cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of birth defects among American-Indian births in California, 1983-2010

Background Approximately 6.3 million live births and fetal deaths occurred during the ascertainment period in the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program registry. American-Indian and non-Hispanic white women delivered 40,268 and 2,044,118 births, respectively. While much information has been published about non-Hispanic white infants, little is known regarding the risks of birth defects among infants born to American-Indian women. Methods This study used data from the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program to explore risks of selected birth defects in offspring of American-Indian relative to non-Hispanic white women in California. The study population included all live births and fetal deaths 20 weeks or greater from 1983 to 2010. Prevalence ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed using Poisson regression for 51 groupings of birth defects. Results Prevalence ratios were estimated for 51 groupings of birth defects. Of the 51, nine had statistically precise results ranging from 0.78 to 1.85. The eight groups with elevated risks for American-Indian births were reduction deformities of brain, anomalies of anterior segments, specified anomalies of ear, ostium secundum type atrial septal defect, specified anomalies of heart, anomalies of the aorta, anomalies of great veins, and cleft lip with cleft palate. Conclusion Our results suggest that American-Indian women having babies in California may be at higher risk for eight birth defect phenotypes compared with non-Hispanic whites. Further research is needed to determine whether these risks are observed among other populations of American-Indian women or when adjusted for potential covariates. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 103:105–110, 2015 © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Structure Investigations of Several In-rich (Cu2Se)x(In2Se3)1−x Compositions: From Local Structure to Long Range Order

The observed junction between α-CuInSe2 and the In-rich compositions in the β-phase domain (e.g. CuIn3Se5) appears to play an important role in the photovoltaic process [1]. There remain, however, inconsistencies and uncertainties about the boundary and structure of this phase. In general the structure of this phase belongs to defect tetrahedral family of structures [2], which can be described as normal tetrahedral structures with a certain fixed number of unoccupied structure sites. In this work, the local structures of various (Cu2Se)x(In2Se3)1−x semiconductor alloys in the β-phase domain were studied by Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) and the results were compared to those for the α-CuInSe2 phase. The long- range order of these compositions was studied by X-Ray powder Diffraction (XRD) and electron diffraction. It was found the local structures of these compounds are well defined. These compounds, however, could not be well described by any long-range order structure model, especially the selenium position. First-principles band structure calculations were performed to assist in assigning crystal structures to CuInSe2, CuIn3Se5 and CuIn5Se8. The calculations indicated that the local environments of these compounds are well defined. Their long-range order might depend sensitively on growth history and the configurational entropies as suggested by the similar formation energies of several possible crystal structures for CuIn3Se5 and CuIn5Se8.
Handstands: a treatment for supraventricular tachycardia?

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is the most common symptomatic tachyarrhythmia in childhood. Treatment involves vagal manoeuvres, pharmacological agents or electrical cardioversion. We report a child with recurrent SVT secondary to Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome who is consistently able to revert her SVT by doing a handstand. This case highlights a simple non-invasive technique for the treatment of SVT.
Postexercise muscle and liver glycogen metabolism in male and female rats

Male and female Wistar rats were run for 5 min at 1.7 mph at a 17% grade to determine whether a sex difference exists in the rate of glycogen resynthesis during recovery in fast-twitch red muscle, fast-twitch white muscle, and liver. Rats were killed at one of three time points: immediately after the exercise bout, and at 1 or 4 h later. Males had significantly higher resting muscle glycogen levels (P less than 0.05). Exercise resulted in significant glycogen depletion in both sexes (P less than 0.01). Males utilized approximately 50% more glycogen during the exercise bout than females (P less than 0.05). During the food-restricted 4-h recovery period, muscle glycogen was repleted significantly during the 1st h (P less than 0.05). Liver glycogen was not depleted as a result of the exercise bout, but fell during the first h of recovery (P less than 0.05) and remained low during the subsequent 3 h. The greater glycogen utilization in red and white fast-twitch muscle during exercise by males could represent a true sex difference but could also be attributable in part to the males having performed more work as a result of 20% greater body mass. We conclude that no sex difference was observed in the rates of muscle glycogen repletion after exercise or in liver glycogen metabolism during and after exercise, and rapid postexercise muscle glycogen repletion occurred at a time of accelerated liver glycogen depletion.
Replicated Computational Results (RCR) Report for A Sparse Symmetric Indefinite Direct Solver for GPU Architectures

A Sparse Symmetric Indefinite Direct Solver for GPU Architectures includes performance results and comparisons of the developed GPU direct solver against a CPU direct solver. New performance data were gathered using software provided by the manuscript authors on two new platforms and compared against the performance of the MUMPS direct solver. After completing this process, the published results have been deemed replicable by the reviewer.
Comparing Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of Full-Depth Reclamation Versus Traditional Pavement Maintenance and Rehabilitation Strategies

Arkansas has highways in the central and southern portions of the state that have experienced unanticipated high traffic levels because of logging and drilling for natural gas. These highways are being exposed to traffic much higher than their design values. In these situations, traditional maintenance and rehabilitation strategies can often be either ineffective or too expensive. Therefore, full-depth reclamation is being explored as a possible alternative for asphalt concrete pavements in Arkansas. This research compared chip seals, overlays, mill and fill, and complete reconstruction with three full-depth reclamation technologies from the economic and structural perspectives: asphalt emulsion, asphalt foam, and portland cement. With life-cycle cost analysis techniques, it was found that the user costs ranged from one-fourth to five times the agency costs. Although full-depth reclamation is economically competitive with traditional strategies, it was not as competitive on roadways with higher ratios of ...
Survey of the Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Crystallization of Si and Ge

The thermodynamic interrelations of the crystalline (c-sc), amorphous semiconducting (a-sc) and liquid metal (lm) states of Si and Ge, based on the existing thermal data, are reviewed. Then the kinetics of the interfacial processes in the growth of c-sc and a-sc into undercooled lm and the conditions for transition from c-sc to a-sc growth are discussed.
Mild method for succinimide hydrolysis on ADCs: impact on ADC potency, stability, exposure, and efficacy

The stability of the connection between the antibody and the toxin can have a profound impact on ADC safety and efficacy. There has been increasing evidence in recent years that maleimide-based ADCs are prone to payload loss via a retro-Michael type reaction. Herein, we report a mild method for the hydrolysis of the succinimide-thioether ring which results in a “ring-opened” linker. ADCs containing this hydrolyzed succinimide linker show equivalent cytotoxicity, improved in vitro stability, improved PK exposure, and improved efficacy as compared to their nonhydrolyzed counterparts. This method offers a simple way to improve the stability, exposure, and efficacy of maleimide-based ADCs.
Indicators of Active and Passive Coping in Myocardial Infarction Victims

This retrospective study attempted to explore life events, personality factors, subjective perceptions, and coping reactions in myocardial infarction (MI) patients. Seventy-seven MI survivors participated in the study. The PERI Life Events Scale, the 16 PF personality inventory, and a questionnaire covering self-ratings of subjective perception and coping reactions were used to assess event-related influences. The following results were obtained: Multiple regression analyses yielded strong relationships between insecurity predicting perceived changeability, challenge, and threat. The number of prior events was a good predictor for problem solving and self-reflection, while self-attribution for the occurrence of the MI predicted self-blame and denial. A structural equation model indicated that anxiety and experience with stressful events were salient predictors for appraisal, whereas experience with prior events best predicted active coping, and socioeconomic status negatively predicted passive coping.
Choice Architecture as a Strategy to Encourage Elegant Infrastructure Outcomes

AbstractInfrastructure that meets users’ needs with less complexity can satisfy growing demand and relieve system pressures. Such outcomes are defined as elegant. Unfortunately, social and cognitiv...
The Mojiang County elimination idodine lacked sickness sample investigation monitor result to analyze

Objectiv For to understand the inhabitant edible idodine salt condition,guaranteed the idodine to lack sickness preventing and controlling measure the effective implementation,for took the pointed preventing and controlling measure and the intervention strategy promptly provides the scientific basis.Methods Acts according to the Yunnan Province idodine salt monitor plan,the draw an item at random 9 townships(town),each township(town) extracts 4 administrative villages,each administrative draw an item at random 8 occupy the civilian's house salt type,the draw an item at random 5 elementary school 114 8-10 child's urine specimens carry on the urine idodine the determination,the idodine salt examination use GB/T13025.7-1999 direct titrimetric methods,urinate the idodine to use the arsenic cerium catalysis spectrophotometric method to determine WS/T107-2006.Results Altogether monitors 288 salty type share,the idodine salt qualified rate is 93.75%(270/288),idodine salt coverage fraction 100%(288/288),qualified idodine salt edible rate 93.75(270/288);Altogether monitors 114 urine specimens,urinates the idodine median is 385.9ug/L,urinates the idodine content to be bigger than or to be equal to 100ug/L altogether 111,urinate the idodine content to be smaller than 100ug/L altogether 2,accounts for 1.75%,urinates the idodine content to be smaller than 50ug/L altogether 1,accounts for 0.88%.Conclusion The Mojiang County inhabitant salt idodine,urinates the idodine content to achieve the idodine lacks sickness elimination standard.
Non-characteristic Harmonic Analysis of Converter with Three-phase Four-wire Connection

The harmonic traits of converter is affected by the system connection,big non-characteristic harmonic will emerge,and the converter with three-phase four-wire connection can be regard as the superposition of two half-wave rectifiers. We deduced the equivalent circuit of the converter and analyzed the working course. Based on the harmonic analysis modeling,the harmonic generation mechanism and its frequency traits of the converter were revealed. Considering an actual engineering case of inverter,we traced to the source of the production course of the harmonic,and pointed out that the existing of the channels is the direct cause of the non-characteristic harmonic,through cutting off the channel,the 3th harmonic is restrained immediately. Finally,the practical test and simulation experiments prove the validity of the theory reasoning.
Cr-Doped TiSe2 - A Layered Dichalcogenide Spin Glass

We report the magnetic characterization of the Cr-doped layered dichalcogenide TiSe2. The temperature dependent magnetic susceptibilities are typical of those seen in geometrically frustrated insulating antiferromagnets. The Cr moment is close to the spin-only value, and the Curie–Weiss temperatures (θcw) are between −90 and −230 K. Freezing of the spin system, which is glassy, characterized by peaks in the ac and dc susceptibility and specific heat, does not occur until below T/θcw = 0.05. The CDW transition seen in the resistivity for pure TiSe2 is still present for 3% Cr substitution but is absent by 10% substitution, above which the materials are metallic and p-type. Structural refinements, magnetic characterization, and chemical considerations indicate that the materials are of the type Ti1–xCrxSe2-x/2 for 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6.
Combined Furan C–H Activation and Furyl Ring-Opening by an Iron(II) Complex

Cp*Fe[P(OCH2)3CEt]2Ph (Cp* = η5-1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, P(OCH2)3CEt = 2,6,7-trioxa-1-phosphabicyclo[2,2,1]heptane) reacts with furan and 2-methylfuran under photolytic conditions to selectively activate the α-C–H bond to produce Cp*Fe[P(OCH2)3CEt]2(2-furyl) and Cp*Fe[P(OCH2)3CEt]2[2-(5-methylfuryl)], respectively. Cp*Fe[P(OCH2)3CEt]2(2-furyl) reacts with internal alkynes (2-butyne, 3-hexyne, 1-phenyl-1-propyne) under photolytic conditions to produce sandwich complexes of the type Cp*Fe[η5-C5R4(CH═CHCHO)] (R = alkyl and/or aryl). Experimental data suggest a mechanism that involves phosphite dissociation and successive alkyne insertions into the Fe–furyl bond followed by furyl ring opening. Similarly, the methylfuryl analogue Cp*Fe[P(OCH2)3CEt]2[2-(5-methylfuryl)] reacts with 2-butyne to produce Cp*Fe[η5-C5Me4(CH═CHCOCH3)].
A 40 Gb/s PAM4 silicon microring resonator modulator transmitter in 65nm CMOS

A silicon photonic microring resonator modulator transmitter utilizes a segmented pulsed-cascode output stage for voltage level control to achieve PAM4 modulation on a single microring device. The 65nm CMOS transmitter achieves 40Gb/s operation at 3.04mW/Gb/s when driving depletion-mode microring modulators with 4.4Vppd swing.
Worst Practices for Designing Production Information Access Systems

Information access systems have become a core part of everyday life for a large variety of users. Behind these large systems are decades of academic information access research. Unfortunately, there is a significant gap between studying and implementing information access systems. In this presentation, I will concentrate on open problems in production systems that academia is better suited for addressing than industry.
The Ferret System

This chapter describes the architecture and components of the FERRET retrieval system, except for the script learning component, which is discussed in Chapter 5.
Predictive Performance and Scalability Modeling of a Large-Scale Application

In this work we present a predictive analytical model that encompasses the performance and scaling characteristics of an important ASCI application. SAGE (SAIC's Adaptive Grid Eulerian hydrocode) is a multidimensional hydrodynamics code with adaptive mesh refinement. The model is validated against measurements on several systems including ASCI Blue Mountain, ASCI White, and a Compaq Alphaserver ES45 system showing high accuracy. It is parametric --- basic machine performance numbers (latency, MFLOPS rate, bandwidth) and application characteristics (problem size, decomposition method, etc.) serve as input. The model is applied to add insight into the performance of current systems, to reveal bottlenecks, and to illustrate where tuning efforts can be effective. We also use the model to predict performance on future systems.
154-P: AB ONLY DONORS – AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE

Aim To determine if adding HLA-DRB1 typing to donors with only HLA-A, B adds unique phenotypes to a Registry of 10 million donors. Methods A cohort of AB only typed donors on the Be The Match Registry ® with stored sample were typed at DRB1. Donors were self described with the broad race/ethnic groups of African American (AFA), Asian Pacific Islander (API), Caucasian (CAU), and Hispanic (HIS). The CAU group carried specific race designation of Mediterranean, Mideast, and/or North Coast of Africa (MENAFC). Once DRB1 results were reported we determined the number of donors in the Registry which carry the same ABDR phenotype. Donors were classified as unique if no other donors on the Registry carried their phenotype and classified as uncommon if one or two donors on the Registry had the potential phenotype. Results Results of the analysis are detailed in the table below. In all race groups, over 25% of the donors carried an uncommon or unique phenotype contributing additional diversity to the Registry. AFA had the highest percent of unique phenotypes with 39.6%. The MENAFC group carried a surprisingly high percentage of unique phenotypes (14.2%) indicating a more diverse and/or underrepresented population in the Be The Match Registry. Interestingly, two donors in this cohort were requested for additional typing by a searching patient less than 3 months after DRB1 typing was completed [ Table 1 ]. Conclusions AB only donors can have significant diversity and should be considered as a possible way to expand the registry with unique or uncommon phenotypes, given otherwise low utilization of AB only typed donors requested for patient searches. Having a diverse registry is crucial for searching patients with unique phenotypes to identify a suitably matched stem cell donor.
Examining Economic Impact and Recovery in South Dakota from the 2002 Drought

During the 2002 drought, farm sector economic factors were monitored to assess the likely statewide economic impacts. Timely moisture during the spring of 2003 resulted in a sizeable wheat harvest relative to recent years. Prices in the fall of 2003 resulted in a sizeable wheat harvest relative to recent years. Prices in the fall of 2003 have also been significantly higher for cattle and soybeans compared to prices in recent years. As a result, there have been inquiries as to the extent of economic recovery in the farm sector of South Dakota. The purpose of this paper is to outline the estimation procedure used to assess the drought in 2002, validate the extent of the impact, and discuss potential mitigating effects observed during 2003. The results suggest the direct costs to the farm sector in 2002 can best be described using a range of $650-800 million. The improved market conditions in 2003 would offset a portion of those losses at the state level. While the offset estimate is $477 million, a range of $375-550 million would better encompass the scope of the impact. Finally, while the aggregate farm sector will benefit in 2003, winter wheat and cow-calf producers most adversely affected by the drought will likely need additional time to recover.
Physical Processes Controlling Earth's Climate

As background for consideration of the climates of the other terrestrial planets in our solar system and the potential habitability of rocky exoplanets, we discuss the basic physics that controls the Earths present climate, with particular emphasis on the energy and water cycles. We define several dimensionless parameters relevant to characterizing a planets general circulation, climate and hydrological cycle. We also consider issues associated with the use of past climate variations as indicators of future anthropogenically forced climate change, and recent advances in understanding projections of future climate that might have implications for Earth-like exoplanets.
Errant Kinship, Traveling Song: James Baldwin’s Just Above My Head

This article considers James Baldwin’s last published novel, Just Above My Head (1979), as the culmination of his exploration of kinship, reflecting on the ways distance and loss characterize African-American familial relations. By analyzing Baldwin’s representation of Hall Montana’s relationship to, and mourning of, his younger brother Arthur, this article argues that JAMH revises the terms of the black family to imagine an alternative, errant kinship that is adoptive, migratory, and sustained through songs of joy and grief. My approach to the novel’s portrayal of kinship is indebted to Edouard Glissant’s Poetics of Relation (1990), in which he defines “errantry” as a fundamental characteristic of diaspora that resists the claustrophobic, filial violence and territorial dispossession that are slavery’s legacies. Baldwin represents errant kinship in JAMH through his inclusion of music and formal experimentation. Departing from previous scholarship that reads JAMH as emblematic of the author’s artistic decline, I interpret the novel’s numerous syntactic and figurative experiments as offering new formal insight into his portrait of brotherly love. Baldwin’s integration of two distinctive leitmotifs, blood and song, is therefore read as a formal gesture toward a more capacious and migratory kinship.
Assessing Living Donor Priorities Through Nominal Group Technique.

The need for kidneys for transplantation continues to far surpass the number of donors. Although studies have shown that most people are aware of and support the idea of living donation, it remains...
Abdominal splenosis with acute torsion of an omental splenule

Abstract Abdominal splenosis can be an unexpected source of abdominal pain. Clinically, this diagnosis may be easily confused for any number of infectious or functional etiologies. Additionally, implanted splenules can evade radiographic testing. We report a case of torsed splenic implant masquerading as a delayed presentation of blunt abdominal trauma. The presence of splenosis should be included as a potential source for abdominal pain in patients who are post-splenectomy.
Permanent Hypoparathyroidism After Thyroidectomy: An Avoidable Complication

Abstract Introduction: Hypoparathyroidism (HP) is a recognized but serious complication of thyroidectomy. Conventional techniques for parathyroid autograft (PA) occur with the insertion of parathyr...
Cervical sagittal balance parameters after single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: Correlations with clinical and functional outcomes

Background: Normal sagittal cervical alignment has been associated with improved outcome after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Objective: The aim of this study is to identify alterations of cervical sagittal balance parameters after single-level ACDF and assess correlations with postoperative functionality. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed between January 2010 and January 2014 to identify adult patients with no previous cervical spine surgery who underwent ACDF at any one level between C2 and C7 for the single-level degenerative disease. Tumor, infection, and trauma cases were excluded from the study. For the included cases, the following data were recorded preoperatively and 6 months–1 year after surgery: sagittal balance-marker measurements of the C1–C2 angle, C2–C7 angle, C7 slope, segmental angle at the operated level, and sagittal vertical axis (SVA) distance between C2 and C7, as well as the neck disability index and visual analog scale of pain. Results: The present study included 47 patients (average age: 51.2 years; range: 28–86 years). A moderate negative correlation between a smaller C2–C7 angle and the presence of right arm pain before treatment was found (P = 0.0281). Postoperatively, functionality scores significantly improved in all patients. C1–C2 angle increased with statistical significance (P = 0.0255). C2–C7 angle, segmental angle, C7 slope, and SVA C2–C7 distance did not change with statistical significance after surgery. C7 slope significantly correlated with overall cervical sagittal balance (P Conclusions: Single-level ACDF significantly increases upper cervical lordosis (C1–C2) without significantly changing lower cervical lordosis (C2–C7). The C7 slope is a significant marker of overall cervical sagittal alignment (P < 0.05).
Microdissection in Cochlear Implant Research

The microdissection method is well suited for laboratory studies focused on improving the effectiveness and safety of implant devices. Such studies include optimization of surgical approaches for implantation, assessment of electrode placement inside the cochlea, and evaluation of inner ear injury that may occur during insertion of electrode arrays.
Neurochemical Alterations in Parkinson's Disease

In the early 1960s, reports appeared describing characteristic reductions in cerebral monoamine levels in patients with Parkinson’s disease (for references, see Hornykiewicz58). A few years earlier, the observation had been made that central monoamine depletion by reserpine produced a Parkinson-like syndrome in rodents that could be reversed when brain dopamine levels were restored through the systemic administration of the immediate precursor of dopamine, L-DOPA.20 These key observations pointed the way to the successful development of dopamine-replacement therapy for the relief of parkinsonian signs.
Enhanced Load Modeling with Expanded System Monitoring

The rapidly growing DER penetrations require more accurate distribution models including more granular load models. While AMI and other modern distribution measurement sources provide a new level of visibility to distribution load modeling, there is limited consensus in how these data sources should be efficiently utilized. This paper examines conventional load modeling concepts and methods on a large-scale real utility AMI data set. The commonly used load factor and diversity factor concepts are analyzed with respect to various sensitivities such as customer group size. Additionally, errors of the commonly used transformer kVA and kWh load allocation methods are investigated. On the analyzed data set, transformer kWh allocation clearly outperforms kVA allocation independent of the allocated feeder load time or level. This research demonstrates the additional insights that be achieved by integrating AMI and other modern distribution measurement sources with the distribution planning tools, such as OpenDSS or CYME.
Auto-Generation of Smart Contracts from Domain-Specific Ontologies and Semantic Rules

Smart contracts are essential in implementing and automating transactions in a blockchain network. The translation of existing business rules on transactions to a smart contract is challenging and time consuming. These types of constraints are often re-used among different contracts in a given application area. Automatic generation of smart contracts can reduce the level of expertise required for, along with the time and cost incurred in, specifying them. In this paper, we provide a novel framework for auto-generating smart contracts by enabling seamless translation of constraints encoded in a knowledge representation to blockchain requirements. Our framework uses ontologies and semantic rules to encode domain-specific knowledge and then leverages the structure of abstract syntax trees to incorporate the required constraints. We successfully demonstrate the functionality and effectiveness of our method in two different applications: translating eligibility criteria for clinical trials and car rentals.
The Effect of Selected Pace Variations on the Oxygen Requirement of Running a 4:37 Mile

Abstract Nine experienced middle distance runners completed three experimental runs of equal distance and duration on a motor driven treadmill. Each run varied according to pace (steady, fast-slow-fast, and slow-fast), with the individual order of runs rotated to prevent bias in this respect. Heart rate and oxygen consumption measures were taken during rest, exercise and a 30-minute recovery period. Oxygen consumption values for the 30–90 minute recovery period were extrapolated from earlier measured recovery values. Analysis of data indicated that there were no significant differences among the three pace plans in net oxygen intake during the runs. However, the total oxygen debt value for the steady pace was lower than that for either the fast-slow-fast or the slow-fast paces. The total net oxygen requirement for the steady pace was found to be significantly less than that for the other two paces with no significant difference between the fast-slow-fast and slow-fast paces. It was concluded that a steady...
Moving Through Barriers in Science and Life

This first serious attempt at an autobiographical accounting has forced me to sit still long enough to compile my thoughts about a long personal and scientific journey. I especially hope that my trajectory will be of interest and perhaps beneficial to much younger women who are just getting started in their careers. To paraphrase from Virginia Woolf's writings in A Room of One's Own at the beginning of the 20th century, "for most of history Anonymous was a Woman." However, Ms. Woolf is also quoted as saying "nothing has really happened until it has been described," a harbinger of the enormous historical changes that were about to be enacted and recorded by women in the sciences and other disciplines. The progress in my chosen field of study-the chemical basis of enzyme action-has also been remarkable, from the first description of an enzyme's 3D structure to a growing and deep understanding of the origins of enzyme catalysis.
Antibiotic Use and Computed Tomography Imaging for Rhinosinusitis as Quality Metrics in Modern Health Care

BackgroundAmerican Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery rhinosinusitis guidelines have been adapted into quality measures intended to be a basis for adjusting physician reimbursement and...
Return on investment for energy efficient chillers

Abstract Most data cemter owners overvalue the initial cost of chillers versus the energy costs. Therefore, they will sub-optimize a chiller system by purchasing one that has a lower energy efficiency ratio than the optimum. This paper provides you as a design engineer with the analysis tools you need to convince a owner to invest in the optimum chiller. The return on investment in the optimum chiller exceeds the minimum acceptable rate of return: a good business decision. Assuming the electricity is created from fossil fuels, the investment also results in benefits to the environment as the optimum system produces less pollution and global warming gases. Reduced fuel consumption also increases the sustainability of the earth’s limited resources.
The Binns Program for Cord Blood Research: A Novel Program for Cord Blood Procurement in an Academic Setting for Biomedical Research

Introduction Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a vital source of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Since 1991, UCB has been collected and stored in public cord blood banks to be primarily used as a source for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Since the seminal UCB transplant reported in 1988 by Gluckman et al., UCB has contributed to advances in HSCT and clinical trials. However, UCB-derived cells remain costly and difficult to procure for pre-clinical research. Here we present a protocol for a multidisciplinary, self-sustaining cord blood program dedicated to biomedical research: The Binns Program for Cord Blood Research, piloted at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Objectives The primary objective of this study was to educate others on the benefits of implementing a self-sustaining cord blood program that increases biomedical research throughout the medical community. Methods Eligible donors are identified using IRB-approved inclusion criteria. UCB samples are then collected in utero, with informed consent, by obstetric providers at the time of delivery. Within 24-48 hours of isolation, deidentified samples are processed into three fractions: (1) plasma, (2) hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) by immunomagnetic separation, and (3) non-HSPC cellular flow-through. UCB-derived fractions are then distributed to researchers upon request. Results Between November 2015 and April 2019, 1,385 women gave informed consent to donate their cord blood following delivery. Of those participants, 1,147 (83%) samples were collected and 927 (81%) distributed for research purposes. The median post-enrichment cell count per cord following positive selection for CD34+ HSPCs was 1.25 × 106 (Figure 1). Corresponding median post-enrichment sample purity was 90% following single-step purification. By October 2016, a protocol had been developed and optimized for the Binns Program to begin providing UCB-derived products to six laboratories. Now, the program supports 47 laboratories across Stanford. The research being supported spans a broad array of topics including normal and abnormal hematopoiesis, genetic engineering, and novel approaches to HCST. Conclusions After initial start-up funding, the Binns Program became self-sustaining, representing a feasible model for cord blood banking to support the advancement of research by providing fresh or cryopreserved UCB-derived cells to the research community. We hope this model may be useful for other institutions and centers where the need to support research is high and the traditional model for public cord blood banking may not be a suitable option.
The Problem with Metrics is a Fundamental Problem for AI.

Optimizing a given metric is a central aspect of most current AI approaches, yet overemphasizing metrics leads to manipulation, gaming, a myopic focus on short-term goals, and other unexpected negative consequences. This poses a fundamental contradiction for AI development. Through a series of real-world case studies, we look at various aspects of where metrics go wrong in practice and aspects of how our online environment and current business practices are exacerbating these failures. Finally, we propose a framework towards mitigating the harms caused by overemphasis of metrics within AI by: (1) using a slate of metrics to get a fuller and more nuanced picture, (2) combining metrics with qualitative accounts, and (3) involving a range of stakeholders, including those who will be most impacted.
Effects of meditation and mind-body exercise on brain-derived neurotrophic factor: A literature review of human experimental studies

Abstract This paper provides a literature review of current studies investigating the effects of meditation and mind-body exercise on peripheral concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an important mediator of the neuroplasticity of the central nervous system and cognitive function. A literature search was conducted to collect currently published randomized controlled, non-randomized controlled and uncontrolled intervention studies. Fifteen studies were identified; and among these studies, seven were randomized controlled studies, three were non-randomized studies, and five were uncontrolled studies. Current limited evidence tends to support that mindfulness meditation and mind-body exercise (e.g. yoga and tai chi) increase circulating BDNF concentrations in healthy and diseased individuals. It is noteworthy that these findings are based on current studies with a relatively small sample size, or without a randomized controlled design. Further studies are needed to identify a definite effect of meditation or mind-body exercise on BDNF and its role in improving/maintaining brain functions in various populations.
“Being patient through the quiet”: Partnering in problem-based learning in a graduate seminar

This paper draws connections between scholarship on problem-based learning (PBL) and Students as Partners to frame a case study from a graduate seminar in Public Rhetorics for Social Change. Students partnered with each other and the instructor to decide on a public project, approaching the partnership as a pedagogical problem to explore, discuss, and collaboratively define. Drawing on student and teacher reflections about the partnership, the study’s findings highlight important themes about partnering with students: partnering with students may result in uncertainty and discomfort, takes time, values different perspectives, and can make teachers and students vulnerable to each other. Responding to a phrase from one student’s reflection—“being patient through the quiet”—the study argues that patience and quiet are necessary for supporting a successful partnership with students but that caution is needed to prevent dominant narratives from silencing marginalized student perspectives.
Room-temperature photoluminescence and electroluminescence of 1.3-μm-range BGaInAs quantum wells on GaAs substrates

We report the room temperature photoluminescence and electroluminescence properties of boron incorporated into highly strained InGaAs, forming BGaInAs, grown on GaAs substrates. X-ray diffraction was used to determine the alloy composition and strain of BGaInAs quantum wells on GaAs. As expected, the addition of boron reduced the quantum well compressive strain, preventing strain-relaxation and enabling extension of the peak emission wavelength of InGaAs quantum wells to 1.3 μm on GaAs. We also report both the longest wavelength emission observed from BGaInAs (1.4 μm) and electrically injected photoemission from a dilute-boride active region. We observed a blueshift in electroluminescence, due to unintentional in situ annealing of the active region, which we mitigated to demonstrate a path to realize true 1.3 μm emitters in the presence of in situ annealing.
Molecular and Structural Insights into the Life Cycle of Rubella Virus

Rubella virus (RUBV), a rubivirus, is an airborne human pathogen that generally causes mild measles-like symptoms in children or adults. However, RUBV infection of pregnant women can result in miscarriage or congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), a collection of long-term birth defects including incomplete organ development and mental retardation. Worldwide vaccination campaigns have significantly reduced the number of RUBV infections, but RUBV continues to be a problem in countries with low vaccination coverage. Further, the recent discovery of pathogenic rubiviruses in other mammals emphasizes the spillover potential of rubella-related viruses to humans. In the last decade, our understanding of RUBV has been significantly increased by virological, biochemical, and structural studies, providing a platform to begin understanding the life cycle of RUBV at the molecular level. This review concentrates on recent work on RUBV, focusing on the virion, its structural components, and its entry, fusion, and assembly mechanisms. Important features of RUBV are compared with those of viruses from other families. We also use comparative genomics, manual curation, and protein homology modeling to highlight distinct features of RUBV that are evolutionarily conserved in the non-human rubiviruses. Since rubella-like viruses may potentially have higher pathogenicity and transmissibility to humans, we also propose a framework for utilizing RUBV as a model to study its more pathogenic cousins.
SSentiA: A Self-supervised Sentiment Analyzer for classification from unlabeled data

Abstract In recent years, supervised machine learning (ML) methods have realized remarkable performance gains for sentiment classification utilizing labeled data. However, labeled data are usually expensive to obtain, thus, not always achievable. When annotated data are unavailable, the unsupervised tools are exercised, which still lag behind the performance of supervised ML methods by a large margin. Therefore, in this work, we focus on improving the performance of sentiment classification from unlabeled data. We present a self-supervised hybrid methodology SSentiA (Self-supervised Sentiment Analyzer) that couples an ML classifier with a lexicon-based method for sentiment classification from unlabeled data. We first introduce LRSentiA (Lexical Rule-based Sentiment Analyzer), a lexicon-based method to predict the semantic orientation of a review along with the confidence score of prediction. Utilizing the confidence scores of LRSentiA, we generate highly accurate pseudo-labels for SSentiA that incorporates a supervised ML algorithm to improve the performance of sentiment classification for less polarized and complex reviews. We compare the performances of LRSentiA and SSSentA with the existing unsupervised, lexicon-based and self-supervised methods in multiple datasets. The LRSentiA performs similarly to the existing lexicon-based methods in both binary and 3-class sentiment analysis. By combining LRSentiA with an ML classifier, the hybrid approach SSentiA attains 10%–30% improvements in macro F1 score for both binary and 3-class sentiment analysis. The results suggest that in domains where annotated data are unavailable, SSentiA can significantly improve the performance of sentiment classification. Moreover, we demonstrate that using 30%–60% annotated training data, SSentiA delivers similar performances of the fully labeled training dataset.
Transparent boundary conditions for discretized non-Hermitian eigenvalue problems

A method is presented for transparent, energy-dependent boundary conditions for open, non-Hermitian systems, and is illustrated on an example of Stark resonances in a single-particle quantum system...
Williams v. Gaye: Blurring the Lines of Copyright Infringement in Music

This Note evaluates the Ninth Circuit's decision in Williams v. Gaye, where the court held that the global best-selling single of 2013, "Blurred Lines," infringed Marvin Gaye's copyright in his 1977 hit song "Got to Give It Up." The Note argues that the Ninth Circuit's decision fails to distinguish between legally protectable and unprotectable elements in music and thus imposes a chilling effect on musical creativity and innovation by allowing composers to seek copyright protection over entire styles and grooves. Specifically, this Note shows how a particular limiting doctrine of copyright law, the scenes a faire doctrine, constitutes an already-existing yet underutilized tool that can bring into legal consideration the tradition and necessity of sharing common elements in music.
Trust and Verify: A Complexity-Based IoT Behavioral Enforcement Method

In an Internet of Things (IoT) environment, devices may become compromised by cyber or physical attacks causing security and privacy breaches. When a device is compromised, its network behavior changes. In an IoT environment where there is insufficient attack data available and the data is unlabeled, novelty detection algorithms may be used to detect outliers. A novelty threshold determines whether the network flow is an outlier. In an IoT environment, we have different types of devices, some more complex than others. Simple devices have more predictable network behavior than complex ones. This work introduces a novel access control method for IoT devices by tuning novelty detection algorithm hyper-parameters based on a device’s network complexity. This method relies only on network flow characteristics and is accomplished in an autonomous fashion requiring no labeled data. By analyzing connection based parameters and variance of each device’s network traffic, we develop a formalized measurement of complexity for each device. We show that this complexity measure is positively correlated to how accurately a device can be modeled by a novelty detection algorithm. We then use this complexity metric to tune the hyper-parameters of the algorithm specific to each device. We propose an enforcement architecture based on Software Defined Networking (SDN) that uses the complexity of the device to define the precision of the decision boundary of the novelty algorithm.
Protein Unfolding: Denaturant vs. Force

While protein refolding has been studied for over 50 years since the pioneering work of Christian Anfinsen, there have been a limited number of studies correlating results between chemical, thermal, and mechanical unfolding. The limited knowledge of the relationship between these processes makes it challenging to compare results between studies if different refolding methods were applied. Our current work compares the energetic barriers and folding rates derived from chemical, thermal, and mechanical experiments using an immunoglobulin-like domain from the muscle protein titin as a model system. This domain, I83, has high solubility and low stability relative to other Ig domains in titin, though its stability can be modulated by calcium. Our experiments demonstrated that the free energy of refolding was equivalent with all three techniques, but the refolding rates exhibited differences, with mechanical refolding having slightly faster rates. This suggests that results from equilibrium-based measurements can be compared directly but care should be given comparing refolding kinetics derived from refolding experiments that used different unfolding methods.
Quantum Field Theory, Supersymmetry, and Enumerative Geometry

W. Fulton, Enumerative geometry (with notes by Alastair Craw): Enumerative geometry (with notes by Alastair Craw) Bibliography A. Bertram, Computing Gromov-Witten invariants with algebraic geometry: Introduction and motivation Localization $J$-functions An alternative to WDVV Bibliography D. S. Freed, Classical field theory and supersymmetry: Introduction Classical mechanics Lagrangian field theory and symmetries Classical bosonic theories on Minkowski spacetime Fermions and the supersymmetric particle Free theories, quantization, and approximation Supersymmetric field theories Supersymmetric $\sigma$-models Bibliography J. W. Morgan, Introduction to supermanifolds: Introduction to supermanifolds Bibliography C. V. Johnson, Notes on introductory general relativity: Notes on introductory general relativity Bibliography.
Does a Monopoly Need to Exclude

We examine the optimal selling strategy of a monopolist facing consumers who have privately known demands, and some of whom have limited abilities to misrepresent their preferences. We derive the optimal mechanism in this environment and characterize its properties. In particular, we show that communication with consumers plays a significant role in the process of screening. Consumers who have better abilities to misrepresent information benefit from the presence of consumers who lack such abilities. Whenever the fraction of the latter group of consumers is positive, there is no exclusion: It is optimal for the firm to supply a positive quantity of the good to all consumers whose valuations exceeds the marginal cost of production. Our analysis reflects the view that the environments where individuals can costlessly and effortlessly manipulate and misrepresent their private information, although standard in economics, represent an extreme point in the spectrum of various possibilities. In fact, available evidence suggests that at least some individuals have limited abilities to misrepresent their true types and imitate others' behavior.