cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association between pretreatment lymphocyte count and response to PD1 inhibitors in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

Low absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) has previously been established as a marker of poor prognosis in multiple cancer types. There is growing evidence that ALC may also be associated with response to immunotherapy. This study explores whether response to PD1 inhibitors in recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) is associated with pretreatment ALC. Thirty-four R/M HNSCC patients who received either nivolumab or pembrolizumab between January 2014 and May 2018 at Johns Hopkins were identified retrospectively. Pretreatment blood counts in patients with and without clinical benefit from PD1 inhibitors were compared. Time-to-progression analyses were performed by dichotomizing the study cohort with the threshold of ALC 600 cells/μl, which is approximately 1.5 standard deviations away from treatment-naive baseline mean. Patients with lower ALC appeared to have significantly less clinical benefit from anti-PD1 therapy. Those patients with pretreatment ALC < 600 cells/μl also had shorter PFS than patients with pretreatment ALC ≥ 600 cells/μl (median PFS 60 days vs. 141 days, p < 0.05). These results were consistent with multivariate proportional hazards analyses demonstrating significant association with progression. These observations were further supported by an expansion cohort analysis incorporating additional fourteen R/M HNSCC patients who received other checkpoint immunotherapy regimens at our institution. This study for the first time demonstrates that pretreatment ALC is significantly associated with response to PD1 inhibitors in R/M HNSCC patients.
On drag reduction scaling and sustainability bounds of superhydrophobic surfaces in high Reynolds number turbulent flows

The drag reduction characteristics and sustainability bounds of superhydrophobic (SH) surfaces in high Reynolds number turbulent flows are investigated using results from direct numerical simulation (DNS) and scaling-law analysis. The DNS studies were performed, using lattice Boltzmann methods, in turbulent channel flows at bulk Reynolds numbers of , allow for a priori prediction of the magnitude of drag reduction with SH or LI surfaces in turbulent flow at any Reynolds number. For the most stable of these SH surface microtextures, namely, longitudinal microgrooves, the pressure stability bounds of the SH surface under the pressure loads of turbulent flow are investigated. It is shown that the pressure stability bounds of SH surfaces are also significantly curtailed with increasing Reynolds number of the flow. Using these scaling laws, the narrow range of SH surface geometrical parameters which can yield large drag reduction as well as sustainability in high Reynolds number turbulent flows is identified.
Ethnicity, Family Environment and Cognitive Performance: A Regression Surface Analysis

Regression surface analysis was used to examine relations between the family environment and measures of academic achievement at different levels of intellectual ability, for children from differen...
Assessment of Contributing Factors to Air Service Loss in Small Communities

As indicated by current literature, service at small community airports was negatively affected by the Great Recession from 2007 to 2009 and recent changes in competition structure. Existing studie...
Trends in Intake of Energy and Total Sugar from Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in the United States among Children and Adults, NHANES 2003–2016

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) increases total caloric intake, is linked to cardiometabolic outcomes as well as dental caries, and sugar in SSBs is associated with mortality and frailty among adults. We describe energy and total sugar intake trends among the United States (US) population from SSBs, soft drinks, other beverage groups, and the total diet based on the first 24-h recall data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles (2003–2004 through 2015–2016). SSBs included soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and fruit drinks, but excluded sports beverages with protein and sweetened teas/coffees. Among the total population (age ≥2 years: 57,026), energy intake from SSBs declined significantly from 183.9 ± 6.9 mean kcal/d (±SE) in 2003–2004 to 95.0 ± 3.5 in 2015–2016, while total sugar intake declined from 43.6 ± 1.7 mean g/d to 22.3 ± 0.8 (p-trend < 0.0001). Decreases were found for energy and total sugar intake, as well as percentage of energy and total sugar intake from SSBs, soft drinks, and all beverages for all age groups examined (≥2, 2–19, ≥20 years) (p-trend < 0.0001). From 2003 to 2016, energy and sugar intake from all beverages, SSBs, soft drinks, and the total diet decreased among the total population, children, and adults.
Detecting and measuring areas of choriocapillaris low perfusion in intermediate, non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a vision-threatening disease that affects the outer retina and choroid of elderly adults. Because photoreceptors are found in the outer retina and rely primarily on the trophic support of the underlying choriocapillaris, imaging of flow or lack thereof in choriocapillaris by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) has great clinical potential in AMD assessment. We introduce a metric using OCTA, named "focal perfusion loss" (FPL) to describe the effects of age and non-neovascular AMD on choriocapillaris flow. Because OCTA imaging of choriocapillaris is vulnerable to artifacts-namely motion, projections, segmentation errors, and shadows-they are removed by postprocessing software. The shadow detection software is a machine learning algorithm recently developed for the evaluation of the retinal circulation and here adapted for choriocapillaris analysis. It aims to exclude areas with unreliable flow signal due to blocking of the OCT beam by objects anterior to the choriocapillaris (e.g., drusen, retinal vessels, vitreous floaters, and iris). We found that both the FPL and the capillary density were able to detect changes in the choriocapillaris of AMD and healthy age-matched subjects with respect to young controls. The dominant cause of shadowing in AMD is drusen, and the shadow exclusion algorithm helps determine which areas under drusen retain sufficient signal for perfusion evaluation and which areas must be excluded. Such analysis allowed us to determine unambiguously that choriocapillaris density under drusen is indeed reduced.
An autism-associated mutation in GluN2B prevents NMDA receptor trafficking and interferes with dendrite growth

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders with multiple genetic associations. Analysis of de novo mutations identified GRIN2B, which encodes the GluN2B subunit of NMDA receptors, as a gene linked to ASDs with high probability. However, the mechanisms by which GRIN2B mutations contribute to ASD pathophysiology are not understood. Here, we investigated the cellular phenotypes induced by a human mutation that is predicted to truncate GluN2B within the extracellular loop. This mutation abolished NMDA-dependent Ca2+ influx. Mutant GluN2B co-assembled with GluN1 but was not trafficked to the cell surface or dendrites. When mutant GluN2B was expressed in developing cortical neurons, dendrites appeared underdeveloped, with shorter and fewer branches, while spine density was unaffected. Mutant dendritic arbors were often dysmorphic, displaying abnormal filopodial-like structures. Interestingly, dendrite maldevelopment appeared when mutant GluN2B was expressed on a wild-type background, reflecting the disease given that individuals are heterozygous for GRIN2B mutations. Restoring the fourth transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic tail did not rescue the phenotypes. Finally, abnormal development was not accompanied by reduced mTOR signaling. These data suggest that mutations in GluN2B contribute to ASD pathogenesis by disrupting dendrite development.
Epstein-Barr Virus Primary Infection Complicated by Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis and Plasmablastic Lymphoma in a HIV-Negative Patient.

EBV (Epstein–Barr virus) viremia causes immune dysregulation through various mechanisms, and we are understanding more that mutations in B, T, and NK (natural killer) cell signaling pathways allow EBV complications such as HLH (hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis) and lymphomas to arise. Here, we report a 20-year-old previously healthy, HIV- (human immunodeficiency virus-) negative male who presented with fevers, sore throat, and lymphadenopathy (LAD). He was found to have EBV viremia, pancytopenia, and elevated LFTs (liver function tests) suspicious for HLH. Bone marrow biopsy and elevated IL-2 (interleukin) receptor confirmed this diagnosis. Additionally, gastric biopsy confirmed diagnosis of plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL), a rare, aggressive HIV- and EBV-associated lymphoma. Both bone marrow and gastric biopsy showed evidence of EBV. Patients with EBV complications should have a rigorous workup to characterize the full extent of immune dysregulation including genetic testing at a high-volume center.
Chain-Length-Dependent Reactivity of Alkanethiolate Self-Assembled Monolayers with Atomic Hydrogen

Gas–surface interactions are some of the most important yet complex chemical processes to occur, as they intrinsically involve many-body phenomena across a wide spectrum of energies and length scales. To understand these complicated interfacial interactions, we often use model systems such as thiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) to study phenomena like reactivity and passivation, as these systems afford fine control over the surface parameters governing the events in question. In this study, we examine the effect of chain length on the reactivity of alkanethiolate SAMs with atomic hydrogen by monitoring morphological surface evolution throughout the reaction. These spatiotemporal data were obtained using ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (UHV-STM) with directed in situ atomic hydrogen dosing. For a series of alkanethiolate SAMs 8- to 11-carbons long, we find that small increases in chain length cause disproportionately large decreases in reactivity. These reaction trends led us to develo...
De novo Nanopore read quality improvement using deep learning.

Long read sequencing technologies such as Oxford Nanopore can greatly decrease the complexity of de novo genome assembly and large structural variation identification. Currently Nanopore reads have high error rates, and the errors often cluster into low-quality segments within the reads. The limited sensitivity of existing read-based error correction methods can cause large-scale mis-assemblies in the assembled genomes, motivating further innovation in this area. Here we developed a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based method, called MiniScrub, for identification and subsequent “scrubbing” (removal) of low-quality Nanopore read segments to minimize their interference in downstream assembly process. MiniScrub first generates read-to-read overlaps via MiniMap2, then encodes the overlaps into images, and finally builds CNN models to predict low-quality segments. Applying MiniScrub to real world control datasets under several different parameters, we show that it robustly improves read quality, and improves read error correction in the metagenome setting. Compared to raw reads, de novo genome assembly with scrubbed reads produces many fewer mis-assemblies and large indel errors. MiniScrub is able to robustly improve read quality of Oxford Nanopore reads, especially in the metagenome setting, making it useful for downstream applications such as de novo assembly. We propose MiniScrub as a tool for preprocessing Nanopore reads for downstream analyses. MiniScrub is open-source software and is available at https://bitbucket.org/berkeleylab/jgi-miniscrub .
Provider Preference in Exam Room Layout Design and Computing.

Background The introduction of the electronic health record (EHR) has had a significant impact on provider–patient interactions, particularly revolving around patient-centeredness. More research is needed to understand the provider perspective of this interaction. Objectives Our objective was to obtain provider feedback on a new exam room design compared with the one already in use with respect to the computing layout, which included a wall-mounted monitor for ease of (re)-positioning. An additional objective was to understand elements of exam room design and computing that were highly valued. Methods Semistructured interviews were conducted with 28 providers from several health care organizations. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for analysis. We used an inductive coding approach to abstract recurrent themes from the data. Results Our analysis revealed several themes organized around exam room layout, exam room computing, and provider workflow. We report frequency of occurrence of the coded data for computer accessories, computing usefulness, computer mobility, documentation habits, form factor, layout preference, patient interaction, screen sharing, and work habits. Conclusion Providers in our study preferred exam room design to promote flexibility, mobility, and body orientation directed toward the patient. Providers also expressed the need for exam room design to support varying work habits and preferences, including whether to share the computer screen or not.
Enabling Morally Sensitive Robotic Clarification Requests.

The design of current natural language oriented robot architectures enables certain architectural components to circumvent moral reasoning capabilities. One example of this is reflexive generation of clarification requests as soon as referential ambiguity is detected in a human utterance. As shown in previous research, this can lead robots to (1) miscommunicate their moral dispositions and (2) weaken human perception or application of moral norms within their current context. We present a solution to these problems by performing moral reasoning on each potential disambiguation of an ambiguous human utterance and responding accordingly, rather than immediately and naively requesting clarification. We implement our solution in the DIARC robot architecture, which, to our knowledge, is the only current robot architecture with both moral reasoning and clarification request generation capabilities. We then evaluate our method with a human subjects experiment, the results of which indicate that our approach successfully ameliorates the two identified concerns.
Implementing psychological therapies for gastrointestinal disorders in pediatrics.

The brain-gut axis refers to complex and reciprocal interactions that impact symptom presentation and disease course within the GI tract. Psychological therapies included in the treatment of functi...
Labor Market Trajectories for Community College Graduates: How Returns to Certificates and Associate's Degrees Evolve Over Time

We estimate labor market returns to terminal associate's degrees and certificates, with a particular focus on how returns for different credential types evolve over a longer period of time (11 year...
Analytical bounds on the local Lipschitz constants of affine-ReLU functions.

In this paper, we determine analytical bounds on the local Lipschitz constants of of affine functions composed with rectified linear units (ReLUs). Affine-ReLU functions represent a widely used layer in deep neural networks, due to the fact that convolution, fully-connected, and normalization functions are all affine, and are often followed by a ReLU activation function. Using an analytical approach, we mathematically determine upper bounds on the local Lipschitz constant of an affine-ReLU function, show how these bounds can be combined to determine a bound on an entire network, and discuss how the bounds can be efficiently computed, even for larger layers and networks. We show several examples by applying our results to AlexNet, as well as several smaller networks based on the MNIST and CIFAR-10 datasets. The results show that our method produces tighter bounds than the standard conservative bound (i.e. the product of the spectral norms of the layers' linear matrices), especially for small perturbations.
THE BALANCED TWO-WAY FACTORIAL DESIGN WITHOUT INTERACTION

This chapter focuses on a situation in which it is desired to measure a response on a continuous variable to combinations of levels of two factors. The chapter further discusses the randomized block design. The analyses of variance result from planned experiments. Variability among experimental units may mask or obscure treatment effects of interest to an experimenter. This nuisance factor of experimental unit differences can be minimized by the use of a randomized block design. Blocking is an experimental design technique using experimental control to reduce variability because of experimental error and to obtain unbiased estimates of treatment effects. A randomized block design is based on the principle of assigning the experimental units to blocks; therefore, the variability among units within any block is less than the variability among the blocks. The key to success lies in the experimenter's ability to anticipate which experimental units would respond alike if treated alike.
Suppressor Mutations in Type II Secretion Mutants of Vibrio cholerae: Inactivation of the VesC Protease.

The type II secretion system (T2SS) is a conserved transport pathway responsible for the secretion of a range of virulence factors by many pathogens, including Vibrio cholerae Disruption of the T2SS genes in V. cholerae results in loss of secretion, changes in cell envelope function, and growth defects. While T2SS mutants are viable, high-throughput genomic analyses have listed these genes among essential genes. To investigate whether secondary mutations arise as a consequence of T2SS inactivation, we sequenced the genomes of six V. cholerae T2SS mutants with deletions or insertions in either the epsG, epsL, or epsM genes and identified secondary mutations in all mutants. Two of the six T2SS mutants contain distinct mutations in the gene encoding the T2SS-secreted protease VesC. Other mutations were found in genes coding for V. cholerae cell envelope proteins. Subsequent sequence analysis of the vesC gene in 92 additional T2SS mutant isolates identified another 19 unique mutations including insertions or deletions, sequence duplications, and single-nucleotide changes resulting in amino acid substitutions in the VesC protein. Analysis of VesC variants and the X-ray crystallographic structure of wild-type VesC suggested that all mutations lead to loss of VesC production and/or function. One possible mechanism by which V. cholerae T2SS mutagenesis can be tolerated is through selection of vesC-inactivating mutations, which may, in part, suppress cell envelope damage, establishing permissive conditions for the disruption of the T2SS. Other mutations may have been acquired in genes encoding essential cell envelope proteins to prevent proteolysis by VesC.IMPORTANCE Genome-wide transposon mutagenesis has identified the genes encoding the T2SS in Vibrio cholerae as essential for viability, but the reason for this is unclear. Mutants with deletions or insertions in these genes can be isolated, suggesting that they have acquired secondary mutations that suppress their growth defect. Through whole-genome sequencing and phenotypic analysis of T2SS mutants, we show that one means by which the growth defect can be suppressed is through mutations in the gene encoding the T2SS substrate VesC. VesC homologues are present in other Vibrio species and close relatives, and this may be why inactivation of the T2SS in species such as Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio sp. strain 60, and Aeromonas hydrophila also results in a pleiotropic effect on their outer membrane assembly and integrity.
Affecting Policy by Manipulating Prediction Markets: Experimental Evidence

Documented results indicate prediction markets effectively aggregate information and form accurate predictions. This has led to a proliferation of markets predicting everything from the results of elections to a company’s sales to movie box office receipts. Recent research suggests prediction markets are robust to manipulation attacks and resulting market outcomes improve forecast accuracy. However, we present evidence from the lab indicating that single-minded, well-funded manipulators can in fact destroy a prediction market’s ability to aggregate informative prices and mislead those who are making forecasts based upon market predictions. However, we find that manipulators primarily influence market trades meaning outstanding bids and asks remain informative.
A review of response in neoadjuvant therapy for exocrine pancreatic cancer.

Despite overall advances in cancer therapy, patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma continue to have a poor prognosis. While adjuvant therapy is still considered standard, there is mounting evidence that neoadjuvant therapy confers similar benefits in patients with locally advanced disease. The primary measures of response are radiographic, biochemical, margin status, and pathologic. Given overall low response rates and the need for new treatment strategies, standard metrics remain important to the investigation of new systemic agents.
Dam type and topological position govern ice-marginal lake area change in Alaska and NW Canada between 1984 and 2019

Abstract. Ice-marginal lakes impact glacier mass balance, water resources, and ecosystem dynamics, and can produce catastrophic glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) via sudden drainage. Multitemporal inventories of ice-marginal lakes are a critical first step in understanding the drivers of historic change, predicting future lake evolution, and assessing GLOF hazards. Here, we use Landsat-era satellite imagery and supervised classification to semi-automatically delineate lake outlines for four ~5 year time periods between 1984 and 2019 in Alaska and northwest Canada. Overall, ice-marginal lakes in the region have grown in total number (+176 lakes, 36 % increase) and area (+467 km2, 57 % increase) between the time periods of 1984–1988 and 2016–2019. However, changes in lake numbers and area were notably unsteady and nonuniform. We demonstrate that lake area changes are connected to dam type (moraine, bedrock, ice, or supraglacial) and topological position (proglacial, detached, unconnected, ice, or supraglacial), with important differences in lake behavior between the sub-groups. In strong contrast to all other dam types, ice-dammed lakes decreased in number (−9, 13 % decrease) and area (−56 km2, 43 % decrease), while moraine-dammed lakes increased (+59, 28 % and +468 km2, 85 % for number and area, respectively), a faster rate than the average when considering all dam types together. Proglacial lakes experienced the largest area changes and rate of change out of any topological position throughout the period of study. By tracking individual lakes through time and categorizing lakes by dam type, subregion, and topological position, we are able to parse trends that would otherwise be aliased if these characteristics were not considered. This work highlights the importance of such lake characterization when performing ice-marginal lake inventories, and provides insight into the physical processes driving recent ice-marginal lake evolution.
Baseline Immune Cell Composition in Broiler Spleen is Altered by Probiotic Supplementation

Probiotics are supplemented in poultry diets to support beneficial intestinal microbial community members. The alteration of the microbiota due to probiotic supplementation is shown to improve host health, but the underlying changes to immune cell populations have not been well-described in poultry. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of probiotics at two different dietary inclusion levels on the immune cell populations in spleens of unchallenged broiler chickens. Probiotic supplementation did not impact overall percentages of leukocytes, but did alter the composition of cells making up leukocyte subpopulations (P ≤ 0.05). Additional research is needed to evaluate how these changes to immune cell populations translate to a modulated immune response under challenge conditions.
Liberalization, education, and rights and tolerance attitudes.

Abstract Rights and a tolerance of diversity are central to a democratic polity, and for over 60 years scholars have viewed education as a powerful wellspring of liberal attitudes on these issues. But recent concerns with selection bias raise questions about whether exposure to education indeed shapes attitudes. This study offers new perspective on the influence of education on rights and tolerance attitudes in the United States. We use a larger and wider-ranging array of items (63) than has been considered in recent scholarship on this topic. Analyzing General Social Surveys panel data, we apply the Morgan/Winship model to address selection bias concerns. We find novel evidence that education shapes rights and tolerance attitudes. It is exposure to college education, not high school, that appears to be most consequential, suggesting the importance of higher-educational institutions to the diffusion of liberal attitudes. We discuss study limitations and directions for further investigation.
Filtering and Prediction: A Primer

Preliminaries Markov chains Filtering of discrete Markov chains Conditional expectations Filtering of continuous-space Markov chains Wiener process and continuous time filtering Stationary sequences Prediction of stationary sequences Bibliography Index.
Long-Term Effects of Teacher Performance Pay: Experimental Evidence from India.

We present results from a five-year long randomized evaluation of group and individual teacher performance pay programs implemented across a large representative sample of government-run rural primary schools in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. We find consistently positive and significant impacts of the individual teacher incentive program on student learning outcomes across all durations of program exposure. Students who completed their full five years of primary school under the program performed significantly better than those in control schools by 0.54 and 0.35 standard deviations in math and language tests respectively. These students also scored 0.52 and 0.3 standard deviations higher in science and social studies tests even though there were no incentives on these subjects. The group teacher incentive program also had positive (and mostly significant) effects on student test scores, but the effect sizes were always smaller than that of the individual incentive program, and were not significant at the end of primary school for the cohort exposed to the program for five years. These results suggest that reforming the compensation structure of public sector employees could play an important role in enhancing the capacity of governments in developing countries to provide more effective services. JEL Classification: C93, I21, M52, O15
High-repetition-rate, mid-infrared KTA-OPO at 3.44 /spl mu/m

Summary form only given. Potassium titanyl arsenate (KTA) has the advantage of enhanced transparency in the mid-infrared region (3 /spl mu/m) over KTP, which is the well established material for up-converting 1-/spl mu/m laser radiation into the 1.5-/spl mu/m region. Although parametric oscillation in KTP at 3.26 /spl mu/m has been demonstrated: the absorption of the idler wavelength is critical in high-repetition-rate KTP/KTA optical parametric oscillators (OPOs). We have compared the performance, spectral characteristics, and transparency at 3.44 /spl mu/m for extra-cavity KTP and KTA OPOs.
Dynamic Access Control For Information Technology Service Management

Prominent services in the operational portfolio of enterprise information systems are facilities designed to promote information sharing while maintaining control over the integrity and privacy of information. Many organizations employ identity management and authentication for access, and then partition the application domain so that a separate access facility is required for each system. Simple access control lists are used for access control, so flexibility and information sharing is cumbersome and inefficient, often leading to a state where design objectives are easily compromised. A new and groundbreaking service is on the horizon. With dynamic access control employing the new Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) system, a highly effective means of information sharing, based on the use of attributes, can be achieved, while enhancing efficiency and efficacy among enterprise agencies. This paper provides an introduction to this important service as it applies to federal and non-federal organizational structures.
On the Generality and Convenience of Etypes

The Ethos operating system provides a number of features which aid programmers as they craft robust computer programs. One such feature of Ethos is its distributed, mandatory type system -- Etypes. Etypes provides three key properties: (1) every Ethos object (e.g., A file or network connection) has a declared type, (2) Ethos forbids programs from writing ill-formed data to an object, and (3) Ethos forbids programs from reading ill-formed data from an object. In any case, programmers declare ahead of time the permitted data types, and Ethos' application of operating-system-level recognition simplifies their programs. This paper first investigates the generality of Etypes. Toward this end, we describe how to convert a grammar in Chomsky normal form into an Ethos type capable of expressing exactly the set of syntax trees which are valid vis-a-vis the grammar. Next, the paper addresses the convenience of Etypes. If Etypes does not make it easier to craft programs, then programmers will avoid the facilities it provides, for example by declaring string types which in fact serve to encode other types (here Etypes would check the string but not the encoded type). Finally, we present a sample distributed program for Ethos which makes use of the techniques we describe.
A Taxonomy of Virtual Work

Millions of people worldwide entertain themselves or supplement their incomes – or both – by meeting with fellow employees as avatars in virtual worlds such as Second Life, solving complicated problems on websites like Innocentive, or casually “clicking” to make money for simple tasks on Amazon.com’s Mechanical Turk. Virtual work has great promise – increasing efficiency by reducing the time and expense involved in gathering workers who live great distances apart, and allowing for efficient use of skills so that the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. At the same time, virtual work presents its own unique series of challenges, and regulation is needed to ensure that the end result is not virtual sweatshops. Some of the questions that virtual work raises are: How might the minimum wage laws apply to new forms of work, such as crowdsourcing, where work is broken down to small components? How could virtual worlds help us to test the amount of unconscious bias that exists in hiring? How will unions use virtual worlds, and as happened in the 2007 IBM Italy “virtual strike,” are more virtual industrial actions yet to come? Other issues discussed in the Article include virtual work approaches to whistleblowing, harassment, and disability law. While still nascent, these legal issues are of concern to employees and employers alike, and in light of that fact, it is appropriate to begin formulating well-thought out approaches to address them.
Priorities for the Professional Foundation: Differences by Program Level.

This study addresses the degree of consensus between undergraduate program directors and dean and directors of master's degree programs on the priorities for content of the professional foundation courses in social work education. The findings suggest that there is remarkable agreement on the elements that should be included in the professional foundation. The study does not deal with the question of the degree of depth of coverage, but is limited to the question of priorities.
The mechanical spindle: a replica of the Mammalian muscle spindle

The goal of the recently initiated Anthroform Arm Project is to understand the manipulation capabilities of the human arm through the development of a dynamically accurate replica arm. Previous attempts have focussed on manipulator kinematics, and have neglected dynamics and controller designs. Others have emphasized neural network control without attention to correct biomechanical modelling. Our manipulator and its controller are based on current knowledge of human biomechanics and neurophysiology respectively.
Optimizing the Performance of Sample Mean-Variance Efficient Portfolios

We propose a comprehensive empirical strategy for optimizing the out-of-sample performance of sample mean-variance ecient portfolios. After constructing a sample objective function that accounts for the impact of estimation risk, specification errors, and transaction costs on portfolio performance, we maximize the function with respect to a set of tuning parameters to obtain plug-in estimates of the optimal portfolio weights. The methodology oers considerable flexibility in specifying objectives, constraints, and modeling techniques. Moreover, the resulting portfolios have well-behaved weights, reasonable turnover, and substantially higher Sharpe ratios and certainty-equivalent returns than benchmarks such as the 1/N portfolio and S&P 500 index.
Towards a complete model of soil liquefaction: the importance of fluid flow and grain motion

When loosely packed water-saturated granular soils, for example sands, are subjected to strong earthquake shaking, they may liquefy, causing large deformations with great destructive power. The phe...
The immune system, amyloid-beta peptide, and Alzheimer's disease.

In this review, the case is made that amyloid-β peptide in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease is a primary cause of the disease and that immunotherapy directed against this peptide has the potential to halt and/or reverse disease progression. This supposition is supported by the capacity of anti-β-amyloid peptide antibodies to prevent or reverse the disease in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, preliminary results obtained in a small number of patients with Alzheimer's disease are consistent with the observations made in the mouse model of this disease. We review the relationship between the immune system, amyloid-β peptide, and Alzheimer's disease and the progress made in applying immunotherapy to patients with Alzheimer's disease.
PVC melt stability relationship to impurity chemistry of carbon black

Abstract A major concern for processing Polyvinylchloride filled with enough carbon black to make an electrically conductive plastic is maintaining sufficient compound melt stability for molding. Selective removal of various heteroatoms and impurities (e.g. oxygen, sulfur and inorganic salts) from carbon black indicates that excessive concentrations of either surface oxygen or iron grit adversely affects the melt stability of polyvinylchloride.
A Rule-Based Approach to Unifying Functional and Fault Simulation and Timing Verification

A novel approach to design verification is presented that is based on a new methodology for modeling and verifying digital designs. The verification methodology unifies functional and fault simulation and timing verification into one general rule-based framework wherein functional, fault, and timing characteristics of digital designs are expressed through a set of rules. Consequently, models of new devices and for new types of simulations may be introduced into the verification system with relative ease. Introducing other types of simulations into the verifier would require expressing the appropriate characteristics of digital devices in the form of rules. This approach has been verified in the experimental RDV [GS84] system at Stanford University and the hardware-description language used is Ada [AD83]. Unification of functional and fault simulation and timing verification is made possible by a combination of distributed approaches to modeling and scheduling.
Size effects in the exchange coupling between two electrons confined in quantum wire quantum dots

We theoretically investigate the properties of a two-electron system confined in the three-dimensional potential of coupled quantum dots formed in a quantum wire. For this purpose, we implement a variational Heitler-London method that minimizes the system energies with respect to variational parameters in electron trial wave functions. We find that tunnel and exchange couplings rapidly decay with increasing interdot distance and interdot barrier height. In the quasi-one-dimensional limit achieved by reducing the wire diameter, we find that the overlap between the dots decreases, which results in a drop in the exchange coupling. We also discuss the validity of our variational Heitler-London method with respect to the model potential parameters; we find good agreement between our results and available experimental data.
Opposing roles of PARP-1 in MMP-9 and TIMP-2 expression and mast cell degranulation in dyslipidemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Abstract Introduction Previously, we demonstrated that inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) exerts protective effects against high-fat (HF) diet-induced atherogenesis in part by increasing tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-2 expression. Given that characteristics of dilated cardiomyopathy closely associate with atherosclerosis and are mediated by an imbalance between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and TIMPs, we hypothesized that PARP-1 gene deletion may protect against HF-induced cardiac hypertrophy and dilatations by altering TIMP-2/MMPs balance in favor of a maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Methods and results Hemodynamic parameters determined by echocardiography were similar in ApoE−/− mice and PARP-1-deficient ApoE−/− mice (DKO) fed a regular diet (RD). However, histological analysis revealed that cardiomyocytes of ApoE−/− mice on RD were hypertrophied, displaying an enlarged cell body and nucleus, traits that were absent in DKO animals. HF diet-fed ApoE−/− mice exhibited increased interventricular septum, left ventricular (LV) internal dimension, LV volume, and LV mass in addition to a separation of myocardial fibers suggestive of dilated cardiomyopathy. PARP-1 gene deletion protected against these degenerative changes. MMP activity was dramatically increased in hearts of ApoE−/− mice on HF diet and was accompanied by increased collagen degradation, mast cell degranulation, and increased myocyte cell death. PARP-1 gene knockout was associated with increased TIMP-2 expression antagonizing, as a result, the damaging effects of active MMPs. Conclusions The present study demonstrates that PARP-1 gene deletion exerts protective effects against HF diet-induced dilated cardiomyopathy by maintaining increased expression of TIMP-2. With additional protective effects against cell death and inflammation, PARP-1 deficiency preserves cardiac tissue homeostasis.
Transparency Extension in Haptic Interfaces via Adaptive Dynamics Cancellation

Haptic interfaces are a class of robotic manipulators that display force feedback to enhance the realism of virtual environment displays. However, these manipulators often fail to effectively replicate the real world environment due to dynamic limitations of the manipulator itself. The ratio of the simulated to transmitted environment impedance is defined as the transparency transfer function (TTF), and can be used to quantify the effectiveness of a haptic device in displaying the simulated environment. The TTF is ideally equal to one for the bandwidth of human proprioception. In this work, a method is presented that increases TTF bandwidth via cancellation of dynamics with an adaptive model. This adaptive model is based on the kinematics and dynamics of a PHANToM haptic interface with assumed joint stiffness and damping added. The Lagrangian of the PHANToM is reformulated into a regressor matrix containing the state variables multiplied by a parameter vector. A least-squares approach is used to estimate the parameter vector by assuming that errors in force output are due to the manipulator dynamics. The parameter estimate is then used in the original model to provide a feed-forward cancellation of the manipulator dynamics. Software simulation using data from passive user interactions shows that the model cancellation technique improves bandwidth up to 35 Hz versus 7 Hz without compensation. Finally, this method has a distinct advantage when compared with other compensation methods for haptic interactions because it does not rely on linear assumptions near a particular operating point and will adapt to capture unmodeled features.© 2005 ASME
Catalogue of sounds of the Pigtailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina)

A catalogue of sounds from a laboratory population of Pigtailed macaques has been developed from spectograms. Sounds are divided into four general classes: clear, harsh and high-pitched calls, and miscellaneous sounds. It appears that all parameters of the vocal signal are independently manipulatable. A plot of selected spectral characteristics demonstrated the uniqueness of individual signals. In some instances, different sounds are developed by rearrangement of specific fragments, or by acoustical activities performed on similar sounds. This latter phenomenon, which will be termed mosaicism, parallels aspects of language design. Lastly, comparison of spectrograms for Pigtailed macaques with those published for Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) reveals similarities in structure.
Emerging energy-efficiency and CO2 emission-reduction technologies for cement and concrete production: A technical review

Abstract Globally, the cement industry accounts for approximately 5 percent of current anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. World cement demand and production are increasing significantly, leading to an increase in this industry’s absolute energy use and CO2 emissions. Development of new energy-efficiency and CO2 emission-reduction technologies and their deployment in the market will be key for the cement industry’s mid- and long-term climate change mitigation strategies. This paper is an initial effort to compile available information on process description, energy savings, environmental and other benefits, costs, commercialization status, and references for emerging technologies to reduce the cement industry’s energy use and CO2 emissions. Although studies from around the world identify a variety of sector-specific and cross-cutting energy-efficiency technologies for the cement industry that have already been commercialized, information is scarce and/or scattered regarding emerging or advanced energy-efficiency and low-carbon technologies that are not yet commercialized. This paper consolidates available information on eighteen emerging technologies for the cement industry, with the goal of providing engineers, researchers, investors, cement companies, policy makers, and other interested parties with easy access to a well-structured database of information on these technologies.
The Principles of Thermodynamics

A formulation of thermodynamics has been developed which points out the restrictions of classical treatments. This formulation in terms of potential and charge concepts predicts the property ascribed to the entropy of increasing during thermodynamic processes and leads to an equation for entropy produced and heat dissipated in irreversible processes. The postulates of the treatment presented have allowed deduction of a generalized form of the second law of thermodynamics which applies to each energy field of the system. These concepts have been further developed in discussion of the phase rule; the functions H, A, and F; a generalization of Kelvin's postulate; and a generalization of the Carnot cycle. The results obtained have permitted derivation of the principles of Bronsted's system of energetics.
Mechanisms underlying state dependent surface-evoked response patterns

Cortical evoked response potentials (ERPs) display a rich set of waveforms that are both context and state dependent. However, the mechanisms that underlie state dependent ERP patterns are unclear. Determining those mechanisms through analysis of single trial ERP waveform signatures may provide insight into the regulation of cortical column state and the roles that sleep plays in cortical function. We implanted rats with electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyogram (EMG) electrodes to record ERPs and to assess sleep/wake states continuously during 1-2 s random auditory clicks. Individual cortical auditory ERPs were sorted into one of eight behavioral states, and fell into three categories based on amplitude and latency characteristics. ERPs within waking and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep were predominantly low amplitude and short latency. Approximately 50% of ERPs during light quiet sleep (quiet sleep 1 and quiet sleep 2) exhibited low amplitude, short latency responses, and the remaining ERPs had high amplitude, long latency responses. This distribution was characteristic of EEG fluctuations during low frequency delta waves. Significantly more individual ERPs showed very low amplitudes during deep quiet sleep (quiet sleep 3 and quiet sleep 4), resulting in a lower average ERP. These results support the hypothesis that evoked response amplitudes and waveform patterns follow specific EEG patterns. Since evoked response characteristics distribute differently across states, they could aid our understanding of sleep mechanisms through state-related and local neural signaling.
Orientational ordering of solid CO: high sensitivity dielectric measurements

Abstract Dielectric constant measurements of solid N2 have revealed strong hysteresis effects due to geometrical frustration. To test the universality of such glassy behavior arising purely from geometrical frustration, we have made dielectric constant/loss measurements on a similar system, CO. We find that CO does not show any hysteresis effects in the entire solid phase. We suspect that this is due either to the very small window of temperature where CO exists in its orientationally disordered solid phase or to the presence of a small intrinsic dipole moment making it different from a pure quadrupolar system such as N2.
Beneficial role of corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) (Homoptera: Aphididae), in maintaining Hippodamia spp. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in grain sorghum

Abstract The significance of corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), as a food source for the natural enemies of greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), was determined in the Texas High Plains sorghum agroecosystem. The most abundant coccinellid species were Hippodamia convergens (Guerin-Meneville) and H. sinuata (Mulsant). Neither coccinellid species showed any preference for either greenbug or corn leaf aphid in replicated choice predation tests. Corn leaf aphid and coccinellid densities increased at similar rates in the early season during both 1982 and 1983. Regression analyses suggested that variation in corn leaf aphid and greenbug densities significantly contribute to the variation in coccinellid densities. Furthermore, corn leaf aphid and coccinellid densities were significantly and positively correlated prior to sorghum panicle emergence. However, after panicle emergence only greenbug and coccinellid densities were highly correlated, reflecting a change in coccinellid food source from primarily corn leaf aphids to greenbugs. The ability of coccinellids to regulate greenbug densities may be largely dependent on the abundance of corn leaf aphids as a food source during early season crop growth.
New technique of ureteral stent placement for impacted ureteral calculus : The glidewire loop technique

Impacted ureteral stones pose a challenge during retrograde ureteral stenting. Multiple attempts to bypass the obstruction with conventional guide wires often fail and may result in perforation of the ureter. We describe a new, simple approach to overcome this common problem by utilizing a retrograde glidewire loop technique. The technique described allows safe and successful bypassing and stenting of ureteral obstruction.