2006–2008, the Stanford Criminal Justice Center undertook an innovative series of Executive Sessions to help diagnose California's problems and proffer solutions. Participants included a range of high-level state officials, judges, policymakers, and agency heads, as well as academic experts, and this article synthesizes the consensus observations of this group. The main symptom of California's problems is the endless recycling of offenders through parole revocations back into and out of prison, but the sources of the problem lie in a poorly coordinated political economy of incarceration. The system is plagued by regulatory mismatches, failure to collect needed data on offenders and transmit it efficiently within the system, and irrational externalities and disincentives that thwart the goal of sound cost-benefit analysis. However unusual, Cal...
CD154 Activates Macrophage Antimicrobial Activity in the Absence of IFN-γ through a TNF-α-Dependent Mechanism

Protection against certain intracellular pathogens can take place in the absence of IFN-γ through mechanisms dependent on TNF-α. In this regard, patients with partial defect in IFN-γ receptor 1 are not susceptible to toxoplasmosis. Thus, we used a model of Toxoplasma gondii infection to investigate whether CD154 modulates IFN-γ-independent mechanisms of host protection. Human monocyte-derived macrophages treated with recombinant CD154 exhibited increased anti- T. gondii activity. The number of tachyzoites per 100 macrophages at 20 h postinfection was lower in CD154-treated macrophages compared with controls. This was accompanied by a decrease in the percentage of infected cells in CD154-treated macrophages at 20 h compared with 1 h postinfection. CD154-bearing cells also induced antimicrobial activity in T. gondii -infected macrophages. CD154 enhanced macrophage anti- T. gondii activity independently of IFN-γ. TNF-α mediated the effects of CD154 on macrophage anti- T. gondii activity. CD154 increased TNF-α production by T. gondii -infected macrophages, and neutralization of TNF-α inhibited the effect of CD154 on macrophage anti- T. gondii activity. These results demonstrate that CD154 triggers TNF-α-dependent antimicrobial activity in macrophages and suggest that CD154 regulates the mechanisms of host protection that take place when IFN-γ signaling is deficient.
A Channel Model for Wireless Underground Sensor Networks Using Lateral Waves

Wireless Underground Sensor Networks (WUSNs) are an emerging type of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), where sensor nodes are located under the ground and communicate through soil. The major challenge in the development of efficient communication protocols for WUSNs is the characterization of the underground channel. So far, none of the existing models fully capture all the components of electromagnetic signal propagation in the soil medium. In this paper, three major components that influence underground communication are identified: direct, reflected, and lateral waves, where the latter has not been analyzed for WUSNs so far. Accordingly, a closed- form three-wave (3W) channel model is developed based on EM propagation principles of signals through soil. The 3W channel model is shown to agree well with both underground testbed experiments and EM analysis based on Maxwell's equations, which cannot be represented in closed-form.
Non-reciprocal retro-reflective array for enhanced standoff on-metal target tracking and identification

The detection and tracking of targets in highly cluttered environments often poses a difficult engineering challenge as the strong clutter backscatter contained in the scene makes it difficult to distinguish the target of interest. A design concept based on a planar retro-reflective array tag to aide in the standoff detection and tracking of large metallic objects in a warehouse setting is presented. This retro-reflector design seeks to minimize the footprint of the tag by utilizing a contrast in the polarization properties of the target compared to the surrounding clutter. This allows for enhanced detection from a reduced size by maximizing the ratio of the target signal to that of the clutter. To accomplish this, a unique series fed dual polarized grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) patch antenna is designed and implemented with minimal cross-coupling among elements. The isolation among orthogonal polarizations of these elements allows for the integration of active devices into this design architecture to further reduce size, enhance detection and provide the array with unique non-reciprocal polarization properties in further contrast to those of the reciprocal clutter. This compact array is implemented at 26GHz. The design outline and measured performance both in a controlled and highly cluttered environment are presented.
Does trade affect child health

Frankel and Romer [Frankel, J., Romer, D., 1999. Does trade cause growth? American Economic Review 89 (3), 379-399] documented positive effects of geographically determined trade openness on economic growth. At the same time, critics fear that openness can lead to a "race to the bottom" that increases pollution and reduces government resources for investments in health and education. We use Frankel and Romer's gravity model of trade to examine how openness to trade affects children. Overall, we find little harm from trade, and potential benefits largely through slightly faster GDP growth.
Germline Telomere Length Dynamics and Mutagen Sensitivity Studies in a Family with Acute Reactions to Sun Exposure: Involvement of Three Generations

Most cancers are the result of an interaction between germline genetic susceptibility and exposure to environmental carcinogens. We studied chromosomal aberrations, telomeric associations, telomere signal intensity by fluorescence in situ hybridization, p53 germline mutation, bleomycin (Bleo) and 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) sensitivity, and chromosome-specific telomere signals in T and B lymphocytes in a Caucasian family involving three generations and 13 family members. This family was chosen because eight of its members are extremely sensitive to sunlight and burn easily even upon short exposure. The family members have shown: (a) hypersensitivity either to Bleo or 4NQO mutagens, with values much higher than 1.00 breaks/cell (b/c) for Bleo and 0.40 b/c for 4NQO; (b) an increased rate of telomeric associations; (c) variable amounts of telomeric DNA not common for the person's age; (d) the presence of intron 7 polymorphism in the proband and no significant effect on N-methyl-N'-nitosoguanidine (MNNG)-induced p53 expression in two key family members; and (e) an incidence of epithelial malignancies in two family members. Seven additional members showed polymorphism of telomeric signals in the short arm of two homologous chromosome 17s, where the p53 gene is localized. A 78-year-old grandmother, who had developed colon cancer, was predicted to have metastatic cancer based on the telomeric DNA amount in her lymphocytes (2.90%); she subsequently developed metastatic lesions within a year and died. Based on these observations, we conclude that telomere erosion is the initial cause of genomic instability/susceptibility which, in turn, may be causal for the reproductive complications, premature aging phenotypes and, in some cases, predisposition to cancer development.
Degradation of Algal Palynomorphs on 34-yr-old Microscope Slides

Reexamination of 34-yr-old microscope slides of palynological preparations reveals the loss and degradation of algal palynomorphs, in particular the green alga Pediastrum and the desmid Pleurotaeni...
Oral Health Care Delivery Within the Accountable Care Organization.

Abstract The accountable care organization (ACO) provides an opportunity to strategically design a comprehensive health system in which oral health works within primary care. A dental hygienist/therapist within the ACO represents value-based health care in action. Background Inspired by health care reform efforts in Minnesota, a vision of an accountable care organization that integrates oral health into primary health care was developed. Dental hygienists and dental therapists can help accelerate the integration of oral health into primary care, particularly in light of the compelling evidence confirming the cost-effectiveness of care delivered by an allied workforce. Methods A dental insurance Chief Operating Officer and a dental hygiene educator used their unique perspectives and experience to describe the potential of an interdisciplinary team-based approach to individual and population health, including oral health, via an accountable care community. Conclusions The principles of the patient-centered medical home and the vision for accountable care communities present a paradigm shift from a curative system of care to a prevention-based system that encompasses the behavioral, social, nutritional, economic, and environmental factors that impact health and well-being. Oral health measures embedded in the spectrum of general health care have the potential to ensure a truly comprehensive healthcare system.
Response of canine thiry-vella jejunal loops to cholera exotoxin and its modification by ethacrynic acid

A series of recent studies has demonstrated that the loss of gut electrolytes in cholera is caused by an exotoxin produced by Vibrio cholerae which have colonized the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract [1, 2].1 Canine Thiry-Vella jejunal loops consistently respond to intraluminal challenge with crude cholera exotoxin by production of isotonic fluid for an 18-24-hr period [3, 4]. The canine Thiry-Vella jejunal loop may thus serve as an assay for preparations of cholera exotoxin and provide a system in which the effect of pharmacologic agents on the response to exotoxin may be investigated. The current series of studies was designed (a) to delineate more precisely the response of ThiryVella jejunal loops to intraluminal challenge with cholera exotoxin, and (b) to study the effect of both intraluminal and intravenous ethacrynic acid on the response of the gut to cholera exotoxin.
Promotion of Au(en)2Cl3-Derived Au/Fumed SiO2 by Treatment with KMnO4

A new method for the removal of organic ligands used in the synthesis of nanoparticle catalysts via solution-phase chemical oxidation and subsequent pretreatment at moderate temperatures was developed. This synthesis protocol is advantageous for the preparation of highly dispersed gold catalysts with minimum sintering. Highly active Au/SiO2-based catalysts were prepared by treating Au(en)2Cl3-derived Au/fumed SiO2 in strongly oxidative KMnO4 solutions. The low-temperature activity in CO oxidation increased dramatically following the KMnO4 treatment and subsequent thermal activation (including treatment in O2−He at 300–600 °C). The influences of the pH values of KMnO4 solutions and temperatures of activation in O2−He prior to the reaction testing were investigated, and relevant characterization using XRD, TEM, TG/DTG, SEM, EDX, and ICP-OES was conducted. The catalyst stability in CO oxidation was studied as a function of reaction time on stream. The origin of the promotional effect was discussed.
Miscible Elastomer Mixtures

The present report is concerned with various mixtures involving polybutadiene (both the 1,2- and 1,4-isomers) and cis-1,4-polyisoprene. While in all cases associated with positive excess enthalpies reflecting an absence of specific interactions, these mixtures exhibit marked differences in their phase behavior
Automation Design: Its Human Problems

This paper examines some of the general features of automation technology and explores certain human issues pertaining to the design of automated systems. After preliminary conceptual clarification of the components of an automated system and the level of knowledge that would make automation feasible, the paper explores the human problems facing designers of automated systems.
Studies in the mathematical biophysics of discrimination and conditioning II: Special case: Errors, trials, and number of possible responses

A special case of a problem discussed in a previous paper is treated in greater detail. An equation in the three variables, errors, trials and number of possible choices, is developed and compared with the results of an experiment performed under conditions closely approximating those required for the development of the equation. The agreement is excellent.
Beware of immunohistochemistry--report of a cytokeratin-, desmin- and INI-1-negative pelvic desmoplastic small round cell tumor in a 51 year old woman

We present a 51 year old female patient with a pelvic desmoplastic small round cell tumor with an unusual immunohistochemical profile, including absence of significant cytokeratin expression, complete negativity for desmin and widespread loss of nuclear INI-1 expression (>90% of tumor cells). The neoplastic cells were positive for epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), vimentin, and WT-1 (antibody against the C-terminus). The tumor showed classic histopathological features with no rhabdoid cells. Fluorescent in situ hybridization revealed EWSR1 gene rearrangement and absent SYT gene rearrangement. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction showed presence of EWSR1-WT1 transcript.
Hospice organizations' role in health care improvement

Hospice organizations must understand and plan for their position in the proposed and ongoing changes in health care delivery in the United States. This paper proposes that hospice organizations shift their thinking about their role in the health care system. Hospices may view their work as processes which are impacted by many entities within the system of care; measure the outcomes of this work against the needs of patients, families and health care providers; and work to continually improve care. Aspects of this approach, and its implications for hospice organizations, are described. Using this new understanding, hospice organizations can both broaden their impact on care for larger numbers of dying patients, and position themselves to move forward within that system as the financial base and structure of health care change.
Poisson Summation Formula in Hardy Spaces $$H^p(T_\Gamma )$$, $$p\in (0,1]$$p∈(0,1]

The Poisson summation formula for Hardy spaces \(H^p\left( T_\Gamma \right) \) in tubes \(T_\Gamma \subset \mathbb {C}^n\) for \(p\in \left( 0,1\right] \) is obtained. Unlike the case of \(L^p\left( \mathbb {R}^n\right) \) spaces, the formula holds everywhere in \(T_\Gamma \) without any additional assumptions. To the best of our knowledge, the result is new even for the univariate case—Hardy spaces in the upper half-plane.
Women of God

Is God bad for women? Media consumers in North America and Europe are probably familiar with this narrative: conservative and fundamentalist religions—those that take religion seriously and politicize religiosity—are on the rise, and that's bad for women. In France, wearing a the headscarf in public spaces is decried as an affront to French notions of citizenship and to women's personhood. In the United States, Afghan women's plight at the hands of the Taliban was used as a justification for American intervention. Since the emancipation of women and the diversification of family forms and sexualities are among the hallmarks of modernity and secularization, and since fundamentalist religious groups tend to hold traditional views on gender, sexuality, and the family, conservative religions are typically viewed as antithetical to women's interests (not to mention modern, democratic ideals of choice and the freedom to chart one's own destiny).
Analyzing the impact of retransmission timeout bounds in wireless mesh networks

Efficient estimation of retransmission timeout exhibits a fundamental impact on reliable transmissions of data in wireless mesh networks. Several approaches estimate retransmission timeouts for data transmissions over wired and wireless links mainly based on outcomes of already attempted data transmissions. These estimated retransmission timeouts possess significant variation over wireless links due to the unreliable nature of wireless medium. Therefore, estimation based on experience may sometime generate such retransmission timeout values that may not be feasible at any real data transmission attempt. This sort of values may result in unnecessary delay in case of unsuccessful transmission in wireless mesh networks. Therefore, to make the estimation more pragmatic, all the approaches utilize lower and upper bounds of retransmission timeouts to confine them within feasible range during the estimation. All the approaches adopt fixed values for these bounds without any significant analysis of their optimal values. However, adjusting these values may result in significant improvement in performance of wireless mesh networks. Therefore, we present a thorough analysis of the impact of variations of lower and upper bounds on wireless mesh network performance. We adopt network throughput and average energy per bit as our metrics of network performance during the analysis. We simulate wireless mesh networks in the simulator ns-2 and separately analyze the impacts of lower and upper bounds of retransmission timeouts to show that we can get optimal points for both of them.
Minimizing transportation and installation costs for turbines in offshore wind farms

Building an offshore wind energy facility is an undertaking of large capital investment. The cost of such transportation and installation depends on the time to complete these processes. The cost can be minimized by an optimum selection of variables of transportation and installation operations such as onshore pre-assembly of turbines and their rated power outputs. Other factors such as learning rates for lifting and assembly operation, port-to-farm site distance, vessel deck area and lifting rate of the vessel crane have significant effects on the system cost. A model based on these costs is developed for wind turbine installation and transportation in an offshore wind farm, and the impact of decision variables on total cost of transportation and installation is investigated here. The effects of wind farm and vessel parameters on cost are studied such that an optimal set of system parameters is chosen to minimize the total cost of transportation and installation. A numerical analysis is performed to illustrate the model and to understand the general behavior of different system parameters. The results show that the total cost is significantly impacted by turbine size and pre-assembly method. Also, the scheduled maintenance help reduce the cost significantly that the unscheduled maintenance.
High-fat High-Sugar Diet Induces Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in a Rodent Model

Obesity has been linked with a host of metabolic and reproductive disorders including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). While a clear association exists between obesity and PCOS, the exact nature of this relationship remains unexplained. The primary symptoms of PCOS include hyperandrogenism, anovulation, and polycystic ovaries. Most animal models utilize androgen treatments to induce PCOS. However, these models often fail to address the underlying causes of the disease and do not effectively reproduce key metabolic features such as hyperinsulinemia. Here, we present a novel rodent model of diet-induced obesity that recapitulates both the metabolic and reproductive phenotypes of human PCOS. Rats on a high-fat high-sugar (HFHS) diet not only demonstrated signs of metabolic impairment, but they also developed polycystic ovaries and experienced irregular estrous cycling. Though hyperandrogenism was not characteristic of HFHS animals as a group, elevated testosterone levels were predictive of high numbers of ovarian cysts. Alterations in steroidogenesis and folliculogenesis gene expression were also found via RNA sequencing of ovarian tissue. Importantly, the PCOS-like symptoms induced in these rats may share a similar etiology to PCOS in humans. Therefore, this model offers a unique opportunity to study PCOS at its genesis rather than following the development of disease symptoms.
Ulipristal acetate before high complexity endoscopic (hysteroscopic, laparoscopic) myomectomy – a mini-review

Uterine myomas (fibromas, leiomyomas) are the most common tumours in women, and their clinical signs and symptoms are presented by 25-40% of patients with these benign tumours. According to current guidelines, the armamentarium for myoma management consists of: medical therapy (GnRH, SPRMs), non-surgical alternatives including uterine artery embolisation (UAE), vaginal temporary occlusion of uterine arteries using clamp-like device or MRgFUS technique, and surgical treatment (including minimally invasive techniques). In cases of submucous myomas STEPW classification correlates very well with the risk of incomplete hysteroscopic myomectomies. According to limited literature data, ulipristal acetate as a pre-treatment seems to be very prudent in high complexity hysteroscopic myomectomy (STEPW II, score 5-6). In patients with large uterine myomas (FIGO type 3, 4, 5) undergoing laparoscopic myomectomy, three-month pre-treatment with ulipristal acetate before laparoscopy is feasible and can be recommended because of shorter time of surgery, lower intraoperative blood loss, lower haemoglobin drop, and low postoperative blood transfusion rate.
“Civilization” and “Mission”

““Civilization” and the Self-Critical Tradition” argues that the word “civilization” in Europe comprises intrinsically the idea of progress contrary to the negative portrayal that prominent theorists have associated to this term. I argue that skepticism will remain about this idea, especially for the formerly colonized people who associate the term with two other words “mission” and “colonialism.” However, exploring a cultural perspective could serve to make the point about the cyclic dimension of the evolution of all “civilization.
Temperature profile and melt depth in laser powder bed fusion of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy

In this paper, the prediction of temperature profile and melt depth for laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) of Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder material was performed by numerically solving the heat conduction-diffusion equation using a finite difference method. A review of the literature in numerical modeling for laser-based additive metal manufacturing is presented. Initially, the temperature profile along the depth direction into the powder material is calculated for a stationary single pulse laser heat source to understand the transient behavior of the temperature rise during L-PBF. The effect of varying laser pulse energy, average power, and the powder material’s density is analyzed. A method to calculate and predict the maximum depth at which localized melting of the powder material occurs is provided.
Putting It Together: The Way Forward**With contributions from Cameron Ehrlich and Jordan Richards.

This chapter helps the reader put together all the innovative, somewhat radical ideas that were laid out in the previous chapters. We suspect, certainly hope, that readers had a cognitive dissonance during the process. This is positive. Recognizing one’s cognitive dissonance provides an opportunity for learning to take place, and we support your journey. As you close the book, we want to be perfectly clear what you can do right now to incorporate the 11 concepts and associated skills illustrated in this book into your daily work, be it research, teaching, policy-making, outreach, and/or other forms of leadership. We have proposed some basic tools that have worked for us: recognize and understand one’s own culture; be open to failure and how to learn from it; decolonize personal interactions (use language of those with whom you work and live); strive to have an ethnorelative worldview; use the holistic process in one’s own life, and facilitate its use in learning and sharing in a community; value immersion experiences; listen to Indigenous peoples; listen across power lines; instructors, listen to students, students listen to each other; listen across campus; include Traditional Ecological Knowledge and the doing of Native Science as an important basis and on-going process. These are the basic components of a comprehensively and inclusively internationalized university of college or other educational or policy-making unit, one that can recognize and incorporate cultures “role in the food and agricultural sciences.”
The Triple Bottom Line: A Critical Review from a Transdisciplinary Perspective

The triple bottom line (TBL) has reformed management discourse by making sustainability part of the business agenda, yet increasingly the TBL has evolved into a proxy for sustainability, often visually depicted as the mutual maximization of economic, social and environmental dimensions. We use a sentiment analysis to show that the extant literature views the TBL favorably and uncritically, with only 8% of academic studies invoking the term negatively. Next, based on extant management literature, we show that two core assumptions underpin the TBL metaphor: win–win and firm-level sustainability. Then we employ a transdisciplinary comparative analysis to contrast these assumptions with two ecological perspectives: strong sustainability and nested hierarchy. By drawing extensively from the literature of ecologically grounded sciences, our study contributes a critical evaluation of the TBL paradigm of sustainability. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Aedes aegypti Molecular Responses to Zika Virus: Modulation of Infection by the Toll and Jak/Stat Immune Pathways and Virus Host Factors

Zika (ZIKV) and dengue viruses (DENV) are transmitted to humans by Aedes mosquitoes. However, the molecular interactions between the vector and ZIKV remain largely unexplored. In this work, we further investigated the tropism of ZIKV in two different Aedes aegypti strains and show that the virus infection kinetics, tissue migration, and susceptibility to infection differ between mosquito strains. We also compare the vector transcriptome changes upon ZIKV or DENV infection demonstrating that 40% of the mosquito’s midgut infection-responsive transcriptome is virus-specific at seven days after virus ingestion. Regulated genes included key factors of the mosquito’s anti-viral immunity. Comparison of the ZIKV and DENV infection-responsive transcriptome data to those available for yellow fever virus and West Nile virus identified 26 genes likely to play key roles in virus infection of Aedes mosquitoes. Through reverse genetic analyses, we show that the Toll and the Jak/Stat innate immune pathways mediate increased resistance to ZIKV infection, and the conserved DENV host factors vATPase and inosine-5’-monophosphate dehydrogenase are also utilized for ZIKV infection.
The duration effect of head start enrolment on parents

SummaryIn light of Head Start’s recent move toward longer program implementations, the current study examined whether the duration of Head Start enrollment impacts outcomes for parents: parental in...
Exploring residents' interest and career aspirations in global surgery.

Abstract Background Surgical residents increasingly seek global surgery (GS) experiences during training. Understanding their motives and goals is important to develop the optimal educational programs. A survey for surgical residents was developed to explore this interest. Materials and methods A survey administered in 2016 to residents in three surgical programs within the same academic institution assessed interest, prior global health experience, preferred training opportunities, and career goals in GS. Results Seventy-four surgical residents responded (78%) with 82% expressing interest in GS and 86% motivated by a desire for volunteerism. International electives (65%) and volunteer missions (49%) were the preferred experiences during residency over longer commitments such as advanced degrees. A majority of residents planned to incorporate GS into their career (76%) most commonly by volunteering on missions (70%) with a smaller group aiming for a career in GS (13%). Residents with prior global health experience (n = 27, 36%) showed greater interest in GS (96% versus 72%, P = 0.02) and a commitment after residency (93% versus 68%, P = 0.02), and trended toward greater interest in GS careers (22% versus 6%, P = 0.06). Conclusions Institutional interest in GS remains high among surgical residents, motivated primarily by a desire for volunteerism. Following training, most residents plan to participate in short-term volunteer commitments, though a small group envisions GS as part of their long-term career goals. Prior global health experience is associated with interest in GS both in the present and long term. Providing these experiences early may be a strategy to support academic interest.
The Role of the Venture Capitalist

This chapter analyzes the venture capitalist’s incentives to maximize the profits of the entrepreneurs of ventures and the limited partners of a venture fund. Venture capital is a professionally managed pool of capital invested in equity-linked private ventures. Venture capitalists are actively involved in the management of the venture to assure its success. Venture capitalists are general partners and outside investors are limited partners. Venture capital contracts have three main characteristics: 1) staging the commitment of capital and preserving the option to abandon, 2) using compensation systems directly linked to value creation 3) preserving ways to force management to distribute investment proceeds.
Planning in models that combine memory with predictive representations of state

Models of dynamical systems based on predictive state representations (PSRs) use predictions of future observations as their representation of state. A main departure from traditional models such as partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) is that the PSR-model state is composed entirely of observable quantities. PSRs have recently been extended to a class of models called memory-PSRs (mPSRs) that use both memory of past observations and predictions of future observations in their state representation. Thus, mPSRs preserve the PSR-property of the state being composed of observable quantities while potentially revealing structure in the dynamical system that is not exploited in PSRs. In this paper, we demonstrate that the structure captured by mPSRs can be exploited quite naturally for stochastic planning based on value-iteration algorithms. In particular, we adapt the incremental-pruning (IP) algorithm defined for planning in POMDPs to mPSRs. Our empirical results show that our modified IP on mPSRs outperforms, in most cases, IP on both PSRs and POMDPs.
Education can reduce health differences related to genetic risk of obesity

This work investigates whether genetic makeup moderates the effects of education on health. Low statistical power and endogenous measures of environment have been obstacles to the credible estimation of such gene-by-environment interactions. We overcome these obstacles by combining a natural experiment that generated variation in secondary education with polygenic scores for a quarter-million individuals. The additional schooling affected body size, lung function, and blood pressure in middle age. The improvements in body size and lung function were larger for individuals with high genetic predisposition to obesity. As a result, education reduced the gap in unhealthy body size between those in the top and bottom terciles of genetic risk of obesity from 20 to 6 percentage points.
Prediction of bacterial E3 ubiquitin ligase effectors using reduced amino acid peptide fingerprinting

Background Although pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria lack their own ubiquitination machinery, they have evolved or acquired virulence effectors that can manipulate the host ubiquitination process through structural and/or functional mimicry of host machinery. Many such effectors have been identified in a wide variety of bacterial pathogens that share little sequence similarity amongst themselves or with eukaryotic ubiquitin E3 ligases. Methods To allow identification of novel bacterial E3 ubiquitin ligase effectors from protein sequences we have developed a machine learning approach, the SVM-based Identification and Evaluation of Virulence Effector Ubiquitin ligases (SIEVE-Ub). We extend the string kernel approach used previously to sequence classification by introducing reduced amino acid (RED) alphabet encoding for protein sequences. Results We found that 14mer peptides with amino acids represented as simply either hydrophobic or hydrophilic provided the best models for discrimination of E3 ligases from other effector proteins with a receiver-operator characteristic area under the curve (AUC) of 0.90. When considering a subset of E3 ubiquitin ligase effectors that do not fall into known sequence based families we found that the AUC was 0.82, demonstrating the effectiveness of our method at identifying novel functional family members. Feature selection was used to identify a parsimonious set of 10 RED peptides that provided good discrimination, and these peptides were found to be located in functionally important regions of the proteins involved in E2 and host target protein binding. Our general approach enables construction of models based on other effector functions. We used SIEVE-Ub to predict nine potential novel E3 ligases from a large set of bacterial genomes. SIEVE-Ub is available for download at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7766984.v1 or https://github.com/biodataganache/SIEVE-Ub for the most current version.
Sync-on-the-fly: A Parallel Framework for Gradient Descent Algorithms on Transient Resources

Many cloud service providers offer transient resources (i.e., spare servers) for a fraction of the cost of on-demand servers. Many big data analytics tasks composed of iterative computations are ideal to run on such transient resources. However, modern distributed data processing systems, such as MapReduce and Spark, provide little support for running iterative computation on transient resources. The fault-tolerant mechanism provided in MapReduce and Spark typically leads to cascading re-computations after revocations of transiently available resources. To address the problem, we propose a distributed framework, called Sync-on-the-fly, that takes advantage of the fact that many machine learning algorithms do not require fixed synchronization barriers. These synchronization barriers can be established at any time, such as immediately before workers running on transient servers are revoked. We adapt and implement widely used algorithms based on gradient descent, such as Logistic Regression and Matrix Factorization, as examples to illustrate Sync-on-the-fly’s approach. Our evaluation shows that Sync-on-the-fly can achieve up to 5× speedup over Spark and reduce 85% of the costs.
Molecular Analysis of Cardiac Growth and Development in Transgenic Mouse Model Systems

In the past several years a great deal of work has focused on the potential biochemical and cellular mechanisms which regulate cardiac growth, hypertrophy, and failure (for review see [1]). Although previous studies in a variety of model systems has provided a valuable catalogue of the alterations in cardiac structure and function during the onset of these distinct physiological states, relatively little is known concerning the molecular switches which mediate compensatory cardiac hypertrophy and the transition to heart failure. The current challenge is to identify the precise pathways which mediate these responses through a critical examination of the cause-effect relationships between potential signaling molecules and the acquisition of well-defined phenotypic features of the hypertrophied and/or failing heart.
Controlling the Cadence and Admittance of a Functional Electrical Stimulation Cycle

For an individual suffering from a neurological condition, such as spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, or stroke, motorized functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling is a rehabilitation strategy, which offers numerous health benefits. Motorized FES cycling is an example of physical human–robot interaction in which both systems must be controlled; the human is actuated by applying neuromuscular electrical stimulation to the large leg muscle groups, and the cycle is actuated through its onboard electric motor. While the rider is stimulated using a robust sliding-mode controller, the cycle utilizes an admittance controller to preserve rider safety. The admittance controller is shown to be passive with respect to the rider, and the cadence controller is shown to be globally exponentially stable through a Lyapunov-like switched systems stability analysis. Experiments are conducted on three able-bodied participants and four participants with neurological conditions (NCs) to demonstrate the efficacy of the developed controller and investigate the effect of manipulating individual admittance parameters. Results demonstrate an average admittance cadence error of −0.06±1.47 RPM for able-bodied participants and −0.02 ± 0.93 RPM for participants with NCs.
Behavioral health treatment "Buy-in" among adolescent females with histories of commercial sexual exploitation.

Abstract Background Adolescent females with histories of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) have high mental health and substance use treatment needs, yet little is known about their perspectives regarding behavioral health and behavioral health treatment. Objective We sought to understand the attitudes of adolescent females with histories of CSE regarding behavioral health to identify factors influencing “buy-in” to behavioral healthcare. Participants and setting Participants included 21 adolescent females, affiliated with our partner organizations (two group homes, a service agency, and a juvenile specialty court), who reported having exchanged sex for something of value. Methods In-depth qualitative interviews explored participants’ perspectives towards behavioral health. We conducted thematic analysis to identify themes concerning behavioral health. Results Participants provided insightful definitions of “mental health” that included positive and negative aspects of emotional and cognitive states (e.g. “being happy with yourself” and “not thinking suicidal”), indicating intensified mental health challenges and resilience. Substance use was viewed as a coping mechanism for childhood trauma and their exploitation. Trusted relationships with providers and navigable health systems that encourage autonomy were key to promoting “buy-in” and thus engagement in behavioral health treatment. A conceptual model emerged illustrating factors leading to treatment engagement. Conclusion Adolescent females with histories of CSE constitute a vulnerable population with high levels of trauma as well as unmet mental health and addiction treatment needs. The delivery of trauma-focused, behavioral healthcare centered on patient-provider trust and shared-decision making that encourages client autonomy should be prioritized.
A life-span approach to examining older vulnerable population’s subjective well-being: the role of adversity and trauma

Using the life course guidance, the goal of this study was to examine the degree to which previously experienced adversity and trauma was associated with subjective well-being among older adults. D...
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN COMORBIDITIES AND OUTCOMES AFTER ORTHOTROPIC HEART TRANSPLANTATION: A NATIONWIDE ANALYSIS

Small studies have reported gender differences in allocation and outcomes after orthotropic heart transplantation (OHT) in the United States. We aimed to investigate gender differences in clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of OHT using 2005-2016 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS)
Not all spider silks are antimicrobial

Spider silks are thought to have antimicrobial properties that prevent rapid degradation. Despite its biomedical potential, little research has focused on antimicrobial properties of spider silks. We tested the antimicrobial properties of gluey gumfoot capture threads of the western black widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935, both for whole threads and after separating viscid silk from water soluble glue components using a water wash. Capture threads, unlike dry dragline silk, have a glue coating that may promote different interactions of bacteria with the material. Antimicrobial activity was assessed in an aqueous Escherichia coli cell culture and growth of colonies was counted over 24 hours. In contrast with previous research, mostly on dry dragline silk, we found an increase in bacterial growth for whole gumfoot thread treatment, but no effect of the solid and water-soluble components individually. These results suggest that better and proper procedures are needed for testing antimicrobials in silks, with controlled experiments using just one type of silk.
History and Future of the Martian Dynamo and Implications of a Hypothetical Solid Inner Core

Although Mars does not possess a magnetic field today, parts of its crust are strongly magnetized, suggesting a limited early dynamo, likely powered by rapid heat flow from the core. If the core is...
Distinct Effectiveness of Oritavancin against Tolerance-Induced Staphylococcus aureus.

Within a sufficiently large bacterial population, some members will naturally adopt an alternate, metabolically-active state that favors small molecule synthesis over cell division. These isogenic “tolerant” subpopulations have variable responses during antibiotic exposure and can remain viable in the presence of typically bactericidal concentrations. In this study, we determine the ability of typical and atypical antistaphylococcal therapies to reduce the viability of mupirocin-induced tolerant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Overall, tolerance-induced staphylococci exhibited a markedly decreased rate and extent of killing following antibiotic exposure. However, oritavancin remained effective at maintaining a similar extent of killing. Further studies to investigate the role of oritavancin against recurrent or relapse staphylococcal infection are warranted.
Comics and critical librarianship: reframing the narative in academic libraries: edited by Olivia Piepmeier and Stephanie Grimm, Sacramento, CA, Library Juice Press, 2019, 378 pp., $45.00 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1-63400-080-2

As the title implies, Comics and Critical Librarianship: Reframing the Narrative in Academic Libraries “considers comics librarianship through a lens of critical librarianship” (p. 5). The editors ...
System Data Flow Pipelining for Embedded Heterogenous SoCs using OpenVX

Due to end of Dennard Scaling, the latest chip architectures are multi-core, with each core customized for specific domains e.g. computer vision, deep learning, graphics, signal processing, image processing etc. However, software has not evolved to utilize such heterogeneous (or asymmetrical) multi-core architectures to improve performance and latency. The key challenge of multi-core programming is efficient implementation within the context of an easy to use open software framework with high utilization. This paper presents an efficient software architecture to parallelize the execution of multiple processing cores using standard Khronos OpenVX framework. The paper proposes multiple novelties, namely, extension to the standard Khronos OpenVX, multi-CPU buffer exchange, non-blocking processing stall, early buffer release and late buffer submit. The proposed implementation is done on TI Jacinto 7 platform enabling multi-core utilization of 99% (less than 1% overhead) maintaining real time performance for surround view analytics application for automotive market.
Methadone: applications in pediatric anesthesiology and critical care medicine

Like morphine, methadone is a pure agonist at the µ opioid receptor. However, in distinction to morphine which has an elimination half-life of 2–3 h, methadone has an elimination half-life of 24–36 h. In addition to its effects at the µ opioid receptor, methadone is an antagonist at the n-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor and also inhibits the reuptake of the neurotransmitters, serotonin and norepinephrine, in the central nervous system. Given its long half-life and high oral bioavailability, methadone has had a primary role in the outpatient treatment of patients with a history of opioid abuse or addiction. However, its unique pharmacology and cellular effects make it a valuable agent in the treatment of both acute and chronic pain of various etiologies. The following manuscript reviews the pharmacologic properties of methadone and discusses its clinical applications in the practice of pediatric anesthesiology and pediatric critical care medicine.
Multi-Objective Optimization for Aircraft Power Systems Using a Network Graph Representation

Today, the electrification of flight is more popular than ever, creating a wide array of concept aircraft and associated power system topologies. In order to gain insights into benefits of these varying architectures, this article introduces the development of a framework for electric aircraft power system (EAPS) optimization. The proposed framework accepts inputs from a designer in the form of component parameters and desired flight mission characteristics. A collective graph representing many possible architectures is formed, from which subgraphs that describe power system topologies meeting the flight requirements are extracted and analyzed. Optimal EAPS architectures with respect to goals of minimizing mass while maximizing efficiency and reliability can be subsequently selected from these subgraphs. The framework is exemplified on a 500-kW rated aircraft using data collected from surveys of component parameters, such as power density and efficiency. The presented results show a comparative analysis of different EAPS types with respect to the competing performance metrics of mass, efficiency, and survivability.