cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution and Developmental Sex Differences

From an evolutionary perspective, childhood is the portion of the life span during which individuals practice and refine those competencies that facilitate survival and reproduction in adulthood. Although the skeletal structure of these competencies appears to be inherent, social interaction and play flesh them out during childhood so that they are adapted to local conditions. Darwin's principles of sexual selection, including male-male competition over mates and female choice of mating partners, successfully explain the acquisition and expression of reproductive competencies in hundreds of species. When this perspective is applied to humans, it predicts sex differences that are, in fact, found in the childhood activities of boys and girls and that reflect sex differences in reproductive strategies in adulthood. A few of these differences are described, along with cultural factors that modify their expression. The article closes with a brief discussion of the social and scientific implications.
Data age and information value: a Polya process

The paper relates the value of information in a Polya process to the duration of the process and to the age of the most recently observed data set. A decision process is constructed to measure the impact of obtaining information concerning the true state of the system p periods earlier. The value to the decision-maker of decreasing the age of the observation is studied. A numerical example is presented.
Exploiting Ordinal Class Structure in Multiclass Classification: Application to Ovarian Cancer

In multiclass machine learning problems, one needs to distinguish between the nominal labels that do not have any natural ordering and the ordinal labels that are ordered. Ordinal labels are pervasive in biology, and some examples are given here. In this note, we point out the importance of making use of the order information when it is inherent to the problem. We demonstrate that algorithms that use this additional information outperform the algorithms that do not, on a case study of assigning one of four labels to the ovarian cancer patients on the basis of their time of progression-free survival. As an aside, it is also pointed out that the algorithms that make use of ordering information require fewer data normalizations. This aspect is important in biological applications, where data are plagued by variations in platforms and protocols, batch effects, and so on.
Find out if online education is right for you.

tion has and will continue to grow as a viable option for those considering advanced degrees in any of the engineering fields. Currently, many colleges and universities offer certificate, bachelor’s, and master’s level engineering degrees online and that number is expected to rise in the coming years. 1 A simple web search of online engineering courses will reveal how many different schools actually offer online engineering courses and programs, but for anyone who has not participated in an online course before, the number of programs and schools, or even the format of online education, can be intimidating. This article will present an overview of what to expect in an online course, what to expect from an institution offering online courses, and whether or not online learning is right for you.
Final Focusing Magnetic Lenses for Light Ion Beam Fusion Reactors

A magnetic lens has been designed which will focus 30 MeV Li+ ions emitted from a diode onto a DT filled target as required in the LIBRA-LiTE fusion reactor study. Thirty such lenses are located 2....
Citizen Complaints Against the Police An Eight City Examination

Building on prior research involving citizen complaints, the current inquiry seeks to add to the literature by examining citizen complaint data from eight U.S. cities. We assess the distribution of complaints and dispositions, along with the relationship between officer- and citizen-based characteristics. Further, we examine the extent to which varying types of investigatory models (e.g., internal affairs, command level, and external civilian oversight) influence whether complaints are found to have merit (i.e., sustained complaints). In line with prior research, we found that a small percentage of officers accounted for a disproportionate percentage of total complaints, excessive force and discourtesy were often the most common allegations lodged, and younger officers and those with less experience generally received a greater number of complaints. Adding to the literature, we found substantial variation across agencies with respect to the raw number of complaints generated, the extent to which use of fo...
Age characteristics of Oatp2 in rat

AIM: To explore whether the expression of Oatp2 in rat brain and liver is different among rats of different ages.METHODS:Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups according to age: adult group,infant group(20 d after birth)and newborn group(3 d after birth),there were 12 rats in each group,and the numbers of male and female rats were equal.Expression of Oatp2 protein and mRNA were detected by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR respectively.RESULTS:The Oatp2 expression quantity is different in different age and different tissue.In brain,newborn group(280.434±52.331) express Oatp2 most,the infant group(264.646±59.050)express Oatp2 more and the adult group(261.806±57.465)express Oatp2 protein least.Whereas,expression of Oatp2 in liver gradually increased after birth,that is,the expression quantity of adult group(257.449±56.323) is the highest,the infant group(244.256±68.547) take second place and the newborn group(234.596±52.529) is the least.CONCLUSION:The age-denpendent feature of Oatp2 in rat bran and liver will aid in understanding the pharmacokinetics and toxicokinetics of drugs and other chemicals.
Analyzing the conceptual integrity of computing applications through ontological excavation and analysis

In the world of commercial computing, consumers are being inundated with baroque, bloated, and difficult-to-use computing applications, tools that use computational methods and technologies to perform tasks. Market forces demand that new versions of these applications implement more features, the user-accessible behaviors and services implemented by the application, than their predecessors or competitors. Ensuring that planned features required for market competitiveness enhance a computing application without these side effects first requires that we understand how these features contribute to the overall design and conceptual integrity of the application. While conceptual integrity affects all aspect of the application, we are primarily interested in how an application's user-accessible features have been designed and implemented. To this end, we have developed a research framework, methodologies, and artifacts for measuring the conceptual integrity of a computing artifact from its theory of the world or its ontology. We use conceptual coherence, which we define as the degree to which an application's concepts are tightly related, as a first approximation for conceptual integrity. We claim the following: any computing application has a central or core set of concepts that are essential to that application's ontology and can be identified through analytical means; and concepts that are not essential to an application's ontology either exist to support core concepts or are peripheral to the ontology. Peripheral concepts reduce an application's conceptual coherence. We have developed the method of ontological excavation to identify the concepts in a computing application and model them as an ontology expressed as a semantic network. To identify core and peripheral concepts and to measure an ontology's conceptual coherence, we developed methodologies for ontological analysis. If usefulness depends on the conceptual integrity of an application's ontology such that it ensures high fitness to a problem domain, then we would expect that users solving problems in that domain will invoke the concepts integral to the solution more often than those concepts that do not. Thus, to validate our structural measures, we claim the following: the probable use of the application will invoke core concepts more frequently than peripheral concepts in the ontology.
Election-by-Lot as a Judicial Selection Mechanism

The present paper urges the reader to overcome these barriers to scholarly appreciation, to cast to the side any preliminary skepticism toward election-by-lot as a reasonable allocation mechanism, and to take seriously for the moment, the claim that election-by-lot might be usefully employed in allocating certain judicial functions among a pool of potential candidates, the precise contours of which will be more fully defined shortly.
Modeling Solar Irradiance and Solar PV Power Output to Create a Resource Assessment Using Linear Multiple Multivariate Regression

AbstractThe increased use of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells as energy sources on electric grids has created the need for more accessible solar irradiance and power production estimates for use in power modeling software. In the present paper, a novel technique for creating solar irradiance estimates is introduced. A solar PV resource dataset created by combining numerical weather prediction assimilation model variables, satellite data, and high-resolution ground-based measurements is also presented. The dataset contains ≈152 000 geographic locations each with ≈26 000 hourly time steps. The solar irradiance outputs are global horizontal irradiance (GHI), direct normal irradiance (DNI), and diffuse horizontal irradiance (DIF). The technique is developed over the United States by training a linear multiple multivariate regression scheme at 10 locations. The technique is then applied to independent locations over the whole geographic domain. The irradiance estimates are input into a solar PV power modeling alg...
Adaptive Trial Designs

The nature of any experiment is that its outcome is uncertain. Due to their great expense and logistical challenges, key aspects of clinical trials must be carefully planned in advance. However, the parameters required to design the trial cannot be known for certain, and there is no guarantee that the design is optimal. Adaptive trial designs incorporate planned flexibility in the conduct of the trial in response to emerging information. The advantage of flexible designs is that they help to optimize the ultimate design of the trial to make the most efficient use of resources. The disadvantage is that valid adaptive designs increase the complexity of the trial conduct and statistical analysis. Sequential testing designs allow stopping the trial early for superiority or futility. Multi-arm designs allow multiple interventions to undergo early testing to choose the most promising for continued study. Adaptive randomization designs help maintain balance among participant characteristics. Enrichment designs change inclusion criteria after an initial phase to target patients who might benefit the most from an intervention. Internal pilot designs re-estimate the planned sample size to increase efficiency and avoid inconclusive findings.
The Immunologic Specificity of Ferritin Uptake by Macrophages in the Rat

It has been shown repeatedly that the process of phagocytosis by macrophages is a relatively nonspecific phenomenon involving the uptake of many nonantigenic and autologous substances as well as antigens. As a consequence, it would be natural to question the existence of an antigen-specific recognition system at this level. In fact, our finding that heterologous ferritin was pinocytized by small lymphocytes within minutes after injection into the footpad of the normal rat led us to suspect that perhaps an early antigen-recognition system might better be ascribed to the small lymphocyte rather than the macrophage [1]. In order to gain more information on the very early events involving phagocytosis of antigen by cells, we have designed experiments in which the relative uptake by macrophages and lymphocytes of heterologous, homologous, and isologous ferritin is being evaluated by both radioautographic and electron microscopic observation. Although the experimentation has been completed, our observations are still preliminary. Accordingly, we would like to record at this time only the results of initial study of the macrophage.
A system identification approach for developing model predictive controllers of antibody quality attributes in cell culture processes.

Abstract As the biopharmaceutical industry evolves to include more diverse protein formats and processes, more robust control of Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) is needed to maintain processing flexibility without compromising quality. Active control of CQAs has been demonstrated using model predictive control techniques, which allow development of processes which are robust against disturbances associated with raw material variability and other potentially flexible operating conditions. Wide adoption of model predictive control in biopharmaceutical cell culture processes has been hampered, however, in part due to the large amount of data and expertise required to make a predictive model of controlled CQAs, a requirement for model predictive control. Here we developed a highly automated, perfusion apparatus to systematically and efficiently generate predictive models using application of system identification approaches. We successfully created a predictive model of %galactosylation using data obtained by manipulating galactose concentration in the perfusion apparatus in serialized step change experiments. We then demonstrated the use of the model in a model predictive controller in a simulated control scenario to successfully achieve a %galactosylation set point in a simulated fed-batch culture. The automated model identification approach demonstrated here can potentially be generalized to many CQAs, and could be a more efficient, faster, and highly automated alternative to batch experiments for developing predictive models in cell culture processes, and allow the wider adoption of model predictive control in biopharmaceutical processes. © 2017 The Authors Biotechnology Progress published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1647-1661, 2017.
Virtual-Care Delivery of Applied-Behavior-Analysis Services to Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Related Conditions

In contrast to traditional telehealth, virtual care employs recent advances in web-based information technologies in ways that are less costly, less complicated, more convenient, and more efficient than traditional methods. A small but growing body of research has begun to demonstrate that, when imp
Afterward: the space of political community and the space of authority

This essay identifies a shared problem in articles on space and intellectual history: the tension between representations of spaces of political community and spatial renderings of authority. A wid...
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Replication Failures

Worries about the reproducibility of experiments in the behavioral and social sciences arise from evidence that many published reports contain false positive results. Misunderstanding and misuse of statistical procedures are key sources of false positives. In behavior analysis, however, statistical procedures have not been used much. Instead, the investigator must show that the behavior of an individual is consistent over time within an experimental condition, that the behavior changes systematically across conditions, and that these changes can be reproduced – and then the whole pattern must be shown in additional individuals. These high standards of within- and between-subject replication protect behavior analysis from the publication of false positive findings. When a properly designed and executed experiment fails to replicate a previously published finding, the failure exposes flaws in our understanding of the phenomenon under study – perhaps in recognizing the boundary conditions of the phenomenon, identifying the relevant variables, or bringing the variables under sufficient control. We must accept the contradictory findings as valid and pursue an experimental analysis of the possible reasons. In this way, we resolve the contradiction and advance our science. To illustrate, two research programs are described, each initiated because of a replication failure.
Getting to the Heart of the Matter: Lysosomal Storage Diseases That Manifest a Cardiac Phenotype

The lysosomal storage diseases (LDs) are a group of over 70 inherited metabolic conditions caused by deficiencies in one or more lysosomal enzymes affecting degradation pathways, transportation mechanisms, or other key mechanisms that hamper lysosomal functioning. LDs are individually rare but collectively common with a combined incidence of 1 in 4000 to 13,000 individuals. FDA-approved therapies exist for several of the conditions. Timely treatment of patients with LDs has been hampered by significant diagnostic delays. For many LDs, cardiac manifestations can provide a diagnostic clue to identifying affected individuals. Cardiac issues can be structural and/or functional and range in onset from before birth to adult onset. In order to increase awareness of the cardiac manifestations of LDs, this review identifies key cardiac features which can assist clinicians in diagnosing LDs, reviews the importance of early diagnosis and treatment, and discusses recent articles that assist in optimizing overall outcome.
Vegetation Map Patterns at the Biome Level

In order to examine the response of vegetation to changing environmental conditions, it is critical to develop paleogeographic base maps that accurately depict the positions of prominent physical barriers to and corridors for plant invasions. For our base maps, we used a sinusoidal equal-area projection of eastern North America covering the geographic region extending from 25°N to 60°N, and from 50°W to 100°W. This map projection, generated by the Harvard-based CAM (Computer-Assisted Mapping) program, depicts the position of the modern shorelines for the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Hudson Bay, as well as the Great Lakes and Lake Winnepeg. We used a grid of lines at 5° latitude by 5° longitude, centered on the 85°W meridian (Delcourt et al. 1984).
Pathogenicity and Other Genomic Islands

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has been increasingly recognized as a major contributor to genetic diversity, especially in bacteria. The genetic units that participate in HGT are known as mobile genetic elements (MGEs), many of which occupy specific places in the bacterial chromosome and are known as genomic islands (GEIs). A key feature of GEIs is that they never carry genes that are essential for the life cycle of the organism in which they reside; rather, they carry accessory genes that are involved in the adaptation of the organism to various environmental contingencies. Accordingly, GEIs have been classified on the basis of accessory functions. The first of these to be identified carry genes involved in the causation of disease – thus pathogenicity islands (PAIs). Others since discovered have been classified as resistance islands, metabolic islands, and symbiosis islands. Hence, although this article is focused on the PAIs, it is emphasized that this designation, though useful in the study of bacterial pathogenesis, is artificial and its usage will probably decline.
Simulation Study on the Unbalanced Operation Characteristics of a Three-Phase Auto-Transformer with Asymmetrical Winding Parameters

In this paper, a simulation technique is presented to study the unbalanced operation characteristics of a three-phase auto-transformer with asymmetrical winding parameters. First, the parameters such as winding resistances, impedance and capacitance were derived from the experimental results. Then, an equivalent model was set up based on MATLAB/Simulink. Finally, the unbalanced operation characteristics were then presented and discussed with the asymmetrical impedance and capacitance. The simulation results indicated that three-phase autotransformers can operate with slight asymmetrical parameters.
The genetics of neurospora: VI. Bisexual and akaryotic ascospores from N. Crassa

An unusual ascus ofN. crassa containing four bisexual and four akaryotic spores was discovered. The bisexual heterokaryons were analyzed. The data suggest that these spores were produced by and association of nuclei after the second division, followed by a third conjugate division. The function of the third division is discussed.
Improving Accuracy and Confidence of Chemical Identification by Gas Chromatography/Vacuum Ultraviolet Spectroscopy-Mass Spectrometry: Parallel Gas Chromatography, Vacuum Ultraviolet, and Mass Spectrometry Library Searches.

Chemical identification often relies on matching measured chemical properties and/or spectral “fingerprints” of unknowns against their precompiled libraries. Chromatography, absorption spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry are all among analytical approaches that provide chemical measurement databases amenable to library searching. Occasionally, using conventional single-library or single-domain searches can lead to misidentification of unknowns. To improve chemical identification, we present a tandem gas chromatography/vacuum ultraviolet-mass spectrometry (GC/VUV-MS) chemical identification approach that utilizes databases from GC, VUV spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry analyses for a “multidomain” library search. Using standard chemical mixtures as well as aroma compounds as test cases, we demonstrate that multidatabase library searches utilizing GC, VUV, and MS data results in fully correct identification of chemical mixtures examined here that could only be identified with a 69.2% or an 88.5% success r...
Power Electronics: A Destination Where Few Women Have Gone Before [Women in Engineering]

Presents information on the 2019 IEEE Applied Power Electroincs Conference and Exposition (APEC).
Experimental investigation of strut-and-tie layouts in deep RC beams designed with hybrid bi-linear topology optimization

Abstract This paper presents the experimental study of deep reinforced concrete beams designed with strut-and-tie models. Three different reinforcement layouts are designed with the same material quantities and for the same loading and boundary conditions. Two of the layouts are automatically generated using a topology optimization framework in which obtaining increasingly complex steel layouts is allowed. The experimental performance of these are compared to a beam designed with a conventional strut-and-tie model. Two samples are constructed and experimentally tested of each of the three designs. To limit post-processing of the reinforcement layouts, the topology-optimized designs are obtained using a hybrid bi-linear approach and an alternative reinforcement method has been used; the layouts have been waterjet cut from steel plates. The experimental study reveals that the topology-optimized reinforcement layouts have an increase in stiffness and strength compared to the conventional design. Interestingly, all specimens with topology-optimized reinforcement exhibit a similar behavior regardless of the topological complexity. This suggests that significant performance improvements are obtained when using topology optimization to generate strut-and-tie models without necessarily requiring the resulting layout to be highly complex and costly to construct.
Chiari I malformation in children-the natural history.

To review the natural history of asymptomatic and symptomatic pediatric Chiari I malformations with and without syringomyelia. We reviewed the literature for case reports and case series describing the natural history of asymptomatic and symptomatic children with Chiari I malformations with and without syringomyelia. Our review included approximately 700 asymptomatic children without syringomyelia, 100 symptomatic children without syringomyelia, 22 asymptomatic children with syringomyelia, and 11 symptomatic children with syringomyelia. Symptomatic and imaging outcomes at the point of last reported follow-up were noted to describe the natural history of Chiari I malformations in children. Our review of about 700 asymptomatic children with CM-I without syrinx revealed that most children do not exhibit new-onset symptoms (5–6%) or syrinx (2–3%). The nearly 100 published cases of symptomatic CM-I without syrinx suggest that about half of children report symptomatic improvement (48%) and few report symptomatic worsening (7%). New-onset syrinx is rarely observed (2%). Few cases have been published about asymptomatic and symptomatic CM-I with syrinx as syringomyelia are generally regarded to be an indication for surgical intervention. Nevertheless, all 22 children with asymptomatic CM-I with syringomyelia included in this study were asymptomatic at follow-up, with syrinx resolution observed in 18 children and tonsillar herniation improvement observed in 16 children. Overall, our review of asymptomatic pediatric CM-I with or without syringomyelia suggests that its natural history is much more favorable than previously acknowledged and that the literature generally favors conservative management of these cases. Our review of asymptomatic pediatric CM-I with or without syringomyelia suggests that its natural history is much more favorable than previously acknowledged and that the literature generally favors conservative management of these cases. Further study of symptomatic pediatric CM-I is necessary to better understand its natural history.
Assessing the use of rivers as migratory corridors for temperate bats

Investigating landscape-level movement patterns of migratory animals can be challenging, but this is a major component of some animal's life history and behavior. In particular, bat migration has been difficult to characterize, yet recent research on bat migratory ecology has made major advances. It has been largely accepted that rivers and other linear landscape features may be important migratory corridors for bats during both long- and short-distance migrations. We assessed the migratory behavior of multiple temperate bat species along the Missouri River, a major river corridor in North Dakota, during March through October of 2016–2017. Bat detectors with paired microphones were deployed and oriented parallel to the riverbank. This configuration permitted detection of directional passes of bats, approximately 10–20 m above the microphones and 40 m into the river, which were used as an estimate of migratory behavior. We found the effects of season and species explained less than 2% of the variation of directional passes, indicating an absence of season-specific movement patterns along the studied river corridor. Although our study only assessed a portion of a major river corridor, the results suggest that migratory movements of bats along rivers may not be as straightforward as once thought, highlighting the need for future studies investigating the fine-scaled movement patterns of bats during migration.
Siple Coast Project research of Crary Ice Rise and the mouths of Ice Streams B and C, West Antarctica: review and new perspectives

Satellite imagery is used as a basis to review and critique the results of studies at the mouths of Ice Streams Β and C and Crary Ice Rise. In many cases, these past analyses are extended by taking advantage of the broad coverage within each image. New perspectives are provided by the image data and some longstanding controversies are resolved. The grounding line is easily delineated and mapped in areas covered by imagery. Extensive areas of grounded ice with complex patterns of flow stripes are identified on the flanks of Crary Ice Rise. The imagery also allows a corrected map of surface topography in the vicinity of the Downstream Β camp. New questions are posed by hitherto unseen features. Data from the IGY traverse of the Ross Ice Shelf in 1957 are included to demonstrate that large changes have occurred in the past almost 30 years in the area upstream of Crary Ice Rise. These changes include modifications in the surface topography, elimination of crevasses and increases in the ice thickness by approximately 60 m.
Parallel Programming of an Arbitrary Feedforward Photonic Network

Reconfigurable photonic mesh networks of tunable beamsplitter nodes can linearly transform $N$ -dimensional vectors representing input modal amplitudes of light for applications such as energy-efficient machine learning hardware, quantum information processing, and mode demultiplexing. Such photonic meshes are typically programmed and/or calibrated by tuning or characterizing each beam splitter one-by-one, which can be time-consuming and can limit scaling to larger meshes. Here we introduce a graph-topological approach that defines the general class of feedforward networks and identifies columns of non-interacting nodes that can be adjusted simultaneously. By virtue of this approach, we can calculate the necessary input vectors to program entire columns of nodes in parallel by simultaneously nullifying the power in one output of each node via optoelectronic feedback onto adjustable phase shifters or couplers. This parallel nullification approach is robust to fabrication errors, requiring no prior knowledge or calibration of node parameters and reducing programming time by a factor of order $N$ to being proportional to the optical depth (number of node columns). As a demonstration, we simulate our programming protocol on a feedforward optical neural network model trained to classify handwritten digit images from the MNIST dataset with up to 98% validation accuracy.
Federal Executive Clemency in United States, 1789-1995: A Preliminary Report

This paper provides a preliminary report of a comprehensive data set on federal executive clemency under construction by the author. Individual data for the period 1789-1893 have been collected by the author from National Archives Microfilm set 1967. These data were combined with data compiled in the Annual Reports of the Attorney General (1894-1933). Finally, aggregate data from 1934 to 1995 were provided by the Office of the Pardon Attorney, U.S. Department of Department of Justice. The complete set consists of over 27,000 acts of clemency from George Washington to Bill Clinton. This study thus constitutes the first attempt at mapping the course of clemency policy throughout our nation's history. In the course of presenting the individual data, attention is given to three factors which have been hypothesized to influence clemency policy: presidential character, administrative adjustment, and seasonal clemency.
Revisiting the Marginal Man: Bridging Immigration Scholarship and Mixed-Race Studies:

Immigrant and multiracial populations have both attracted attention for their significant impact on the demographic makeup of the United States. The anticipation of their continued growth raises im...
Abstract 5666: A noninvasive approach for early prediction of therapeutic benefit from immune checkpoint inhibition for lung cancer

Although treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) can produce remarkably durable responses, most patients develop early disease progression. Furthermore, initial response assessment by conventional imaging is often unable to identify which patients will achieve durable clinical benefit (DCB). Here, we analyze 211 samples from 99 patients and demonstrate that pre-treatment circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating immune profiles are independently associated with DCB. We further show that ctDNA dynamics after a single ICI infusion can identify the majority of patients who will achieve DCB. Integrating these determinants, we describe an entirely noninvasive multi-analyte assay (DIREct-On, Durable Immunotherapy Response Estimation by immune profiling and ctDNA- On-treatment) that robustly predicted DCB, and that was validated in two independent cohorts (AUC = 0.89-0.93, PPV = 92-100%, HR = 0.04-0.11). Taken together, these results demonstrate that integrated ctDNA and circulating immune cell profiling can provide accurate, noninvasive, and early forecasting of ultimate outcomes for NSCLC patients receiving ICI. Citation Format: Barzin Y. Nabet, Mohammad S. Esfahani, Emily G. Hamilton, Jacob J. Chabon, Everett J. Moding, Hira Rizvi, Chloe B. Steen, Aadel A. Chaudhuri, Chih Long Liu, Angela B. Hui, Henning Stehr, Linda Goljenola, Michael C. Jin, Young-Jun Jeon, Diane Tseng, Taha Merghoub, Joel W. Neal, Heather A. Wakelee, Sukhmani K. Padda, Kavitha J. Ramchandran, Millie Das, Rene F. Bonilla, Christopher Yoo, Emily L. Chen, Ryan B. Ko, Aaron M. Newman, Matthew D. Hellmann, Ash A. Alizadeh, Maximilian Diehn. A noninvasive approach for early prediction of therapeutic benefit from immune checkpoint inhibition for lung cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 5666.
Cholinergic Modulation of Membrane Properties of Calyx Terminals in the Vestibular Periphery

Abstract Vestibular nerve afferents are divided into regular and irregular groups based on the variability of interspike intervals in their resting discharge. Most afferents receive inputs from bouton terminals that contact type II hair cells as well as from calyx terminals that cover the basolateral walls of type I hair cells. Calyces have an abundance of different subtypes of KCNQ (Kv7) potassium channels and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) and receive cholinergic efferent inputs from neurons in the brainstem. We investigated whether mAChRs affected membrane properties and firing patterns of calyx terminals through modulation of KCNQ channel activity. Patch clamp recordings were performed from calyx terminals in central regions of the cristae of the horizontal and anterior canals in 13–26 day old Sprague-Dawley rats. KCNQ mediated currents were observed as voltage sensitive currents with slow kinetics (activation and deactivation), resulting in spike frequency adaptation so that calyces at best fired a single action potential at the beginning of a depolarizing step. Activation of mAChRs by application of oxotremorine methiodide or inhibition of KCNQ channels by linopirdine dihydrochloride decreased voltage activated currents by ∼30%, decreased first spike latencies by ∼40%, resulted in action potential generation in response to smaller current injections and at lower (i.e., more hyperpolarized) membrane potentials, and increased the number of spikes fired during depolarizing steps. Interestingly, some of the calyces showed spontaneous discharge in the presence of these drugs. Together, these findings suggest that cholinergic efferents can modulate the response properties and encoding of head movements by afferents.
Remote Monitoring of Stock Water Reservoirs

Water is the most important nutrient for livestock and ensuring a continuous supply can be costly and time consuming.Failed water delivery systems have resulted in livestock deaths.Game cameras, pressure transducers, and automatic meter reading systems that connect either by cellular networks or satellite can be used to remotely monitor water.Although costs vary among systems, the user's comfort level with using technology and the characteristics of each remote water monitoring system are more important considerations.The peace of mind of knowing that livestock have water is equally important to economic and labor savings provided by these systems.
Inequality, Leverage and Crises

The paper studies how high leverage and crises can arise as a result of changes in the income distribution. Empirically, the periods 1920-1929 and 1983-2008 both exhibited a large increase in the income share of the rich, a large increase in leverage for the remainder, and an eventual financial and real crisis. The paper presents a theoretical model where these features arise endogenously as a result of a shift in bargaining powers over incomes. A financial crisis can reduce leverage if it is very large and not accompanied by a real contraction. But restoration of the lower income group's bargaining power is more effective.
Novel Tool for Selecting Surrogate Modeling Techniques for Surface Approximation

Abstract Surrogate models are used to map input data to output data when the actual relationship between the two is unknown or computationally expensive to evaluate for several applications, including surface approximation and surrogate-based optimization. Many techniques have been developed for surrogate modeling; however, a systematic method for selecting suitable techniques for an application remains an open challenge. This work compares the performance of eight surrogate modeling techniques for approximating a surface over a set of simulated data. Using the comparison results, we constructed a Random Forest based tool to recommend the appropriate surrogate modeling technique for a given dataset using attributes calculated only from the available input and output values. The tool identifies the appropriate surrogate modeling techniques for surface approximation with an accuracy of 87% and a precision of 86%. Using the tool for surrogate model form selection enables computational time savings by avoiding expensive trial-and-error selection methods.
Using the Surgical Risk Preoperative Assessment System to Define the "High Risk" Surgical Patient.

ABSTRACT Background Defining a “high risk” surgical population remains challenging. Using the Surgical Risk Preoperative Assessment System (SURPAS), we sought to define “high risk” groups for adverse postoperative outcomes. Materials and Methods We retrospectively analyzed the 2009-2018 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. SURPAS calculated probabilities of 12 postoperative adverse events. The Hosmer Lemeshow graphs of deciles of risk and maximum Youden index were compared to define “high risk.” Results Hosmer-Lemeshow plots suggested the “high risk” patient could be defined by the 10th decile of risk. Maximum Youden index found lower cutoff points for defining “high risk” patients and included more patients with events. This resulted in more patients classified as “high risk” and higher number needed to treat to prevent one complication. Some specialties (thoracic, vascular, general) had more “high risk” patients, while others (otolaryngology, plastic) had lower proportions. Conclusions SURPAS can define the “high risk” surgical population that may benefit from risk-mitigating interventions.
Ferrochelatase activity in wild-type and mutant strains of Spirillum itersonii. Solubilization with chaotropic reagents.

Abstract Ferrochelatase (protoheme ferrolyase, EC 4.99.1.1) activity in Spirillum itersonii is located predominantly in the membrane fraction; less than 20% of the total is in the cytoplasm. The membrane enzyme uses proto-, deutero-, and mesoporphyrin in increasing order of activity; it also incorporates zinc and cobalt but less effectively than iron. Protoporphyrin is not active with the cytoplasmic form. A mutant strain has been isolated which needs hemin for growth. It lacks membrane ferrochelatase but has cytoplasmic activity similar to that of the wild-type strain. The membrane enzyme of the wild type can be solubilized by treatment with chaotropic reagents. The solubilized enzyme has properties similar to those of the bound form, except that succinate does not replace dithioerythritol as reductant. The apparent Km values for iron and protoporphyrin, respectively, are 20 and 47 μm. The physiological significance of the membrane ferrochelatase for cytochrome synthesis is consolidated by the isolation of the hemin auxotroph.
Leading from the Margins

This article outlines mission theologies and practices of women trainees for mission in Brazil. The women are from the usa, Central America, and Brazil and assigned to mission work in Brazil with the us-based “Mission Society”. Nine interviews from a missionary training session in July 2008 are analyzed in order to: (1) articulate the spoken mission theology of women trainees; (2) identify everyday practices that women mission trainees engage in related to their mission calling and work; (3) relate the dislocation experienced by the women to sustaining practices and character traits they developed by utilizing the lived experience of their everyday practices; (4) describe the fuller theology of mission that results and make suggestions for incorporating women’s mission theologies based on practices into stated mission theologies, showing how everyday practices of women doing mission can enhance missiological understandings.
A 2 × 50-Gb/s receiver with adaptive channel loss equalization and far-end crosstalk cancellation

A 2 × 50 Gb/s receiver with adaptive channel loss equalization and crosstalk cancellation is proposed using a SiGe BiCMOS process with an f T of 200 GHz. The channel loss equalizer is realized using a feedforward equalizer (FFE), and the crosstalk canceller (XTC) is realized using a current-mode summer. The XTC adaptation makes use of a signal provided by the clock/data recovery (CDR) circuit. The entire receiver is estimated to dissipate 290 mW from a 2.0 V supply, translating to 2.9 pJ/bit, and increases the horizontal eye opening by up to 77%.
Network cables under lightning pulse: electromagnetic topology analysis

Summary form only given. We report on the response of cables when subjected to external electromagnetic pulse (EMP) such as lightning. Analysis was done through a technique called electromagnetic topology (EMT) method of simulation. In such a simulation method it is assumed that different volumes of various shielding level of an electrical system are independent of each other and interact only through preferred paths. An important requirement of such a simulation method is the determination of the transfer function from the system exterior to the interior. We have introduced a new methodology for simulating the external-internal interactions through the transfer function generation using the CRIPTE code and have used this method to compare our simulation results on the network cable with previously measured values and simulation methods. Our analysis show that this technique for introducing the transfer function in terms of current at interior volumes compares well with measured magnetic and electric fields within the microwave range of up to 500 MHz. We have shown that the responses of matched cables to external lightning pulse are more pronounced at high frequencies.
Selecting an Appropriate Grading System

Although grades and grading practices are very important to all concerned (students, teachers, parents, and school administrators), it is worth remembering that grades serve primarily as an accountability device (i.e., a vehicle to communicate student progress to interested parties and a record of that progress). When teachers forget that grades serve a particular function of classroom management, grades and grading may become "ends" rather than "means" regarding their effectiveness in the classroom. The following case illustrates the potential for misplaced emphasis on grades by one firstyear teacher. During his initial week of teaching seventh-grade science, this first-year teacher established classroom management ground rules and spelled out the topics and kinds of activities the classes would be experiencing during the school year. Then he immediately got to the business of teaching the students. His classes seemed to proceed quite smoothly through the first three weeks, until he administered the first major examination. Collectively, the grades across all five classes of life science were very low. Clearly he had not taught them much, since over 70 percent of his students failed the first test! This first-year teacher became aware through a painful experience that something was wrong with his instructional program-management system. One hopes that this teacher used his grades as a basis for diagnosing limitations in his system. Certainly grades may be used in assessing the instructional system as well as communicating the quality of student performances. The following sections discuss two approaches for determining grades. As you proceed through these descriptions, consider whether the approach offers information to assess the instructional system as well as to communicate clearly the quality of a student's performance.
Structure of the Guitar

The design of guitars – either acoustic or electric – is strongly conditioned by the structural requirements. Any guitar must be strong enough to withstand the tension of the strings, light enough to be comfortable and shaped in a way that makes it easy to hold and to play. Acoustic guitars have the additional requirement that the soundboard and back must be flexible enough to move in response to the vibrating strings.
Chemical Composition of Pen Surface Layers of Beef Cattle Feedyards1

The biological, physical, and chemical characteristics of beef cattle feedyard pen surfaces may affect nutrient transformations and losses to the atmosphere, ground water, or surface water. Feedyard pen surfaces can typically segregate into 3 or 4 layers. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were seasonal, within-pen location, days-on-feed, or urine effects on the chemical composition of the pen surface layers of feedyards. Samples were collected from 5 locations in 9 pens at 3 feedyards in each season and were analyzed for gravimetric water, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), nitrate + nitrite-N (NOx-N), ammonia + ammonium-N (NHx-N), N, C, and P. The percentage of water increased (P < 0.01) with depth among the manure layers and decreased in the soil. The pH of the manure layers increased with depth (P < 0.01) from approximately 7.6 to 8.2. The EC of the manure layers was greater (P < 0.01) than the EC of the soil layer, whereas the NOx-N concentration was greater (P < 0.01) in the soil layer. The NHx-N concentrations were lowest in the soil layer (P < 0.01). Total C and N concentrations decreased (P < 0.01) with sample depth. The composition of the layers was affected by season and location within the pen. Recent urine deposition did not affect the lower layers. The NHx-N concentration of the layers increased with days on feed. The differences in the chemical and physical properties of the layers in a feedlot pen may potentially affect nutrient losses to the atmosphere and to groundwater.
Dynamic system control using rule learning and genetic algorithms

In this paper, recent research results are presented which demonstrate the effectiveness of a rule learning system in two dynamic system control tasks. This system, called a learning classifier system (LCS), learns rules to control a simple Internal object and a simulated natural gas pipeline. Starting from a randomly generated state of mind, the learning classifier system learns string-rules called classifiers which match strings called messages. Messages are sent by environmental sensors or by previously activated classifiers. Each classifier's effectiveness is evaluated by an internal service economy complete with bidding and action. Furthermore, new rules are created by an innovative search mechanism called a genetic algorithm. Genetic algorithms are search algorithms based on the mechanicsm of natural genetics. Results from computational experiments in both tasks are presented. In the internal object task, the LCS learns an effective set of rules to center the object repeatedly. In the pipeline task, the LCS learns to control the pipeline under normal summer and winter conditions. It also learns to alarm correctly for the presence or absence of a leak. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the learning classifier system approach and suggest further refinements which are currently under Investigation.
Galileo’s Scientific Method: A Reexamination

There is general agreement that Galileo is one of the most important figures in the history of science and scientific method. His science, method and thought seem clearly to reflect critical aspects of the transition from medieval to modern science. But here agreement ends. There is no consensus concerning the exact nature of the changes which took place or Galileo’s precise role with respect to these changes. And what Galileo thought on almost every topic is subject to endless controversy.