cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using algorithm configuration tools to optimize genetic programming parameters: a case study

We use Sequential Model-based Algorithm Configuration (SMAC) to optimize a group of parameters for PushGP, a stack-based genetic programming system, for several software synthesis problems. Applying SMAC to one particular problem leads to marked improvements in the success rate and the speed with which a solution was found for that problem. Applying these "tuned" parameters to four additional problems, however, only improved performance on one, and substantially reduced performance on another. This suggests that SMAC is "overfitting", tuning the parameters in ways that are highly problem specific, and raises doubts about the value of using these "tuned" parameters on previously unsolved problems. Efforts to use SMAC to optimize PushGP parameters on other problems have been less successful due to a combination of long PushGP run times and low success rates, which make it hard for SMAC to acquire enough information in a reasonable amount of time.
Baclofen Toxicity in Kidney Disease

Baclofen, a commonly prescribed muscle relaxant, is primarily excreted via the kidneys; toxicity is a potentially serious adverse outcome in patients with decreased kidney function. We describe a patient with end-stage kidney disease receiving hemodialysis who developed neurotoxicity and hemodynamic instability after receiving baclofen for muscle spasms. In this case, prompt recognition of baclofen toxicity and urgent hemodialysis were effective in reversing this toxicity. This case is used to examine the pharmacokinetics and pathophysiology of baclofen toxicity and discuss appropriate diagnosis and management of baclofen toxicity. We recommend reducing the baclofen dose in patients who have moderately reduced kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate, 30-60mL/min/1.73m2) and avoiding use in patients with severely reduced kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate
A parametric study of the dynamic failure of energetic composites

Heating by frictional sliding of cracks is often considered to be one of the most important causes of localized melting and ignition in solid explosives. Furthermore, recent high speed X-ray phase contrast experiments on energetic composites under dynamic compression [Parab et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 109(13) (2016)] show that most fracture events appear inside the particles. Initial cracks develop in regions where particles are close, and widespread fragmentation is observed in the interior of the particles as the stress waves propagate through the sample. However, most simulations have focused on interface debonding of energetic composites and, in general, do not include fracture of the particles explicitly. A phase field damage approach is used to model the dynamic response of a system of cyclotetramethylene-tetranitramine particles embedded in a Sylgard matrix. The simulations show several damage mechanisms observed in the experiments. The effects of the energy release rate and the initial crack distribution on the energy dissipation due to fracture are studied. The numerical results confirm that initial cracks play an important role in the evolution of damage, energy dissipation and consequently, the formation of hot-spots.
Iatrogenic T-Cell Lymphoma with Associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocyotsis in a Patient with Long-Standing Rheumatoid Arthritis

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk of hematological malignancies, especially when exposed to immunosuppressive therapy. The mechanisms of lymphomagenesis remain poorly understood but factors implicated include high disease activity, exposure to antitumoral necrosis factor medications, and Epstein-Barr virus infection. Lymphoid malignancies of T-cell origin are uncommon in patients with rheumatoid arthirits. Clinical presentation with associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocyotsis is rare and confers a poor prognosis. This case report illustrates a case of a patient with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis and an iatrogenic peripheral T-cell lymphoma with secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis who achieved a complete response after intensive chemotherapy.
Consistency among Domain Analysts in Selecting Domain Documents and Creating Vocabularies

A study is reported on the consistency of the domain vocabularies created and the source documents selected by domain analysts for domain analysis using DARE (Domain Analysis and Reuse Environment). Consistency was analyzed by measuring the pairwise overlap scores between the domain analysts. The overlap scores of the vocabularies and the source documents were both found to be significantly greater than zero. The effect sizes were large. A positive correlation was also observed between overlap scores of the vocabularies and overlap scores of the source documents. The variability of domain vocabularies created automatically was compared to the variability of domain vocabularies produced manually by domain engineers. The variability of automatic and manual vocabularies was found to be significantly different. The difference was of medium effect size.
Intimate Partner Violence and the Capacity and Desire for Self-Control

ABSTRACTAccording to Tittle, the effect of self-control on one’s criminal offending is a product of both an individual’s capacity to exercise self-control as well as their desire to do so. The present study utilized self-report data gathered at a large urban university in Florida (n = 1,307) to test both the independent and interactive effects of self-control capacity and self-control desire on intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. The study suggests that while both capacity and desire for control have effects on one’s likelihood of reporting IPV perpetration, these effects were independent of each other and no evidence of interaction between to two were observed.
Fungal Infections Complicating Lung Transplantation

Lung transplantation is an increasingly utilized modality for treating advanced lung disease. However, lung transplant recipients (LTRs) experience high rates of infection-related mortality and, compared with other solid organ transplant recipients, are at increased risk of infectious complications given the intensity of immunosuppression employed, the presence of airway abnormalities after surgery and exposure of the allograft to the environment. Fungal infections, particularly mold infections, are problematic after transplantation as they are often associated with limited treatment options and poor outcomes. We describe the non-Candida fungal infections occurring in LTRs, including their epidemiology, clinical features, and treatment.
Charismatic religion as popular protest

I intend to make a historical case that may at first appear implausible: that "tongues," or speaking "in the unknown tongue," as Pentecostalists phrase it, can be a tactic of revolution. In order to make this historical argument I must at the same time make a theoretical one about the interpretation of charismatic religion. Our ordinary approach to the extraordinary aspect of religion makes my proposed historical argument seem unlikely on its face. To Western common sense, tongues scarcely manifest anything real, still less anything political. But we do not have our "sense" in common with all people of all times and places. To the Apostles awaiting the worldwide upheaval that would attend Christ's Second Coming and the beginning of the Millennium, the revolutionary significance of tongues was obvious. For example, at Acts 2:17 we read, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams." With this in mind, the Apostles worked toward the new order of a world utterly changed. The fact that tongues have no obvious revolutionary significance to us creates a theoretical problem in historical analysis. "On doit la verit aux morts," as Montaigne said so well. But whose "verite?"
Autophagic response to cellular exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

Titanium dioxide is "generally regarded as safe" and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are used in a wide variety of consumer products. Cellular exposure to TiO2 NPs results in complex effects on cell physiology including induction of oxidative stress and impairment of lysosomal function, raising concerns about the impact of TiO2 NPs on biological systems. We investigated the effects of TiO2 NPs (15, 50, and 100 nm in diameter) on the lysosome-autophagy system, the main cellular catabolic pathway that mediates degradation of nanomaterials. Specifically, we monitored a comprehensive set of markers of the lysosome-autophagy system upon cell exposure to TiO2 NPs, ranging from transcriptional activation of genes required for the formation of autophagic vesicles to clearance of autophagic substrates. This study reveals that uptake of TiO2 NPs induces a response of the lysosome-autophagy system mediated by the transcription factor EB and consequent upregulation of the autophagic flux. Prolonged exposure to TiO2 NPs, however, was found to induce lysosomal dysfunction and membrane permeabilization, leading to a blockage in autophagic flux. Results from this study will inform the design of TiO2 NP based devices with specific autophagy-modulating properties.
Sporothrix spp. EVALUATION IN SOIL OF A HYPERENDENIC AREA FOR SPOROTRICHOSIS IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Abstract The increase in zoonotic sporotrichosis cases has become a public health problem in hyperendemic areas for the feline disease. Domestic cats involvement in this transmission and the continuous contact of these animals with soil suggest that the environment may be an essential source and/or reservoir of Sporothrix spp. Thus, the current study aimed to evaluate the presence of Sporothrix spp. in the soil of places where infected cats in Southern Brazil is present. In total, 101 soil samples were collected from the residence of cats with sporotrichosis, from regions around to these residences, and also from public places. These samples were processed using the direct plating technique being incubated at 25 °C for up to 15 days. Additionally, seventeen samples were also submitted to DNA extraction (NORGEN BIOTEK CORP® kit), PCR-specific and Nested-PCR technique. Although the presence of Sporothrix in soil has been undetected, by culture or molecular biology, this study does not reject the role of the environment in the triad of the infectious process (soil-animal-human). Thus, further studies are necessary for expanding the area of coverage, volume, type and method of sampling, and/or detection techniques.
Detainee Transfers and Immigration Judges: ICE Forum-Shopping Tactics in Removal Proceedings

U.S. immigration policy and ICE tactics have been greatly scrutinized over the past year. While many criticisms focus on border policy and the conditions of detention, scholars have also raised concerns over ICE’s unfettered discretion to transfer detainees to different detention centers. Not only may ICE transfer detainees anywhere in the country, ICE has gradually expanded this practice. Now, on average, every detainee is transferred at least once each year. ICE, however, is not the sole point of criticism for immigration advocates. Recently, Immigration Judges’ decisions have been scrutinized for their lack of consistency. Wide variation in IJ decision making indicates that the judge assigned to a case heavily influences the likelihood of a favorable outcome to ICE. The intersection of these two distinct problems—immigration detainee transfers and inconsistent IJ decisions—effectively allows ICE to forum shop by transferring detainees to detention centers with IJs who are likely to issue rulings favorable to ICE. This amounts to a crisis of justice, as ICE may transform facially neutral proceedings into judicial rubber stamping for the case outcomes ICE desires.
On Speckle Intensity Correlations Over Object Position

A general theory for intensity correlations over object position allows an arbitrary object to be imaged through an amount of scatter limited by detector noise. Applications include in vivo imaging, material inspection, and environmental sensing. © 2019 The Author(s)
An improved synthesis of cyclohexenothioxanthenones

An improved synthesis of cyclohexanothioxanthenones in high yield (70-90%) by treatment of thiosalicylic acid (4) or 2,2′-dithiosalicylic acid with 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene (5) in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid or a mixture of 95% sulfuric acid with 27-30% fuming sulfuric acid (in 5:1 to 2:1 v/v ratio) was described. The crude product consisted of three isomers which were isolated and identified. These isomers are 1,2-, 2,3- and 3,4-cyclohexanothioxantenone (1, 2, and 3).
Salt Loading Blunts Central and Peripheral Postexercise Hypotension.

INTRODUCTION High salt intake is a widespread cardiovascular risk factor with systemic effects. These effects include an expansion of plasma volume, which may interfere with postexercise hypotension (PEH). However, the effects of high salt intake on central and peripheral indices of PEH remain unknown. We tested the hypothesis that high salt intake would attenuate central and peripheral PEH. METHODS Nineteen healthy adults (7 female/12 male; age, 25 ± 4 yr; body mass index, 23.3 ± 2.2 kg·m; V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak, 41.6 ± 8.7 mL·min·kg; systolic blood pressure (BP), 112 ± 9 mm Hg; diastolic BP, 65 ± 9 mm Hg) participated in this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study. Participants were asked to maintain a 2300 mg·d sodium diet for 10 d on two occasions separated by ≥2 wk. Total salt intake was manipulated via ingestion of capsules containing either table salt (3900 mg·d) or placebo (dextrose) during each diet. On the 10th day, participants completed 50 min of cycling at 60% V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak. A subset of participants (n = 8) completed 60 min of seated rest (sham trial). Beat-to-beat BP was measured in-laboratory for 60 min after exercise via finger photoplethysmography. Brachial and central BPs were measured for 24 h after exercise via ambulatory BP monitor. RESULTS Ten days of high salt intake increased urinary sodium excretion (134 ± 70 (dextrose) vs 284 ± 74 mmol per 24 h (salt), P < 0.001), expanded plasma volume (7.2% ± 10.8%), and abolished PEH during in-laboratory BP monitoring (main effect of diet, P < 0.001). Ambulatory systolic BPs were higher for 12 h after exercise during the salt and sham trials compared with the dextrose trial (average change, 3.6 ± 2.1 mm Hg (dextrose), 9.9 ± 1.4 mm Hg (salt), 9.8 ± 2.5 mm Hg (sham); P = 0.01). Ambulatory central systolic BP was also higher during the salt trial compared with dextrose trial. CONCLUSION High salt intake attenuates peripheral and central PEH, potentially reducing the beneficial cardiovascular effects of acute aerobic exercise.
Fourier-Domain Light-Field Microscopy

We report a new type of light-field microscopy, allowing volumetric recording in the Fourier domain and rapid reconstruction using a wave-optics algorithm. We demonstrate the method by 3D particles tracking and imaging various biological samples.
Draft Day: How Lessons from Fantasy Football Can Teach About Staffing

When Matthew Berry (2014) wrote, “A bad league ruins the experience for so many…” a resounding nod amongst Fantasy Football (FF) players echoed every manager's plight: staffing. The same can be said for staffing within a higher education institution if you compare great staff with a bad "league." Staffing, much like building one's FF team, is not only critical to an institution's success but also to its strategy. Many managers, however, are not trained properly and are usually left to improvise or figure things out on their own (Wilk, 2018). To address these issues, we will discuss how FF can mimic the hiring process and can provide a model to understand what a manager requires from a new staff member (player research), the interview process (preparing ones’ roster for draft day), the selection committee's consensus process (draft day), on-boarding staff (building ones’ roster), and continual training, concluding with an effective evaluation process (maintaining one's team). We will use some of Bob Lewis’ Eight Tasks of Leadership (2011) to define how staffing is dependent on both concrete and subjective processes such as making decisions, motivating employees, communication, and building and maintaining teams. Finally, we will examine the continual evaluation process and how that aligns with winning the FF championship.
Child Consumption of Whole Fruit and Fruit Juice Following Six Months of Exposure to a Pediatric Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program.

Public health recommendations suggest limiting child consumption of fruit juice in favor of whole fruit due to juice’s high sugar content, lack of fruit fiber, and potential for excess intake. However, replacing juice with whole fruit may be particularly challenging for low-income and minority children, who report the highest intake of 100% juice. To address access and affordability challenges among low-income children, researchers partnered with pediatricians in an urban food desert community, to introduce a fruit and vegetable prescription program (FVPP) that provided a $15 prescription for fresh produce to every child during each office visit. Participating vendors included a farmers’ market and local mobile market. This study assessed changes in daily consumption of total fruit and whole fruit among 108 pediatric patients following six months of exposure to the FVPP. Child-reported mean daily intake of whole fruit increased significantly from the baseline to the 6-month follow-up (p = 0.03): 44% of children reported an increased intake of at least ¼ cup per day, and 30% reported an increased intake of at least ½ cup per day. Changes in total fruit intake (including fruit juice) were not significant. Results suggest a pediatric FVPP may have meaningful impacts on children’s dietary behaviors, particularly with regard to the intake of whole fruits.
Assessing the feasibility of biofloc technology to largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides juveniles: Insights into their welfare and physiology

Abstract Biofloc technology (BFT) relies on adding organic carbon, often in the form of sugars or starches, to encourage heterotrophic bacteria that convert otherwise toxic ammonia/nitrite into potentially consumable biomass known as ‘bioflocs’. The subsequently higher turbidity may be inappropriate for more carnivorous fish, but research in this area is limited. In this study, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides juveniles (7.27 g) were cultured in either a clear-water system (CWS) or BFT system. Each week, a sub-sample of M. salmoides was measured for length, weight, hepatosomatic index (HSI) and hemoglobin. After 4 weeks, M. salmoides were measured for productivity, muscle/liver biochemical composition, gill Na+/K+-ATPase/H+-ATPase activities, plasma cortisol, as well as the histomorphology of the gills and liver. Within 7 days, Bacillus spp., Acinetobacter spp. and Enterobacter spp. were detcted in the BFT tanks, but were replaced with Planococcus spp. by week 4. Despite consistently lower nitrogenous waste levels in BFT, growth became significantly reduced, which was likely due to elevated circulating cortisol depressing feed intake. Livers from fish in BFT showed some local inflammation while nearly all the secondary gill lamellae on the gills were shorter. This latter finding may have contributed to significantly elevated and depressed hemoglobin level and gill Na+/K+-ATPase activity in BFT, respectively, after 4 weeks. Although survival was similar between treatments, long-term culture of M. salmoides with BFT is not advisable likely due to excessive suspended solids accumulation, including mucus. However, BFT may be a short-term strategy to reduce excessive nitrogenous waste levels in times of limited access to water.
Understanding the Political Divide in Gun Policy Support

Political liberals and political conservatives endorse opposing views about how to reduce gun violence in the United States. Liberals support greater restrictions on who can purchase and carry firearms whereas conservatives oppose such restrictions. We tested eight explanations for the political divide in support for a specific policy: campus carry. Four explanations originate from researchers who argue—often with limited evidence—that liberals and conservatives differ in psychological tendencies, beliefs, and perceptions, and that these differences drive their opposing policy views (such as views on immigration). However, our analyses revealed little support for any of these explanations, with few or no differences between liberals and conservatives in intolerance of uncertainty, belief in a dangerous world, perceived relative power, or perceived government threat. Conservatives were more likely to endorse traditional views of masculinity, but views of masculinity did not explain greater opposition to gun restrictions among conservatives. Two explanations received some support: conservatives were more likely than liberals to perceive safety as a personal responsibility and to perceive gun ownership as part of their identity. These perceptions, in turn, corresponded with greater opposition to gun restrictions. The strongest explanation for the political divide on gun policy was that conservatives, compared with liberals, were more likely to view guns as a means to safety rather than a threat to safety. Viewing guns as a means to safety was strongly linked to opposing gun restrictions.
Cardiovascular-Related Health Behaviors and Lifestyle During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Infodemiology Study

Abstract Background Reports have suggested decreasing attention to CVD comorbidities during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite their association with worse virus-related outcomes. Using nowcasting tools, we sought to explore temporal trends in public interest by studying use of online search terms related to CVD comorbidities during the pandemic time period. Methods We queried Google Trends for recent (October 2019–October 2020) and seasonal (October 2016–October 2020) trends of search terms pertaining to cardiovascular-related behaviors or clinical care including clinical diagnostic and therapeutic-related terms. Additionally, we acquired data from Google Shopping Insights to explore consumer behavior. Data for search results in the US were compared using mean relative search volumes (RSV), tabulated by month. Results Online search interest in the terms “Exercise” and “Cigarettes” changed by +18.0% and −52.5%, respectively, comparing March–April with January–February 2020. Key terms related to CVD-related care, including diagnostic and therapeutic-related terms such as “Statin”, “Lipid profile”, “Low-density lipoprotein”, and “Hemoglobin A1C” declined to a four-year low in late March 2020 but regained pre-pandemic search query frequency by July 2020. Results were supported by Google Shopping analysis; for example, online consumer shopping-related searches for tobacco products reached at an all-year low after May 2020. Conclusion We report an increase in search interest for an overall healthier CVD-related lifestyle starting in March 2020, supported by online consumer shopping behavior. However, a months-long trough in public interest for CVD care-related search terms from March–May 2020 suggests a transient but substantial decrease in public focus on cardiovascular-related healthcare engagement. Future research is needed to understand if these mixed signals will persist into 2021 and how they potentially translate into real-world CVD-related event rates.
Images, Racial Hierarchy, and Critical World Order Studies

This essay contributes to the forum by pivoting from three themes in Debrix’s classic text, Re-Envisioning Peacekeeping — visibility, purity, and order. Specifically, it calls attention to ‘world order’ and its hierarchical features. The racial hierarchical features are always embedded both within contemporary Western discourses and more specifically in the US as a political community that was founded upon, and reinforced by, white supremacist violence. This essay examines the transnational manifestations of racial hierarchies. It also explores via Debrix the role of what is visible in upholding (through performative cruelty) but also challenging such racial hierarchical (dis)orders. It therefore points the way towards confronting world order’s racial hierarchical features. A number of contemporary international relations (IR) and global political developments provide a collective springboard for this critical world order studies approach to racial hierarchy, including the contemporary populist ‘moment’. I specifically focus on work in Historical International Relations, and the detailed scholarship by Robbie Shilliam in rediscovering ‘anticolonial antifascist’ responses in global politics.
A new educational normal an intersectionality-led exploration of education, learning technologies, and diversity during COVID-19

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the learning technologies disparity in the U.S. K-12 education system, thus broadening an already existing and troublesome digital divide. Low-income and minority students and families were particularly disadvantaged in accessing hardware and software technologies to support teaching and learning. Moreover, the homicide of George Floyd fostered a new wave of inquiry about racism and inequality, questioning often enabled with and through technology and social media. To address these issues, this article explores how parents and teachers experienced the pandemic through intersectional and digital divide-driven lenses. Data were collected from eight parents of underserved children and nine U.S. K-12 teachers to better understand challenges and best practices related to learning technologies during the pandemic. Data collection also focused on conversations about social justice, exploring specific needs and strategies for addressing technology inclusion and diversity in educational environments. Results from the study suggest that COVID-19 was a source of increased digital divide in terms of community and social support rather than economic means. At the same time, staying at home facilitated family discussions about racism and intersectionality-related themes. Implications are suggested for improving school communities and contexts in dealing with pandemic and emergency learning.
Development and Validation of the Military Eating Behavior Survey.

Abstract Objective To describe the Military Eating Behavior Survey (MEBS), developed, and validated for use in military populations. Design Questionnaire development using a 6-phase approach that included item generation, subject matter expert review, cognitive interviewing, factor analysis, test-retest reliability testing, and parallel forms testing. Setting US Army soldiers were surveyed at 8 military bases from 2016 to 2019 (n = 1,561). Main Outcome Measure Content, face, and construct validity and reliability of the MEBS. Analysis Item variability, internal consistency, and exploratory factor analysis using principal coordinates analysis, orthogonal varimax rotation, and scree test (correlation coefficient and Cronbach alpha), as well as consistency and agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient) of test-retest reliability and parallel forms reliability. Results Over 6 phases of testing, a comprehensive tool to examine military eating habits and mediators of eating behavior was developed. Questionnaire length was reduced from 277 items to 133 items (43 eating habits; 90 mediating behaviors). Factor analysis identified 14 eating habit scales (hunger, satiety, food craving, meal pattern, restraint, diet rigidity, emotional eating, fast/slow eating rate, environmental triggers, situational eating, supplement use, and food choice) and 8 mediating factor scales (body composition strategy, perceived stress, food access, sleep habits, military fitness, physical activity, military body image, and nutrition knowledge). Conclusions and Implications The MEBS provides a new approach for assessing eating behavior in military personnel and may be used to inform and evaluate health promotion interventions related to weight management, performance optimization, and military readiness and resiliency.
White Rice Consumption and Risk for Colorectal Cancer among Japanese Americans: The Multiethnic Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND White rice is a staple food for Japanese, a population at high risk for colorectal cancer (CRC). We investigated the association between white rice intake and CRC among Japanese Americans in the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) study. METHODS The Multiethnic Cohort Study is a prospective study established in Hawaii and California in 1993-1996. Usual dietary intake was assessed by a validated quantitative food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compute hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for quartiles of intake and to perform trend tests across sex-specific quartiles with adjustment for relevant confounders. RESULTS We identified 1,553 invasive CRC cases among 49,136 Japanese Americans (23,595 men and 25,541 women) during a mean follow-up of 19 years. White rice consumption was not associated with overall CRC incidence in men (p-trend = 0.11) or women (p-trend = 0.56). After excluding participants with a history of diabetes, the inverse associations were significant for CRC (p-trend = 0.03, HR for quartile 4 (Q4) vs. 1 = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.64-1.03) and tumors of the distal colon (p-trend = 0.006, HR for Q4 vs. Q1: 0.66; 0.44-0.99) among men but not women. CONCLUSIONS White rice consumption was not associated with an increased risk of overall CRC among Japanese Americans. An inverse association was observed with risk of CRC and distal colon cancer in men without a history of diabetes.
Denaturing cross-linking immunoprecipitation to identify footprints for RNA-binding proteins.

Summary The isolation of protein-RNA complexes in the “denaturing cross-linked RNA immunoprecipitation” (dCLIP) protocol is based on biotin-tagging proteins of interest, UV cross-linking RNA to protein in vivo, RNase protection assay, and isolating RNA-protein complexes under denaturing conditions over a streptavidin column. Insofar as conventional antibody-based CLIP assays have been challenging to apply to Polycomb complexes, dCLIP has been applied successfully and yields small RNA footprints from which de novo motif analysis can be performed to identify RNA binding motifs. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Rosenberg et al. (2017) .
A feasibility trial of Cogmed working memory training in fragile X syndrome

Individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS) often present with an array of neurocognitive deficits, particularly in working memory (WM) and other executive functions. Evidence is accumulating that WM training can be effective in certain clinical populations in improving WM abilities and decreasing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms. We report preliminary findings evaluating the feasibility of Cogmed JM program, a computer-based WM intervention, within the FXS population. Twenty-five participants were evaluated for training. Seventeen were deemed eligible, of whom eight enrolled in the 5-wk training. Baseline characteristics were analyzed, as well as training progress and parental impressions. We conclude that Cogmed JM is a feasible intervention in FXS, though a certain baseline level of ability is required, and urge future controlled trials to determine efficacy.
Robust optimization for total maximum daily load allocations

[1] The determination of the pollutant load distribution among different pollutant sources in a watershed is a critical step in total maximum daily load (TMDL) development. Under current TMDL practices, TMDL allocations are typically determined through a trial-and-error approach of reducing pollutant loadings until a watershed simulation model predicts that water quality standards will be met given a margin of safety. Unfortunately, many feasible combinations of load reductions and significant uncertainties may exist. Therefore it is difficult and time-consuming to compare various allocation scenarios using a trial-and-error approach. A robust optimization model is developed in this study to incorporate the uncertainty of water quality predictions and to minimize pollutant load reductions given various levels of reliability with respect to the water quality standards. The generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation approach is used to explicitly address the uncertainty of a watershed simulation model, the Hydrological Simulation Program–Fortran. The uncertainty is integrated into TMDL allocations using a robust genetic algorithm model linked with a response matrix approach. The developed robust optimization model is demonstrated using a case study based on the Moore's Creek fecal coliform TMDL study. The trade-offs between reliability levels and total load reductions of allocation scenarios are evaluated, and the optimized load reduction scenarios are compared with the scenario generated by a trial-and-error approach and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The results show that the optimized load reduction scenario requires 30% less load reductions than the scenario approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at the same reliability level.
American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering

The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) was established in 1991 to unify the medical and biological engineering community to address public policy issues important to the people and the nation. AIMBE has four constituents: College of Fellows, Council of Societies, Academic Council, and Industry Council. The 19 member societies of the Council of Societies represent some 50,000 engineers, scientists, and scholars. A total of 85 academic departments or education programs are members of the Academic Council. AIMBE organizes an Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. in the springtime to showcase the scientific and technological progresses in medical and biological engineering and to provide a forum for the deliberation of public policy and its implementation strategies. The advocacy role of AIMBE has contributed to the successful passage of the Biomaterials Availability Act in 1998 and the timely establishment of the National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering as the 19th Institute of the National Institutes of Health to support the development and to accelerate the application of biomedical technologies to improve human health. AIMBE is an organization of volunteers. A capital campaign was kicked off in 2003 for expanding the operation and support of AIMBE. With this new resource, AIMBE is to embark onto its ongoing challenge to activate and energize the unused potential of the membership of its constituents to achieve AIMBE's missions of benefiting our society and nation by influencing public policy in medical and biological engineering. Keywords: medical and biological engineering; public advocacy
Carbon Monoxide and Human Functions

Around the beginning of the century, several great investigators discovered much of what we know about carbon monoxide (CO). C. G. Douglas, J. S. Haldane, James Lorrain Smith, Yandell Henderson, and J. B. S. Haldane made tremendously insightful investigations which clarified many of the issues concerning CO; many of the questions which they raised and left unanswered are still being explored. Their chemical and physiological studies were very thorough. However, they did not got deeply into the effects of carbon monoxide upon behavior. Indeed, their tendency was to underrate the potential toxicity of CO, Haldane having on occasion referred to “the 30 percent saturation of the blood which was necessary for any noticeable symptoms of CO poisoning” (Haldane and Priestley, 1935). It may be pertinent to suggest that the frame of mind in which this early work was carried out was characterized by admiration for the marvels of animal adaptations, and particularly, the ability of man to make physiological adjustments which permit him to continue to function effectively under circumstances of extreme physical stress. The question being asked was, “How much can man tolerate without any important change?,” and the emphasis was upon chemical alterations which could be measured with some precision, rather than upon symptoms which could not be reliably quantified or upon behavioral changes, for which an adequate understanding and vocabulary was only beginning to be developed.
Problems with Behavioral Economics

Behavioral economists and psychologists feel confident, if not cocky, that they have substantively undermined the methodological approach to mainstream (conventional or neoclassical) economics identified in modern times with the two branches of the Chicago school associated with Milton Friedman and, more pointedly, Gary Becker. Certainly, the behavioralists have contributed to our understanding of people’s decision-making abilities, especially their limits, and have caused mainstream economists (including both authors) to rethink their (our) methodologies. This in turn has led us to a new understanding of the role of the rationality premise in economics and of a budding economic theory of the human brain. There are, however, several good reasons for caution in siding with the behavioralists on all critical fronts, even if their research findings on people’s decision biases and irrationalities are confirmed time and again. Let us count the ways.
Production of Turbulence in Boundary Layers and Potential for Modification of the near Wall Region

Important relationships between known wall region coherent motions have been found, and an integrated overall model is put forth. Visual information has been used to qualitatively clarify the complete spatial/temporal response of the near wall region to perturbations originating in the outer region. Furthermore, two-point spanwise vorticity correlations have been used to characterize the outer region events initiating the near wall response. These findings lead to the result that a substantial integration of detail in the wall region is essential to uncover the underlying relationship of the organized features that are responsible for the production of turbulence near a wall. An important aspect of the integrated picture is the discovery that strong ejections of fluid occur as a result of specific spatial-temporal relationships. The correlation experiments statistically identify the presence of strong vortical motions associated with the proposed Overall Production Module (0PM). It was found that the vortical motions away from the wall have an average scale of 25 wall units, and rotate in the opposite sense of the mean vorticity. The present results suggest means by which drag can be reduced by modifying the wall so as to reduce the amplification of strong vortical motions created near the wall.
Cognitive-developmental learning for a humanoid robot: a caregiver's gift

The goal of this work is to build a cognitive system for the humanoid robot, Cog, that exploits human caregivers as catalysts to perceive and learn about actions, objects, scenes, people, and the robot itself. This thesis addresses a broad spectrum of machine learning problems across several categorization levels. Actions by embodied agents are used to automatically generate training data for the learning mechanisms, so that the robot develops categorization autonomously. Taking inspiration from the human brain, a framework of algorithms and methodologies was implemented to emulate different cognitive capabilities on the humanoid robot Cog. This framework is effectively applied to a collection of AI, computer vision, and signal processing problems. Cognitive capabilities of the humanoid robot are developmentally created, starting from infant-like abilities for detecting, segmenting, and recognizing percepts over multiple sensing modalities. Human caregivers provide a helping hand for communicating such information to the robot. This is done by actions that create meaningful events (by changing the world in which the robot is situated) thus inducing the “compliant perception” of objects from these human-robot interactions. Self-exploration of the world extends the robot's knowledge concerning object properties. This thesis argues for enculturating humanoid robots using infant development as a metaphor for building a humanoid robot's cognitive abilities. A human caregiver redesigns a humanoid's brain by teaching the humanoid robot as she would teach a child, using children's learning aids such as books, drawing boards, or other cognitive artifacts. Multi-modal object properties are learned using these tools and inserted into several recognition schemes, which are then applied to developmentally acquire new object representations. The humanoid robot therefore sees the world through the caregiver's eyes. Building an artificial humanoid robot's brain, even at an infant's cognitive level, has been a long quest which still lies only in the realm of our imagination. Our efforts towards such a dimly imaginable task are developed according to two alternate and complementary views: cognitive and developmental. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Virasoro Algebra and O(N) Sigma Model

Within the framework of a local expansion of the logarithm of the O(N) sigma-model vacuum functional, valid for slowly varying fields, the modified Virasoro algebra is studied. The operator-like central charge term is given, up to second order, for a general functional.
The instability of jets of arbitrary exit geometry

This paper describes a calculation technique to determine the linear instability characteristics of jets of arbitrary exit geometry. In particular, elliptic and rectangular jets are considered. The numerical procedure involves both a conformal transformation between the computational domain and the physical plane and a solution of the transformed stability equation in the computational domain. Modern, efficient, conformal mappings are used for both simply and doubly connected domains. The numerical solution is based on a hybrid finite difference/pseudospectral discretization of the stability equation. The technique is validated by comparison with previous stability calculations for circular and elliptic jets. Calculations are performed for the stability characteristics of elliptic and rectangular jets of aspect ratio 2:1. Growth rates, phase velocities, and pressure eigenfunctions are presented.
Field Considerations for Calcium Chloride Modification of Soil-Cement

AbstractCalcium chloride (CaCl2) has been used to accelerate strength gain in soil-cement mixtures. While its use in concrete is well established, there are few reports on dosage and temperature controls in soil-cement applications. This article provides laboratory and field data regarding the unconfined compression (UC) strength of soil-cement as a function of temperature, time, and dosage. The results indicate CaCl2 can increase the UC strength of soil-cement mixtures at curing temperatures of 2°C and 21°C while decreasing it dramatically if the initial temperature exceeds 50°C. At a 2°C curing temperature, a dosage of 1% CaCl2 (by weight of cement) increased the average 28-day UC strength from 1,618 to 1,869 kPa (+15.5%) while at 21°C the strength gain was significant at a dosage of 5% CaCl2, increasing the average 28-day UC strength from 1,916 to 2,338 kPa (+22.0%). In general, there is an optimum dosage that varies with temperature and soil type. In terms of field application, it is possible to use c...
Vaccines and cytokine-mediated pathology in RSV infection

Plant pathogens My view is that it would be a shame to ignore research in the pathogenesis of plant infections, as first, this would diminish the opportunities to gain new ideas, and second, recent discoveries have shown that common processes have arisen in plant and animal pathogens, and so publishing reviews on both in TIM allows transfer of ideas between systems. Consequently, my immediate strategy for commissioning articles on plant pathogens will be to ensure that the common themes are highlighted. Design There were a few comments that TIM’s design is too fussy, with changing column widths, and figures variably in or out of the margin. There are good technical reasons for most of the design features of TIM. We have attempted to keep the design as simple but as flexible as possible, and to make the best use of the space available. However, if anyone suffers major irritations or has revolutionary ideas for changing the design, please tell me.
Associated charmonium production in low energy pp annihilation

The QCD mechanisms underlying the exclusive strong decays and hadronic production amplitudes of charmonium remain poorly understood, despite decades of study and an increasingly detailed body of experimental information. One set of hadronic channels of special interest are those that include baryon-antibaryon states. These are being investigated experimentally at BES and CLEO-c in terms of their baryon resonance content, and are also of interest for the future PANDA experiment, in which charmonium and charmonium hybrids will be produced in $p\overline{p}$ annihilation in association with light mesons. In this paper we develop a simple initial-state light meson emission model of the near-threshold associated charmonium production processes $p\overline{p}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}\ensuremath{\Psi}$, and evaluate the differential and total cross sections for these reactions in this model. (Here we consider the states $\ensuremath{\Psi}={\ensuremath{\eta}}_{c}$, $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$, ${\ensuremath{\psi}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$, ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{0}$ and ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{1}$.) The predicted near-threshold cross section for $p\overline{p}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ is found to be numerically similar to two previous theoretical estimates, and is roughly comparable to the (sparse) existing data for this process. The theoretical charmonium angular distributions predicted by this model are far from isotropic, which may be of interest for PANDA detector design studies.
Cloning, Nucleotide Sequence, and Heterologous Expression of the Biosynthetic Gene Cluster for R1128, a Non-steroidal Estrogen Receptor Antagonist INSIGHTS INTO AN UNUSUAL PRIMING MECHANISM

R1128 substances are anthraquinone natural products that were previously reported as non-steroidal estrogen receptor antagonists with in vitro and in vivopotency approaching that of tamoxifen. From a biosynthetic viewpoint, these polyketides possess structurally interesting features such as an unusual primer unit that are absent in the well studied anthracyclic and tetracyclic natural products. The entire R1128 gene cluster was cloned and expressed in Streptomyces lividans, a genetically well developed heterologous host. In addition to R1128C, a novel optically active natural product, designated HU235, was isolated. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the biosynthetic gene cluster revealed genes encoding two ketosynthases, a chain length factor, an acyl transferase, three acetyl-CoA carboxylase subunits, two cyclases, two oxygenases, an amidase, and remarkably, two acyl carrier proteins. Feeding studies indicate that the unusual 4-methylvaleryl side chain of R1128C is derived from valine. Together with the absence of a dedicated ketoreductase, dehydratase, or enoylreductase within the R1128 gene cluster, this suggests a functional link between fatty acid biosynthesis and R1128 biosynthesis in the engineered host. Specifically, we propose that the R1128 synthase recruits four subunits from the endogenous fatty acid synthase during the biosynthesis of this family of pharmacologically significant natural products.