cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemosterilization of the Tobacco Budworm: A Survey of 21 Compounds Applied Topically

Twenty-one chemosterilants, including aziridines, methanesulfonates, nitrogen mustards, phosphor amides, and urea derivatives, were applied topically and evaluated on Heliothis virescens (F.). Promising chemosterilants were found only among the azhidines, several of which sterilized males. However, either sex was sterilized by 100 µg/moth or less of: ENT 50716 (bis (l-aziridinyl) (hexahydro-1 H -azepin-l-yl) phosphine oxide); ENT 51254 ( p, p -bis (1-aziridinyl)- N -methyl phosphinie amide); tretamine; and ENT 52457 (2,6-bis (1-aziridinyl) pyrazine). With the most promising aziridines, the sterilizing dose for males was about half that for females. Mating and lifespan of both sexes were not reduced at 2 times the sterilizing dose of tretamine and bis (I-aziridinyl)-hexahydro-1 H -azepin-1-yl) phosphine oxide.
NAVSEA reliability and maintainability engineering

Since 2011, the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has undertaken a focused effort to revitalize reliability and maintainability engineering (R&ME) and institutionalize formal R&ME policy, standards, practice and processes for all NAVSEA programs. The NAVSEA R&ME Implementation Working Group consists of subject matter experts representing many of NAVSEA's acquisition category (ACAT) I & II programs, technical warrant holders, and warfare centers. This group meets regularly to identify improvement initiatives and collectively lead these efforts. The foundation for R&ME practices within NAVSEA requires sound policy, standards, guidance, and training so that common processes can be implemented. R&ME is an integral part of the systems engineering process and applies directly to programs with a sustainment key performance parameter (KPP). Sustainment KPPs are mandatory for all ACAT I & II programs and consist of a materiel availability and operational availability KPP, reliability key system attributes (KSAs), and an operations and support (O&S) cost KSA, which are fully described in the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS). It should be noted that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) describes its military systems as "materiel" and uses the term "materiel availability" to describe the requirements and operational status of those systems. NAVSEA reliability KSAs generally define the system's requirement to successfully operate throughout a mission engagement without mission critical functional failures that would prevent the successful completion of the mission. Surface ship, submarine, and aircraft carrier acquisition programs make up the majority of NAVSEA's ACAT I and II programs. Although Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) oversight is imposed on only ACAT I & II programs, NAVSEA expects all programs (ACAT III and IV inclusive) to adopt these same sustainment metrics and R&ME practices to deliver mission critical functionality to the Fleet. Most NAVSEA ACAT III and IV programs are a collection of mission critical systems that operate together on Navy surface ships, aircraft carriers, or submarine platforms. For R&ME to be successful and not impose an undue burden on NAVSEA ACAT I and II programs, all NAVSEA Programs Executive Offices (PEOs) will need to adopt a structured approach to R&ME across all of their acquisition programs.
An Analysis of Prototypical Emotions, Religious Affiliation, and Politics in a Presidential Primary Campaign Commercial:

The authors examine a prominent political advertisement from the 2012 Republican primaries in two studies. In the first study, we frame the advertisement using Witte’s definition of a fear appeal t...
Neo-institutionalism: Bounded Rationality

The various models discussed in the preceding chapter rest on a certain definition of rationality, which can be characterized as ‘unbounded’ or ‘hyperrationality’. In these models investment decisions are made according to calculations that span all possible states of the world for all relevant time periods. Rationality is thus all-encompassing, in the sense that there can be no endogenous surprises, though there can be exogenous shocks.1 Barring events outside the explanatory power of the model, the menu of possibilities is given. In the growth and investment models presented in the previous chapter, unbounded rationality means that the technology and preference sets change only in predictable and preordained ways. Therefore possible courses of action, that is, sequences of investments, and possible future states that follow from these investments, are defined and known. As was the case for David Ricardo, in modern neoclassical models investment opportunities are obvious, and it follows as a matter of course that the optimal path will be chosen. By contrast, the approach described in this chapter recognizes the limits to calculation. Instead of taking the choice set as given, it asks how the choice set is defined, what possible courses of action an agent will consider, and how agents’ choices reshape the choice set.
Von Neumann Rays and Golden Rules: An Integrated View of Intertemporal Production Models

A dichotomy is developed between Solow-Phelps type models which exhibit golden rules and von Neumann type models. In particular, it is shown that models which do not possess golden rule programs, always possess von Neumann rays and vice versa. The determining factor is how important exogenous resources are in production. The two different models have quite different implications for economic efficiency, and some of these are discussed.
Femtosecond Pump-Probe Spectroscopy on the Equilibrated Aqueous Solvated Electron: Isotope Effects and Saturation Studies

Femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy on the hydrated electron was carried out with 35 fs time resolution over a broad probe wavelength and excitation intensity range.
The New Look of Deal Protection

Deal protection in MA (2) match rights, which were unheard of in the 1990s, have become ubiquitous by the 2010s; (3) asset lockups, which disappeared from the landscape for thirty years, have re-emerged, though in a “new economy” variation; and (4) practitioners have begun implementing side agreements to the deal that have a commercial purpose along with a deal protection effect. We offer three recommendations for how the Delaware courts should approach this “new look” to the deal protection landscape. First, courts should clarify that lockups must survive Unocal/Unitrin “preclusive” or “coercive” analysis in addition to Revlon “reasonableness” review. Second, Delaware courts should apply basic game theory to identify the deterrent effect of match rights and new economy asset lockups. And third, Delaware courts should take a functional approach to deal protection, meaning that collateral provisions that have a deal protection effect should be scrutinized under deal protection doctrine, even if these agreements have a colorable business purpose as well.
Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant Pneumococcal Serotype 35B among Children in the United States

Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 35B is a nonvaccine serotype associated with high rates of penicillin nonsusceptibility. An increase in the proportion of multidrug-resistant (MDR) 35B isolates has recently been reported. The genetic events contributing to the emergence of MDR serotype 35B are unknown. The sequence type (ST) composition of 78 serotype 35B isolates obtained from pediatric patients with invasive pneumococcal disease from 1994 to 2014 and 48 isolates from pediatric patients with otitis media (noninvasive) from 2011 to 2014 was characterized by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The most common STs were ST558 (69.2%), ST156 (10.3%), and ST452 (3.8%). Two major clonal complexes (CC), CC558 and CC156, were identified by eBURST analysis. Overall, 91% (71/78) of isolates were penicillin nonsusceptible and 16.7% (13/78) were MDR. Among all invasive serotype 35B isolates, MDR isolates increased significantly, from 2.9% (1/35) to 27.9% (12/43) (P = 0.004), after the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was introduced. All CC156 isolates were identified after the introduction of PCV13 (0/35 [0%] before versus 9/43 [20.9%] after; P = 0.003) and were MDR. All CC156 isolates had similar antimicrobial susceptibility patterns; in contrast, high variability in antimicrobial susceptibility was observed among CC558 isolates. The distributions of CC558 and CC156 among invasive and noninvasive isolates were not different. The increased prevalence of MDR serotype 35B after the introduction of PCV13 was directly associated with the emergence of ST156. Genotyping suggests that capsular switching has occurred between MDR vaccine serotypes belonging to ST156 (e.g., 9V, 14, and 19A) and serotype 35B.
Efficacy of early treatment in patients with cobalamin C disease identified by newborn screening: a 16-year experience

Despite implementation of newborn screening (NBS), outcomes in cobalamin C disease (cblC) remain poor. Therapy with hydroxycobalamin and betaine is widely used, but dietary recommendations vary among metabolic centers. We present a longitudinal analysis of the relationship between metabolic control, diet, and outcomes in a cohort of cblC patients. We completed a retrospective analysis of 12 patients with cblC referred for abnormal NBS results and followed in our center between 1999 and 2015. Of the patients, 87.5% had intellectual disability and 75% had retinopathy; 16.7% had one episode of mild acidosis. However, no patients manifested major metabolic decompensation. Developmental outcomes correlated more closely with initial metabolic abnormalities than with long-term metabolic control. Increased intake of medical foods resulted in better control but also perturbations in the ratios of essential amino acids and lower z-scores for head circumference. We found no relationship between diet and cognitive outcomes. Although dietary therapy for cblC patients improves metabolic control, few patients experience metabolic decompensation regardless of diet. Increased incomplete protein intake is not correlated with improvements in outcomes. Overall, outcomes are poor despite early initiation of therapy and regardless of the dietary strategy used. Genet Med advance online publication 02 February 2017
Experimental fossilization of mat-forming cyanobacteria in coarse-grained siliciclastic sediments

Microbial fossils and textures are commonly preserved in Ediacaran and early Cambrian coarse-grained siliciclastic sediments that were deposited in tidal and intertidal marine settings. In contrast, the fossilization of micro-organisms in similar marine environments of post-Cambrian age is less frequently reported. Thus, temporal discrepancies in microbial preservation may have resulted from the opening and closing of a unique taphonomic window during the terminal Proterozoic and early Phanerozoic, respectively. Here, we expand upon previous work to identify environmental factors which may have facilitated the preservation of cyanobacteria growing on siliciclastic sand, by experimentally determining the ability of microbial mats to trap small, suspended mineral grains, and precipitate minerals from ions in solution. We show that (i) fine grains coat the sheaths of filamentous cyanobacteria (e.g., Nodosilinea sp.) residing within the mat, after less than 1 week of cell growth under aerobic conditions, (ii) clay minerals do not coat sterile cellulose fibers and rarely coat unsheathed cyanobacterial cells (e.g., Nostoc sp.), (iii) stronger disturbances (where culture jars were agitated at 170 rpm; 3 mm orbital diameter) produce the smoothest and most extensive mineral veneers around cells, compared with those agitated at slower rotational speeds (150 and 0 rpm), and (iv) mineral veneers coating cyanobacterial cells are ~1 μm in width. These new findings suggest that sheathed filamentous cyanobacteria may be preferentially preserved under conditions of high fluid energy. We integrate these results into a mechanistic model that explains the preservation of microbial fossils and textures in Ediacaran sandstones and siltstones, and in fine-grained siliciclastic deposits that contain exceptionally preserved microbial mats.
The Role of Oxidative Stress in Pediatric Immune Thrombocytopenia

Abstract 3319 Background: An unpredictable subset of patients (∼20–30%) with pediatric immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) progress to chronic ITP; this increases the risk of morbidity and mortality from bleeding, long-term immunomodulation, and/or splenectomy. Furthermore, treatments such as chronic steroid therapy often result in intolerable side effects, raising the need for targeted therapies. We previously tested a novel list of genes that might predict progression to chronic ITP (Zhang et al Blood 2011). Oxidative stress (OS)-related pathways were among those most significantly perturbed in chronic ITP. For further evaluation of the role of OS in ITP, we measured glutathione as a marker of redox capacity and protein carbonyl content as a marker of oxidative cell damage. Methods: Pediatric patients with primary ITP were included, with exclusion of subjects with secondary thrombocytopenia, other autoimmune disorders (ie, lupus), or other chronic illnesses. Healthy pediatric volunteers were recruited as controls. Patients had blood draws within 1 month from ITP diagnosis. Reduced (GSH) to oxidized (GSSG) glutathione ratios were measured from whole blood by tandem mass-spectrometry. Protein carbonyl content (PCC) levels were measured from platelet-rich plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Subjects were followed up to 15 months from diagnosis and monitored for disease resolution or progression. Chronic ITP was defined as thrombocytopenia (platelets Results: Between July 2009 and December 2011, 67 pediatric patients with ITP were recruited. Thirty-four patients had acute ITP, and 33 patients progressed to chronic ITP. The median age of patients was 7 years (range 18 months – 17 years). Sixty-three percent were female, 37% were male. Twenty-four pediatric controls were also recruited (46% female, 54% male). The median age of controls was 8 years (range 5 years – 17 years). Patients with ITP had significantly lower GSH:GSSG ratios compared to controls, and patients with chronic ITP had lower GSH:GSSG ratios compared to those with acute ITP (Figure 1). Furthermore, patients with ITP had significantly higher PCC levels compared to controls (Figure 2). Conclusions: This data provides further evidence for a role of oxidative stress (OS) in the pathophysiology of ITP. Furthermore, decreased redox capacity, as evidenced by the decreased glutathione ratios, may be associated with progression to chronic ITP. Reactive oxidative species (ROS) may be important in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity in ITP; oxidatively altered cellular by-products induce pathogenic antibodies and become immunogenic. This also raises a potential anti-oxidant mechanism of therapy, which may play a greater role in chronic ITP treatment. Increased understanding of OS in pediatric ITP may reveal markers of disease progression, highlighting those at greatest risk for chronic ITP and creating a role for targeted therapy. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Associations between timing of corticosteroid treatment initiation and clinical outcomes in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Abstract The long-term efficacy of corticosteroid treatment and timing of treatment initiation among Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients is not well-understood. We used data from a longitudinal, population-based DMD surveillance program to examine associations between timing of treatment initiation (early childhood [before or at age 5 years], late childhood [after age 5 years], and naive [not treated]) and five clinical outcomes (age at loss of ambulation; ages at onset of cardiomyopathy, scoliosis, and first fracture; and pulmonary function). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using survival analysis. DMD patients who initiated corticosteroid treatment in early childhood had a higher risk of earlier onset cardiomyopathy compared to cases who initiated treatment in late childhood (HR = 2.0, 95% CI = [1.2, 3.4]) or treatment naive patients (HR = 1.9, 95% CI = [1.1, 3.2]), and higher risk of suffering a fracture (HR = 2.3, 95% CI = [1.4, 3.7] and HR = 2.6, 95% CI = [1.6, 4.2], respectively). Patients with early childhood treatment had slightly decreased respiratory function compared with those with late childhood treatment. Ages at loss of ambulation or scoliosis diagnosis did not differ statistically among treatment groups. We caution that the results from our study are subject to several limitations, as they were based on data abstracted from medical records. Further investigations using improved reporting of disease onset and outcomes are warranted to obtain a more definitive assessment of the association between the timing of corticosteroid treatment and disease severity.
Adverse impact of diabetes mellitus on left ventricular remodelling in patients with chronic primary mitral regurgitation.

Summary Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) has an impact on left ventricular (LV) geometry and function, and is associated with worsening of pressure-overload LV remodelling; however, its impact on volume-overload LV remodelling is unknown. Aim The objective of the study was to examine the association between DM and LV remodelling in patients with chronic mitral regurgitation (MR) caused by mitral valve prolapse. Methods During a median follow-up of 3.26 [interquartile range 1.59–6.06] years, we evaluated the evolution of echocardiographic variables in 375 consecutive patients, including 61 (16%) patients with DM. The main endpoint was LV remodelling evaluated by LV end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and LV mass index increase. LV end-systolic diameter (LVESD) and ejection fraction (LVEF) were also evaluated. Results Patients with DM increased their LVEDD more than patients without DM (1.98 ± 4.1 vs 0.15 ± 4.54 mm/year of follow-up; P = 0.002). LVEF remained stable in the two groups. After adjustment for potential confounders, including age, sex, hypertension, body mass index, MR severity, medications and follow-up duration, DM remained independently associated with LVEDD increase (β = 2.30; P Conclusion DM is associated with worsening of LV remodelling in patients with moderate or severe chronic MR caused by mitral valve prolapse.
What are the tradeoffs between battery energy storage cycle life and calendar life in the energy arbitrage application

Abstract This paper develops a method and framework for analyzing the tradeoffs between the calendar life and cycle life of battery energy storage used for energy arbitrage in a wholesale electricity market. We implement a linear program to analyze the revenue potential of a battery system participating in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) electricity market during 2002–2015, and show how the number of charge-discharge cycles performed in a year affects annual revenue potential. Then, we calculate the potential present worth (or the sum of discounted yearly revenues) of battery systems of various discharge durations and roundtrip efficiencies as a function of their calendar life and cycle life, and show how increasing calendar life and cycle life affects present worth. We show that increasing calendar life provides a greater benefit than increasing cycle life for lithium-ion, sodium-sulfur, and vanadium-redox flow batteries, which counters conventional notions about the importance of battery cycle life. However, we find that increasing the cycle life of lead-acid batteries provides a greater benefit than increasing calendar life, because lead-acid batteries have a lower cycle life than other technologies.
Irregular Negations: Pragmatic Explicature Theories

I will examine negations that are “irregular” in that they are not used in accordance with standard logical rules. These include scalar-, metalinguistic-, specifying-, and evaluative-implicature denials; presupposition-canceling denials; and contrary affirmations. The principal questions are how their irregular interpretations are related to their regular interpretation, and whether their ambiguity is semantic or pragmatic. I argue here that pragmatic “explicature” (Carston) or “impliciture” (Bach) theories have few advantages over implicature theories (Grice, Horn, Burton-Roberts), and that clear examples of pragmatic explicatures involve indexicality or syntactic ellipsis, which are not involved in irregular negations. I argue against claims that any interpretation can be “pragmatically derived” using either Gricean or Relevance theory. With one class of exceptions, I argue for a semantic ambiguity thesis maintaining that irregular interpretations are idioms that plausibly evolved from generalized conversational implicatures. The exceptions are evaluative-implicature denials, which are still live implicatures.
The Supreme Court and the Federal System

ONE OF the salient features of our Constitution is its own special branch of federalism. The Founding Fathers sought to solve, governmentally speaking, the problem of the one and the many; and by extraordinary insight and "with a little bit of luck" they made a novel and extraordinarily successful contribution to the science of government. No small part of our freedom and progress is due to the strength of the federal system. Our second unique contribution to the science of government is the Supreme Court of the United States and the doctrine of judicial review. The Court had no precedent, and to the best of my knowledge none of the judicial tribunals modeled upon it in other countries have played as important a role in national history. Certainly no other people has gone so far in committing fundamental and divisive issues, whether social, economic, governmental, or even philosophical, to a court for decision according to law. The habit has kept the Court in the center of a maelstrom of criticism ever since Jefferson's feud with John Marshall, but this habit too, I think, is part of the foundation of our freedom and progress. Manifestly, the Supreme Court and the federal system are closely linked. Since the beginning the Court has been the ultimate arbiter of the federal system, confining Nation and State each to its proper sphere and keeping each from interfering with the other. Without the Court's power to review this aspect of the constitutionality of state and federal laws when the issue arose in a case or controversy, the federal system could hardly have been successful.
DISLOCATION CELL STRUCTURES AND A MECHANISM FOR EROSION OF DUCTILE MATERIALS

ABSTRACT Surface damage produced by the erosion of an annealed Stellite alloy has been studied by the techniques of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Specimens of the alloy were eroded by gas carried angular alumina particles of two sizes (mean sizes 10μm and 30μm), at velocities of 28 and 68 m/s for angles of impingement between 10° and 90°. The depth of the surface damaged layer was measured as a function of the above experimental conditions, using an x-ray diffraction line broadening analysis technique, and was found to increase with increased particle velocity and angle of impingement. From a detailed analysis of the x-ray diffraction line profiles it was possible to determine the dislocation cell size and cell size distribution and to estimate the dislocation density within the damaged layer. From these measurements mean dislocation cell sizes of about 70a were obtained corresponding to dislocation densities of about 1012 cm−2. Dislocation structures were also observed by the technique of transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the cell sizes, cell size distributions and dislocation densities determined from this technique were in good agreement with those calculated from the x-ray line broadening analysis.
Speed-Dependent Inhomogeneities in Collision-Broadened H2 Vibrational Transitions*

Publisher Summary The collisional broadening of an isolated rotation–vibration transition of gas is considered to be in the impact regime when the collisional width is small compared to the inverse of the collision duration and large compared to the Doppler width. The collisional width and shift have no significant dependence on relative molecular speeds. Such conditions have been shown to produce Lorentz line profiles. This chapter presents the observations of inhomogeneous broadening in the vibrational line profiles of H2 perturbed by a heavy collision partner, at densities normally considered to be in the impact regime. At densities up to 27 amagat, non-Lorentzian, asymmetric features are observed in Raman Q-branch transitions of H2 diluted in a heavy perturber gas. These measurements are compared with an inhomogeneous line-profile model based on strong speed dependences in the collisional shift cross sections. Quantitative agreement is obtained only when spectral line narrowing resulting from speed-changing collisions is included.
Room-Temperature cw Operation of the Ti:Al2O3 Laser

This paper reports on the room-temperature cw operation of several Ti:Al2O3 laser rods pumped by an Ar-ion laser. For one rod, a threshold of 2.3 W, maximum output of 1.6 W, and slope power efficiency of 19% were obtained at 770 nm, and continuous tuning was observed from 693 to 948 nm.
Factors associated with seroprevalence of bovine anaplasmosis in Texas

Abstract Bovine anaplasmosis (BA), caused by Anaplasma marginale, is an economically important tick-borne disease of cattle in the United States (U.S.) and worldwide. Anecdotally, Veterinary Feed Directive prescriptions in the southeastern U.S. are written mostly for treatment/prevention of BA. However, there are no recent temporal seroprevalence estimates of BA in Texas (TX). Thus, this study was aimed at determining the seroprevalence of and factors associated with BA in TX. Data were obtained from an active slaughter survey (n = 215) performed between August and December 2014 as well as from reviewing Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratories (TVMDLs) records of specimens submitted for BA testing from January 2002 to June 2012 (n = 15,460). Irrespective of the assay used, the overall apparent seroprevalence of BA in TX between 2002 and 2012 was 15.91% (95% CI: 15.34 — 16.50%) and the yearly increase in seroprevalence followed a significant trend (P
Resolution of fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli keratitis with a PROSE device for enhanced targeted antibiotic delivery

Abstract Purpose To report the resolution of a fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli keratitis with use of a prosthetic replacement of the ocular surface ecosystem (PROSE) device for enhanced targeted delivery of moxifloxiacin. Observations A 62-year-old female presented with a 3-day history of pain, photophobia, and declining vision in left eye. The patient had a 2-year history of binocular PROSE treatment for ocular chronic graft-vs-host disease (cGVHD). A corneal ulcer was diagnosed and treated with topical 0.5% moxifloxacin solution 6 times per day, with continued wear of the PROSE device. After 4 days, worsening symptoms led to an increase in application of moxifloxicin to every 2 hours while awake. The drug was administered by removal of the device, cleaning and replenishing the reservoir with sterile saline, and adding one drop of the drug to the reservoir prior to reinsertion. Four days later, the corneal surface was epithelialized with only small subepithelial infiltrate remaining. The corneal culture grew an E. coli isolate carrying multiple mutations in the topoisomerase genes. These mutations were correlated with varying levels of resistance to ciprofloxacin (256 μg/mL), levofloxacin (8 μg/mL), and moxifloxacin (16 μg/mL). Conclusions and Importance Although the infecting E. coli strain exhibited resistance to fluoroquinolones, the infection resolved when moxifloxacin was combined with PROSE therapy. Frequent dosing to the PROSE reservoir is likely to increase fluoroquinolone bioavailability and may represent a valuable approach to overcome antibiotic resistance.
Outcomes for patients with borderline resectable (BR) and locally advanced (LA) pancreatic cancer (PC) treated with induction FOLFIRINOX (FFX) +/- radiation (RT) followed by surgery compared to induction FFX followed by consolidative RT.

437Background: Induction FFX for PC deemed either BR or LA at diagnosis provides an opportunity to downstage pts with the aim of an R0 surgery. The addition of RT after induction FFX may further do...
Automatically Identifying of animals in the wilderness: Comparative studies between CNN and C-Capsule Network

The evolution of machine learning and computer vision in technology has driven a lot of improvements and innovation into several domains. We see it being applied for credit decisions, insurance quotes, malware detection, fraud detection, email composition, and any other area having enough information to allow the machine to learn patterns. Over the years the number of sensors, cameras and cognitive pieces of equipment placed in the wilderness have been growing exponentially. However, the resources(human) to leverage these data into something meaningful are not improving at the same rate. For instance, a team of scientist volunteers took 8.4 years, 17000 hours at a rate of 40 hours/ week to label 3.2 million images from the Serengeti wild park for our research, we are going to focus on wild data, and keep proving that deep learning can do better and faster than the human equivalent labour for the same task. Moreover, this is also an opportunity to present some custom Capsule Networks architectures to the deep learning community while solving the above-mentioned critical problem. Incidentally, we are going to take advantage of these data to make a comparative study on multiple Deep learning models. Specifically, VGG-net, RES-net and a custom made Convolutional-Capsule Network. We benchmark our work with the Serengeti project where Mohammed Mohammed Sadegh et al. recently published a 92% top-1 accuracy [15] and Gomez et al. had a 58% top-1 accuracy [8]. We successfully reached 96.4% top-1 accuracy on the same identification task. Concurrently, we reach up to 79.48% top-1 testing accuracy on a big complex dataset using capsule network, which out-perform the best results of Capsule networks on a complex dataset from Edgar Xi et al. with 71% testing accuracy [5,23,18].
Determining the Appeal of an Image Using Machine Learning

By using modern Machine Learning techniques it is possible to predict how appealing an image is to humans.
Recognition of cellular RNAs by the S9.6 antibody creates pervasive artefacts when imaging RNA:DNA hybrids

ABSTRACT The contribution of RNA:DNA hybrid metabolism to cellular processes and disease states has become a prominent topic of study. The S9.6 antibody recognizes RNA:DNA hybrids with a subnanomolar affinity, making it a broadly used tool to detect and study RNA:DNA hybrids. However, S9.6 also binds double-stranded RNA in vitro with significant affinity. Though frequently used in immunofluorescence microscopy, the possible reactivity of S9.6 with non-RNA:DNA hybrid substrates in situ, particularly RNA, has not been comprehensively addressed. Furthermore, S9.6 immunofluorescence microscopy has been methodologically variable and generated discordant imaging datasets. In this study, we find that the majority of the S9.6 immunofluorescence signal observed in fixed human cells arises from RNA, not RNA:DNA hybrids. S9.6 staining was quantitatively unchanged by pre-treatment with the human RNA:DNA hybrid-specific nuclease, RNase H1, despite experimental verification in situ that S9.6 could recognize RNA:DNA hybrids and that RNase H1 was active. S9.6 staining was, however, significantly sensitive to pre-treatments with RNase T1, and in some cases RNase III, two ribonucleases that specifically degrade single-stranded and double-stranded RNA, respectively. In contrast, genome-wide maps obtained by high-throughput DNA sequencing after S9.6-mediated DNA:RNA Immunoprecipitation (DRIP) are RNase H1-sensitive and RNase T1- and RNase III-insensitive. Altogether, these data demonstrate that the S9.6 antibody, though capable of recognizing RNA:DNA hybrids in situ and in vitro, suffers from a lack of specificity that precludes reliable imaging of RNA:DNA hybrids and renders associated imaging data inconclusive in the absence of controls for its promiscuous recognition of cellular RNAs.
Abstract P2-16-23: Weekly vs. every-3-week (q3wk) carboplatin (Cb) with paclitaxel (P) in neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC): A retrospective analysis background

Background: Randomized studies have demonstrated that adding Cb to P as part of NACT for stage II-III TNBC significantly increases pathologic complete response (pCR) rates, but its optimal dose and schedule are uncertain. Since hematologic toxicities associated with higher dose (AUC 5-6) q3wk Cb with P necessitate treatment delays or omissions in some patients (pts), some oncologists favor administering lower dose (AUC 1.5-2) weekly Cb with P instead. While many believe that this approach is better tolerated, there is limited published data on its efficacy in TNBC. Oncologists at University of Vermont and Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island decided to analyze results achieved with weekly Cb/P in this setting, particularly pCR rate, and to compare them to those achieved with q3wk Cb/P. Methods: Databases at our institutions were reviewed to identify pts who received P and Cb as initial NACT for TNBC over the past 10 years for whom pathologic results and post-op follow-up were available. pCR was defined as ypT0/isN0, as reported by the institutional pathologists. We also assessed delivery of P and Cb. Disease-free survival was censored as of the patient’s last follow-up visit. Results: Of 76 pts identified (median age 49), 47 received weekly Cb/P and 29 q3wk Cb/P. All but 4 (all in the weekly Cb cohort) subsequently received doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC). In the q3wk Cb cohort, 15 pts also received bevacizumab and 3 each may have received veliparib or atezolizumab on blinded clinical trials. pCR rates are tabulated below: Most pts - 89% of weekly Cb and 90% of q3wk Cb - received ≥11 doses of weekly P; 83% of weekly Cb pts received ≥11 doses of Cb and 90% of q3wk Cb pts received all 4 planned doses of Cb. At median follow-up of 19 months (range Conclusions In this retrospective analysis, treatment with weekly Cb/P (typically followed by AC) resulted in a pCR rate similar to that seen with q3wk Cb/P, both in our own pts and as reported from CALGB 40603 (54%) and BrighTNess (58%). Given the ongoing debate on the role of Cb in NACT for TNBC, we believe that the weekly Cb/P regimen should be explored further, as it may be easier to administer without sacrificing efficacy. Citation Format: Kitty E Victoria, Pouyan N Changizzadeh, Bernard Cole, Pulluri Bhargavi, Jessica L Lyon, Marie E Wood, William M Sikov. Weekly vs. every-3-week (q3wk) carboplatin (Cb) with paclitaxel (P) in neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC): A retrospective analysis background [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-16-23.
Efficacy of gemcitabine/irinotecan in female patients ≤ 56 yrs with metastatic pancreatic cancer

14139 Background: Pancreatic cancer remains extremely lethal due to marginally effective systemic therapies. Erlotinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor combined with gemzar has recently been approved f...
Efficient image reconstruction method for a millimeter-wave shoe scanner

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has recently developed an active 3D microwave/millimeter-wave shoe scanner. This system is designed to detect threats concealed within the soles of common footwear. The system was designed in response to the security incident involving Richard Reid, known as the “Shoe Bomber”. The system operates over the 10-40 GHz frequency range. Waves in this band readily pass through common shoe materials, such as leather, rubber, plastics, foams, and synthetic and natural cloth materials. The shoe scanner system consists of a linear array positioned underneath a low loss dielectric window that the person is directed to stand upon. The linear array is positioned so the antenna propagation is vertical, and the array axis is horizontal across the width of the shoes. A linear mechanical scan translates the arrays along the length of the shoes. A frequency-modulated continuous wave (FM-CW) transceiver is used to collect the signal scattered from the scene. The data collected from the system is fully 3D covering two spatial and one frequency dimensions. The system presents several challenges for efficient image reconstruction, including the dielectric window, multi-row linear arrays, and focusing close to the antenna elements. The dielectric window presents a significant challenge for image reconstruction since the waves will travel through an inhomogeneous layered media. In this paper, an efficient back-projection reconstruction algorithm is presented that overcomes these challenges. Experimental imaging results are shown that demonstrate high-resolution imaging performance for this new scanner.
Hierarchical Design of a Secure Image Sensor with Dynamic Reconfiguration

This paper presents a secure reconfigurable hierarchical hardware architecture at the pixel and region level for smart image sensors to accelerate machine vision applications. The design maintains hierarchical processing that begins at the pixel level. It aims to reduce the computational burden on the sequential processor and increases the confidentiality of the sensor. We achieve this goal by preprocessing the data in parallel with event-based processing within the sensor and extract the local features, which are then forwarded to an encryption module. After that, an external processor can obtain the encrypted features to complete the vision application. This approach significantly accelerates the vision application by executing the low-level and mid-level image processing applications and simultaneously by reducing the data volume at the sensor level. The secure hardware architecture enables the vision application to perform in real-time with reliability. This hierarchical processing breaks the traditional sequential image processing and introduces parallelism for machine vision applications. We evaluate the design in FPGA and achieve the GDSII file in the ASIC platform at 800MHz. Simulation results show that the area overhead and power penalty for adding reconfiguration features stay in an acceptable range. Besides, removing redundant information, 84.01%, and 94.31% dynamic power can be saved at each pixel-level and region-level, respectively.
Automated Design of FPGAs Facilitated by Cycle-Free Routing

As device technology advances into the sub-10nm era, the design costs of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) built out of fully-custom, hand-layout blocks have increased dramatically. At the same time, Embedded FPGAs (eFPGAs) are picking up steam in heterogeneous system-on-chip designs, in which case supporting customizable FPGA architectures and reducing design costs are more crucial than squeezing the last bit of performance out of the transistors. To reduce the cost and complexity of FPGA designs, prior works have proposed to build FPGAs using Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools and standard-cell libraries. Though functionally viable, this approach faces two challenges: 1) An accurate timing model is crucial for FPGA implementation tools to produce correct and optimal results. However, post-layout Static Timing Analysis (STA) with EDA tools is error-prone on FPGAs, because the typical FPGA routing graphs contain many cycles at design time. 2) Conventional FPGA design relies heavily on iterative/empirical improvements to achieve optimal floorplanning and time-budgeting. Without such insights, blocks may be shaped and constrained sub-optimally. This work addresses the first challenge by proposing an algorithm to derive cycle-free sub-graphs. A cycle-free subgraph is achieved by logically ranking the routing tracks and selectively removing some switch block connections. Each subgraph enables accurate, per-switch, post-layout STA, and the union of multiple sub-graphs covers all the timing arcs of the FPGA. Furthermore, our proposed approach addresses the second challenge by enabling the creation of intrinsically cycle-free FPGAs that facilitate a flat multi-block or full-chip design flow. By blending the blocks, the EDA tools can exploit more optimization opportunities and automatically adapt to heterogeneous blocks. Our experiments show that the routability of cycle-free routing graphs is comparable to conventional FPGA routing graphs, and the Quality of Results (QoR) of the FPGA layout is superior to the result of previous approaches.
Multi-modal physiological sensing approach for distinguishing high workload events in remotely piloted aircraft simulation

Remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) operations are often characterized as highly taxing and dynamic. Physiological sensing technology can enhance personnel monitoring and training for these high-stress environments; however, work assessing the effectiveness of physiological sensors during RPA operations is limited. The proposed work tests two hypotheses: (1) physiological sensors can distinguish operator workload between scenario difficulty levels, and (2) the sensors can quantify the impact of RPA events on the operator workload. Twelve pilots completed RPA simulations at all three difficulty levels while physiological sensors collected electroencephalogram (EEG) and heart rate activity. Hypotheses were tested using mixed-effects models. Observed heart rate variability metrics did not differ among the three scenario difficulty levels except for LF/HF ratio. A 47% and 57% reduction in alpha band power was observed between easy and hard difficulty levels for the frontal and parietal channels, respectively. Abort and Reach objective events resulted in 0.2–0.3 dB lower beta activity and 66 ms increased heart rate, while losing sight of the objective (e.g., fog) had 0.72 dB increased high beta activity. Different physiological modalities (EEG and ECG) had varying effectiveness in distinguishing scenario difficulty and RPA events, suggesting a hybrid sensing approach may provide more insight than just using one modality. In conclusion, physiological sensing can distinguish operator response to scenario difficulty and events in high-fidelity RPA simulations.
Electrooxidation of urea and creatinine on nickel foam-based electrocatalysts

Electrooxidation of urea and creatinine is desirable for wastewater remediation and portable dialysis to remove the two solutes from aqueous waste streams. Urine concentrations of urea (330 mM) and creatinine (18 mM) are relevant for wastewater remediation, while portable dialysis must be able to remove blood serum concentrations of urea (10 mM) and creatinine (0.18 mM) from dialysate. Three nickel foam-based electrocatalysts (clean Ni foam, Ni hydroxide, and Ni hydroxide doped with 1 mol% iron) were examined as substrates for the simultaneous electrooxidation of urea and creatinine. Electrodes were hydrothermally fabricated and characterized by loading, scanning electron microscopy, and elemental mapping. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were used to electrochemically evaluate the three catalysts. All electrochemical experiments were performed at room temperature and pH 14. The results indicate that creatinine in urea solutions suppresses the oxidation current relative to urea-only solutions on Ni foam and Ni hydroxide catalysts. On iron-doped Ni hydroxide, an enhanced oxidation current occurs in cyclic voltammetry of creatinine/urea solutions, with the effect greater for dialysate-relevant concentrations. In chronoamperometry measurements, a slight decrease in oxidation current is observed for urea/creatinine solutions as compared with urea alone. This behavior is attributed to concurrent reactions of urea and creatinine subject to site blocking by adsorbed creatinine fragments that becomes evident at long timescales.
Gauge length and temperature influence on the tensile properties of stretch broken carbon fiber tows

Abstract Continuous carbon fibers are premium reinforcing material for aerospace composites. The challenge with continuous carbon fibers is their difficulty to form deep drawn parts requiring intricate manufacturing techniques that increase manufacturing time, cost and material waste. Stretch broken carbon fiber (SBCF), is a form of aligned discontinuous fiber, has been proposed as an alternative to overcome this challenge. SBCF provide flexibility to form complex shapes while maintaining comparable strength and stiffness. This study compared the tensile behavior of sized continuous fiber and SBCF tows at seven different gauge lengths and two temperatures (24 °C and 100 °C). Materials included Hexcel IM7-G continuous carbon fiber and Hexcel IM7-GP SBCF. The results of this study show that SBCF demonstrate decreased tensile loads when tested at elevated temperatures compared to continuous fibers. The maximum load capacity of SBCF tow increases as gauge length decreases. The load bearing capacity of heated SBCF tow is linked to fiber continuity. These findings suggest superior forming properties of SBCF as compared with continuous fiber tow.
Psychological Perspectives on Joint Physical Custody

This overview discusses key findings, questions, and controversies about joint physical custody (JPC) emphasizing psychological issues for research and practice. Children living in JPC are slightly better adjusted, on average, but it is not clear whether this is a consequence of the arrangement or due to nonrandom selection into it. Moreover, no consistent evidence links specific variations in JPC to better or worse child adjustment, including equal or some other pattern of shared time. Parental conflict/cooperation is the factor most firmly, if still somewhat tenuously, established as a moderator of JPC effects. Other important moderators include logistics (e.g., geographical distance between parents), developmental stage (very young children and older adolescents may fare less well), and personality (a factor only beginning to be explored). The clearest implication for policy and practice is that children will fare better if their parents cooperate in crafting a parenting plan designed to meet their individual needs.
Effects of capsaicin on metallothionein (MT) mRNA in sensory neurons: Possible role of MT-III in nociception

Primary afferent C-fibers are small-diameter, unmyelinated axons that are believed to play a role in pain transmission [1]. Painful stimuli initiated in the periphery are conducted to the dorsal spinal cord through primary afferent fibers whose cell bodies reside in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Noxious stimulation results in an aversive response reflecting pain in humans or nociception in animals. Polymodal nociceptive primary afferent fibers are selectively excited by capsaicin, a pungent compound found in hot peppers [2]. When injected spinally (intrathecally) in the adult, capsaicin depolarizes primary afferent C-fibers causing a transient hyperalgesia followed by a prolonged analgesia, which is thought to reflect C-fibers desensitization [3]. When administered to neonates, capsaicin is relatively toxic and decreases the number of primary afferent C-fibers in rats and mice [4].