cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uncertainty Shocks in a Model with Mean-Variance Frontiers and Endogenous Technology Choices

This paper builds a model to show how increases in aggregate uncertainty - an uncertainty shock - can generate recessions. In the model managers can alter the amount of firm-specific risk they face by choosing what stochastic Total Factor Productivity (TFP) processes to run their firm with. The set of TFP choices available to the manager lie on a positively sloped mean-variance frontier; that is, a frontier where a lower-variance, and thus lower-risk, TFP choice is also a lower-mean TFP choice. In response to an increase in aggregate uncertainty, risk-averse managers in the model act to reduce the amount of firm-specific risk they face by moving along the mean-variance frontier to a lower-risk, and thus lower-mean, TFP choice. Consequently a positive uncertainty shock in the model leads to a drop in mean TFP, which in turn implies lower production - a recession. Moreover, the model matches various stylized facts about time series and cross-sectional variations in TFP data and suggests shortcomings in using TFP data to calculate exogenous TFP shocks.
Therapeutic Significance of Chromatin Remodeling Complexes in Cancer

The compaction of genomic DNA into chromatin has far-ranging consequences for almost all aspects of DNA metabolism activity. ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes (CRCs) enable DNA-binding proteins access to nucelosomal DNA by altering chromatin structure through distinct mechanisms including nucleosome sliding, nucleosome assembly, and histone exchanges, in an energy-dependent manner. Consequently, CRCs play critical roles in diverse cellular processes that are dependent on chromatin template, including transcription, replication, and DNA repair. Thus, an aberration in these chromatin remodeling proteins leads to human diseases including cancer. In this chapter, we discuss the functional roles of CRCs in the regulation of gene transcription, DNA damage response, and its potential connection with cancer development as well as tumor therapeutics.
Uganda's Universal Secondary Education Policy and its Effect on ‘Empowered’ Women: How Reduced Income and Moonlighting Activities Differentially Impact Male and Female Teachers

In January 2007 Uganda embarked on a strategy to implement a nationwide Universal Secondary Education (USE) policy. This article investigates how gender differences in Uganda's informal and formal ...
Vitamin E and selenium do not decrease prostate cancer incidence: vitamin E may actually increase it.

Commentary on: Klein EA, Thompson IM Jr., Tangen CM, et al. Vitamin E and the risk of prostate cancer: the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT). JAMA 2011;306:1549–56.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] The Selenium and vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT)1 trial was designed to determine whether oral selenium, vitamin E or both could affect a man's risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Interim analysis of the trial had shown no benefit to supplementation with selenium and vitamin E on the incidence of prostate cancer. The study by Klein et al presents updated results from a longer follow-up period. The effect of selenium and vitamin E on the risk of prostate cancer was studied in 35 151 study subjects. Men were eligible if they were at least 55 years old (50 years old for African–American men), had a normal digital rectal exam … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%26rft.stitle%253DJAMA%26rft.issn%253D0002-9955%26rft.aulast%253DKlein%26rft.auinit1%253DE.%2BA.%26rft.volume%253D306%26rft.issue%253D14%26rft.spage%253D1549%26rft.epage%253D1556%26rft.atitle%253DVitamin%2BE%2Band%2Bthe%2Brisk%2Bof%2Bprostate%2Bcancer%253A%2Bthe%2BSelenium%2Band%2BVitamin%2BE%2BCancer%2BPrevention%2BTrial%2B%2528SELECT%2529.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Fjama.2011.1437%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F21990298%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/jama.2011.1437&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=21990298&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F17%2F5%2F151.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000295714700020&link_type=ISI
Effectiveness of Herpes Zoster Vaccine in Patients 60 Years and Older With End-stage Renal Disease

Background Unlike in a healthy population, the protection of herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients might be insufficient, considering data demonstrating suboptimal response to other vaccines. The study evaluates the association between HZ vaccination and the subsequent HZ risk among ESRD patients. Methods This cohort study included ESRD patients age ≥60 years who were enrolled in Kaiser Permanente Southern California. The vaccinated cohort included 582 patients who received HZ vaccine during 01/01/2007 through 12/31/2013. Each vaccinated patient was matched to five unvaccinated patients on age, sex, and dialysis duration. Subjects were passively followed through their electronic health records to identify HZ incidence. Cox regression was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) associated with vaccination. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the cumulative incidence were generated. Results The number of HZ cases was 16 in 1373 person-years (11.7 per 1000 person-years; 95% CI, 7.1-19.0) among the vaccinated and 126 in 5644 person-years (22.3 per 1000 person-years; 95% CI, 18.7-26.6) among the unvaccinated. The 36-month cumulative risk of incident HZ was 4.1% and 6.6%, respectively. HZ vaccination was associated with a reduced risk of HZ (adjusted HR = 0.49; 95% CI, .29-.85). The reduced risk seems more prominent if the vaccine is given within two years of dialysis initiation. Conclusions Among ESRD patients age ≥60 years, receipt of HZ vaccine was associated with a lower incidence of HZ. In addition, HZ vaccination soon after the initiation of dialysis may provide greater protection.
Crawford Modification of Denis Browne Hypospadias Procedure

Abstract At Alder Hey Children’s Hospital 96 hypospadias repairs were performed from 1969 to 1975, using the Crawford modification of the Denis Browne procedure. The technique is described in detail. A 7.29 per cent fistula rate occurred in 69 distal penile, 18 penile, 8 penoscrotal and 1 perineal repairs. The advantageous difference between the Crawford modification and the original description of Denis Browne is that the meatus is placed well onto the glans penis.
A comparison of endoscopic suspension of the vesical neck versus anterior urethropexy for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence.

AbstractEndoscopic suspension of the vesical neck has been reported to be as effective as anterior urethropexy in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. We compared our first 29 patients treated with endoscopic suspension of the vesical neck between 1982 and 1985 to our last 21 patients treated with anterior urethropexy between 1979 and 1985. Both groups were comparable in regard to age, parity, duration of symptoms and previous surgery for stress urinary incontinence. All patients underwent thorough preoperative urodynamic testing. Endoscopic suspension of the vesical neck successfully cured stress urinary incontinence in 26 patients (90 per cent), while anterior urethropexy resolved the incontinence in 20 (95 per cent). Of the 3 failures of endoscopic suspension 2 probably were related to technique or material failure. Hospitalization was reduced for endoscopic suspension versus anterior urethropexy (mean 4.04 versus 6.00 days, respectively). The most common complication after endoscopic s...
Partial Cluster Stabilization and Partial Cascade Stabilization of Physical Networks

Abstract This paper defines the notions of partial cluster stability and partial cascade stability of physical network systems, develops some distributed hybrid network control techniques to achieve partial cluster stabilization and partial cascade stabilization, and applies the proposed approaches to a power network system model. Partial cluster stability is the property that every subsystem in a physical network system is partially convergent, and at least one subsystem is partially semistable. Partial cascade stability is the property of damping disturbance propagation of the physical network system. To achieve the effects of partial cluster stability and partial cascade stability, some distributed hybrid network controller architectures with both distributed feedbacks and distributed resetting laws are proposed. In the proposed controller architectures, each plant is connected to a controller node with one communication link, and the controller nodes form a connected controller graph which collects information from plants and returns feedback information. To show the efficacy of the proposed approach, the proposed hybrid control techniques are applied to a power network system model.
Workload interleaving with performance guarantees in data centers

In the era of global, large scale data centers residing in clouds, many applications and users share the same pool of resources for the purpose of reducing costs while maintaining high performance. When multiple workloads access the same resources concurrently, their requests are interleaved, possibly causing delays. Providing performance isolation to individual workloads such that they meet their own performance objectives is important and challenging. The challenge lies in finding accurate, robust, compact metrics and models that drive algorithms which can meet different performance objectives while achieving efficient utilization of resources. This dissertation proposes a set of methodologies and tools aiming at solving the challenging performance isolation problem of workload interleaving in data centers, focusing on both storage components and computing components. At the storage node level, we consider methodologies for better interleaving user traffic with background workloads, such as tasks for improving reliability, availability, and power savings. At the storage cluster level, we propose methodologies on how to efficiently conduct work consolidation and schedule asynchronous updates without violating user performance targets. At the computing node level, we present priority scheduling middleware that employs different policies to schedule background tasks. Finally, at the computing cluster level, we develop a new Hadoop scheduler called DyScale to exploit capabilities offered by heterogeneous cores in order to achieve a variety of performance objectives. All works have been evaluated through extensive simulation using enterprise traces or real testbed implementation, and have been accepted for publications in leading performance conferences.
Examining the effects of microstructure on geoacoustic parameters in fine-grained sediments

This paper presents a set of controlled laboratory experiments designed to develop a basis for understanding the relationship between microscopic and macroscopic properties of fine-grained sediments. Two samples of kaolinite platelets were selected for this study, and effects of sediment microstructure on geoacoustic properties are deduced from a comparison of the measured properties. To provide additional interpretation of the acoustic measurements, compressional and shear wave properties are compared to predicted values from sediment-acoustic models. First, the shear wave speed was compared to predictions from card-house theory, a model with an electrochemical basis that incorporates the aggregation of clay platelets. The wave speed predicted by card-house theory showed good agreement with the measured wave speeds for the mud sample made up of card-house flocs. Next, viscous grain shearing theory, which treats unconsolidated sediments as a two-phase medium with internal losses arising from grain-to-grain contacts, was applied to predict the frequency dispersion of all four geoacoustic parameters. Overall, good agreement between the measurements and values calculated by viscous grain shearing theory was observed for both samples of mud.
Verfahren zur Bewertung von Produktionssteuerungssystemen

In den folgenden Abschnitten werden fur ausgewahlte Produktionssteuerungssysteme Verfahren entwickelt, mit denen wichtige Leistungskenngrosen ermittelt werden konnen. Diese Verfahren werden in Kapitel 4 dazu verwendet, die analysierten Systeme zu optimieren und anschliesend in Kapitel 5 miteinander zu vergleichen. Die Leistungskenngrosen, die zum Vergleich der Systeme herangezogen werden, sind in Abschnitt 3.1 erlautert.
Exploiting the Potential of Satellite Microwave Remote Sensing to Hindcast the Storm Surge in the Gulf of Venice

The potential of active microwave satellite observations of sea surface height (radar altimetry) and of sea surface wind (radar scatterometry) has been exploited for storm surge modeling purposes. The altimetry observations were assimilated into a storm surge model (SSM) with a dual 4D-Var system, in order to obtain the best possible surge level field as initial condition to reforecast runs. The scatterometer wind data were instead used to improve the accuracy of the wind fields of a global atmospheric model used as forcing to the SSM through a procedure that has been proved to be able to reduce the differences between the model winds and the scatterometer observations. Hindcast experiments were performed to test the sensitivity of the SSM to the altimetry data assimilation and to the modified wind forcing. Remarkable improvements of the storm surge level hindcast have been obtained for what concerns the modified model wind forcing, while encouraging results have been obtained with the altimeter data assimilation.
Improved MODIS aerosol retrieval in urban areas using a land classification approach and empirical orthogonal functions

New, high-resolution aerosol products are required in urban areas to improve the spatial coverage of the products, in terms of both resolution and retrieval frequency. These new products will improve our understanding of the spatial variability of aerosols in urban areas and will be useful in the detection of localized aerosol emissions. Urban aerosol retrieval is challenging for existing algorithms because of the high spatial variability of the surface reflectance, indicating the need for improved urban surface reflectance models. This problem can be stated in the language of novelty detection as the problem of selecting aerosol parameters whose effective surface reflectance spectrum is not an outlier in some space. In this paper, empirical orthogonal functions, a reconstruction-based novelty detection technique, is used to perform single-pixel aerosol retrieval using the single angular and temporal sample provided by the MODIS sensor. The empirical orthogonal basis functions are trained for different land classes using the MODIS BRDF MCD43 product. Existing land classification products are used in training and aerosol retrieval. The retrieval is compared against the existing operational MODIS 3 KM Dark Target (DT) aerosol product and co-located AERONET data. Based on the comparison, our method allows for a significant increase in retrieval frequency and a moderate decrease in the known biases of MODIS urban aerosol retrievals.
HIV Entry: Receptors Cooperate with Membrane Domain Boundaries to form Entry Sites in Host Cells

It has been proposed that lipid rafts of host cell membranes play pivotal roles for cell entry of many enveloped viruses including HIV. However, it remains largely unknown why virions would prefer nanoscopic ordered lipid domains over uniformly fluid membrane regions. Here, we show that HIV does not enter cells from within ordered membrane regions, but rather at the boundaries between raft-like and non-raft-like regions of the plasma membrane. Using cell-derived giant plasma membrane vesicles (GPMVs), which are phase-separated into large-scale liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered (Ld) membrane domains, we demonstrate that the HIV receptor CD4 is substantially sequestered into Lo domains while the coreceptor CCR5 localizes preferentially at Lo/Ld domain boundaries. Lo/Ld phase coexistence is not required for HIV attachment, but the recognition of Lo/Ld boundaries is a prerequisite for successful fusion of the viral envelope with the cell membrane. We propose that virions localized to membrane domain boundaries utilize their interfacial energy as an additional driving force for fusion and cell entry. This study provides surprising answers to the long-standing question about the roles of lipid rafts in cell entry of HIV and perhaps other enveloped viruses.
Structure-processing correlations and mechanical properties in freeze-cast Ti-6Al-4V with highly aligned porosity and a lightweight Ti-6Al-4V-PMMA composite with excellent energy absorption capability

Abstract In contrast to freeze-cast ceramics and polymers, few freeze-cast metals have been described, to date. Our systematic study on structure-processing correlations in freeze-cast Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds reports, how processing parameters determine the architecture formed during the directional solidification of water-based metal slurries, and after sintering. In addition, sedimentation in the slurry during freezing and volume shrinkage during burnout and sintering were found to significantly affect both structure and properties of the scaffolds. Using two freezing rates, 1 and 10 °C min−1, two water-based polymer solutions as binders (chitosan and carboxymethyl cellulose) and two different metal volume fractions in the slurry, 20 and 30 vol%, Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds could be prepared with pore length, width, and porosity ranging from 41 to 523 μm, 14.5 to 76.5 μm, and 65 to 34%, respectively. Their compressive strength, stiffness, and toughness (work to 20% strain) fall in the range of 83–412 MPa, 7–29 GPa, and 14–122 MJ m−3, respectively. To further improve the properties, a select composition was infiltrated with poly(methyl methacrylate). This increased the average yield strength by a factor of 2.3 from 83 to 193 MPa and the average toughness (work to 50% strain) by a factor of 2.7 from 28.1 to 76.8 MJ m−3.
Theoretical investigation of transgastric and intraductal approaches for ultrasound-based thermal therapy of the pancreas.

The goal of this study was to theoretically investigate the feasibility of intraductal and transgastric approaches to ultrasound-based thermal therapy of pancreatic tumors, and to evaluate possible treatment strategies. This study considered ultrasound applicators with 1.2 mm outer diameter tubular transducers, which are inserted into the tissue to be treated by an endoscopic approach, either via insertion through the gastric wall (transgastric) or within the pancreatic duct lumen (intraductal). 8 patient-specific, 3D, transient, biothermal and acoustic finite element models were generated to model hyperthermia (n = 2) and ablation (n = 6), using sectored (210°–270°, n = 4) and 360° (n = 4) transducers for treatment of 3.3–17.0 cm3 tumors in the head (n = 5), body (n = 2), and tail (n = 1) of the pancreas. A parametric study was performed to determine appropriate treatment parameters as a function of tissue attenuation, blood perfusion rates, and distance to sensitive anatomy. Parametric studies indicated that pancreatic tumors up to 2.5 or 2.7 cm diameter can be ablated within 10 min with the transgastric and intraductal approaches, respectively. Patient-specific simulations demonstrated that 67.1–83.3% of the volumes of four sample 3.3–11.4 cm3 tumors could be ablated within 3–10 min using transgastric or intraductal approaches. 55.3–60.0% of the volume of a large 17.0 cm3 tumor could be ablated using multiple applicator positions within 20–30 min with either transgastric or intraductal approaches. 89.9–94.7% of the volume of two 4.4–11.4 cm3 tumors could be treated with intraductal hyperthermia. Sectored applicators are effective in directing acoustic output away from and preserving sensitive structures. When acoustic energy is directed towards sensitive structures, applicators should be placed at least 13.9–14.8 mm from major vessels like the aorta, 9.4–12.0 mm from other vessels, depending on the vessel size and flow rate, and 14 mm from the duodenum. This study demonstrated the feasibility of generating shaped or conformal ablative or hyperthermic temperature distributions within pancreatic tumors using transgastric or intraductal ultrasound.
Tobacco Control in Industrialized Nations: The Limits of Public Health Achievement

In 1999 Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director General of the World Health Organization, painted a stark picture of the global toll in morbidity and mortality that could be expected from tobacco consumption. “Tobacco-related diseases are spreading like an epidemic and are likely to be killing ten million people a year around 2020.”1 The warning was coterminous with the drafting by the WHO of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a treaty designed to interrupt and reverse the “epidemic’s” course. In the next decades attention to the impact of tobacco will shift to the less developed and rapidly modernizing nation. At this juncture it would be useful to review the almost half-century long public health campaign to confront tobacco in the industrialized nations, where extraordinary achievements in the reduction of tobacco consumption reflect the impacts of persistent public health efforts in the face of powerful commercial resistance. The five countries we have focused on here France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States share a broad commitment to liberal political values yet they differ in important ways. Two are common law and two are civil law states. Japan is a “mixed” system; The US and Germany are federal systems. France, the United Kingdom and Japan are unitary. Yet despite these differences and those that characterized their first encounters with tobacco they now reflect a broad convergence on the most effective public policy responses to smoking related morbidity and mortality. The experiences and differences of these nations is important to note even though to some careful observers of the global politics of tobacco none would have been classed as pioneers in tobacco control. This analysis is drawn from a broader examination of the global picture of tobacco control at the end of the first decade of the 21st century.2
Photocatalysis and Light-Induced Electron Transfer Reactions of Tertiary Amines

This paper discusses photoinduced electron transfer between various excited acceptors and tertiary alkylamines of various structure. In the first section reactions between indigoid dyes — thioindigo, N.N’diacetylindigo and oxalylindigo — with triethylamine are described. The amine is readily oxidized to a radical cation which, in turn, is easily deprotonated to give a relatively good electron donating free radical. A sequence of electron-proton-electron loss as net hydride donation can take place with acceptors set up to undergo complimentary processes, the latter include both thioindigo and N.N’diacetylindigo. In the second part of the work substituted tertiary amines are photooxidized with various acceptors to give radical cations which can undergo C-C bond cleavage in competition with deprotonation. The significance and possible applications of these reactions is discussed.
Twisting Knobs and Connecting Things

In this chapter we attempt to answer the question: “Where do creative ideas come from?” Research suggests that creativity is not a magical process, but rather that creative ideas emerge from combining pre-existing ideas and concepts in unique and new ways. Creating these novel, effective, and whole combinations is unpredictable and requires bringing together a wide range of background knowledge and experiences to see things in a “new” way. It is this breadth of knowledge and experience that allows creative individuals to see novel connections (or knobs) and act on them. In essence, trans-disciplinary knowledge provides individuals with the resources to spot new knobs and see new possibilities for twisting them (or making new connections). Key to developing creative thinkers is to provide people with a rich range of ways of understanding and experiencing the world, thus enriching the concepts they have.
Internal and External Reinforcement of Concrete Members by Use of Shape Memory Alloy and Fiber Reinforced Polymers under Cyclic Loading—A Review

This paper presents a review of recent studies on reinforced concrete (RC) structural components, such as beam-column joints (BCJs). These members are internally or externally reinforced with corrosion free shape memory alloy (SMA), fiber reinforced polymers (FRP), or a combination of the two materials. Bonded FRP sheets or near surface mounted (NSM) FRP bars are used in external strengthening cases. The use of FRP and SMA materials in RC structures can offer great potential benefits including lifetime cost saving, durability, safety, and post-earthquake serviceability for RC structures. Although FRP materials are well known for their corrosion resistance, high strength-to-weight ratios, ease of application, and constructability; SMA materials as reinforcement allow the structures to regain their original shape after the termination of the load without any permanent large residual deformation. In summary, the presented literature review provides an insight into the ongoing research on the use of these materials for retrofitting or strengthening of RC structural components and the trends for future research in this area. The cost and durability are also discussed.
Encouraging the Development of Engineering Habits of Mind in Prekindergarten Learners

Experiences in early childhood set the foundation for lifelong learning. Given the integrative and applied nature of engineering and children’s natural curiosity, we suggest that prekindergarten classrooms are well suited for providing opportunities to promote the development of engineering habits of mind (EHM). Developmental theories suggest that children learn best through hands-on experiences that enable them to explore and discover concepts themselves and that others in the child’s environment can serve as active partners in exploration. Recognizing the emphasis on integrated curriculum in early childhood and the competing demands for time in preschool classrooms, we identify the EHM as an appropriate early engineering emphasis that can be embedded in everyday classroom moments. To this end, this chapter begins by pointing out connections among science, math, and engineering for early learners, highlights theories that inform our work with engineering in prekindergarten classrooms, discusses EHM in prekindergarten learners, briefly presents a pilot study of observing EHM in prekindergarten classrooms, and ends by drawing overarching conclusions and suggesting future directions for incorporating EHM into prekindergarten classrooms.
Social Signal Interpretation (SSI)

The development of anticipatory user interfaces is a key issue in human-centred computing. Building systems that allow humans to communicate with a machine in the same natural and intuitive way as they would with each other requires detection and interpretation of the user’s affective and social signals. These are expressed in various and often complementary ways, including gestures, speech, mimics etc. Implementing fast and robust recognition engines is not only a necessary, but also challenging task. In this article, we introduce our Social Signal Interpretation (SSI) tool, a framework dedicated to support the development of such online recognition systems. The paper at hand discusses the processing of four modalities, namely audio, video, gesture and biosignals, with focus on affect recognition, and explains various approaches to fuse the extracted information to a final decision.
An octadecatrienoic acid from Lamium purpureum L. seed oil containing 5,6-allenic and trans-16-olefinic unsaturation.

Abstract 1. Lamium purpureum L. (Labiatae) seed oil contains 16% of a new acid characterized as (−)-octadeca-5,6-trans-16-trienoic acid (proposed trivial name `lamenallenic acid') (Ia). The acid was isolated as its methyl ester by countercurrent distribution by using a combination of recycle–single withdrawal techniques. Methyl lamenallenate (Ib) is strongly laevorotatory. 2. The structure was established by infrared spectroscopy, nuclear-magnetic-resonance spectroscopy, quantitative hydrogenation and oxidative cleavage data of the original acid and of hydrazine partial reduction products. 3. Other unsaturated esters identified by their cleavage products were oleate, linoleate and linolenate. 4. A very small amount (less than 1%) of methyl laballenate [(−)-methyl octadeca-5,6-dienoate] was also isolated and identified.
Partisanship and Electoral Reform: Change in Congressional Cohesion, 1877–1932

Explanations for the decline of partisanship in the early part of the twentieth century are at odds. The received wisdom holds that a set of electoral reforms led Congressmen to break their partisan ties, engaging in more familiar modes of personalistic behavior. This view has recently been challenged noting that the bulk of the reforms passed in the Populist and Progressive periods eliminated factional strife within parties and led to increased partisanship. This paper looks at a wide variety of reforms introduced in a 40 year period. While a set of early ballot reforms did result in increased levels of state delegation partisanship, subsequent reforms, combined with the passage of time, undermined partisan strength in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Bimetallic Electrocatalysts for CO 2 Reduction.

The increasing concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has caused various environmental issues. Utilizing CO2 as the carbon feedstock to replace traditional fossil sources in commodity chemical production is a potential solution to reduce CO2 emissions. Electrochemical reduction of CO2 has attracted much attention because it not only converts CO2 into a variety of useful chemicals under mild reaction conditions, but also can be powered by renewable electricity at remote locations. From this review article, we summarize recent literature on the topic of bimetallic electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction. Both selectivity and activity of bimetallic catalysts strongly depend on their compositions and surface structures. Tuning the properties of a bimetallic catalyst could result in a wide range of products, including carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, carboxylate and liquid oxygenates. By reviewing recent research efforts in the field of bimetallic electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction, we aim to provide the community with a timely overview of the current status of bimetallic CO2 electrocatalysts and to stimulate new ideas to design better catalysts for more efficient CO2 electrolysis processes.
CHAPTER 41 – Whither Hence, Prometheus?: The Future of Biological Control

Biological control has grown from stages of initial garnering of knowledge to something approaching civilized application of that knowledge. In the nineteenth century, important investigations into insect diseases were undertaken, and recommendations were made for their use. Biological control clearly holds great promise for solutions to pest problems affecting agriculture. The ecological principles that underlie biological control, in both managed and natural ecosystems, do not change with the passage of time but they are basic to interactions among species. Consequently, biological control continues to provide productive, efficient, and economical solutions to pest problems. Biological control is considered to be of significant value and widely successful, providing either partial or complete control in 60% of the cases, where it has been used. New biological control efforts are currently needed for many existing pest problems, both for programs targeted against introduced pests and for additional work toward natural-enemy conservation in pest management systems. International human-assisted movement of plant material and insect pests is likely to continue and cause the unintentional eruption of new pests by shipping pest species to new locations while separating them from their natural enemies. Such pest eruptions would require research and action to locate and introduce natural enemies suitable for limiting the pests in their new environments.
Engineering of a sulfotyrosine-recognizing small protein scaffold for the study of protein tyrosine O-sulfation

Protein tyrosine O-sulfation is considered as one of the most common types of posttranslational modification of tyrosine in nature. The introduction of a negatively charged sulfate group plays crucial roles in extracellular biomolecular interactions that dictate various cellular processes, including cell adhesion, leukocyte trafficking, hormone activities, and immune responses. Despite substantial advances in our knowledge about protein tyrosine O-sulfation in recent years, our understanding of its biological significance is still in its infancy. This is largely hindered by a chronic lack of suitable biochemical tools. We seek to meet this challenge by engineering a small protein scaffold that can recognize sulfated tyrosine (sulfotyrosine) residues with high affinity. In this chapter, we describe the directed evolution of a Src Homology 2 (SH2) domain to recognize sulfotyrosine. In the first part, the design strategy for the phage display of SH2 variants is discussed. In the second part, the techniques required for phage propagation and selection are described. The evolved SH2 variants are characterized and validated in vitro through fluorescence polarization assays. Finally, the evolved SH2 domain mutants are applied to the visualization of sulfated proteins on the cell surface.
Steerable ePCA: Rotationally Invariant Exponential Family PCA

In photon-limited imaging, the pixel intensities are affected by photon count noise. Many applications require an accurate estimation of the covariance of the underlying 2-D clean images. For example, in X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) single molecule imaging, the covariance matrix of 2-D diffraction images is used to reconstruct the 3-D molecular structure. Accurate estimation of the covariance from low-photon-count images must take into account that pixel intensities are Poisson distributed, hence the classical sample covariance estimator is highly biased. Moreover, in single molecule imaging, including in-plane rotated copies of all images could further improve the accuracy of covariance estimation. In this paper we introduce an efficient and accurate algorithm for covariance matrix estimation of count noise 2-D images, including their uniform planar rotations and possibly reflections. Our procedure, steerable $e$ PCA , combines in a novel way two recently introduced innovations. The first is a methodology for principal component analysis (PCA) for Poisson distributions, and more generally, exponential family distributions, called $e$ PCA. The second is steerable PCA, a fast and accurate procedure for including all planar rotations when performing PCA. The resulting principal components are invariant to the rotation and reflection of the input images. We demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of steerable $e$ PCA in numerical experiments involving simulated XFEL datasets and rotated face images from Yale Face Database B.
A model of viscoelastoplasticity in the cochleo-saccular membranes.

Introduction Variations in the distensile behavior of the cochleo-saccular vestibular membranes may contribute to lesion evolution of endolymphatic hydrops in Meniere's disease. Such variation may be mediated through membrane viscoelastoplasticity. This feature may provide insight into the distensile process at work in these membranes. Hypothesis A precipitated collagen matrix can provide a suitable in vitro model of viscoelastoplasticity in cochleo-saccular vestibular membranes. Methods An in vitro extra-cellular matrix of precipitated collagen was evaluated as a model of suspected viscoelastoplastic behavior in the cochleo-saccular vestibular membranes. The structure of the precipitated collagen was assessed for its similarity to that of the basal lamina of the pars inferior vestibular membranes. The biomechanics of this matrix were scrutinized for evidence of viscoelastoplastic distensile properties. Results A matrix of precipitated collagen was found to exhibit a mesh-like fibrous structure similar to that of collagen found in the basilar lamina of the cochleo-saccular vestibular membranes. This matrix was also found to exhibit a sigmoid distensile response as well as strain rate sensitivity, both of which are characteristic properties of polymer viscoelastoplasticity. Conclusions An in vitro matrix of precipitated collagen appears to provide a suitable model that can account for variations in the distensile behavior of the cochleo-saccular vestibular membranes. The model exhibits viscoelastoplasticity and may have heuristic value in the analysis of lesion evolution in Meniere's disease. Level of Evidence 6.
Noise-Aware Dynamical System Compilation for Analog Devices with Legno

Reconfigurable analog devices are a powerful new computing substrate especially appropriate for executing computationally intensive dynamical system computations in an energy efficient manner. We present Legno, a compilation toolchain for programmable analog devices. Legno targets the HCDCv2, a programmable analog device designed to execute general nonlinear dynamical systems. To the best of our knowledge, Legno is the first compiler to successfully target a physical (as opposed to simulated) programmable analog device for dynamical systems and this paper is the first to present experimental results for any compiled computation executing on any physical programmable analog device of this class. The Legno compiler synthesizes analog circuits from parametric and specialized blocks and account for analog noise, quantization error, and manufacturing variations within the device. We evaluate the compiled configurations on the Sendyne S100Asy RevU development board on twelve benchmarks from physics, controls, and biology. Our results show that Legno produces accurate computations on the analog device. The computations execute in 0.50-5.92 ms and consume 0.28-5.67 uJ of energy.
Abstract TP244: Predictive Scoring System to Differentiate Acute Ischemic Stroke From Stroke Mimic During Code Stroke Evaluation

Background: Migraine, seizure and toxic metabolic encephalopathy are common stroke mimics (SM) during code stroke (CS) evaluation and up to 30% of patients treated with IV tPA are found to have SM....
Individual and Neighborhood Factors Associated With Failure to Vaccinate Against Influenza During Pregnancy.

Uptake of influenza vaccine among pregnant women remains low. We investigated whether unvaccinated pregnant women were clustered geographically and determined factors associated with failure to vaccinate using spatial and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Pregnant women who were members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California in 2015 or 2016 were included in the study. More than half (53%) of the 77,607 included pregnant women were unvaccinated. Spatial analysis identified 5 clusters with a high prevalence of unvaccinated pregnant women. The proportion of unvaccinated women ranged from 57% to 75% within clusters as compared with 51% outside clusters. In covariate-adjusted analyses, residence in a cluster was associated with a 41% increase in the odds of being unvaccinated (odds ratio (OR) = 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.36, 1.46). The odds of being unvaccinated were greater for Black women (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.49, 1.69), Hispanic women (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.25), women with subsidized health insurance (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.24), women with fewer than 5 prenatal-care visits (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.60, 2.16), and neighborhoods with a high deprivation index (fourth quartile vs. first: OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.21). In conclusion, unvaccinated pregnant women were clustered geographically and by key sociodemographic factors. These findings suggest that interventions to increase influenza vaccine coverage among pregnant women are needed, particularly in vulnerable populations.
A Comprehensive Study of Machine Learning Approach on Cytological Data for Early Breast Cancer Detection

Day by day, biological data is increasing and researchers fetch various problems to extract informative data from a large scale of dataset. According to available statistical estimates 8.8 million people died every year due to cancer worldwide. Breast cancer is the second most leading cancer occurring in women. Feature selection, classification, neural network, ensemble methods spreads the research area and makes easy to find out more relevant information in the bioinformatics analysis. In our proposed model, we build a machine learning model using some efficient feature selection algorithm and then analyses it through ANN and high performance classification algorithms. We also implement ensemble methods for building our model more accurate. For verifying our model we implement cytological data of breast cancer. Chi Squared Test give the minimum relevant features where we get 99% accuracy from ANN. We use 10 fold cross validation to test the dataset.
Benefits of a Multi-institutional, Hybrid Approach to Teaching Course Design for Graduate Students, Postdoctoral Scholars, and Leaders

In this study, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars participated in a hybrid, multi-institutional workshop series about course design. Trainees developed college courses based on their research expertise, posting works-in-progress to a shared, online drive for peer review and collaboration. Learners also met weekly with local facilitators at their institution. The program led to similar learning outcomes as when the program was previously run in a face-to-face only format at one institution. However, the multi-institutional design led to additional benefits, especially for leaders at each institution, who described a rich learning community in their collaborative work.
Cerebral oedema and dural sinus thrombosis in an adolescent with diabetic ketoacidosis.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and can be complicated by injury of the central nervous system (CNS). The most common CNS injury in DKA is cerebral oedema, diagnosed clinically in approximately 0.5%–0.9% of children with DKA.[1–6][1]
Psychological Restoration and the Effect of People in Nature and Urban Scenes: A Laboratory Experiment

It is well-evidenced that exposure to natural environments increases psychological restoration as compared to non-natural settings, increasing our ability to recover from stress, low mood, and mental fatigue and encouraging positive social interactions that cultivate social cohesion. However, very few studies have explored how the inclusion of people within a given environment—either urban or natural settings—affect restorative health outcomes. We present three laboratory-based studies examining, first, the effect of nature vs. urban scenes, and second, investigating nature ‘with’ vs. ‘without’ people—using static and moving imagery—on psychological restoration and social wellbeing. Our third study explores differences between urban and natural settings both with vs. without people, using video stimuli to understand potential restorative and social wellbeing effects. Outcome measures across all studies included perceived social belonging, loneliness, subjective mood, and perceived restorativeness. Studies 1 and 2 both used a within group, randomized crossover design. Study 1 (n = 45, mean age = 20.7) explored static imagery of environmental conditions without people; findings were consistent with restorative theories showing a positive effect of nature exposure on all outcome measures. Study 2 compared nature scenes with vs. without people (n = 47, mean age = 20.9) and we found no significant differences on our outcome measures between either social scenario, though both scenarios generated positive wellbeing outcomes. Study 3, conducted on Amazon Mechanical Turk, employed an independent group design with subjects randomly assigned to one of four conditions; an urban vs. nature setting, with vs. without people. We explored the effect of moving imagery on psychological restoration (n = 200, mean age = 35.7) and our findings showed no impact on belonging, loneliness, or mood between conditions, but did show that—regardless of the inclusion of people—the nature settings were more restorative than the urban. There were no differences in psychological restoration between nature conditions with vs. without people. We discuss the implications for restorative environment research exploring social-environmental interactions.
Feasibility and Significance of Dose Adaptation via Linear Couch Translations to Correct for Rotational Shifts During Frameless Brain Radiosurgery with the Gamma Knife Icon

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the technical feasibility and effectiveness of adapting the radiation dose distributions with three-dimensional (3D) linear couch translations in contrast to full six-dimensional couch maneuvers to correct for rotational shifts during frameless radiosurgical treatment with the Gamma Knife Icon™ (Elekta AB; Stockholm, Sweden).
Connected Cars and Technological Innovation: The Right Policy for the European Union and the United States

The car industry is going through one of the most revolutionary changes since the invention of the car. Connectivity, which permits cars to share and obtain information with other devices, is a central piece of this historic change. It will increase road safety, as “smart” cars will be able to anticipate events unforeseeable to human drivers, such as road accidents, broken-down vehicles, or pedestrians and cyclists suddenly coming onto the road. It will permit greater efficiency of traffic management by automatically changing the timing of traffic lights based on the existing traffic. Car connectivity will mitigate congestion, shorten commutes, and reduce pollution. Of course, connectivity will also permit fully automated self-driving cars to finally become a reality.
Case 26: An Old Anesthetic Machine. Look Carefully

You have just arrived in Ghana, a West African nation. The hospital has one operating room on the ground floor. The anesthetic machine is a Narkomed 2B (Draeger Medical Inc. Telford, PA). It is at least 40 years old, and according to the anesthetic nurse nothing has been changed or upgraded in the 23 years she has worked there. She also tells you that the machine was used yesterday in several operations, but the anesthesiologist had to leave yesterday after work for a family emergency. You are told there is an old Narkomed 2B in the back room, but it is not working.