cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrated Information Theory, Searle, and the Arbitrariness Question

Integrated Information Theory (IIT) posits a new kind of information, which, given certain constraints, constitutes consciousness. Searle objects to IIT because its appeal to information relies on observer-relative features. This misses the point that IIT’s notion of integrated information is intrinsic, the opposite of observer-relative. Moreover, Searle overlooks the possibility that IIT could be embraced as an extension of his theory. While he insists that causal powers of the brain account for consciousness, he maintains that these causal powers aren’t tied to protoplasmic material. Whatever these causal powers are (Searle doesn’t offer a positive account), they don’t consist in mere information-processing or computation. IIT agrees, and also positively characterizes the relevant causal powers as those involved in generating integrated information. Examining the further commitments of each theory reveals that IIT renews a fundamentally ontological challenge to information-processing and computational theories of mind.
Plan recognition in understanding instructions

Abstract Plan recognition is generally understood as the process of inferring the higher level goals that an action is meant to achieve. In this paper, we will discuss such inferences in the context of understanding and executing Natural Language instructions and show that they follow from the partial nature of Natural Language descriptions: borrowing the term from Lewis [1979], we collectively call them accommodation. Accommodation can be seen as a type of plan recognition: we will compare accommodation with other kinds of inferences that have been studied in the plan recognition literature – in particular by Kautz [1990] and Pollack [1986].
Guillain-Barré syndrome, pregnancy, and plasmapheresis.

The case of Guillain-Barre syndrome (acute inflammatory polyradiculoneuritis) in pregnancy reported here brings the total reported number to 35. The patient had plasmapheresis with no maternal or fetal complications. She did not require mechanical ventilation. This is only the fifth reported case of Guillain-Barre syndrome in the gravid patient involving plasmapheresis. There have been no controlled studies assessing the safety of plasmapheresis in the pregnant patient with the disorder. The possible risks of the procedure need to be weighed against the high maternal mortality rate in such a patient.
High frequency of cytogenetic abnormalities in fetuses with cystic hygroma diagnosed in the first trimester.

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between fetal cystic hygroma detected in the first trimester and fetal cytogenetic abnormalities. Methods Visualization of a prominent (2.5 mm or larger) anechoic or hypoechoic separation of the fetal skin line from the posterior body wall led to the diagnosis of fetal cystic hygroma; presence or absence of septations within the cystic hygroma was documented in each patient. Fetuses with additional structural defects were excluded from this study. All eligible women were offered prenatal cytogenetic studies (ie, chorionic villus sampling, amniocentesis). Results Cytogenetic studies were performed on all 32 affected fetuses. Fifteen of 32 fetuses (46.9%) had abnormal complements. Septations within the cystic hygroma were demonstrated in 18 fetuses; nine of these had abnormal karyotypes. Of the 12 women carrying fetuses with normal chromosome complements who elected to continue their pregnancies, 11 delivered infants with no evidence of cystic hygroma. Conclusions Prenatal cytogenetic analysis should be offered to women with fetal cystic hygroma diagnosed in the first trimester. Normal outcome is likely in those showing no chromosome abnormalities.
Extracellular Matrix Alterations in Human Corneas With Bullous Keratopathy

Purpose. To uncover abnormalities of extracellular matrix (ECM) distribution in human cor-neas with pseudophakic and aphakic bullous keratopathy (PBK/ABK).Methods. Indirect immunofluorescence with antibodies to 27 ECM components was used onfrozen sections of 14 normal and 20 PBK/ABK corneas.Results. Fibrillar deposits of an antiadhesive glycoprotein tenascin in the anterior and posteriorstroma, epithelial basement membrane (BM), bullae and subepithelial fibrosis (SEF) areas,and posterior collagenous layer (PCL) were revealed in diseased corneas. Tenascin inmidstroma, which was observed in some cases, correlated with decreased visual acuity. Innormal central corneas, tenascin was never found. Other major ECM abnormalities in PBK/ABK corneas compared to normals included: discontinuous epithelial BM staining for laminin-1 (aipiyl), entactin/nidogen and fibronectin; accumulation of fibronectin and al-a2 typeIV collagen on the endothelial face of the Descemet's membrane; and abnormal depositionof stromal ECM (tenascin, fibronectin, decorin, types I, III, V, VI, VIII, XII, XIV collagen)and BM components (type IV collagen, perlecan, bamacan, laminin-1, entactin-nidogen,fibronectin) in SEF areas and in PCL.Conclusions. This study provides a molecular description of an ongoing fibrosis on the epithe-lial, stromal, and endothelial levels in PBK/ABK corneas. These fibrotic changes may followinitial endothelial damage after cataract surgery, may be caused by the upregulation of fibro-genic cytokines, and may play a significant role in the progression of bullous keratopathy.Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1996. 37:997-1007; .
Introduction: Minding the Gaps of Colonial Automobility

This chapter examines the arguments made for the “positive effects of colonization” in contemporary French public discourse and questions their foundations by looking at their colonial origins. The introduction demonstrates that these debates revive the myth of the mission civilisatrice by recycling colonial discussions over France’s perceived technological superiority and moral duty. The following chapters present stories that critically fill in the gaps in the narrative of French conquest in Southeast Asia and provide a chronological overview of the technological and moral issues involved in the French colonization of Indochina. The introduction finishes by challenging the reader to mind the historiographical gap between the histories of metropolitan and colonial France and to recognize that the colonial history of Indochina is also the history of France.
Association of clinical and biological resistance with a novel mutation in MAP2K1 in a patient with Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

e18554Background: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease that is characterized by a clonal proliferation of pathologic histiocytes. While the V600E mutation of the BRAF gene is prese...
How does knowledge evolve using adaptive heuristics learning in an engineering game

In this paper, the primary focus is on the performers whose learning process originate by solving simple or complex problems and perceiving the performers interest in solving advanced problems from the knowledge obtained. An open-source puzzle like a game UNTANGLED is used in our study. The game is developed to unravel the mapping/placement problems in electrical engineering by using human instincts. Telemetry data for the two groups of performers who solved simple and complex puzzles in the first attempt is considered to investigate the Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory (KELT) and fathom the adaptive heuristics for building knowledge from experience. From analysis performed it is evident that a similar learning process is followed by both performers who played initial and complex puzzles in first attempt. Also, results illustrate that the players who first played initial level puzzles are more interested in playing next level puzzles than the one who first played complex puzzles. Results illustrate that 18% of players who solved easy in first attempt played advanced puzzles in consecutive attempts. Apparently, conclusions advocate that to develop an indelible appetite to deal with advanced/complex problems, STEM education teachers need to structure the lab experiments or teach the complex concepts by starting from simple projects/concepts to complex one. By making learners to try a greater number of low-level abstraction problems will engage learners’ interest in solving high-level abstraction problems. Similarly, educational game designers can develop a game environment introducing more intermediate levels, which gives enough experience to deal with difficult levels
The Quest for Leadership

Keeping the United States the global leader in space capabilities and achievements was a constant theme throughout Ronald Reagan’s time in the White House. A “basic goal” of the initial Reagan National Space Policy, set out on July 4, 1982, was maintaining “United States space leadership.” As the administration entered its final two years, there was increasing attention to ensuring the Reagan legacy, in space as well as in other areas. Ensuring that the United States would maintain its leadership in the face of a very active Soviet space effort and increasing competition from Europe and Japan was a major focus of space policy-making in the Reagan administration during 1987–1988. In addition, a new National Space Policy reflecting the many changes since the 1982 policy had been issued was developed; it stated that “a fundamental objective guiding United States space activity has been, and continues to be, space leadership” and set “as a long-range goal … to expand human presence and activity beyond Earth orbit into the solar system.” The new policy was accompanied by 15 separately developed commercial space initiatives. In a September 1988 speech at the Johnson Space Center President Reagan clearly demonstrated that he had not lost his belief in the great promise and special character of the U.S. space program. Indeed, his remarks were perhaps the most optimistic and far-reaching of any he made during his eight years as president.
Intergenerational Considerations for Educators and Healthcare Providers Who Assist Girls and Women Transitioning Through Menarche and Menopause

AbstractThe present study, informed by multigenerational communication, was designed to produce practical implications for mothers, teachers, and healthcare providers who prepare adolescent girls f...
An Ambiguous Rash in an 11-Year-Old Boy

The varicella zoster virus is known for two distinct disease states, the primary varicella zoster virus and herpes zoster. Children who are vaccinated for varicella have a lower incidence of developing herpes zoster than those who have acquired the varicella virus. Regardless, vaccinated children are still at risk for developing herpes zoster and the diagnosis should be considered in patients with a clinical presentation of vesicular and erythematous lesions. An 11-year-old boy, with no significant past medical history, presented to his primary care physician for a rash on his lower back. A thorough history of possible contact exposures was ruled out and further review showed that the boy was up to date on all vaccines. The combination of his physical symptoms and appearance of the rash prompted a culture to be sent to the lab. These results returned positive for varicella zoster DNA on the corresponding polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and proper treatment was initiated. The manifestation of herpes zoster can vary in appearance and does not always present in a standard dermatomal pattern. When clinical diagnosis seems vague, pattern recognition of the distinct vesicular rash shared with a high index of suspicion due to associated symptoms should prompt the culturing of a vesicle for diagnosis of herpes zoster via DNA PCR. Early detection will help hasten appropriate treatment and education to reduce further spread of the virus. Int J Clin Pediatr. 2019;8(1):19-21 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/ijcp334
The Prognostic Value of Lymphovascular Invasion in Truncal and Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcomas: An Analysis from the National Cancer Database

The aim of this study was to determine the association between lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and overall survival (OS) in truncal/extremity soft tissue sarcomas (STS). The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for all patients, ages 18–85 years, who underwent resection of primary, truncal/extremity STS between 2010 and 2012, and had LVI data. The primary endpoint was OS. Among 6169 patients identified, the most common histology groups were (1) liposarcoma (LPS, 24%), (2) undifferentiated pleiomorphic sarcoma (UPS, 19%), and (3) leiomyosarcoma (LMS, 15%); 449 patients (7%) were LVI-positive. There were no differences in demographics or comorbidities between the LVI groups. Compared with LVI-negative patients, LVI-positive patients were more likely to have larger (> 5 cm: 80% vs. 66%), deep (80% vs. 68%), and high-grade tumors (82% vs. 57%). They were also more likely to have positive margins (27% vs. 17%), nodal (16% vs. 2%) and metastatic disease (21% vs. 4%), and receive chemotherapy (37% vs. 18%; all p < 0.001). LVI was associated with worse median OS (39 months vs. MNR; p < 0.001), which persisted on stratum-specific analyses for all tumor grades, size categories, and stages I–III, but not stage IV. On multivariable Cox regression, LVI was associated with worse OS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.39–2.44), while accounting for other significant prognostic factors. Among non-metastatic, curative-intent resections (n = 5696), LVI was still associated with worse OS (HR 1.79, 95% CI 1.28–2.49). LVI appears to be an important adverse pathologic factor in truncal and extremity STS. Even when taking into account other established prognostic factors, LVI was predictive of worse OS. Knowledge of LVI status may help to better risk-stratify patients and guide management strategies, and should be considered in future prognostic classification schemes and nomograms.
Slipstream processors revisited: exploiting branch sets

Delinquent branches and loads remain key performance limiters in some applications. One approach to mitigate them is pre-execution. Broadly, there are two classes of pre-execution: one class repeatedly forks small helper threads, each targeting an individual dynamic instance of a delinquent branch or load; the other class begins with two redundant threads in a leader-follower arrangement, and speculatively reduces the leading thread. The objective of this paper is to design a new pre-execution microarchitecture that meets four criteria: (i) retains the simpler coordination of a leader-follower microarchitecture, (ii) is fully automated with just hardware, (iii) targets both branches and loads, (iv) and is effective. We review prior pre-execution proposals and show that none of them meet all four criteria. We develop Slipstream 2.0 to meet all four criteria. The key innovation in the space of leader-follower architectures is to remove the forward control-flow slices of delinquent branches and loads, from the leading thread. This innovation overcomes key limitations in the only other hardware-only leader-follower prior works: Slipstream and Dual Core Execution (DCE). Slipstream removes backward slices of confident branches to pre-execute unconfident branches, which is ineffective in phases dominated by unconfident branches when branch pre-execution is most needed. DCE is very effective at tolerating cache-missed loads, unless their dependent branches are mispredicted. Removing forward control-flow slices of delinquent branches and delinquent loads enables two firsts, respectively: (1) leader-follower-style branch pre-execution without relying on confident instruction removal, and (2) tolerance of cache-missed loads that feed mispredicted branches. For SPEC 2006/2017 SimPoints wherein Slipstream 2.0 is auto-enabled, it achieves geomean speedups of 67%, 60%, and 12%, over baseline (one core), Slipstream, and DCE.
Identifying the waist circumference of risk in people of African descent.

The relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), insulin resistance and central obesity is not uniformly applicable to populations worldwide. In this Comment, we discuss the challenge of establishing waist circumference thresholds to predict T2DM in Africa.
Technochimp: An African Savannah Survivor Looking for Solutions in the Modern World

Here I cover advances in social science that can be used to predict average human behavior. It considers costs and benefits to cooperation. There is also discussion of why some people are unwilling to accept scientific facts, even though it might ultimately not be in their best interests to do so. Finally, these aspects are considered with respect to individual-based solutions to global problems.
Twitter as a powerful tool for communication between pain physicians during COVID-19 pandemic.

To the Editor In our current digitally connected culture, social media is being used more than ever as a tool for physicians to create and share medically relevant content as well as network and connect with others worldwide. One of the most popular platforms for physicians of all specialties to
COVID-19 and the nervous system.

A pandemic due to novel coronavirus arose in mid-December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and in 3 months' time swept the world. The disease has been referred to as COVID-19, and the causative agent has been labelled SARS-CoV-2 due to its genetic similarities to the virus (SARS-CoV-1) responsible for the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic nearly 20 years earlier. The spike proteins of both viruses dictate tissue tropism using the angiotensin-converting enzyme type 2 (ACE-2) receptor to bind to cells. The ACE-2 receptor can be found in nervous system tissue and endothelial cells among the tissues of many other organs.Neurological complications have been observed with COVID-19. Myalgia and headache are relatively common, but serious neurological disease appears to be rare. No part of the neuraxis is spared. The neurological disorders occurring with COVID-19 may have many pathophysiological underpinnings. Some appear to be the consequence of direct viral invasion of the nervous system tissue, others arise as a postviral autoimmune process, and still others are the result of metabolic and systemic complications due to the associated critical illness. This review addresses the preliminary observations regarding the neurological disorders reported with COVID-19 to date and describes some of the disorders that are anticipated from prior experience with similar coronaviruses.
Nutrition and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Summary Key functions of the heart and circulatory system are to supply oxygen and nutrients to all organs and tissues and remove carbon dioxide and waste products from peripheral tissues and organs. A healthy blood flow promotes the normal functions of all cells, tissues, and organs. Atherosclerosis impedes blood flow thereby initiating the onset and accelerating the progression of many cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) is initiated by a nonresolving inflammatory response and later develops into a chronic disease in which genetic predisposition, diet, and lifestyle promote onset and progression. Interventions targeting diet and lifestyle are the primary means of prevention and reduce the risk of ASCVD. Modifiable ASCVD risk factors are many and include overweight/obesity, elevated total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, high non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, hyperglycemia, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, stress, and an unhealthy dietary pattern. There is a strong evidence base for the current food-based dietary recommendations and specific nutrient targets (e.g., lower saturated fat, sodium, added sugars) that collectively contribute to a healthy vasculature and reduced CVD risk.
Joint Engagement, Parent Labels, and Language Development: Examining Everyday Interactions in Infant Siblings of Children with Autism

This study examined joint engagement, parent labels, and language development in infants with an elevated (EL) and typical likelihood (TL) for ASD. Parent–child interactions were coded for joint engagement and parent labels at 12 and 18 months, and language skills were assessed later in toddlerhood for 12 EL infants diagnosed with ASD (EL-ASD), 17 EL infants with language delay (EL-LD), 14 EL infants with no diagnosis (EL-ND), and 12 TL infants. Infants spent substantial time in supported joint engagement and received similar rates of input from parents across outcome groups. However, parents of EL-ASD infants increased the rate of labels provided in coordinated joint engagement. While labels positively predicted language for TL infants, the opposite pattern emerged for EL-ASD infants.
Utilization of preoperative breast MRI among women with newly diagnosed breast cancer.

1546Background: The use of preoperative (pre-op) breast MRI remains controversial. Current practice may rely on patient characteristics and providers’ clinical judgment. This national study examine...
Onabotulinumtoxin A (Botox): A reasonable alternative for refractory neurogenic bladder dysfunction in children and young adults

AIMS We aimed to describe the effectiveness of Onabotulinumtoxin A (Botox) in children with neurogenic bladder (NGB) unresponsive to medical therapy to determine urodynamic parameters predictive of success. METHODS Children receiving Botox for refractory NGB, between 2008 and 2019, from a single academic center, were included in this study. Botox success was defined as improvement of incontinence and/or urodynamic parameters. RESULTS Of 34 patients who received Botox, 13 (38.2%) had a positive response from their first injection, with improvement in capacity by a median of 35% of expected capacity for age compared to only a 9% increase in those who did not respond clinically. When patients were divided into groups by baseline urodynamic parameters, high-pressure (Pdetmax > 20 cm H2 O) patients had significantly greater improvement in compliance compared with low-pressure patients (p = 0.017). Low compliance patients (<10 ml/cm H2 O) had a dramatic improvement of 3.08 ml/cm H2 O in their compliance compared with minimal change in the high compliance group (p = 0.003). Finally, low-capacity (<50% of expected CC) patients had significant improvement in capacity and compliance when compared with high-capacity patients (p = 0.004 and p = 0.036, respectively). Improvement in detrusor overactivity (DO) was noted in both the clinical responders and non-responders. CONCLUSION In our series, 38% had clinical success with intradetrusor Botox injections for refractory neurogenic bladder. When successful, improvement in capacity and compliance, DO, and/or incontinence was consistent with prior literature. While we could not determine which parameters predicted success, subdividing patients into categories based on baseline urodynamic parameters identified who would benefit from Botox treatment based on differential improvements in capacity and compliance. At least 1 injection of Botox should be considered for a subset of children with refractory NGB, before undertaking more invasive treatments.
Dynamics of cell-cell junctions in squamous cell carcinoma

2045 Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common type of skin cancer in humans, affecting over 200,000 people annually. Factors that lead to metastasis of SCC are as of yet unknown. Metastasis is facilitated by the breakdown of one or all of the three types of cell-cell contacts: adherens junctions (AJ), tight junctions and desmosomes. Remodeling of these junctions is observed during cell migration, wound repair, embryonic development and cancer metastasis. Loss of E-cadherin correlates with an invasive and metastatic phenotype in many cancer models, and additionally, a decrease in desmosomal proteins corresponds with metastasis in oral SCC tumors. Growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) initiate junctional remodeling both in vitro and in vivo. We find that activation of the EGF receptor (EGFR) disrupts two types of cell:cell contacts, adherens junctions and desmosomes. EGF treatment decreases total junctional cadherin protein levels (E-cadherin, desmoglein-2) as detected by immunoblot analysis. Using real time PCR, a transient decrease of desmoglein-2 mRNA levels is observed in response to EGF, whereas E-cadherin message remains unaltered. Differences in EGF-dependent cadherin internalization are also detected; endocytosis of desmosomal cadherins occurs before E-cadherin as determined by confocal microscopy. The importance of endogenous EGF receptor activation in junctional disruption and migration was demonstrated in in vitro wound healing assays. The EGFR inhibitor AG1478 delayed migration of keratinocytes in the absence of exogenous EGF. Redistribution of junctional components and cytoskeletal rearrangement were detected at the wound margins where EGFR levels are elevated, but not within the confluent cell monolayer. EGFR inhibition resulted in retention of the adherens junction component beta-catenin and the desmosomal component plakophilin at cell:cell junctions at the wound edge. Based on these findings, we propose that EGFR activation modulates both adherens junction and desmosomal junction components through multiple mechanisms. Downregulation of cell:cell junctions following EGFR activation may play an important role in the migratory and invasive capacity of SCC tumor cells.
Locked-in during lock-down: undergraduate life on the internet in a pandemic

Governments around the world enacted stay-at-home orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which changed many aspects of life, including how people interacted with the Internet. These draconian restrictions on in-person social interactions were perhaps most acutely felt by people living alone. We study the changes in network traffic of one such population, students remaining in the (single-occupancy) on-campus dormitories at a large residential educational institution during the onset and initial few months of the lock-down. Specifically, we analyze how students shifted their online work and leisure behaviors at an application level. Further, we segment the population into domestic and international students, and find that even within these two broad sub-populations, there are significant differences in Internet-based behavior. Our work provides a focused lens on pandemic Internet usage, examining both 1) a concentrated user population and 2) the differing impacts of a global pandemic on disparate sub-populations.
The interdependent roles of the psychosocial predictors of human papillomavirus vaccination among Christian parents of unvaccinated adolescents.

Despite the availability of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, uptake has been sub-optimal among certain religious groups. Psychosocial factors (threat appraisal, coping appraisal, and attitudes) have been identified as independent determinants of HPV vaccination. However, their interdependent effects have not been tested. We examined the interdependency of these psychosocial factors in predicting HPV vaccination intention among Christian parents of unvaccinated adolescents (using a theory-driven conceptual model). A cross-sectional study of 342 participants showed that perceived self-efficacy (β = 0.2, 0.11-0.29, p = <0.0001) and perceived response efficacy of HPV vaccine (β = 0.65, 0.53-0.77. p < .0001) were positively associated with vaccination intention. Our mediation analysis (using the Preachers and Hayes' approach) shows that attitudes toward HPV vaccination mediated 59% of the relationship between perceived self-efficacy to vaccinate child and HPV vaccination intention; and 61% of the relationship between perceived response efficacy of HPV vaccine and HPV vaccination intention. Attitudes may be the psychosocial factor that drives the effects of coping appraisal. Therefore, designing an attitude-based intervention to address religious barrier beliefs among Christian parents may nullify the impact of low self-efficacy and response efficacy on HPV vaccination.
Applying Information Theory—Coding and Randomization

We saw in the last chapter how Shannon’s limit may be approached for the infinite-bandwidth white gaussian channel by the use of orthogonal or biorthogonal codes of ever-increasing bandwidth. In this chapter we shall study another coding scheme, convolutional coding. Convolutional codes give good performance at a moderate bandwidth expansion. They are now nearly universally used as the general-purpose coding technique for communication from distant planetary spacecraft to earth We will also generalize the notion of channel capacity, which we have so far defined only for gaussian channels. We will see what the loss in capacity is when we make a gaussian channel into a digital channel. We also will study the capacity of systems that use photon counters, and compare the results with those of Chapters 2 and 11 for ideal amplification.
Fluidized bed gasification of high tonnage sorghum, cotton gin trash and beef cattle manure: evaluation of synthesis gas production.

Abstract Fluidized bed gasification using high-tonnage sorghum, cotton gin trash and beef cattle manure was performed in a pilot scale bubbling fluidized bed reactor equipped with the necessary feedback control system. Characterization of biomass showed that the high-tonnage sorghum had the highest energy and carbon content of 19.58 MJ kg −1 and 42.29% wt , respectively among the three feed stocks. At 730 °C reaction temperature and equivalence ratio of 0.35, comparable yields of methane, nitrogen and carbon dioxide (within ± 1.4% vol ) were observed in all three feed stocks. The gasification system produced synthesis gas with an average heating value of 4.19 ± 0.09 MJ Nm −3 and an average yield of 1.98 ± 0.1 Nm 3 kg −1 of biomass. Carbon conversion and gasification efficiencies indicated that most of the carbon was converted to gaseous products (85% average ) while 48% average of the energy from the biomass was converted into combustible gas. The production of hydrogen was significantly affected by the biomass used during gasification. The synthesis gas heating value and yield were relatively constant at reaction temperatures from 730 °C to 800 °C. Utilizing high-tonnage sorghum, the optimum hydrogen production during gasification was achieved at a reaction temperature of 780 °C and an equivalence ratio of 0.40.
Framing reinforcement learning from human reward

Several studies have demonstrated that reward from a human trainer can be a powerful feedback signal for control-learning algorithms. However, the space of algorithms for learning from such human reward has hitherto not been explored systematically. Using model-based reinforcement learning from human reward, this article investigates the problem of learning from human reward through six experiments, focusing on the relationships between reward positivity, which is how generally positive a trainer's reward values are; temporal discounting, the extent to which future reward is discounted in value; episodicity, whether task learning occurs in discrete learning episodes instead of one continuing session; and task performance, the agent's performance on the task the trainer intends to teach. This investigation is motivated by the observation that an agent can pursue different learning objectives, leading to different resulting behaviors. We search for learning objectives that lead the agent to behave as the trainer intends.We identify and empirically support a "positive circuits" problem with low discounting (i.e., high discount factors) for episodic, goal-based tasks that arises from an observed bias among humans towards giving positive reward, resulting in an endorsement of myopic learning for such domains. We then show that converting simple episodic tasks to be non-episodic (i.e., continuing) reduces and in some cases resolves issues present in episodic tasks with generally positive reward and-relatedly-enables highly successful learning with non-myopic valuation in multiple user studies. The primary learning algorithm introduced in this article, which we call "vi-tamer", is the first algorithm to successfully learn non-myopically from reward generated by a human trainer; we also empirically show that such non-myopic valuation facilitates higher-level understanding of the task. Anticipating the complexity of real-world problems, we perform further studies-one with a failure state added-that compare (1) learning when states are updated asynchronously with local bias-i.e., states quickly reachable from the agent's current state are updated more often than other states-to (2) learning with the fully synchronous sweeps across each state in the vi-tamer?algorithm. With these locally biased updates, we find that the general positivity of human reward creates problems even for continuing tasks, revealing a distinct research challenge for future work.
A passionate buddhist life

This paper addresses the ways that we can understand and transform our strong emotions and how this project contributes to moral and spiritual development. To this end, I choose to think with two Tibetan Buddhist thinkers, both of whom take up the question of how passionate emotions can fit into spiritual and moral life: the famous, playful yogin Shabkar Tsodruk Rangdrol (1781–1851) and the wandering, charismatic master Patrul Rinpoche (1808–1887). Shabkar's The Autobiography of Shabkar provides excellent examples of using one's own passionate emotions to connect to others and gain insight into the world. Patrul Rinpoche's The Words of My Perfect Teacher (kun bzang bla ma'i zhal lung) focuses on passionate empathy with the emotions of others. Drawing on these texts, I present a (distinctly Buddhist) conception of a passionate life and argue that passionate emotional experience is a central part of moral and spiritual development more broadly construed.
The effect of longterm vs shortterm tutors on the quality of the tutorial process and student performance.

Small-group, problem- based learning can require a significant amount of individual faculty time when groups last as long as 10 weeks. One solution is to use two short-term (3–5 weeks) tutors instead of a single long-term (6–10 weeks) tutor. This study was performed to evaluate whether having short-term instead of a long-term tutors affected student performance and/or the quality of the tutorial process. The grade point averages for first and second year medical students in the classes of 2001 and 2002 were stratified by how many long-term tutors students had (2, 3, 4, 5, or 6) over a period of 17 months. In addition, students completed anonymously a 24-item tutor evaluation questionnaire utilizing a 5 point Likert scale (outstanding, good, satisfactory, marginal or unsatisfactory) at the mid-point and at the end of each tutorial. The evaluations were stratified by whether the tutor was short-term or long-term (to the mid-point or end of the tutorial, respectively). Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance. Grade point averages did not correlate with the number of long-term tutors that students had. Long-term tutors were rated significantly higher than short-term tutors in 17 of the 24 categories evaluated by the questionnaire, including development of students' critical thinking, information skills and self-learning skills; encouraging students to express themselves freely and to take responsibility for their own learning; helping students to balance basic science and clinical applications; and overall assessment. Short-term vs long-term tutors do not affect objective student performance as measured by grade point average. However, long-term tutors are ranked significantly higher by students innumerous areas related to the perceived quality of the tutorial process. Short-term tutoring may be less of a demand on an individual faculty's time, but may lessen the students' perceived quality of the tutorial process.
Selective interaction of voltage-gated K+ channel β-subunits with α-subunits

To begin to study the molecular bases that determine the selective interaction of the β-subunits of voltage-gated K+ channels with α-subunits observed in situ, we have expressed these polypeptides in transfected mammalian cells. Analysis of the specificity of α/β-subunit interaction indicates that both the Kvβ1 and Kvβ2 β-subunits display robust and selective interaction with the five members of the Shaker-related (Kv1) α-subunit subfamily tested. The interaction of these β-subunits with Kv1 α-subunits does not require the β-subunit N-terminal domains. Thus, the previously observed failure of N-terminal mutants of Kvβ1 to modulate inactivation kinetics of Kv1 family members is not simply due to a lack of subunit interaction. Interaction of these β-subunits with members of two other subfamilies (Shab- and Shaw-related) could not be detected. Somewhat surprisingly, a member of the Shal-related subfamily was found to interact with β-subunits; however, this interaction had biochemical characteristics distinct from the β-subunit interaction with Kv1 family members. In all cases, Kvβ1 and Kvβ2 exhibited indistinguishable α-subunit selectivity. These studies point to a selective interaction between K+ channel α- and β-subunits mediated through conserved domains in the respective subunits.
Rapid Determination of Log10 50% Lethal Doses or 50% Infective Doses

A reference table is presented for rapid determination of 50% lethal doses or 50% infective doses after administering 10-fold serial dilutions of toxins, viruses, sera, etc., to six animals per dilution.
A Comparative Study of White, Asian American and Other non-White men and Women Under Community Supervision

Data from community-living offenders were examined to compare socioeconomic demographics of Whites and non-Whites with Asian Americans, and to examine how race and gender moderate the predictive power of substance use in accounting for corrections involvement. Face-to-face interviews were conducted for 192 participants in Oregon. Men displayed higher rates of substance use and corrections involvement than women. Participating non-White men and women both experienced significantly higher rates of incarceration than White counterparts; rates for Asian-American men were similar to other men of color. With regard to employment, once again, non-White men and women were significantly more likely to be unemployed or under employed (fewer than 20 h per week). Asian-American men reported higher education levels, but fewer hours employed. All of the men consumed alcohol at high rates, but Asian-American men were arrested and convicted less often than other men for alcohol related offenses. A critical limitation to the study was the small of number of Asian-American women participants and therefore an inability to conduct specific statistical tests for this subgroup. Findings fill a gap in forensic research and practice regarding adult offenders of color.
Cardiovascular consequences of correction of the anemia of renal failure with erythropoietin.

Cardiovascular consequences of correction of the anemia of renal failure with erythropoietin. The purpose of this study was to define the physiologic responses of the heart and peripheral circulation to chronic anemia using noninvasive measurements while eliminating confounding biochemical, pharmacologic and physiologic variables. Stable chronic hemodialysis patients were studied at the University Hospital based chronic dialysis unit and echocardiography laboratory before and after therapy with human recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEPO). Subjects included maintenance hemodialysis patients free of left ventricular regional wall motion abnormalities discernible by echocardiography, rhythm disturbance, significant valvular or ischemic heart disease. Two-dimensional echocardiograms and simultaneous targeted M-mode echocardiograms, phonocardiograms and externally acquired subclavian artery pulse tracings were used to measure whole blood viscosity, arterial blood gases and ionized calcium, complete blood count, electrolytes, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and inorganic phosphate. All measurements were made immediately post-dialysis before and after therapy with rHuEPO. The interval between pre- and post-rHuEPO studies was 8.3 ± 2.3 months. We found that post-dialysis hematocrit rose from 24.7 ± 0.9 to 36.4 ± 0.9%, hemoglobin from 83 ± 3 to 121 ± 3 g/liter and whole blood viscosity from 2.87 ± 0.11 to 3.71 ± 0.18 centipoise (all, P
Fractographic Examination of the Vertical Stabilizer and Rudder from American Airlines Flight 587

The first major structural component failure of a composite part on a commercial airplane occurred during the crash of American Airlines Flight 587. The fractured composite lugs that attached the vertical stabilizer to the aircraft tail and the fractured composite honeycomb rudder were examined as part of the National Transportation Safety Board investigation of the accident. In this paper the composite fractures are described and the resulting clues to the failure events are discussed.
Ionospheric Undulations following Apollo 14 Launching

Chimonas and Hines1 predicted that a supersonic shock within the atmosphere would be followed by ionospheric disturbances observable from some distance. Such effects were observed during the total solar eclipse of March 7, 1970 (ref. 2). Similar ionospheric effects are to be expected when a large missile and its exhaust plume travel with supersonic velocity close to ionospheric heights. This effect was observed at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, on January 31, 1971, after the Apollo 14 launching. Ionograms taken from vertical sounding at the Red Hill Station (74 : 07 : 52 W long.; 40 : 23 : 25 N lat.) every 5 min have been converted to true-height electron-density profiles (Fig. 1). Each curve in the figure describes the true height variation of a noted plasma frequency (MHz). Since sporadic-E was present during part of the experiment, the figure is restricted to F-region data. Three successive compressions or undulations within the lower part of the region are indicated. The second undulation, however, is noticeable throughout the entire bottomside region.
The ultrastructure of red nuclei neurons in the valine-deficient rat.

Abstract Valine deficiency in the rat produced a neurologic syndrome characterized by motor incoordination and associated with pathological changes in neurons of the red nuclei. Chromatolysis of the neurons of the red nuclei from valine-starved weanling rats was evident in rats fed a valine-free diet 15 days and occurred prior to obvious clinical signs. (Neurologic signs typically occurred in rats fed a valine-free diet for at least 20 days.) Ultrastructurally, the chromatolysis was represented by disorganization and degranulation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Detached ribosomes maintained polysomal configuration, possibly implying functional protein synthesizing capacity. Mitochondrial damage, prominent in neurons from rats fed a valine-free diet for 20 to 25 days, was characterized by high amplitude swelling and disruption of both inner and outer membranes. Breaks in the plasmalemma were evident in numerous neurons of the red nuclei of rats fed a valine-free diet for 25 days. No similar damage was observed in other areas of brain or in other organs of valine-depleted rats. Nor was it observed in tissue from control rats fed the same diet supplemented with valine.
Maskless deposition of ZnO films

Maskless Mesoscale Materials Deposition (M3DTM) is a new direct write technique, which is versatile enough to deposit a large variety of precursors and colloidal suspensions. It is a simple and convenient process for rapid prototyping of structures and components. This maskless deposition method operates in air and at room temperature. In this study, a glycerol based polymeric precursor was used for depositing ZnO thin films on surface modified glass substrates. The parameters for deposition using M3DTM were thoroughly examined and optimized.
Wetland evaporation and energy partitioning: Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Abstract For most wetlands precipitation and evapotranspiration are the major components of water gain and loss. However, studies of the hydrology of wetlands largely ignore evaporation, or calculate it by difference or some very simple measure. As part of an integrated study of the hydrology and ecology of wetlands in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, evaporation was measured directly as its energy equivalent, the latent heat flux, using eddy correlation techniques for a 10 day period in June 1994. In addition, data were collected on the other surface energy balance fluxes (net all-wave radiation and sensible heat flux), and ancillary meteorological variables (wind speed and direction, temperature, pressure, relative humidity, solar radiation and water depth). Overall, latent heat flux dissipated 48% of the available radiant energy, storage heat flux 35%, and sensible heat flux 17%. A simple hysteresis model for the storage heat flux was developed which performed extremely well. Proximity to Lake Michigan resulted in evaporation rates close to the equilibrium rate (average Priestley-Taylor α = 1.035), which were affected strongly by net all-wave radiation. Three commonly used models of evaporation, Penman, Priestley-Taylor (α = 1.26) and equilibrium (α = 1.0) are evaluated. The relative success of the equilibrium model, with its limited data requirements, offers great potential for longer-term modeling of water and energy exchanges in this type of wetland environment.
Family history and pensions: The relationships between marriage, divorce, children, and private pension coverage

Abstract This article examines how family history affects the odds of private pension receipt and how these effects vary by sex. Analyses indicated that family history had opposite effects for men and women. Compared to continuously married men, men who were single or divorced had lower odds of pension receipt; having children was associated with higher odds. For women, being single or divorced was associated with higher odds of pension receipt, and having children decreased their odds. After reanalyzing the effects of family history in the context of couples' joint pension receipt, the negative association between pension receipt and children becomes insignificant for women, and being single, divorced, or widowed has negative effects for both men and women. These results suggest that if individuals stay together as a couple, they increase their chances of access to a pension and financial well-being during retirement.
Size Discrimination in the Coordination Chemistry of an Isoindoline Pincer Ligand with Cd(II) and Zn(II)

The reactions of Cd2+ and Zn2+ with the pyridine-arm isoindoline ligand 4‘-MeLH = 1,3-bis[2-(4-methylpyridyl)imino]isoindoline produced the series of octahedrally coordinated complexes M(4‘-MeL)2, ...