cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing dietary quality of white-tailed deer using fecal indices : Effects of supplemental feeding and area

Winter generally is considered the most stressful period for deer in northern latitudes, and prolonged consumption of poor-quality diets is often the primary factor increasing overwinter mortality. Although winter diets of white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) in the northern Black Hills, South Dakota, have been documented, quality of these diets is unknown. It has been suggested that low-growing vegetation and agricultural lands are important factors in maintaining deer populations in the northern Black Hills; however, this hypothesis has not been tested. Additionally, a supplemental feeding program has been initiated in some areas of the northern Black Hills, but effects of this program are unknown. We used fecal indices to monitor changes in dietary quality in five study areas (one of which contained supplemental food plots for deer) at 2-week intervals from January to March 1992 and 1993. We tested hypotheses that concentrations of fecal nitrogen (FN) and fecal phosphorus (FP) would not differ intraseasonally or among study areas. In the mild winter of 1992, concentrations of FN and FP rose ( P 0.05) but were related inversely to snow depth. Supplementally fed deer consumed higher-quality diets ( P < 0.001) than nonsupplemented animals during both years. Among nonsupplemented deer, availability of agricultural land improved quality of the winter ranges in the northern Black Hills. Fecal indices are an effective method for monitoring changes in dietary quality.
An Interactive Multi-Objective Decision-Aiding System for Tactical Mission Planning

This paper describes an interactive computer-aiding system for tactical aircraft mission planning. A Multiple-Objective Decision-Making approach has been applied to the tactical mission planning domain. The planner specifies a set of potential flight routes and selects an optimum one as the result of a human-computer dialogue. In this dialogue, the planner iteratively specifies acceptable constraints and desired weights on several mission-related decision objectives. The system provides graphic feedback about the merit of the selected route vis a vis the specified objectives, and allows the planner to tailor the mission route plan to meet explicit decision objectives.
Microbe Mentor:Career Activities at ASM Microbe 2016

In our second edition of a two-part series about Microbe 2016, we invited Dr. Laura Runyen-Janecky, Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Richmond, to provide insight on how students and postdocs can navigate the careers activities at Microbe 2016. Here is what she had to say:
To Broaden Channels of Communication and to Promote Mutual Understanding

This article is aimed at the disputes which appear in medical treatment in hospitals and arise from the obstacle of communication between doctors and patients,and to discuss the method for broadening channels of communication and promoting mutual understanding,thus diligently builds a socialistic harmonious hospital to serve the people better.
Evaluation on the screening efficiency for Down syndrome under a centralized blood processing model

Objective To evaluate the screening efficiency of centralized blood processing model for Down syndrome among pregnant women by analyzing the prenatal screening data,to understand the influencing factors and to provide evidence for improving the quality of screening.Methods Data of 29349pregnant women whose serum samples were collected and separated in two different ways from January 2011to June 2011in Ningbo were analyzed for the purpose of quality control analysis and 1557of them were re-analyzed.T-test was used for statistical analysis.Results A higher level of Freeβ-hCG and a lower level of uE3were noticed under centralized blood processing model compared with a scattered blood processing method(P=0.000),and both levels were higher when serum was separated using gel tube(P=0.025,P=0.000).Conclusions Blood samples stored at room temperature for too long or use of gel tube to separate serum may influence the results of prenatal screening makers for Down syndrome.Therefore,standardized sample collection,storage and delivery as well as use of conventional tube to separate serum may improve the prenatal screening efficiency for Down syndrome among pregnant women.
Evaluation of Foliar Insecticides for the Control of Tipworm in Cranberry, 2015

In the summer 2015, an experiment was conducted to assess the efficacy of insecticides currently labeled for use in cranberry (Altacor, Diazinon, Assail, and Orthene), a registered insect growth regulator (Rimon), softer chemistry insecticides labeled on cranberry (Grandevo and Venerate), and insecticides not currently labeled on cranberry (cyclaniliprole, Closer, Fanfare, Movento, and Exirel) on cranberry tipworm. This experiment was conducted in a mature cranberry planting on a commercial farm near Warrens, Wisconsin. The trial consisted of 13 main effect treatments arranged in an RCB …
What Is A Clinical Immunologist

The author defines the clinical immunologist as one who applies the concepts and techniques of basic immunology to the investigation, diagnosis, and treatment of patients. The formal requirements for certification in this discipline in the United States are described, and the intellectual and technical content of training are outlined. Potential future roles of the clinical immunologist are reviewed.
Extraction of light filth from whole leaves of alfalfa, lemon balm, papaya, and spearmint: collaborative study.

Etude des possibilites de nouvelles applications de la methode de l'AOAC pour l'extraction des impuretes (fragments d'insectes, poils de rongeurs et autres) et le controle de qualite de ces produits
The Pinto Basin Complex at Grand Canyon, Arizona

ABSTRACTThis paper presents previously unpublished data regarding the occurrence of the Archaic Pinto Basin Complex at Grand Canyon and discusses the implications of these to the hypothesis that it was related to the Grand Canyon Split-Twig Figurine Complex which, in part, has a similar antiquity and geographic distribution. It also compares the Grand Canyon figurines with those of similar age from Cowboy Cave in southeastern Utah.
Chapter 51 – Viral Responses – Epstein-Barr Virus

This chapter discusses human herepesvirus 4, which is commonly known as Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV). EBV is one of the most widely distributed human herpesviruses. It is a lymphotropic gamma herpesvirus that replicates in B lymphocytes and is the causative agent of infectious mononucleosis. The virus is excreted in saliva and spread by close contact beginning at an early age. Primary infection is usually asymptomatic, but can manifest as mononucleosis in young adults involving fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph glands. An EBV infection in an immunocompromized host is a dangerous prospect accompanied by the constant risk of developing a fatal virus-driven lymphoproliferative disease. An underlying immunodeficiency is the root cause of most of the tumors and lymphoproliferative diseases in which EBV seems to play a significant role. Estimates of EBV-related post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) frequency range from 0.5 to 23 per cent depending on the organ grafted, the immunosuppressive regimen, and the characteristics of the recipient. A number of studies show that the measurements of viral load in the peripheral blood by PCR can provide valuable supporting evidence in the diagnosis of PTLD. The consensus of these studies is that EBV viral loads in the peripheral blood are elevated at the time of a diagnosis of PTLD.
Poems of Hölderlin. Translated by Michael Hamburger: (London) PL. Nicholson & Watson (1943). Pp. 239. 6 sh

(1944). Poems of Holderlin. Translated by Michael Hamburger. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 234-235.
Production of Mental State Intonation in the Speech of Toddlers and Their Caretakers

ABSTRACTIt is well known that mental state verbs are difficult to acquire, but little is known about the acquisition of mental state language encoded through intonation. Puerto Rican Spanish (PRS) has at least three intonation contours available for marking polar questions (PQs): iH*L% marks an utterance as a PQ; H+L*L%, in addition to doing the former, conveys that the speaker has a belief about the (p)roposition and L*HL% marks the utterance as a PQ in addition to marking the speaker’s disbelief regarding p. A longitudinal study of two PRS-acquiring children (1;07–3;06) and their caretakers was carried out, analyzing 661 PQs from child speech and 4,574 from child-directed speech. Results show that while all three contours are used in child-directed speech, children almost categorically produce the contour that does not convey any specific mental state. Almost no tokens of the contour conveying that the speaker has a belief about a proposition were found in child speech (4/661 total PQs), and these only ...
Cognitive neuroscience: In search of lost time

Electrical stimulation of the human brain does not enhance memory, according to a report that is in apparent conflict with earlier work. But this discrepancy could enable deeper insight into brain dynamics by stimulating basic research.
Children With Bronchiolitis on High-Flow Nasal Cannula: To Feed or Not Feed, That Is Not the Only Question

Bronchiolitis remains the single most common cause of hospitalization during the first year of life.1 Although supportive treatment is the cornerstone of bronchiolitis therapy, with excellent recovery in the majority of children,2 clinicians continue to search for new and better treatment strategies. As reflected in the most recent American Academy of Pediatrics clinical practice guidelines for bronchiolitis,1 previously embraced treatment strategies such as ribavirin, chest physiotherapy, systemic glucocorticoids, epinephrine, and β-agonist therapy are not recommended for children with bronchiolitis. Even the stance emphasizing continuous pulse oximetry has been prudently revisited (clinicians may choose not to use it for patients who do not require supplemental oxygen or if oxygen saturation is >90%). However, treatment guidelines have not yet confronted the putative benefits of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in the more severely ill component of the population. There is also no consensus surrounding the propriety of enteral nutrition in infants with bronchiolitis being treated with HFNC. Despite the absence of data showing the efficacy of HFNC in the context of bronchiolitis, the strategy is increasingly being used. For children with accelerating illness, and who display respiratory distress and hypoxemia despite nasal cannula support, HFNC is generally more well tolerated than nasal continuous positive airway pressure devices. In a small trial ( N = 14), HFNC had a demonstrably favorable effect on diaphragmatic contraction in children with bronchiolitis, thereby decreasing the work of breathing.3 Although it is tempting to ascribe a lower rate of intubation4,5 with the use of HFNC, these studies involved historical control subjects, which confounds data interpretation. The first randomized controlled trial to …
Carrie Baugh's Written Interview (a)

This material presents the answers to the first four questions of the written interview introduced in Self Assessment and Career Development (Prentice Hall, 1991). It will help students gain understanding of the instrument and gain skill in interpreting it. Excerpt UVA-PACS-0067 Rev. Apr. 9, 2013 CARRIE BAUGH'S WRITTEN INTERVIEW (PART A) Question 1 (open-ended question) 1. I suppose I'll start at the beginning—usually a good place to begin. I was born in San Francisco, California, at Saint Mary's Hospital. I am the second child of three. Dad was finishing up his teaching credentials when I was born or had just begun teaching at the high school. Mom had her hands full with my brother, Jake, and me. It's funny that I start with San Francisco and teaching; both have been so instrumental in my life. My father's influence especially. He is such a phenomenal teacher. His students adore him! Education was always stressed in my life. San Francisco is a city that holds such wonderful, wonderful memories, and I truly love it for its tolerance, beauty, and culture. Perhaps knowing my life began there explains why I am so strongly drawn to come “home” to San Francisco. 2. We moved to San Jose, California, when I was very young—and have lived there ever since. I really don't remember all that much about my early years—only trivial little events that seem so clear they could have happened yesterday. When Jake and I were playing catch when I was about five (he was six), he threw the ball on top of my dresser by accident. I climbed up to get the ball and subsequently had the entire dresser crash over onto my body. I must have been knocked out because my next memory is of Dad holding me over the kitchen sink, splashing water on my face, and yelling, “Oh, God! Let her be alive!” . . .
Youssef Fadel’s re-imagination(s) of Moroccan testimonial literature: a book review essay

Youssef Fadel is a Moroccan creative writer whose prolific career has spanned over forty years. Born and raised in Casablanca, Fadel received literary acclaim in 2000 thanks to the publication of h...
A Silicon Ratchet to Produce Power from Below-Bandgap Photons

This paper computationally demonstrates a new photovoltaic mechanism that generates power from incoherent, below-bandgap (THz) excitations of conduction band electrons in silicon. A periodic sawtooth potential, realized through elastic strain gradients along a 100 nm thick Si slab, biases the oscillatory motion of excited electrons, which preferentially jump and relax into the adjacent period on the right to generate a net current. The magnitude of the ratchet current increases with photon energy (20, 50, and 100 meV) and irradiance (≈MW cm−2), which control the probability of photon scattering, and peaks as a function of the well depth of the ratchet potential, and the dominant mode of energy loss (the 62 meV intervalley phonon). The internal power conversion efficiency of the ratchet has a maximum of 0.0083% at a photon energy of 100 meV, due to inefficiencies caused by isotropic scattering. This new photovoltaic mechanism uses wasted below-bandgap absorptions to enhance the directional diffusion of charge carriers and could be used to augment the efficiency of traditional photovoltaics.
A study of 2-component i, i + 3 peptide stapling using thioethers.

Abstract Peptides are promising scaffolds for use as therapeutics, targeting interactions previously considered to be “undruggable” by small molecules. While short peptides are generally unstructured in solution and rapidly degraded by proteases in the cell cytosol, peptide stapling offers an effective method to both stabilize peptides in a helical structure and increase resistance to proteolytic degradation. Most studies of peptide stapling have focused on residues with i, i + 4 and i, i + 7 spacing, while stapling of residues with i, i + 3 spacing has been understudied. Herein, we evaluated a suite of bifunctional linkers for stapling between residues with i, i + 3 spacing, comparing the ability of each compound to react with the peptide and the degree of helicity conferred. Finally, we evaluated the ability of the stapling to increase proteolytic resistance in cell lysates, comparing stapling of i, i + 3 and i, i + 4 spacing, with i, i + 3 spacing resulting in a greater increase in peptide half-life in the model system. This presents an effective stapling strategy, adding to the peptide stapling toolbox.
How Can We Know Our Clients’ Financial Stress?

This study introduced a new, multidimensional financial stress scale and its relevance with clients’ personalities. It is a combined process of financial stressors and financial behavioral responses that includes psychological and physiological reactions. In addition, these reactions can be observed in diverse dimensions, including social relationships, and psychological and physiological responses. By understanding the complexity of financial stress, financial planners can adopt a more professional attitude with their clients. Four possible clusters of clients were demonstrated based on their level of financial stress and personality. Financial planners who are aware of these four clusters can identify their clients’ level of financial stress based on observations of their personalities. This will help planners tailor their services and approaches to clients’ individual differences, and enable them to assess the level of financial stress both directly and indirectly.
Hidden Archives: Revealing Untold Stories

Archives are power-laden spaces. For Foucault, the archive is “the first law of what can be said, the system that governs the appearance of statements as unique events.” In this way, the archive is not merely a neutral repository. It is a system governed by those who have the power to choose what gets archived and therefore produce meaning through that discursive formation.
Unmapped sequencing reads identify additional candidate genes linked to magnetoreception in rainbow trout

A recent study identified candidate genes linked to magnetoreception in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) by sequencing transcriptomes from the brains of fish exposed to a magnetic pulse. However, the discovery of these candidate genes was limited to sequences that aligned to the reference genome. The unaligned, or unmapped, sequences may yet contain valuable information resulting from regions missing, misassembled, or divergent from the reference. Using the available sequencing data from the trout brain transcriptomes, we assembled >27 million unmapped sequences (5.8% of total sequences) into 45,142 contigs and identified 12 differentially expressed contigs as a result of exposure to a pulsed magnetic field. These contigs encoded a putative superoxide dismutase – a protein necessary to prevent oxidative damage – and collagen alpha-1 type II – a structural protein important for the development and integrity of the retina. These genes were consistent with the previous study suggesting an effect of the magnetic pulse on oxidative consequences of free iron and on non-visual encephalic photoreceptors. Our results demonstrate the utility of assembling unmapped sequencing reads in studies of gene expression and identify additional candidate genes associated with a magnetic sense in trout.
Intermedialitätsphilologie? Lichtenbergs Textmodell und der implizite Mediendiskurs der Literatur

Der Beitrag verortet die aktuelle Debatte um das Verhaltnis des Textmediums Literatur zu den Bild- und Tonmedien historisch durch eine Lekture von G.C. Lichtenbergs Hogarth-Kommentaren. Dabei wird gezeigt, wie das Medium Text den eigenen Mangel an Anschaulichkeit durch mediensimulierende Strategien kompensiert, die in ein intermediales Modell der Lekture einflieβen.
Mapping genetic loci for flowering time, maturity, and photoperiod insensitivity in soybean

Time of flowering and maturity in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) are important reproductive characters of agronomic interest. These traits are useful for developing soybean cultivars with a wider geographical adaptation. The objective of this research was to use molecular markers to identify chromosomal regions that control traits for flowering time, maturity and photoperiod insensitivity in soybean. Two single-cross populations, IX132 (PI 317.336 × `Corsoy') consisting of 101 progeny, and IX136 (PI 317.334B × `Corsoy') consisting of 100 progeny, were used. Days to R1 (the day when 50% of the plants in a plot have an open flower at one of the top nodes with a fully expanded leaf) was observed among F6:7 RI lines in the field during 1991 and 1992 and in the growth chamber at 12 h and 20 h photoperiods using fluorescent and incandescent lamps. Days to R3 (the number of days after emergence when 50% of the plants in a plot had presented the first 5 mm pod at one of the top four nodes with a fully expanded leaf was observed in the field during 1991 and in the growth chamber with 12 h photoperiod. Days to R7 (the number of days after emergence when 50% of pods in a plot had mature pod color) was observed in the field in 1991. A total of 139 markers (88 RFLPs and 51 SSRs) in the IX132 population and 125 markers (73 RFLPs and 52 SSRs) in the IX136 population were used to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting these traits. Results show that a large-effect QTL for days to R1, R3, and R7, and photoperiod insensitivity was found at the same location on linkage group (LG) C2 in both populations. This result suggests that photoperiod insensitivity, flowering time, and maturity may be controlled by the same gene(s) or by tightly clustered genes in the same chromosomal region. In addition to the large effect QTL, minor QTL were also detected controlling the four traits in both populations. Minor QTL account for as much as 17.8% and 12.1% of phenotypic variance in populations IX132 and IX136, respectively. Thus, time of flowering, maturity, and photoperiod insensitivity in these soybean populations are proposed to be controlled by a major QTL with a large effect and modified by several minor QTL.
Reducing Build Variation in Arched Guitar Plates

The objective of volume production is to produce identical products with little to no build variation in their parts. However, in instrument manufacture, this can be a challenging task due to the natural variation in wood properties. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate an approach to reduce build variation in the production of arched plates for acoustic guitars by using CAD/CAM software and the CNC machine. To accurately machine the arched plates, a family of curves called curtate cycloids was used during the design phase. The paper will also discuss the effort to reduce build variation during the manufacturing process by placing the arched plates under load while being machined. A series of arched back plates has been produced using this approach, and the build variation, as measured by resonant frequency, is notably reduced.
32-P : INTERFERING FACTORS INTERFERE WITH VIRTUAL CROSSMATCH (vXM) INTERPRETATION

Aim “Interfering factors” mask the presence of HLA antibodies detected in solid phase assays, especially in highly sensitized patients. In this study, we evaluated the effect of EDTA on HLA antibody detection using sera from 20 wait list patients (each with a cPRA of > 80%). Methods Briefly, 5ul of a 6% solution of EDTA was added to 95ul of patient sera. Paired samples (untreated vs EDTA treated) were then tested on FlowPRA® and LABScreen® Single Antigen Beads (SAB) for class I and II HLA reactivity. Results Among 20 patient sera tested by SABs (untreated or EDTA treated), HLA antibody profiles were identical in 7/20 paired samples and significantly different in 13. In 4/13 samples, antibody specificities detected at moderate levels (2000-7000 MFI) without EDTA increased to >19,000 MFI with EDTA treatment. In 9/13 sera, antibody specificities not detectable in untreated sera (0 MFI) presented with MFI values ranging from 18,000-25,000 following treatment with EDTA. When one such serum was crossmatched with informative HLA-A2 positive target cells (i.e., no other unacceptable antigens expressed), T and B cell crossmatches were strongly positive (>300,000 MESFs) with EDTA treated or untreated sera. Surprisingly, all sera, with or without EDTA treatment, had identical staining patterns by FlowPRA®. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that EDTA sensitive interfering factors can mask the detection of HLA antibodies that result in strongly positive crossmatches. While the untreated serum reported here was unequivocally vXM negative with the selected HLA-A2 positive target cells, the actual crossmatch against these cells was strongly positive. Interestingly, the FlowPRA® assay does not appear to be affected by these factors. As the transplant community embraces virtual crossmatching in lieu of physical crossmatching, sera from highly sensitized patients should be treated with EDTA (or other such approaches) to unmask HLA antibodies not detectable by SABs due to “interfering factors.”
The Agency of the Soul: The Case for Substantialism Reconsidered

The best (and most popular) evidence for substantialism reviewed so far is the evidence for the subjecthood of form and its particularity. But if this evidence were all we had to go on, there would not be much reason to take seriously the claims for substantialism. Nonetheless, there is good reason for thinking that there is some sort of substantialist dimension within Aristotle’s thought about form or soul. He speaks in substantialist terms when he speaks of form or soul as if it were a kind of agent acting with causal consequences upon the material body and thus in its acting upon the body as if it were something distinct from the body. It cannot be denied that Aristotle does speak about form or soul in an attributivist fashion, when he speaks of it as a ‘predicate’ dependent upon its ‘subject’, the material body (DA 412a16–19), and, like the attribute on most views of its nature, as if it were nothing apart from its subject, the body. The question of the unity of body and soul is no more meaningful, maintains Aristotle, than the question of the unity of the wax and the figure in the wax (DA 412b6 f.). The figure is nothing apart from the wax, just as any attribute of an object is nothing apart from the objects that display the attribute.
Explaining a new foreign aid recipient: the European Union’s provision of aid to regional trade agreements, 1995–2013

Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) are increasingly recipients in the foreign aid budgets of donors. What explains the emergence of IGOs as recipients of foreign aid? While conventional wisdom suggests that foreign aid is primarily a foreign policy tool used by donor countries, I argue that aid allocated to IGOs is not explained through the lens of donor interests. Rather, it is the independent institutional design of the IGO aid recipient that makes them attractive recipients of aid which is intended to promote economic development, not donor state interests. Thus, aid to IGO recipients is explained on the basis of recipient development need and the independent institutional design of the IGO. Using original data on European Union aid allocations to a specific type of IGO, the regional trade agreement (RTA), this paper demonstrates that RTAs with more independent institutional designs and greater economic and/or trade need indeed receive more aid than their less independent, less needy peers. Further, these results hold even when controlling for donor interests and across multiple models/techniques. These results shed light on this emerging, new type of foreign aid recipient and argue for a need to re-evaluate the state-recipient focus of the aid allocation literature.
Global Justice, Luck, and Human Needs: Reflections on Gu and Liu

In his paper “Nationalism, Egalitarianism and Global Justice”, Su Gu extends luck egalitarianism to the debate on global justice in an unconventional way. He invokes luck egalitarianism not to support global egalitarianism, as is commonly the case, but to push back against it. Qingping Liu’s paper, “Global Justice as the Bottom Line: Equal Needs or Equal Rights?”, is also unorthodox [both papers are published in this journal (forthcoming)]. Running against one current in global justice, Liu argues that there is no duty of global justice to meet basic needs and that, moreover, global redistributive policies for the purpose of satisfying needs are generally unjust. Although Liu and Gu provide different arguments for their conclusions, they both believe that global redistributive demands unfairly impose on those who are expected to contribute. My aim in this brief commentary is to try to situate these papers within the global justice literature and to raise some questions that they provoke.
Companies persist with biomedical papers.

Corporate research in the life sciences endures, despite diminishing in other fields of science. Corporate research in the life sciences endures, despite diminishing in other fields of science.
Determinants and consequences of plant–insect phenological synchrony for a non-native herbivore on a deciduous conifer: implications for invasion success

Phenological synchrony between herbivorous insects and host plants is an important determinant of insect distribution and abundance. Non-native insects often experience novel climates, photoperiods, and host plants. How critical time periods of insect life cycles coincide with—or diverge from—phenological windows of host plant suitability could affect invasion success and the dynamics of outbreaks. Larch casebearer is an invasive defoliator that has recently undergone anomalous outbreaks on eastern larch in North America. We conducted growth chamber, greenhouse, and field studies to quantify the spring phenological window for larch casebearer on eastern larch and importance of phenological synchrony for casebearer development and survival. We constructed degree-day models of spring activity for both species and investigated responses of casebearers to early and delayed activation relative to bud break. Both species had lower developmental thresholds of ~ 5 °C, but mean activation of casebearers occurred 245 degree-days after bud break by eastern larch. In addition to forcing temperatures, phenologies of eastern larch and casebearer larvae were significantly influenced by chilling and photoperiod, respectively. Larvae were robust to both starvation and delayed activation; days between larval activation and bud break (range: 0–58 days) had no influence on larval development and survival to adulthood. Disparate plant-insect responses to environmental cues and robustness of casebearers to changes in phenology result in a wide phenological window that likely has contributed to the insect’s broad distribution in eastern North America. Changes in phenological synchrony, however, do not appear to have facilitated recent outbreaks of larch casebearer on eastern larch.
Shifted and Squeezed 8-bit Floating Point format for Low-Precision Training of Deep Neural Networks

Training with larger number of parameters while keeping fast iterations is an increasingly adopted strategy and trend for developing better performing Deep Neural Network (DNN) models. This necessitates increased memory footprint and computational requirements for training. Here we introduce a novel methodology for training deep neural networks using 8-bit floating point (FP8) numbers. Reduced bit precision allows for a larger effective memory and increased computational speed. We name this method Shifted and Squeezed FP8 (S2FP8). We show that, unlike previous 8-bit precision training methods, the proposed method works out-of-the-box for representative models: ResNet-50, Transformer and NCF. The method can maintain model accuracy without requiring fine-tuning loss scaling parameters or keeping certain layers in single precision. We introduce two learnable statistics of the DNN tensors - shifted and squeezed factors that are used to optimally adjust the range of the tensors in 8-bits, thus minimizing the loss in information due to quantization.
An Update on Developments in the Field of Thiamin Diphosphate-Dependent Enzymes

Abstract The Jordan group's interest center on: E. coli (ec) and human (h) pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDHc), 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase (OGDHc) and 2-oxoadipate dehydrogenase (OADHc) complexes; and on 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXPS). The most important findings were: (1) the first components of OGDHc and OADHc and ecDXPS aerobically generated the ThDP-enamine radical species in “off-pathway” mechanism. (2) The pre-steady-state rate constants for conversion of pyruvate to all intermediates were determined on the entire E. coli PDHc. (3) The hydrogen–deuterium exchange MS (HDX-MS) method provided a snapshot of (i) the conformational dynamics of the full-length E. coli DXPS; (ii) interaction loci of the ecE1p-ecE2p subcomplex; (iii) the unique inter-component interaction sites in the hE1o-hE2o subcomplex, also complemented by chemical cross-linking MS. (4) Protein engineering using site saturation mutagenesis was applied to the first and second components of the ecOGDHc and led to formation of acyl-Coenzyme A with a variety acyl groups.
Micromechanical modeling of temperature-dependent initiation fracture toughness in advanced aluminum alloys

The temperature dependence of the plane-strain initiation fracture toughness (K{sub JICi}) is modeled micromechanically for a variety of advanced aluminum alloys that fail by microvoid processes. Materials include precipitation-hardened ingot metallurgy, spray formed, submicron-grain-size powder metallurgy, and metal-matrix composite alloys. A critical-plastic-strain-controlled model, employing tensile yield strength, elastic modulus, work hardening, and reduction of area measurements, successfully predicts K{sub JICi} versus temperature for eight alloys, providing a strong confirmation of this approach. Modeling shows that K{sub JICi} is controlled by the interplay between the temperature dependencies of the intrinsic failure locus {bar {var_epsilon}}{sub f}{sup p}({sigma}{sub m}/{sigma}{sub fl}) and the crack-tip stress/strain fields governed by alloy flow properties. Uncertainties in {bar {var_epsilon}}{sub f}{sup p}({sigma}{sub m}/{sigma}{sub fl}), as well as the critical distance (volume) for crack-tip damage evolution, hinder absolute predictions of K{sub JICi}. Critical distance (calculated from the model) correlates with the nearest-neighbor spacing of void-nucleating particles and with the extent of primary void growth determined from quantitative fractography. These correlations suggest a means to predict absolute plane-strain fracture toughness.
Introspect: Be Uncertain

The most successful art forger of the twentieth century was Han Van Meegeren who, among other dastardly deeds, created and sold six fake Vermeer paintings in the brief period between 1937 and 1943 for the equivalent of 30 million of today’s dollars. Adding to the intrigue of Van Meegeren’s crimes was that one of his victims was Hermann Goring, the second most powerful monster in Nazi Germany. Johannes Vermeer, the artist who Van Meegeren impersonated on canvas, is one of the best known and most beloved painters of the Dutch Golden Age, probably most famous today for his “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Vermeer lived from 1632 to 1675 and produced only 35 or so paintings that are known today. The scarcity of his work adds to its value.
Architecture-based Software Reliability Incorporating Fault Tolerant Machine Learning

With the increased interest to incorporate machine learning into software and systems, methods to characterize the impact of the reliability of machine learning are needed to ensure the reliability of the software and systems in which these algorithms reside. Towards this end, we build upon the architecture-based approach to software reliability modeling, which represents application reliability in terms of the component reliabilities and the probabilistic transitions between the components. Traditional architecture-based software reliability models consider all components to be deterministic software. We therefore extend this modeling approach to the case, where some components represent learning enabled components. Here, the reliability of a machine learning component is interpreted as the accuracy of its decisions, which is a common measure of classification algorithms. Moreover, we allow these machine learning components to be fault-tolerant in the sense that multiple diverse classifier algorithms are trained to guide decisions and the majority decision taken. We demonstrate the utility of the approach to assess the impact of machine learning on software reliability as well as illustrate the concept of reliability growth in machine learning. Finally, we validate past analytical results for a fault tolerant system composed of correlated components with real machine learning algorithms and data, demonstrating the analytical expression’s ability to accurately estimate the reliability of the fault tolerant machine learning component and subsequently the architecture-based software within which it resides.
Role of Tris-CaEDTA as an adjuvant with nebulised tobramycin in cystic fibrosis patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infections: A randomised controlled trial

Abstract Background We tested if disrupting iron utilisation by P. aeruginosa by adding the Tris-buffered chelating agent CaEDTA to nebulised tobramycin would enhance bacterial clearance and improve lung function in CF patients. Methods In this double-blind, randomised controlled trial, 26 episodes (25 patients) with P. aeruginosa infection admitted to two CF centres for treatment of an acute pulmonary exacerbation were randomly assigned to receive either 75 mg CaEDTA in Tris-buffered saline or placebo (Tris-buffered saline) nebulised in combination with 250 mg tobramycin twice daily for six weeks followed with four week safety follow-up. Primary endpoints were safety, tolerability, and bacterial density of P. aeruginosa. A secondary endpoint was lung function. Results The study drug was well tolerated with adverse events comparable in both groups. The mean (SD) reduction in sputum P. aeruginosa count (log10 CFU/g) in the CaEDTA vs placebo group was 2·05 (2·57) vs 0·82 (2·71) at two weeks relative to admission (p = 0·39). The mean improvement in ppFEV1 was 16 vs 5 (p = 0·16); 11 vs 2 (p = 0·28); and 6 vs 2 percentage points (p = 0·47) at two, six, and ten weeks in CaEDTA and placebo groups, respectively. Conclusions In this pilot study in CF patients, an increase in the reduction of sputum density of P. aeruginosa and an increase in ppFEV1 was observed in the group of patients who received Tris-CaEDTA added to inhaled tobramycin compared to the group who received inhaled tobramycin alone, although these differences were not statistically significant. The treatment was also shown to be safe.
Institutional Ethnography: Sociology for Today

In this brief introduction to The Palgrave Handbook of Institutional Ethnography, the author weaves together thoughts about John Dos Passos’s U.S.A., the COVID-19 pandemic discourse, institutional ethnography, and, of course, the contents of the volume. It is more like an invitation to the reader to take up institutional ethnography if one has not already and, if one is a more seasoned devotee, to look more closely at all that institutional ethnography has to offer, than it is a description of this alternative sociology or the upcoming chapters. All readers can anticipate that the extensive scope and depth of the contributions to The Palgrave Handbook of Institutional Ethnography, along with its international authorship, will leave them more informed, curious, challenged, and inspired.
Short-term effects of dry needling at a spinal and peripheral site on functional outcome measures, strength, and proprioception among individuals with a lateral ankle sprain.

Abstract Background The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of spinal and peripheral dry needling with peripheral dry needling alone, in addition to a strength and proprioception home exercise program, on pain, balance, strength, proprioception, and functional limitations among individuals with a history of a lateral ankle sprain. Methods The study design is a single-blinded, repeated measures randomized clinical trial. Thirty-four participants, aged 18–50, with a history of a lateral ankle sprain within the last twelve months were randomly assigned into a peripheral dry needling (PDN) group or a spinal and peripheral dry needling (SPDN) group. Outcome measures included a pain assessment, strength testing, Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Integration and Balance, physical performance on hop tests, Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool and the Foot and Ankle Disability Index assessed at baseline, one week, and at four to six weeks. Results The mixed model ANOVAs showed significant side by time interaction (p Conclusion Trigger point dry needling demonstrated short-term improvements in strength of the inverters/dorsiflexors and the CAIT scores on the involved side at one week and at four to six weeks irrespective of a PDN or SPDN approach. Discussion These results suggest that improvements in strength and function can be achieved with PDN without additional needling at the corresponding spinal level.
Land Use Law and Disability: Planning and Zoning for Accessible Communities

1. Inclusion by design: thinking beyond a civil rights paradigm 2. Planning and zoning under the police power 3. Regulating inclusive design 4. Inclusive design in a market context 5. Additional zoning concepts for inclusive design 6. Conclusion.
Production of methyl bromide in a temperate forest soil

Field enclosure measurements of a temperate forest soil show net uptake of ambient methyl bromide (CH 3 Br), an important trace gas in both tropospheric and stratospheric ozone cycling. The net flux for 1999 was estimated to be - 168 ± 72 μg CH 3 Br m -2 (negative indicates loss from the atmosphere). Individual enclosure flux measurements ranged from -4.0 to +3.3 μg CH 3 Br m -2 d -1 . Soil consumption of CH 3 Br was estimated from laboratory soil incubations. Production of CH 3 Br was calculated as the difference between net flux and predicted consumption. Fungi could be responsible for the production of CH 3 Br in this temperate forest soil.
Зарубежный Опыт Реализации Региональной Политики На Примере Испании (Foreign Experience in the Implementation of Regional Politicians on the Example of Spain)

В данной работе представлен краткий обзор теоретических аспектов проведения региональной политики, а также более подробно исследуются практические аспекты ее реализации в Испании. Для России актуальным и интересным может оказаться опыт проведения региональной политики в данной стране. Обестраны имеют много общего в проблемах развития территорий, в то время как способы их решения различны.This article provides a brief description of theoretical aspects of regional policy and in more detail investigates practical aspects of its implementation in Spanish economy. Its experience could be interesting and actual for Russian researches as both countries have many common problems in development of its territories while ways of their solving are quite different.
Separation der Variablen und Fourierreihen

In den Anwendungen, die wir in diesem Kapitel naher untersuchen wollen, stehen wir vor folgendem Problem: Problem: Fur welche Werte von X konnen wir nichttriviale Funktionen y(x) finden, die $$\frac{{{d^{2}}y}}{{d{x^{2}}}} + \lambda y = 0;ay(0) + by'(0) = 0,cy(\ell ) + dy'(\ell ) = 0 $$ (1) erfullen? Gleichung (1) wird Randwertproblem genannt, da wir im Gegensatz zum Anfangswertproblem, bei dem wir den Wert von y und y’ an einer Stelle x = x0 vorgeben, die Werte der Losung y(x) und ihrer Ableitung y’(x) in zwei verschiedenen Punkten x = 0 und \( x = \ell \) vorschreiben.
Microbial Control as a Tool in Integrated Control Programs

Microbial control includes all aspects of the utilization of microorganisms or their by-products in the control of pest species. Applied to insect populations, many of the principles governing the role of insect parasites and predators to control insects also apply to entomogenous microorganisms. In nature, viruses, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, rickettsiae and nematodes, perform important roles in the dynamics and natural regulation of insect and mite populations. Their effect is most evident in epizootics of disease which occur at intervals and under some circumstances may decimate the host populations. Less obvious is the effect of insect pathogens in the enzootic stage or those which cause chronic or low grade infections. Other than causing outright death, pathogens may interfere with insect development, alter reproduction, lower insect resistance to attack by parasites, predators, and other pathogens and influence the susceptibility of insects to control by chemical insecticides or other artificial methods.
Detection with spatial diversity using noisy channel estimates in a correlated fading channel

Usually, diversity reception, either with or without perfect channel state information (CSI), is studied with independent fades. In this paper, the condition for independence is relaxed, and the effect of fade correlation on both the diversity gain and the accuracy of channel estimation for a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) system employing pilot-aided, coherent, spatial-diversity reception under the most general form of correlated Rayleigh fading is assessed.
Evaluation of antibiotic prescribing patterns in patients receiving sustained low-efficiency dialysis: opportunities for pharmacists.

Objectives Sustained low-efficiency dialysis (SLED) is a ‘hybrid’ form of continuous renal replacement therapy; however, there is very limited information on drug disposition during this procedure. Individuals requiring SLED are often critically ill and require antibiotics. The study aim was to evaluate antibiotic orders for patients requiring SLED compared to literature-based recommendations. We also evaluated whether doses were administered as prescribed and assessed clinical and microbiologic cure. Methods A retrospective review was performed over a 2-year period for patients who received concurrent SLED and antibiotic therapy. Demographic data, prescribed antibiotic dosing regimens and doses delivered as prescribed were determined for 10 antibiotics: cefepime (C), daptomycin (Da), doripenem (D), gentamicin (G), imipenem-cilastatin (I), linezolid (L), meropenem (M), piperacillin-tazobactam (P), tobramycin (T) and vancomycin (V). Dosing regimens were compared to recommendations from the literature where available. The incidence of clinical and microbiologic cure was also evaluated. Results A total of 87 patients met inclusion criteria: mean age 54 ± 14 years, 60% male, 58% white. Prescribed doses were evidence-based for 37% of Da, 97% of L, 15% of M and 7% of V orders. The majority of discrepancies were due to under-dosing. There were 129 (11%) antibiotic doses missed. Of the 13 patients who met criteria for assessment of clinical and microbiologic cure, 10 achieved a microbiologic cure and none reached clinical cure. Conclusions Prescribed antibiotic dosing regimens varied substantially and under-dosing was common. There is a need to further define appropriate dosing regimens for antibiotics administered during SLED and determine how pharmacists may help to ensure appropriate therapy.
Wilf Classes of Pairs of Permutations of Length 4

$S_n(\pi_1,\pi_2,\dots, \pi_r)$ denotes the set of permutations of length $n$ that have no subsequence with the same order relations as any of the $\pi_i$. In this paper we show that $|S_n(1342,2143)|=|S_n(3142,2341)|$ and $|S_n(1342,3124)|=|S_n(1243,2134)|$. These two facts complete the classification of Wilf-equivalence classes for pairs of permutations of length four. In both instances we exhibit bijections between the sets using the idea of a "block", and in the former we find a generating function for $|S_n(1342,2143)|$.
Housing, other real estate, and wealth portfolios: An empirical investigation based on the 1983 Survey of Consumer Finances☆

Abstract Using micro data from the 1983 Survey of Consumer Finances this paper shows that the illiquidity of housing has a strong negative effect on the equity–value ratio and the relative share of housing equity in total wealth. The behavior of movers when compared to that of non-movers produces some support for the hypothesis that movers are rationed in their holdings of mortgage debt, while over time wealth portfolio considerations prevail. Furthermore, the relative share in total wealth of real estate other than principal residences increases with wealth, but that of net equity in principal residences decreases. Access to professional investment advice, having accounts with stockbrokers, willingness to take risks and to remain illiquid all have negative effects on the housing share, and positive ones on that of net financial wealth. Earned income is an important determinant of the relative share of financial assets only.