cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brothers or others in arms? Civilian constituencies and rebel fragmentation in civil war:

Why do united rebel fronts emerge in some insurgencies, while in other insurgencies multiple rebel groups mobilize independently to challenge the state, and often, each other? I develop a diffusion...
Neonatal outcomes in fetuses with cardiac anomalies and the impact of delivery route

Background Congenital fetal cardiac anomalies compromise the most common group of fetal structural anomalies. Several previous reports analyzed all types of fetal cardiac anomalies together without individualized neonatal morbidity outcomes based on cardiac defect. Mode of delivery in cases of fetal cardiac anomalies varies greatly as optimal mode of delivery in these complex cases is unknown. Objective We sought to determine rates of neonatal outcomes for fetal cardiac anomalies and examine the role of attempted route of delivery on neonatal morbidity. Study Design Gravidas with fetal cardiac anomalies and delivery >34 weeks, excluding stillbirths and aneuploidies (n = 2166 neonates, n = 2701 cardiac anomalies), were analyzed from the Consortium on Safe Labor, a retrospective cohort study of electronic medical records. Cardiac anomalies were determined using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes and organized based on morphology. Neonates were assigned to each cardiac anomaly classification based on the most severe cardiac defect present. Neonatal outcomes were determined for each fetal cardiac anomaly. Composite neonatal morbidity (serious respiratory morbidity, sepsis, birth trauma, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and neonatal death) was compared between attempted vaginal delivery and planned cesarean delivery for prenatal and postnatal diagnosis. We used multivariate logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratio for composite neonatal morbidity controlling for race, parity, body mass index, insurance, gestational age, maternal disease, single or multiple anomalies, and maternal drug use. Results Most cardiac anomalies were diagnosed postnatally except hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which had a higher prenatal than postnatal detection rate. Neonatal death occurred in 8.4% of 107 neonates with conotruncal defects. Serious respiratory morbidity occurred in 54.2% of 83 neonates with left ventricular outflow tract defects. Overall, 76.3% of pregnancies with fetal cardiac anomalies underwent attempted vaginal delivery. Among patients who underwent attempted vaginal delivery, 66.1% had a successful vaginal delivery. Women with a fetal cardiac anomaly diagnosed prenatally were more likely to have a planned cesarean delivery than women with a postnatal diagnosis (31.7 vs 22.8%; P Conclusion Most fetal cardiac anomalies were diagnosed postnatally and associated with increased rates of neonatal morbidity. Planned cesarean delivery for prenatally diagnosed cardiac anomalies was not associated with less neonatal morbidity.
Streamflow Records by Digital Computer

Water-stage recorder charts in punched tape form are used with a digital computer for automatic computation of streamflow records. The recorder chart, a 16-channel tape, is punched at the gaging station at regular time intervals. The tape is translated into suitable computer input form and processed with appropriate rating information. The computer printout contains daily mean stage and discharge as well as bi-hourly stage values. Automated records can be computed currently by months and are lower in cost than others.
A multifunctional bistable laminate: Snap-through morphing enabled by broadband energy harvesting:

The elastic instabilities associated with buckling in bistable structures have been harnessed toward energy-based and motion-based applications, with significant research toward energy harvesting a...
The Development of Speech

The development of speech is probably the most convenient phenomenon for tracing the mechanism of the formation of behavior and comparing the approach to this development, typical for studying conditioned reflexes, with the psychological approach to it. First of all, the development of speech presents a history of the formation of one of the most important functions of cultural behavior of the child which lies at the base of his accumulating cultural experience. Precisely because this subject has such a central, essential significance, we use it to begin a consideration of concrete aspects of the development of child behavior.
Effect of interfacial mobility on flexural strength and fracture toughness of glass/epoxy laminates

Mechanical testing and surface fractography were used to characterize the fracture of E-glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites as a function of the silane coupling agent used. γ-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) and δ-aminobutyltriethoxysilane (ABS) were used because these have been shown to have different interfacial mobilities at multilayer coverage. The values of the properties studied generally increased from untreated <ABS- <APS-treated glass-fiber reinforced composites. Strength and critical energy release rates were more sensitive to the coupling agent used, than the modulus. The flexural strengths of untreated, ABS-, and APS-treated glass-fiber reinforced composites were 449 ± 40, 510 ± 19, and 566 ± 9 MPa (dry state); and 389 ± 23, 459 ± 7, and 510 ± 54 MPa (wet state), respectively. The critical energy release rate, Gc, as determined from a Mode I translaminar fracture toughness tests, for the untreated composites (10.5 ± 0.4 kJ/m2) was lower than that for the ABS-treated composites (14.3 ± 2.1 kJ/m2) which was lower than that for the APS-treated composites (17.1 ± 2.4 kJ/m2). Macroscopic observations showed that a larger fiber debonding area was formed in the crack tip region for the untreated glass composites, suggesting poorer bonding compared to those treated with coupling agents. Since these silanes have similar chemistry, the differences were attributed to differences in the interfacial mobility of the coupling agent layers.
Metabolic Factors and Prostate Cancer Risk.

There are intriguing data to suggest that metabolic factors may influence prostate cancer across the spectrum of disease pathogenesis and progression. First, metabolic factors may act locally on prostate tissue to “seed” carcinogenesis. Of note, prostate tumors uniquely rely on lipids for initial growth and often use de novo lipid synthesis to produce fatty acids. Second, aspects of metabolic health may exert systemic effects that fuel the “soil” for cancer growth and metastasis. For example, the primary site of metastasis in prostate cancer is bone. Adipocytes accumulate in bone marrow in the context of obesity that could potentially attract tumor cells and fuel their growth. Third, metabolic health may influence prognosis among men receiving treatment for prostate cancer. For example, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)2—the first-line treatment for advanced prostate cancer—induces substantial metabolic changes. The underlying metabolic health of a man before initiation of ADT may influence the extent to which these changes influence cardiometabolic risk. Moreover, obese men may be underdosed in the context of ADT and external beam radiation therapy. Finally, metabolic health at the time of diagnosis may influence overall survival, as cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of death among men with prostate cancer. The global public health burden of obesity is considerable, with an estimated 1.9 billion overweight adults, of whom 600 million are obese based on data from the WHO. In the US, two-thirds of men are classified as overweight or obese. Obesity has emerged as an important risk factor for several cancers, including prostate. Men who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of advanced prostate cancer and a poorer prognosis after diagnosis (1), including shorter time to progression on ADT. Obesity is related to broad alterations in metabolic, hormonal, and inflammatory pathways that may play a role in advanced prostate …
Moonlighting Enzymes: How Often Are We Missing Secondary Functions?

We think of enzymes as highly specific catalysts that carry out one reaction and show nearly absolute substrate specificity. However, absolute specificity is the exception, not the rule, as most enzymes accept several structurally similar substrates. Moreover, many enzymes catalyze alternative
New Missions with a New Generation: The Experiences of Korean American Churches and Missions:

Korean immigrants have continued to form Protestant churches in the US and to contribute to overseas missions. As the American-born second generation grows, however, ethnic congregations of Koreans...
A Lagrangian formulation of metamaterial homogenization

Many metamaterials may be well described as multi-scale systems where the large scale is represented by the wavelength and the small scales are represented by inhomogeneity lengths. The effective material properties of a metamaterial of this sort may be derived by considering the averaged behavior of material elements that are considered “infinitesimal” relative to the wavelength but is on the order of the inhomogeneity lengths. The averaging of the small-scale features enables a straightforward process to describe the metamaterial mechanics in terms of a Lagrangian formalism, and the macroscopic constitutive equations may be obtained by deriving the Euler-Lagrange equations for the macroscopic field quantities. This energetic approach to homogenization may be used to estimate both linear and nonlinear material properties. This talk describes this homogenization method for one-dimensional systems and compares the resulting effective material properties with other homogenization methods.
Impacts to hydrogen sulfide concentrations in biogas when poplar wood chips, steam treated wood chips, and biochar are added to manure-based anaerobic digestion systems

Abstract Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) causes maintenance issues in anaerobic digesters (AD). This study investigates the feasibility of biochar to reduce H2S in biogas produced from manure-based ADs. Two experiments were conducted where (1) biochar, steam treated wood, and raw wood produced from poplar wood chips were added to a respirometer system and the H2S reduction measured, and (2) biochar sulfate (SO42−) adsorption was investigated as a potential mechanism for H2S reduction. Results indicate that poplar wood biochar additions (3 g of biochar per 500 g of manure) reduced the H2S in biogas by 78% per g of TS fed, but did not impact methane (CH4) production. The second experiment indicates biochar sorption of SO42− before conversion to H2S by sulfur reducing bacteria (SRB) is not the primary removal mechanism, suggesting other mechanisms such as SRB inhibition, direct sorption of H2S, or increased dissociation of H2S to HS− drive the H2S reduction.
Impact of Medicaid Expansion of the Affordable Care on the Outcomes of Lower Extremity Bypass for Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease in the Vascular Quality Initiative Database.

Objective:The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the utilization and outcomes of surgery after Medicaid Expansion (ME) for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD).Summary Background Data:Recent studies have demonstrated increased insurance coverage and improved care with the Affordab
A Novel Approach to Limb Salvage: Healing Transmetatarsal Amputations without a Viable Plantar Flap.

Background The lack of a viable plantar flap in patients undergoing transmetatarsal amputation has been considered an indication for below-knee amputation (BKA). In an effort to reduce limb loss in this patient population, we sought to review our experience with transmetatarsal amputation salvage in patients with an open, guillotine transmetatarsal amputation. We hypothesized that performing a transmetatarsal amputation without a viable flap would extend time of independent ambulation and improve limb salvage. Methods This is a retrospective review of 27 consecutive patients who did not have a viable plantar flap and who underwent an open, guillotine transmetatarsal amputation. Patients presented with a nonviable plantar flap due to either extensive tissue loss on initial presentation, or secondary transmetatarsal amputation (TMA) flap necrosis. Patients initially underwent an open, guillotine TMA for control of infection and debridement of nonviable tissue. To achieve best results, during procedure, the metatarsals were resected to be as flush with soft tissue as possible. Once infection was resolved and all nonviable tissue debrided, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) was applied to the open wound. NPWT was continued until a base of granulation tissue covered the previously exposed bone. Wound closure was obtained by either the application of a split-thickness skin graft (STSG) or through continued NPWT allowing the wound to heal by secondary intention. Results Between January 2016 and December 2018, there were 27 open TMAs performed in 27 patients. Two patients did not granulate sufficiently and underwent BKA. Fourteen patients underwent STSG for closure, whereas 11 patients continued with NPWT. In the STSG group, 12 (86%) of the patients are healed, with a median time to complete healing of 75 days (range 28–330 days); the remaining 2 are ambulatory and undergoing continued wound care. In the 11 patients who did not receive STSG, 7 (64%) are healed with a median time to heal of 165 days. Of the remaining 4 patients in this group, 3 are ambulatory and still undergoing wound care, one was lost to follow-up. Overall, 19 patients (70%) have completely healed with a median time to heal of 82 days. Conclusions Limb salvage in patients with a nonviable plantar flap for TMA is possible and should be a considered procedure. This technique has the potential to improve functional outcomes and limb salvage in patients who might otherwise undergo BKA.
Beyond free primary education: pathways to academic persistence in Kenyan free education system

Persistence to complete has emerged as a pressing issue facing free primary education (FPE) in Kenya. Only 58% of the students who enroll in FPE complete and this proportion drops as they advance t...
Pump It Up: Increasing Mother’s Own Milk (MOM) During NICU Stay

There are known short and long term health benefits to using "mother's own milk" MOM for infants in the NICU. There are also formidable barriers to breast pumping for mothers with infants in the NICU. In their overall efforts to increase the use of MOM in the NICU, our hospital started facilitating breast pump provision to mothers before their discharge from the postpartum unit in May of 2017. This quality improvement project wanted to examine the effect on percentage of MOM overall for infants in the NICU as well as …
Manufacturing Stable Bacteriophage Powders Using Thin Film Freeze-drying Technology

Recently, therapeutic uses of bacteriophage (phage) are gaining increased attention, yet common liquid phage formulations require cold chain storage that limits their potential use. Phage therapy is considered as an alternative to antibiotics for bacterial infections and more significantly a promising solution for the ever-increasing prevalence of multi-drug resistance (MDR) pathogens. One of the most promising applications of this therapy is to treat pulmonary bacterial infections. To efficiently deliver therapeutic phage to the lungs, phage formulations that allow for nebulization or dry powder inhalation are under active development. Several conventional particle engineering technologies have been applied in the development of dry powder inhalers (DPI), including spray drying, spray freeze drying, and atmospheric spray freeze drying, but these processes have their own disadvantages that limit their use with bacteriophage formulations and delivery. In our work, we hypothesize that thin film freeze-drying (TFFD) can be used to produce brittle matrix powders containing phage that may be suitable for delivery by several routes of administration, including by nebulization after reconstitution and by intranasal or inhalation delivery of the resulting dry powder. Here we selected T7 bacteriophage as our model phage in a preliminary screening study and found that a binary excipient matrix of sucrose and leucine at ratios of 80:20 or 75:25 by weight, protected bacteriophage from the stresses encountered during the TFFD process. In addition, we confirm that incorporating a buffer system during the TFFD process significantly improved the survival of phage during the ultra-rapid freezing step of the TFFD process and subsequent sublimation step in the lyophilization process. This preservation of phage bioactivity was significantly better than that observed for formulations without a buffer system. The titer loss of phage in standard SM buffer (Tris/NaCl/MgSO4/gelatin) containing formulation was as low as 0.2 log plaque forming units (pfu), which indicates that phage functionality was preserved after the TFFD process. Moreover, the presence of buffers markedly reduced the geometric particle sizes as determined by a dry dispersion method using laser diffraction, which indicates that the TFFD phage powder formulations were easily sheared into smaller powder aggregates, an ideal property for facilitating pulmonary delivery through DPIs. From these findings, we show that TFFD is a particle engineering method that can successfully produce phage containing powders that possess the desired properties for bioactivity and inhalation therapy.
Computational Modeling of Current Density Distribution and Secondary Resistances for Aluminum Electrorefining in Ionic Liquids

A numerical model was developed to simulate the current density distribution and secondary resistances for the aluminum electrorefining process from the room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) consisting of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and aluminum chloride with the molar ratio of 2:1 (AlCl3: BMIC). The materials and geometry were created based on the experimental parameters. The current density distribution was calculated via simulation. The effects of applied voltage, temperature, composition of the electrolyte, and the surface roughness of cathode on the secondary resistances were investigated in this research. It was found that the summation of contact and charge transfer resistance decreases with increasing the potential and the temperature as well as decreasing the surface roughness.
Deep Composer: A Hash-Based Duplicative Neural Network For Generating Multi-Instrument Songs

Music is one of the most appreciated forms of art, and generating songs has become a popular subject in the artificial intelligence community. There are various networks that can produce pleasant sounding music, but no model has been able to produce music that duplicates the style of a specific artist or artists. In this paper, we extend a previous single-instrument model: the Deep Composer-a model we believe to be capable of achieving this. Deep Composer originates from the Deep Segment Hash Learning (DSHL) single instrument model and is designed to learn how a specific artist would place individual segments of music together rather than create music similar to a specific genre. To the best of our knowledge, no other network has been designed to achieve this. For these reasons, we introduce a new field of study, Intelligence Duplication (ID). AI research generally focuses on developing techniques to mimic universal intelligence. Intelligence Duplication (ID) research focuses on techniques to artificially duplicate or clone a specific mind such as Mozart. Additionally, we present a new retrieval algorithm, Segment Barrier Retrieval (SBR), to improve retrieval accuracy within the hash-space as opposed to a more traditionally used feature-space. SBR prevents retrieval branches from entering areas of low-density within the hash-space, a phenomena we identify and label as segment sparsity. To test our Deep Composer and the effectiveness of SBR, we evaluate various models with different SBR threshold values and conduct qualitative surveys for each model. The survey results indicate that our Deep Composer model is capable of learning music generation from multiple composers. Our extended Deep Composer model provides a more suitable platform for Intelligence Duplication. Future work can apply this platform to duplicate great composers such as Mozart or allow them to collaborate in the virtual space.
Epitranscriptomic reprogramming is required to prevent stress and damage from acetaminophen

Epitranscriptomic marks, in the form of enzyme catalyzed RNA modifications, play important gene regulatory roles in response to environmental and physiological conditions. However, little is known with respect to how pharmaceuticals influence the epitranscriptome. Here we define how acetaminophen (APAP) induces epitranscriptomic reprogramming and how the writer Alkylation Repair Homolog 8 (Alkbh8) plays a key gene regulatory role in the response. Alkbh8 modifies tRNA selenocysteine (tRNASec) to translationally regulate the production of glutathione peroxidases (Gpx′s) and other selenoproteins, with Gpx enzymes known to play protective roles during APAP toxicity. We demonstrate that APAP increases toxicity and markers of damage, and decreases selenoprotein levels in Alkbh8 deficient mouse livers, when compared to wildtype. APAP also promotes large scale reprogramming of 31 RNA marks comprising the liver tRNA epitranscriptome including: 5-methoxycarbonylmethyluridine (mcm5U), isopentenyladenosine (i6A), pseudouridine (Ψ), and 1-methyladenosine (m1A) modifications linked to tRNASec and many others. Alkbh8 deficiency also leads to wide-spread epitranscriptomic dysregulation in response to APAP, demonstrating that a single writer defect can promote downstream changes to a large spectrum of RNA modifications. Our study highlights the importance of RNA modifications and translational responses to APAP, identifies writers as key modulators of stress responses in vivo and supports the idea that the epitranscriptome may play important roles in responses to pharmaceuticals.
Perspectives of continuous renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit: a paired survey study of patient, physician, and nurse views

Recent studies suggest discrepancies between patients and providers around perceptions of hemodialysis prognosis. Such data are lacking for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). We aim to assess patient and provider understanding of outcomes around CRRT. From February 1 to August 31, 2013, a triad of (1) a patient on CRRT (or health care proxy [HCP]), (2) physician and (3) primary nurse from the intensive care unit (ICU) team were surveyed. Univariate chi-square and qualitative analysis techniques were used. Ninety-six total participants (32 survey triads) were completed. Ninety one percent of patients/HCPs correctly identified that CRRT replaced the function of the kidneys. Six percent of patients/HCPs, 44 % of physicians, and 44 % of nurses identified rates of survival to hospital discharge that were consistent with published literature. Both physicians and nurses were more likely than patients/HCPs to assess survival consistently with published data (p = 0.001). Patients/HCPs were more likely to overestimate survival rates than physicians and nurses (p < 0.001). Thirty eight percent of patients/HCPs, 38 % of physicians, and 28 % of nurses identified rates of lifelong dialysis-dependence among surviving patients that were consistent with published literature. There is mismatch between patients, HCPs, and providers around prognosis of CRRT. Patients/HCPs are more likely to overestimate chances of survival than physicians or nurses. Further intervention is needed to improve this knowledge gap.
La irrupción de la cultura skater en el espacio público de Barcelona

Barcelona es escogida hoy por muchos skaters de todo el mundo como una ciudad de preferencia para vivir o visitar pues ofrece, casualmente gracias a su arquitectura y al diseno del espacio urbano, gran cantidad de espacios ideales para la practica del skateboarding. De esta manera, muchos espacios urbanos son reinterpretados por skaters, lo que da lugar a nuevos usos y significados. A continuacion presentamos los resultados de un estudio centrado en el desarrollo de esta practica cultural en la ciudad de Barcelona. Partiendo de metodos tradicionales de la antropologia como la observacion distante y la observacion participante, las entrevistas en profundidad, los relatos de vida y las fuentes documentales (bibliografica, archivistica e internet), el investigador ha querido presentar una etnografia como estudio de caso para estimular el debate teorico en torno a temas como la cultura y la identidad en un contexto urbano marcado por la globalizacion.
X ray diffraction with a double hot-plate laser-heated diamond cell

The laser-heated diamond cell has been improved with the integration of in-situ X ray microprobe and double hot-plate heating techniques. A multimode YAG laser provides a flat-top power distribution at the focal spot. A hot-plate configuration is created where the heat generation and temperature measurement are concentrated at the planar interface of an opaque sample and transparent medium. The heating laser is split into two beams that pass through the opposed diamond anvils to heat the sample simultaneously from both sides. The temperatures of the two sides are measured separately with an imaging spectrograph and CCD and equalized by controlling the ratio of beam splitting. The axial temperature gradient in the sample layer is eliminated within the cavity of the two parallel hot plates. Uniform temperatures of 3000 (± 20) K have been achieved in high-pressure samples of 15-μm diameter × 10-μm thickness. X ray microprobe beam sizes down to 3.5 × 7 μm (i.e., significantly smaller than the laser heating spot) were used for in situ characterization of the samples under high P-T conditions. The technique has been used to study phase relations and melting of iron.
Mining protein interactions from text using convolution kernels

As the sizes of biomedical literature databases increase, there is an urgent need to develop intelligent systems that automatically discover Protein-Protein interactions from text. Despite resource-intensive efforts to create manually curated interaction databases, the sheer volume of biological literature databases makes it impossible to achieve significant coverage. In this paper, we describe a scalable hierarchical Support Vector Machine(SVM) based framework to efficiently mine protein interactions with high precision. In addition, we describe a convolution tree-vector kernel based on syntactic similarity of natural language text to further enhance the mining process. By using the inherent syntactic similarity of interaction phrases as a kernel method, we are able to significantly improve the classification quality. Our hierarchical framework allows us to reduce the search space dramatically with each stage, while sustaining a high level of accuracy. We test our framework on a corpus of over 10000 manually annotated phrases gathered from various sources. The convolution kernel technique identifies sentences describing interactions with a precision of 95% and a recall of 92%, yielding significant improvements over previous machine learning techniques.
A cluster of five cell wall-associated receptor kinase genes, Wak1–5, are expressed in specific organs of Arabidopsis

WAK1 (wall-associated kinase 1) is a cytoplasmic serine/threonine kinase that spans the plasma membrane and extends into the extracellular region to bind tightly to the cell wall. The Wak1 gene was mapped and found to lie in a tight cluster of five highly similar genes (Wak1–5) within a 30 kb region. All of the Wak genes encode a cytoplasmic serine/threonine protein kinase, a transmembrane domain, and an extracytoplasmic region with several epidermal growth factor (EGF) repeats. The extracellular regions also contain limited amino acid identities to the tenascin superfamily, collagen, or the neurexins. RNA blot analysis with gene-specific probes revealed that Wak1, Wak3 and Wak5 are expressed primarily in leaves and stems of Arabidopsis. Wak4 mRNA is only detected in siliques, while Wak2 mRNA is found in high levels in leaves and stems, and in lower levels in flowers and siliques. A trace amount of Wak2 can also be detected in roots. Wak1 is induced by pathogen infection and salicylic acid or its analogue INA and is involved in the plant's response, and Wak2, Wak3 and Wak5 also can be greatly induced by salicylic acid or INA. The WAK proteins have the potential to serve as both linkers of the cell wall to the plasma membrane and as signaling molecules, and since Wak expression is organ-specific and the isoforms vary significantly in the cell wall associated domain this family of proteins may be involved in cell wall-plasma membrane interactions that direct fundamental processes in angiosperms.
Nerve-dependent Tissue and Organ Regeneration

The anatomical and functional restoration of parts removed from an organism is known as regeneration. In the regenerating amphibian limb and in tissue regeneration in certain sensory organs, this process occurs under the influence of nerves. In other systems, such as liver regeneration and most instances of tissue repair, nerves are not required. One determinant of whether nerves are required for regenerative growth may be the degree of vascularizationintheinjured,respondingtissueororgan. The early, nerve-dependent blastema of the regenerating limbisalmostcompletelyavascularexceptinitsoverlying skin. The molecular basis of the nerves’ growth-promoting effect is not known. Of the candidate molecules proposed, the nutritive factor transferrin, which is also released from capillaries, fits most closely to what is known of the neural effect in limb regeneration. Other candidates proposed as mediators of this activity include Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), neuregulins and anterior gradient protein (nAG).
Making sense of microarrays

A report on the 'Critical Assessment of Microarray Data Analysis' (CAMDA 2000) meeting, Durham, North Carolina, USA, December 18-19,2000.
HETEROGENEOUS EMBEDDING FOR SUBJECTIVE ARTIST SIMILARITY

We describe an artist recommendation system which integrates several heterogeneous data sources to form a holistic similarity space. Using social, semantic, and acoustic features, we learn a low-dimensional feature transformation which is optimized to reproduce human-derived measurements of subjective similarity between artists. By producing low-dimensional representations of artists, our system is suitable for visualization and recommendation tasks.
Review of Gunther Haas: 'The Concept of Equity in Calvin's Ethics'

The main contention of this important volume is that “equity is the theme of central importance for Calvin’s social ethic.” The author’s main and novel contention is that Calvin’s distinction between “civil” or “external” morality and “spiritual” or “internal” morality is also based on two modes of interpreting the moral norms of conscience and the Bible. This is a convincing argument. His further claims, however, that Calvin developed a unique concept of equity and made it central to his social ethics are less convincing. While equity was clearly important for Calvin, it is not clear that it was the central theme of his social ethics, nor is it clear that Calvin’s views on equity were so unique when read against the rich tradition of Greek philosophy, Roman law, and the medieval ius commune.
Industry-Specific Discretionary Accruals and the Accruals Anomaly

I motivate and implement a methodology that decomposes a firm’s discretionary accruals into a firm-specific and an industry-specific component. I find that the “accruals anomaly” (Sloan 1996) – the finding that firms with high discretionary accruals subsequently earn negative abnormal returns – is driven by firm-specific discretionary accruals. More importantly, although industry-specific discretionary accruals do not contribute directly towards the anomaly, I find that it is precisely when industry-specific discretionary accruals are high that firms with large firm-specific discretionary accruals subsequently earn negative abnormal returns. The results suggest that industry-wide use of high discretionary accruals adversely affects investors’ tendency to fairly price high firm-specific discretionary accruals, possibly due to increased search costs associated with detecting earnings manipulation during such times. The results are also consistent with the notion that firms use high (firm-specific) discretionary accruals to convey value-relevant information to investors when most firms in the industry have relatively low discretionary accruals. The findings potentially have an important bearing on the earnings management literature that has used high discretionary accruals as a proxy for earnings manipulation.
Preparing the African-American student for corporate success: A focus on cooperative education

Abstract The case is presented that African-American managers, as well as managers from other minority groups, face a significantly different organizational context than that faced by Anglo managers. Consequently, in order to be successful these minority managers must develop superior interpersonal and intercultural communication skills. The argument is made that cooperative learning is an ideal educational mechanism whereby minority students can develop and hone their skills in communication.
Truncation effects in superdiffusive front propagation with Lévy flights.

A numerical and analytical study of the role of exponentially truncated L\'evy flights in the superdiffusive propagation of fronts in reaction-diffusion systems is presented. The study is based on a variation of the Fisher-Kolmogorov equation where the diffusion operator is replaced by a $\ensuremath{\lambda}$-truncated fractional derivative of order $\ensuremath{\alpha}$, where $1∕\ensuremath{\lambda}$ is the characteristic truncation length scale. For $\ensuremath{\lambda}=0$ there is no truncation, and fronts exhibit exponential acceleration and algebraically decaying tails. It is shown that for $\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\ne}0$ this phenomenology prevails in the intermediate asymptotic regime ${(\ensuremath{\chi}t)}^{1∕\ensuremath{\alpha}}⪡x⪡1∕\ensuremath{\lambda}$ where $\ensuremath{\chi}$ is the diffusion constant. Outside the intermediate asymptotic regime, i.e., for $xg1∕\ensuremath{\lambda}$, the tail of the front exhibits the tempered decay $\ensuremath{\phi}\ensuremath{\sim}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\lambda}x}∕{x}^{(1+\ensuremath{\alpha})}$, the acceleration is transient, and the front velocity ${v}_{L}$ approaches the terminal speed ${v}_{*}=(\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}\ensuremath{\chi})∕\ensuremath{\lambda}$ as $t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$, where it is assumed that $\ensuremath{\gamma}g{\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}\ensuremath{\chi}$ with $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ denoting the growth rate of the reaction kinetics. However, the convergence of this process is algebraic, ${v}_{L}\ensuremath{\sim}{v}_{*}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\alpha}∕(\ensuremath{\lambda}t)$, which is very slow compared to the exponential convergence observed in the diffusive (Gaussian) case. An overtruncated regime in which the characteristic truncation length scale is shorter than the length scale of the decay of the initial condition, $1∕\ensuremath{\nu}$, is also identified. In this extreme regime, fronts exhibit exponential tails, $\ensuremath{\phi}\ensuremath{\sim}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\nu}x}$, and move at the constant velocity $v=(\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}\ensuremath{\chi})∕\ensuremath{\nu}$.
Green fluorescent protein as a reporter for macromolecular localization in bacterial cells.

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is a highly useful fluorescent tag for studying the localization, structure, and dynamics of macromolecules in living cells, and has quickly become a primary tool for analysis of DNA and protein localization in prokaryotes. Several properties of GFP make it an attractive and versatile reporter. It is fluorescent and soluble in a wide variety of species, can be monitored noninvasively by external illumination, and needs no external substrates. Localization of GFP fusion proteins can be analyzed in live bacteria, therefore eliminating potential fixation artifacts and enabling real-time monitoring of dynamics in situ. Such real-time studies have been facilitated by brighter, more soluble GFP variants. In addition, red-shifted GFPs that can be excited by blue light have lessened the problem of UV-induced toxicity and photobleaching. The self-contained domain structure of GFP reduces the chance of major perturbations to GFP fluorescence by fused proteins and, conversely, to the activities of the proteins to which it is fused. As a result, many proteins fused to GFP retain their activities. The stability of GFP also allows detection of its fluorescence in vitro during protein purification and in cells fixed for indirect immunofluorescence and other staining protocols. Finally, the different properties of GFP variants have given rise to several technological innovations in the study of cellular physiology that should prove useful for studies in live bacteria. These include fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) for studying protein–protein interactions and specially engineered GFP constructs for direct determination of cellular ion fluxes.
Asymptotic stability for dynamic equations on time scales

We examine the conditions of asymptotic stability of second-order linear dynamic equations on time scales. To establish asymptotic stability we prove the stability estimates by using integral representations of the solutions via asymptotic solutions, error estimates, and calculus on time scales.
Matrices and Scaffolds for DNA Delivery in Tissue Engineering

Regenerative medicine aims to create functional tissue replacements, typically through creating a controlled environment that promotes and directs the differentiation of stem or progenitor cells, either endogenous or transplanted. Scaffolds serve a central role in many strategies by providing the means to control the local environment. Gene delivery from the scaffold represents a versatile approach to manipulating the local environment for directing cell function. Research at the interface of biomaterials, gene therapy, and drug delivery has identified several design parameters for the vector and the biomaterial scaffold that must be satisfied. Progress has been made towards achieving gene delivery within a tissue engineering scaffold, though the design principles for the materials and vectors that produce efficient delivery require further development. Nevertheless, these advances in obtaining transgene expression with the scaffold have created opportunities to develop greater control of either delivery or expression and to identify the best practices for promoting tissue formation. Strategies to achieve controlled, localized expression within the tissue engineering scaffold will have broad application to the regeneration of many tissues, with great promise for clinical therapies.
Combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of brain polyphosphoinositides.

Abstract The quantitative assay of tissue polyphosphoinositides has generally been accomplished by first deacylating the extracted lipids ( Dittmer and Douglas, 1969 ) and then separating the products on an ion-exchange column. With this method, relatively large tissue samples are required, the procedure is cumbersome and the assay method, phosphorus determination, is not specific to the phosphoinositides. Thus, there has been a need for a more reliable and sensitive assay for tissue polyphosphoinositides. In this paper, we report a method for measuring and identifying MPI 1 , DPI and TPI in rat brain extracts by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Bridge protection algorithms - A technique for fault-tolerance in sensor networks

Sensor networks operating in the field might be subject to catastrophic events which destroy a large number of nodes in the geographic area. Often, the aftermath of such an event is the creation of a network of bridged fragments where connectivity is maintained by one or several bridge nodes. These networks are vulnerable, because the bridge nodes will soon exhaust their energy resources leading to the fragmentation of the network. This paper describes a bridge protection algorithm (BPA), a combination of techniques which, in response to a catastrophic event, change the behavior of a set of topologically important nodes in the network. These techniques protect the bridge node by letting some nodes take over some of the responsibilities of the sink. At the same time, they relieve some other overwhelmed nodes and prevent the apparition of additional bridge nodes. To achieve this, the algorithm sacrifices the length of some routes in order to distribute routes away from critical areas. In a variation on the BPA algorithm, we show that if geographic information about the nodes is available, replacing shortest path routing with a routing model which follows the edges of the relational neighborhood graph will lead to further improvements in the expected connected lifetime of the network.
Dogs, distemper, and multiple sclerosis in the United States.

Geographic distribution of multiple sclerosis (MS) was defined by case/control ratios for state of pre-illness residence for US white male veterans "service-connected" for MS. The Veterinary Medical Data Program of the National Cancer Institute receives diagnostic information from most of the university veterinary medical centers in the US (and Canada). The Center for Disease Control had carried out a 2-year surveillance program for human bites by animals. State distributions for MS were compared with those for the proportion of admissions for canine distemper (CD), the ratio of CD cases to the human population, and human bites by dogs per unit of population. There was no evidence that any of the CD risk indices was positively correlated with that for MS. These results suggest that CD, exposure to dogs, or dog bites are unlikely to be involved in the etiology of MS. Language: en
Evidence for a second arylhydroxamic acid acyltransferase species in the small intestine of the rat

The small intestine of the Sprague-Dawley rat has been shown to contain two species of arylhydroxamic acid acyltransferases. These enzymes were separable by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. The smaller species had the mobility of rat liver acyltransferase and was precipitated with antiserum directed against the liver enzyme. The larger species was not precipitated with this antiserum. These species differ in their relative abilities to utilize N-hydroxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-hydroxy-AAF) and N-hydroxy-N-4-acetylaminobiphenyl (N-hydroxy-AABP) as substrates, and in their inhibition by non immune serum.
Written versus oral disclosure of fecal and urinary incontinence in women with dual incontinence

To compare fecal incontinence (FI) and urinary incontinence (UI) disclosure in women with dual incontinence (DI), and to assess UI disclosure in DI subjects compared with women with UI alone. We hypothesized that women with DI would be less likely to disclose FI in comparison to UI and as likely to disclose UI as women with UI alone. We performed a retrospective chart review of new patient visits to an academic urogynecology clinic from 2007 to 2011. Clinical records were reviewed; demographic data and responses to the Incontinence Severity Index (ISI) and Wexner scales were recorded. Patients’ written responses to the ISI and Wexner were compared with the diagnoses obtained from the oral history by the physician. Of 1,899 women in the database, 557 women were diagnosed with DI and 447 women were diagnosed with UI alone. Women with DI were less likely to orally disclose FI than UI (135 out of 557 [23 %], vs 485 out of 557 [87 %], p 7 (OR 9.0, 95 % CI 5.4,14.8) and lower ISI score (OR 1.5, CI 1.4, 1.6). Women with DI were less likely to report FI in comparison to UI. Patients were more likely to orally report FI when the symptoms were severe.
The packing of southern bean mosaic virus in various crystal cells.

Two new crystal forms of Southern Bean Mosaic Virus (Cowpea strain) are reported. These have been grown from buffered solutions of very high virus concentration. The particles pack in hexagonal arrays with the icosahedral vertices in contact. The rhombohedral (Type II) form shows a succession of three layers arranged in pseudo-cubic close packing, while the orthorhombic (Type III) crystals are pseudo-hexagonally close packed. The Type II crystals are particularly suitable for high-resolution structural studies due to their unusually good X-ray diffraction characteristics and the presence of only one-sixth of the virus per asymmetric unit.
Transcriptional Regulation of Prostaglandin-H Synthase-2 Gene in Human Trophoblasts

Abnormal PG production by placental PG-H synthase (PGHS) is associated with preeclampsia. There are two PGHS isozymes, and their regulation in trophoblasts is presently unknown. We hypothesized that the PGHS isozymes are differentially regulated in human trophoblasts. To test this hypothesis, we transfected primary trophoblasts and JEG3 cells with promoter constructs of either PGHS-1 or PGHS-2 genes. We found that in both cell systems, the basal activity of PGHS-2 promoter was 10- to 30-fold higher than the activity of PGHS-1 promoter. In response to either 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) or 8-bromo-cAMP, we observed an increase in PGHS-2 promoter activity but no change in activity of PGHS-1 promoter. Similarly, both agents enhanced PGHS-2 expression, as well as prostaglandin E2 production. The activity of PGHS-2 promoter was potentiated by coexpression of protein kinase A and inhibited by coexpression of kinase A inhibitor. Aspirin attenuated the stimulatory effect of TPA on PGHS-2 promoter. We conclude that both PGHS-1 and PGHS-2 promoters are active in trophoblasts. The activity of PGHS-2 promoter is stimulated by either TPA or cAMP, and the stimulatory effect of TPA is attenuated by aspirin. These pathways may play a role in modulation of prostanoid synthesis by trophoblasts.
Murine melanoma: a model for intracranial metastasis.

A variant subline (B16-F10-B2) selected from the B16-F10 melanoma cell line, shows greater metastatic capacity and preferential growth in the brain after i.v. injection into C57BL/6 mice. Several biological properties of these two cell lines have been compared, in an effort to determine the mechanisms responsible for this non-random metastatic pattern. No differences in cell morphology, in vitro growth rates or exposed cell-surface proteins were detected. Quantitative analysis of tumour-cell arrest and distribution using 125IUdR-labelled cells indicated that, although initial arrest patterns of the cell lines were very similar, B16-F10-B2 cells survived in the lungs to a greater cell line had a higher mean number of chromosomes than the parent line, whereas the variance of chromosome distribution was less. We suggest that the selection of a brain-colonizing variant represents the emergence of a pre-existing subpopulation of cells, and provides a useful model for studying mechanisms of intracranial metastasis.