cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein complexes and proteins in Drosophila melanogaster.

Pre-mRNAs cotranscriptionally associate with a small group of proteins to form heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) complexes. We have previously identified two genes in Drosophila melanogaster, Hrb98DE and Hrb87F (i.e., genes at 98DE and 87F encoding putative hnRNA binding proteins), which encode five protein species homologous to the mammalian A-B hnRNP proteins. The studies presented herein show that antibodies against the RNP domains of Hrb98DE reacted with 10 to 15 distinct spots of 38 to 40 kDa in the basic region of two-dimensional gels. These nuclear proteins bound single-stranded nucleic acids and were extracted from Drosophila tissue culture cells as 40 to 80S hnRNP complexes in association with 300 to 800 nucleotide fragments of RNA. The peak of poly(A)+ RNA sequences was coincident with the peak of HRB proteins in sucrose gradients, strongly suggesting that the HRB complexes identified are Drosophila hnRNP complexes. The repertoire of HRB proteins did not change significantly during embryogenesis and was similar to that observed in Drosophila tissue culture cells. Analyses with peptide-specific antisera demonstrated that the major proteins in the hnRNP complex were encoded by the two genes previously identified. Although the Drosophila HRB proteins are only approximately 60% identical throughout the RNP domains to the mammalian A-B hnRNP proteins, features of the basic pre-mRNA packaging mechanism appear to be highly conserved between D. melanogaster and mammals.
Conceptual approaches for treatment of phosgene inhalation-induced lung injury

Toxic industrial chemicals are used throughout the world to produce everyday products such as household and commercial cleaners, disinfectants, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, plastics, paper, and fertilizers. These chemicals are produced, stored, and transported in large quantities, which poses a threat to the local civilian population in cases of accidental or intentional release. Several of these chemicals have no known medical countermeasures for their toxic effects. Phosgene is a highly toxic industrial chemical which was used as a chemical warfare agent in WWI. Exposure to phosgene causes latent, non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema which can result in respiratory failure and death. The mechanisms of phosgene-induced pulmonary injury are not fully identified, and currently there is no efficacious countermeasure. Here, we provide a proposed mechanism of phosgene-induced lung injury based on the literature and from studies conducted in our lab, as well as provide results from studies designed to evaluate survival efficacy of potential therapies following whole-body phosgene exposure in mice. Several therapies were able to significantly increase 24h survival following an LCt50-70 exposure to phosgene; however, no treatment was able to fully protect against phosgene-induced mortality. These studies provide evidence that mortality following phosgene toxicity can be mitigated by neuro- and calcium-regulators, antioxidants, phosphodiesterase and endothelin receptor antagonists, angiotensin converting enzymes, and transient receptor potential cation channel inhibitors. However, because the mechanism of phosgene toxicity is multifaceted, we conclude that a single therapeutic is unlikely to be sufficient to ameliorate the multitude of direct and secondary toxic effects caused by phosgene inhalation.
Representation and Appropriation: Rethinking the TLV Mirror in Han China*

No decorative arts in China have aroused as intense modern academic interest as the TLV mirror that was mass-produced in the Han dynasty. Scholars from different fields have strived to rival one another in identifying its obscure design since the beginning of the twentieth century. With new evidence, particularly a mirror and a wooden board unearthed in 1993 at Yinwan, it is time to settle and set aside the old disputation about identification, and to move on to the intellectual adventure of the cultural significance of the TLV mirror in Han China. This paper first considers the complex of art, game and divination. It then discusses how the TLV mirror can serve a cultural sign that demonstrates the “auspicious mentality” of the Han. It also considers how the formal variants of the TLV mirror illustrate the life of a cultural sign.
The SuperCDMS SNOLAB Detector Tower

The SuperCDMS collaboration is moving forward with the design and construction of SuperCDMS SNOLAB, where the initial deployment will include $$\sim $$ 30 kg of Ge and $$\sim $$ 5 kg of Si detectors. Here, we will discuss the associated cryogenic cold hardware required for the detector readout. The phonon signals will be read out with superconducting quantum interference device arrays and the ionization signals will use high electron mobility transistor amplifiers operating at 4 K. A number of design challenges exist regarding the required wiring complex impedance, noise pickup, vibration, and thermal isolation. Our progress to date will be presented.
Basic Computations Using a Novel Scalable Pulse-Mode Modules

In this chapter the basic computational functions used in many algorithms are implemented in pulse mode. For this purpose, a novel circuit is proposed for pulse-based logarithmic computation using integrate-and-fire (IF) structures. The smallest unit in the module is a network of three IF units that implements a margin propagation (MP) function using integration and threshold operations inherited in the response of an IF neuron. The three units are connected together through excitatory and inhibitory inputs to impose constraints on the network firing-rate. The MP function is based on the log likelihood computation in which the multiplication of the inputs is translated into a simple addition. The advantage of using integrate-and-fire margin propagation (IFMP) is to implement a complex non-linear and dynamic programming functions of spike based (pulse based) computation in a modular and scalable way. In addition to scalability, the objective of the proposed module is to map algorithms into low power circuits as an attempt to implement signal processing applications on silicon. The chapter shows the mechanism of IFMP circuit, dynamic characteristics, the cascaded modularity, the verification of the algorithm in analog circuit using standard \(0.5 \upmu m\) CMOS technology and the basic functions computation.
Driving Under the Influence of Obesity: The External Costs and Benefits ofUnhealthy Behaviors

We explore the previously unidentified negative relationship between body mass index and the likelihood of involvement in an alcohol-related accident among all drivers in fatal motor vehicle accidents. This relationship is not explained by differences in driver attributes (e.g. age, gender), driver behaviors (e.g. speed, seat-belt use, etc), vehicle attributes (e.g. weight class, model year, number of occupants), or accident context (e.g county of accident, time of day, day of week, weather). We conclude that the physiological relationship between body mass and impairment produces a positive externality. We then estimate the magnitude of the external benefit of obesity using methods first implemented by Levitt and Porter (2001). Relative to the counterfactual scenario in which all obese Americans were instead non-obese in 2009, our preferred estimates imply that there was 2.8% fewer fatal drunk driving accidents and the total external benefit of obesity was $20.48 per obese driver.
Language Origins: An Evolutionary Framework

Opinions have varied wildly as to whether the roots of language run extremely deep in the human lineage, or, alternatively, whether this unprecedented capacity is a recent acquisition. The question has been exacerbated by the fact that language itself does not preserve, so that its possession by earlier hominids has had to be inferred from indirect material proxies. Here I argue that while most technological putative proxies from the Paleolithic are certainly evidence of highly complex cognitive states among our precursors, virtually none of them can reliably be taken as witness to the specific symbolic cognitive style that human beings share today—and with which language is intricately intertwined. Symbolic reasoning can only be confidently inferred from explicitly symbolic objects. These latter only became integral to hominid societies within the tenure of anatomically modern Homo sapiens, and their appearance marked an extreme inflection in the tempo of change as seen in the archaeological record. I thus suggest that the neural capacity for symbolic reasoning and language was acquired during the major developmental reorganization that gave rise to the highly anatomically distinctive H. sapiens some 200 thousand years ago, but that that the new potential was not exploited until about 100 thousand years later, when it was released by what was necessarily a cultural stimulus. Most probably, this stimulus was the spontaneous invention of externalized structured language. This brings the origin of language into the realm of exaptation and emergence—both of them familiar evolutionary phenomena requiring no special explanation—and excludes the long-term fine-tuning of language and human reasoning by natural selection.
Evaluating the Robustness of Correlation Network Analysis in the Aging Mouse Hypothalamus

Volumes of high-throughput assays been made publicly available. These massive repositories of biological data provide a wealth of information that can harnessed to investigate pressing questions regarding aging and disease. However, there is a distinct imbalance between available data generation techniques and data analysis methodology development. Similar to the four “V’s” of big data, biological data has volume, velocity, heterogeneity, and is prone to error, and as a result methods for analysis of this “biomedical big data” have developed at a slower rate. One promising solution to this multi-dimensional issue are network models, which have emerged as effective tools for analysis as they are capable of representing biological relationships en masse. Here we examine the need for development of standards and workflows in the usage of the correlation network model, where nodes and edges represent correlation between expression pattern in genes. One structure identified as biologically relevant in a correlation network, the gateway node, represents genes that change in co-expression between two different states. In this research, we manipulate parameters used to identify the gateway nodes within a given dataset to determine the consistency of results among network building and clustering approaches. This proof-of-concept is extremely important to investigate as there is a growing pool of methods used for various steps in our network analysis workflow, causing a lack of robustness, consistency, and reproducibility. This research compares the original gateway nodes analysis approach with manipulation in (1) network creation and (2) clustering analysis to test the consistency of structural results in the correlation network. To truly be able to trust these approaches, it must be addressed that even minor changes in approach can have sweeping effects on results. The results of this study allow the authors to call for stronger studies in benchmarking and reproducibility in biomedical “big” data analyses.
Pet Psychics and Psychic Pets

Lord Carnarvon funded the legendary expedition to locate the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen. The apparent victim of a curse, Carnarvon died in Cairo. It is said that his pet dog Susie howled and died at the exact moment of his death, even though she was thousands of miles away in England.
Analytical Performance Criteria: The Use of Immunochemical and Biosensor Methods for Occupational and Environmental Monitoring. Part II: Immunoassay Data Analysis and Immunobiosensors

This is the second of a two-part series on the use of immunochemical and biosensor methods for occupational and environmental monitoring. In Part I (Introduction to Immunoassays), a general overvie...
Possible Mechanism for Seeding of Tumor During Radical Prostatectomy

AbstractProstatic adenocarcinoma sometimes recurs locally in the operative bed after radical prostatectomy. Having observed local recurrence in several patients who had a small tumor confined to the prostate on whole mount serial sections, we postulated that some instances of local recurrence could arise from malignant cells shed in prostatic secretions expressed during surgery. To evaluate whether prostatic secretions contain malignant cells and to estimate the frequency of this phenomenon, we collected fresh prostatic secretions from radical prostatectomy specimens immediately after removal. The secretions were analyzed by cytology for the presence of malignant cells.Of 76 samples collected from consecutive patients with clinical stages T1 and T2 prostate cancer at 3 institutions 11 (14%) contained malignant cells. Positive cytology results were most frequent in patients with poorly differentiated tumors. Of 11 cancers with a Gleason sum of 8 to 10 in the prostatectomy specimen 6 (55%) had a positive cy...
Mammary epithelium-induced motility of MCF-7 cells.

Background: Cancer cell invasion may be mediated by motility factors elaborated by the surrounding normal host tissue. This study was performed to determine whether normal breast cells induce motility, in breast cancer. Materials and Methods: MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells were co-cultured with either normal cultured human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) or immortalized 184 A1 mammary epithelial cells and observed for evidence of motility. The ability of conditioned medium from mammary epithelial cells to induce motility in MCF-7 was measured with scattering assays, Boyden chamber assays and time-lapse video microscopy. Results: A soluble factor in the conditioned medium of both 184 Al and HMEC induced motility in MCF-7. The motility factor was trypsin-sensitive, but activity remained after 5 minutes of boiling or 2 hours at pH 2. Conclusion: Mammary epithelium secretes a protein capable of inducing motility, in breast cancer cells, raising the possibility that this effect contributes to the invasive properties of human mammary carcinoma.
Associations of common chronic non-communicable diseases and medical conditions with sleep-related problems in a population-based health examination study

Abstract A cross-sectional population-based survey, the National FINRISK 2012 Study, designed to monitor chronic diseases and their risk factors in Finland. A random sample of 10,000 adults aged 25–74 years, and of them, 64% (n=6424) participated the study. Participants subjectively reported the total durations for sleep and naps (n=6238), sleep quality (n=5878), bedtimes and wake-up times separately for working days and weekends yielding the amount of sleep debt (n=5878), and the seasonal variation in sleep duration (n=4852). The participants were asked whether they were diagnosed or treated for common chronic diseases in the past 12 months. Logistic regression models were adopted to analysis and adjusted for a range of covariates as potential confounding factors. Total sleep duration and nap duration prolonged in depression and other mental disorder (p
Formant Speech Synthesis

This paper describes analysis and synthesis methods for a digital formant synthesizer. It is shown that synthetic speech generated using excitation pulses which resemble the true glottal volume-velocity excitation waveform is preferred over speech synthesized using a two-pole glottal filter and impulse excitation. Listeners also ranked speech tokens where the excitation source incorporated the effects of source-tract interaction higher in naturalness relative to token where the interaction was absent.A series of algorithms for voiced/unvoiced/mixed/silent interval classification, pitch detection, and formant estimation and tracking are described. These algorithms utilize two channels of input data, viz, the speech and the electro lotto graphic signals, and thereby achieve superior performance in comparison to single channel speech only algorithms.We have also initiated an investigation into the feasibility of using the digital formant synthesizer to study the acoustic correlates of voice quality. A number...
Editor’s note: Welcome to the Journal of New Librarianship

This open journal is the result of collaborative efforts among colleagues within the field of library and information sciences. Our first issue is the culmination of 18 months of dedicated work by a veritable host of volunteer reviewers, editors, and of course, authors. We are committed to publishing a multitude of viewpoints, encouraging dialog, and at times, provoking our readers to think and respond.
Self-perception and relationship quality as mediators of father's school-specific involvement and adolescent's academic achievement

Abstract Despite a growing body of research suggesting fathers play an integral role in the lives of their children, less is known about father's involvement in their early adolescent's schooling. Even less is known about the mechanisms through which father's involvement influences early adolescent's academic success. The current study explores two characteristically different mechanisms as mediators of the association between father's involvement and adolescent's academic achievement: self-perception, and father-adolescent relationship quality. Results from structural equation modeling suggested differential mediating effects for each model, supporting both partial and full mediation. Findings suggested that how adolescents feel about themselves and their own abilities, as well as the quality of the relationship that fathers maintain with them has meaningful implications relating to how well they perform academically. Such findings further highlight the need for an exploration of differentiated conceptualizations of the processes underlying the association between father's school-specific involvement and adolescent's academic achievement.
Ethics and Intimate Sexual Activity in Long-Term Care.

Long-term care facilities should assess residents for capacity to consent to sexual activity and be prepared to accommodate sexual intimacy.
β-Deuterium Isotope Effects on Firefly Luciferase Bioluminescence.

A 5,5-d2 -luciferin was prepared to measure isotope effects on reactions of two intermediates in firefly bioluminescence: emission by oxyluciferin and elimination of a putative luciferyl adenylate hydroperoxide to dehydroluciferin. A negligible isotope effect on bioluminescence provides further support for the belief that the emitting species is the keto-phenolate of oxyluciferin and rules out its excited-state tautomerization, one potential contribution to a bioluminescence quantum yield less than unity. A small isotope effect on dehydroluciferin formation supports a single-electron-transfer mechanism for reaction of the luciferyl adenylate enolate with oxygen to form the hydroperoxide or dehydroluciferin. Partitioning between the dioxetanone intermediate (en route to oxyluciferin) and dehydroluciferin is determined, not by the fate of the hydroperoxide, but by that of the radical formed from luciferyl adenylate, and the kinetic isotope effect (KIE) reflects H-atom abstraction by superoxide.
Deep reinforcement learning of cell movement in the early stage of C.elegans embryogenesis.

Motivation Cell movement in the early phase of Caenorhabditis elegans development is regulated by a highly complex process in which a set of rules and connections are formulated at distinct scales. Previous efforts have demonstrated that agent-based, multi-scale modeling systems can integrate physical and biological rules and provide new avenues to study developmental systems. However, the application of these systems to model cell movement is still challenging and requires a comprehensive understanding of regulatory networks at the right scales. Recent developments in deep learning and reinforcement learning provide an unprecedented opportunity to explore cell movement using 3D time-lapse microscopy images. Results We present a deep reinforcement learning approach within an agent-based modeling system to characterize cell movement in the embryonic development of C.elegans. Our modeling system captures the complexity of cell movement patterns in the embryo and overcomes the local optimization problem encountered by traditional rule-based, agent-based modeling that uses greedy algorithms. We tested our model with two real developmental processes: the anterior movement of the Cpaaa cell via intercalation and the rearrangement of the superficial left-right asymmetry. In the first case, the model results suggested that Cpaaa's intercalation is an active directional cell movement caused by the continuous effects from a longer distance (farther than the length of two adjacent cells), as opposed to a passive movement caused by neighbor cell movements. In the second case, a leader-follower mechanism well explained the collective cell movement pattern in the asymmetry rearrangement. These results showed that our approach to introduce deep reinforcement learning into agent-based modeling can test regulatory mechanisms by exploring cell migration paths in a reverse engineering perspective. This model opens new doors to explore the large datasets generated by live imaging. Availability and implementation Source code is available at https://github.com/zwang84/drl4cellmovement. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Modeling Genetic Complexity in the Classroom

This classroom exercise aims to help students understand the three Ps of genetic complexity: polymorphic, polygenic, and pleiotropic. Using coin flips and dice rolls, students are able to generate the genotype and phenotype of a random individual. From there, students find a mate for this individual and determine the phenotype of their offspring. The randomness generated by the coin and dice mechanics illustrates the principles of independent assortment and segregation, variable gene expression, and environmental effects.
The role of the tectorial membrane in cochlear mechanics

The tectorial membrane (TM) is strategically located in the mammalian cochlea, anchoring the apical pole of the outer hair cell stereocilia and hovering just above the sensory inner hair cell stereocilia. Genetic mutations of TM-specific proteins cause nonsyndromic deafness in humans while experiments in mutant mice clearly demonstrate the impact that manipulations of TM structural proteins have on hearing thresholds and cochlear sensitivity. This direct evidence shows the importance of this cochlear structure. Mathematical models (with Zwsilocki as an early proponent) have long incorporated the TM but have not included a complete electrical and fluidic coupling. We show that an electromechanical model of the active processes in the cochlea combined with a fluid-structure model that strongly couples the basilar membrane and the TM to the cochlear fluids is crucial in understanding the low and high frequency response in a base-to-apex model of the cochlea. Specifically, we show that the onset of nonlinearity at high frequencies is due to a radial resonance of the uncoupled TM and investigate the influence of fluid-loading on the TM and TM viscoelasticity on the low-pass behavior seen in the apex. A connection of this new wave bearing mechanism to otoacoustic emissions will be discussed.The tectorial membrane (TM) is strategically located in the mammalian cochlea, anchoring the apical pole of the outer hair cell stereocilia and hovering just above the sensory inner hair cell stereocilia. Genetic mutations of TM-specific proteins cause nonsyndromic deafness in humans while experiments in mutant mice clearly demonstrate the impact that manipulations of TM structural proteins have on hearing thresholds and cochlear sensitivity. This direct evidence shows the importance of this cochlear structure. Mathematical models (with Zwsilocki as an early proponent) have long incorporated the TM but have not included a complete electrical and fluidic coupling. We show that an electromechanical model of the active processes in the cochlea combined with a fluid-structure model that strongly couples the basilar membrane and the TM to the cochlear fluids is crucial in understanding the low and high frequency response in a base-to-apex model of the cochlea. Specifically, we show that the onset of nonlineari...
Fractography and Quality Assurance of Glass and Ceramics

Fractography is the study of fragments. The sizes and shapes of fragments and the topography of the new surfaces generated by the fracture can be interpreted in terms of ware design, material strength and the configuration of stresses leading to failure. The nature of the fracture surface can also tell something about the material properties. It is the present purpose to list some of the signposts of fracture and their interpretation and then to suggest the application of fractography to the problems of quality assurance.
Primate Vocalization: Affective or Symbolic?

It is a sobering yet ultimately healthy experience to reread the works of great men of science and to discover the extent to which they anticipated ideas and developments that we of our generation had fondly thought to be original. Many biologists have made such discoveries in the writings of Charles Darwin. As a student of animal behavior I have had this experience with the works of some of the great German zoologists such as Heinroth and Lorenz and most recently, in the writings of Robert Yerkes. A quotation from 1925 bears so directly on the occasion of the Yerkes Centennial that I would like to quote it in full. He is speaking about the vocalizations of higher primates with special reference to the chimpanzee: Everything seems to indicate that their vocalizations do not constitute true language, in the sense in which Boutan uses the term. Apparently the sounds are primarily innate emotional expressions. This is surprising in view of the evidence that they have ideas, and may on occasion act with insight. We may not safely assume that they have nothing but feelings to express, or even that their word-like sounds always lack ideational meaning. Perhaps the chief reason for the apes’ failure to develop speech is the absence of a tendency to imitate sounds. Seeing strongly stimulates to imitation; but hearing seems to have no such effect. I’m inclined to conclude from various evidences that the great apes have plenty to talk about, but no gift for the use of sounds to represent individual, as contrasted with racial, feelings or ideas. Perhaps they can be taught to use their fingers, somewhat as does the deaf and dumb person, and thus helped to acquire a simple, nonvocal, “sign language.” (Yerkes 1925:179–180)
Trimethyltin Neurotoxicity in the Rat as an Analogous Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Animal models of diseases have been used in experiments to study the cause of a disease, the mechanisms underlying the cellular, organ, or systemic pathology of a disease, and to compare the efficacy of proposed therapeutic interventions to existing clinical treatments. A model may be useful for one of these purposes but not for the others. For example, a particular behavior, such as activity in an open field, may be changed in a dose-related fashion by drugs that have a recognized clinical effect in psychiatric patients, but the rat behavior may not have any clear relationship to the human psychopathology. This model is not necessarily useful for study of the cause and progression of the disease or of its pathophysiology. Rather, its validity relates to a consistent parametric relationship between the effect of a drug on this behavioral measure and the clinical efficacy of the same drug. Newly designed drugs that produce greater effects on the animal model without significant detrimental side effects would then be likely candidates for clinical trials.
Measuring and Modeling the Feature Detection Threshold Functions of Colormaps

Pseudocoloring is one of the most common techniques used in scientific visualization. To apply pseudocoloring to a scalar field, the field value at each point is represented using one of a sequence of colors (called a colormap). One of the principles applied in generating colormaps is uniformity and previously the main method for determining uniformity has been the application of uniform color spaces. In this paper we present a new method for evaluating the feature detection threshold function across a colormap. The method is used in crowdsourced studies for the direct evaluation of nine colormaps for three feature sizes. The results are used to test the hypothesis that a uniform color space (CIELAB) will accurately model colormapped feature detection thresholds compared to a model where the chromaticity components have reduced weights. The hypothesis that feature detection can be predicted solely on the basis of luminance is also tested. The results reject both hypotheses and we demonstrate how reduced weights on the green-red and blue-yellow terms of the CIELAB color space creates a more accurate model when the task is the detection of smaller features in colormapped data. Both the method itself and modified CIELAB can be used in colormap design and evaluation.
Balance of tofacitinib efficacy and disease flare in the treatment of alopecia universalis: A case report and review of the literature.

Alopecia areata (AA) is one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases with 1.7% lifetime risk.1 AA is a nonscarring hair loss, typified by alopecic patches that can encompass the entire scalp in alopecia totalis (AT) or body in alopecia universalis (AU). The cause of AA is multifactorial, including an immune-mediated destruction of hair follicles2 in conjunction with genetic predisposition.3 There are currently no US Food and Drug Administration–approved treatments for alopecia areata, and treatment regimens are empiric, although topical, intralesional, and systemic steroids are commonly offered.4 Improvement of AA with Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors was first reported in 2014 by Craiglow and King5 in a patient with AU and psoriasis treated with tofacitinib, a selective JAK 1/3 inhibitor, with full hair regrowth by 8 months. Additional cases have reported similar findings; however, less emphasis has been placed on characterizing nonresponders and transient efficacy. Here we report a case notable for transient efficacy of tofacitinib in a patient with AU.
Transplanting the pathway engineering toolbox to methanogens.

Biological methanogenesis evolved early in Earth’s history and was likely already a major process by 3.5 Ga. Modern methanogenesis is now a key process in virtually all anaerobic microbial communities, such as marine and lake sediments, wetland and rice soils, and human and cattle digestive tracts. Owing to their long evolution and extensive adaptations to various habitats, methanogens possess enormous metabolic and physiological diversity. Not only does this diversity offers unique opportunities for biotechnology applications, but also reveals their direct impact on the environment, agriculture, and human and animal health. These efforts are facilitated by an advanced genetic toolbox, emerging new molecular tools, and systems-level modelling for methanogens. Further developments and convergence of these technical advancements provide new opportunities for bioengineering methanogens.
A Novel Resource-aware Tensor Decomposition Design Based on Reinforcement Learning

Tensor decomposition is a promising solution for analyzing and classifying multidimensional data streams in long-term monitoring of physical systems. However, the key challenge is to continuously perform the expensive tensor decomposition to ensure the effective classification of the time-evolving data as the system evolves over time. This paper explores a novel resource-aware tensor decomposition framework using reinforcement learning (RL). The proposed framework is developed to update a tensor decomposition-based classifier only using the data that is important to the evolving nature of the system. It learns an RL agent to look-ahead and identifies the data that is important to the classifier update and performs the tensor decomposition on those data streams. The proposed resource-aware framework was evaluated using synthetic data and motion data from patients with Parkinson’s disease and indicated a significant performance in both classification accuracy and number of tensor decompositions compared to a continuous update approach.
Glycosylation of Branched Amino and Nitro Sugars. 2. Synthesis of the Cororubicin Trisaccharide

The synthesis of the nitro-sugar-containing trisaccharide found in the antibiotic cororubicin is described. This trisaccharide contains the nitro sugar l-decilonitrose which is attached to two digitoxose residues (a dideoxy sugar) by β-1,4 and α-1,4 linkages. The target trisaccharide synthesized was methyl 2,6-dideoxy-α-l-lyxo-hexopyranosyl-(1→4)-2,3,6-trideoxy-3-C-methyl-3-nitro-β-l-ribo-hexopyranosyl-(1→4)-2,6-dideoxy-α-l-lyxo-hexopyranoside. The principle features of the synthesis are the use of an O-benzylhydroxylamino sugar as the precursor to the nitro sugar decilonitrose and as both the acceptor and donor in glycosyations, a β-selective glycosylation by means of a thioglycoside donor, and novel functional group transformations carried out on the assembled trisaccharide. These include oxidative cleavage of the O-benzylhydroxylamino group to nitro, carried out with dimethyldioxirane in one step. This transformation proved critical in completing the synthesis, which is the first reported of one of the...
Channel coupling and shape resonance effects in the photoelectron angular distributions of the 3 sigma g-1 and 2 sigma u-1 channels of N2.

We report measurements of photoelectron angular distributions for the 3${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{g}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ and 2${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{u}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ photoionization channels of ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ from their thresholds up to 35 and 37.5 eV, respectively. The asymmetry parameter \ensuremath{\beta} for the 2${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{u}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ channel exhibits a broad dip in the range h\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\sim}27--32 eV that was recently predicted theoretically to arise from shape-resonance-enhanced continuum-continuum coupling between the 3${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{g}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ and 2${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{u}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ ionization channels. The \ensuremath{\beta} parameter for the 3${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{g}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ channel exhibits a prominent feature at h\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\sim}23 eV, which is tentatively attributed to the autoionization of a doubly excited valencelike state. Otherwise, the gross shape of the 3${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{g}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ \ensuremath{\beta} curve is in good agreement with independent-electron calculations, which realistically reflect the influence of the well-known ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{u}$ shape resonance in this channel.
New Evidence on Cyclical Variation in Average Labor Costs in the United States

We provide new evidence on the cyclicality of employers' real labor costs using BLS establishment job data for the 1982–2018 period. Average straight-time wages have become countercyclical since th...
Flow-induced vibration of inherently nonlinear structures with applications in energy harvesting

This paper proposes a novel design for a flow-induced vibration-based energy harvester, consisting of an elastic L-shaped beam, with an inherent nonlinearity in its structural stiffness as an alternative to the classical cantilever beam used in conventional fluidic energy harvester designs. The L-shaped beam supports a prism at its tip and undergoes large-amplitude galloping oscillations. The results from wind tunnel experiments show that by replacing a conventional linear structure that supports the prism with a nonlinear one, the high frequency flow components, shed from the tip prism, were capable of exciting the oscillations of the structure at higher harmonics of the main resonance, thus enhancing the power density of the energy harvester. As a result of improved power density values, the proposed harvester design holds great potential to be used as advanced space-efficient energy harvesters.
Investigation of acoustic windows for photoacoustic imaging of intracranial blood vessels

Real-time intraoperative guidance during the en-donasal transsphenoidal approach to minimally invasive neurosurgery is often limited to endoscopy, which is suboptimal at locating underlying blood vessels to mitigate the risks and severe complications associated with accidental injury. Transcranial photoacoustic imaging is a promising technique for realtime visualization of these structures, but it is challenged by acoustic-bone interactions which degrade image quality. We are developing simulation methods that identify viable transcranial acoustic windows for intraoperative photoacoustic visualization of these underlying structures. In our previous work on this topic, simulation models were limited to an empty cadaver skull and the eyes of an intact cadaver head, while experiments with the same intact cadaver head were limited to the ocular acoustic window. In this paper, we present our advances to the simulation methodology, including quantitative assessments of images generated from simulated data and in silico investigations of additional acoustic windows with the intact cadaver head model. In addition, experimental images obtained with the ocular acoustic window of the cadaver head were compared to corresponding simulation results. With experimental and simulation similarity confirmed (i.e., point spread function area difference of 5.68 mm2), simuations were extended to explore the temple and sphenoid sinus acoustic windows. This exploration indicated that the sphenoid sinus and ocular acoustic windows provide images with the best target visibility (e.g., a generalized contrast to-noise ratio of $1.00 \pm 0.00$ ) and resolution. Considering that current transducer technology has limited ability to navigate to and within the sphenoid sinus, we conclude that the ocular cavity is the most feasible transducer location at this time.
A collaborative response to equitable food access during COVID-19: Building from Mass in Motion practices

The Mass in Motion Municipal Wellness and Leadership initiative at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health provides local capacity to implement proven policies and practices creating environments supportive of healthy living, including food access efforts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mass in Motion has offered a crucial approach and infrastructure to address local food access needs exacerbated by the pandemic. The core components of Mass in Motion and its resulting impacts demonstrate a best practice approach to responding to immediate food access needs while leveraging long-term sustainable solutions.
Ecogeographic Divergence Linked to Dorsal Coloration in Eastern Hog-Nosed Snakes (Heterodon platirhinos)

Animal coloration can benefit fitness via its function in homeostatic regulation, communication, or camouflage. For wide-ranging taxa that are exposed to diverse climatic conditions throughout their range, spatial variation in color morphology might reflect locality-specific adaptive responses to those variable conditions. As a result, these species might vary in their color-climate associations over geographic space. Here, we integrate georeferenced photographs of adult animals with available bioclimatic data to test the hypothesis that dorsal color differences in Eastern Hog-Nosed Snakes (Heterodon platirhinos) reflect ecogeographic divergence. We first assigned each photographed snake into one of four dorsal color phases, namely, black, brown, red-orange, or yellow, and evaluated the spatial dispersion and bioclimatic niche occupancy of each phase by using multiple environmental niche modeling approaches. We then used pairwise comparisons of bioclimatic niche space to explicitly test for niche divergence among the color phases. Overall, black, brown, and red-orange phase H. platirhinos exploited different subsets of the species' geographic range and bioclimatic niche. In contrast, yellow phase snakes partly overlapped with red-orange and brown phase snakes in geographic and bioclimatic space. These findings support our hypothesis, and we discuss some of the possible functions of phase coloration.
Characterization of protein in cricket (Acheta domesticus), locust (Locusta migratoria), and silk worm pupae (Bombyx mori) insect powders

Abstract Nutritional and functional properties of protein were determined for cricket, locust, and silk worm pupae powders, specifically macro-nutrient proximate composition, full amino acid composition, protein pH-solubility, and SDS-PAGE/densitometry. Cricket and locust powders contained >70 g of crude protein/100 g of sample powder (d.b. – dry basis), while silk worm pupae powder >50 g of crude protein/100 g of sample powder (d.b.). Insect powders exceeded FAO/WHO/UNU recommendations for eight of the nine essential amino acids (EAAs) for adults, but not infants. Total EAAs (21.8–23.7 g EAAs/100 g sample; d.b.) was two-times higher than FAO/WHO/UNU recommendations for adults (12.7 g EAAs/100 g sample; d.b.), but only half for infants (46.0 g/100 g; d.b.). Nearly 70% of insect protein dissolved in alkaline pH, while only 7% at pH 4–6. SDS-PAGE/densitometry showed four protein fractions: cuticle proteins, actin-arginine kinase, hemocyanin, and myosin. SDS-PAGE/densitometry also showed proteolysis and various distribution of protein fractions among insect powders. Protein may be efficiently isolated from insects using pH-solubility-precipitation; thus, resulting in isolates with high nutritional and functional quality.
Exceptionally simple, rapidly replaced teeth in sauropod dinosaurs demonstrate a novel evolutionary strategy for herbivory in Late Jurassic ecosystems.

Background Dinosaurs dominated terrestrial environments for over 100 million years due in part to innovative feeding strategies. Although a range of dental adaptations was present in Late Jurassic dinosaurs, it is unclear whether dinosaur ecosystems exhibited patterns of tooth disparity and dietary correlation similar to those of modern amniotes, in which carnivores possess simple teeth and herbivores exhibit complex dentitions. To investigate these patterns, we quantified dental shape in Late Jurassic dinosaurs to test relationships between diet and dental complexity. Results Here, we show that Late Jurassic dinosaurs exhibited a disparity of dental complexities on par with those of modern saurians. Theropods possess relatively simple teeth, in spite of the range of morphologies tested, and is consistent with their inferred carnivorous habits. Ornithischians, in contrast, have complex dentitions, corresponding to herbivorous habits. The dentitions of macronarian sauropods are similar to some ornithischians and living herbivorous squamates but slightly more complex than other sauropods. In particular, all diplodocoid sauropods investigated possess remarkably simple teeth. The existence of simple teeth in diplodocoids, however, contrasts with the pattern observed in nearly all known herbivores (living or extinct). Conclusions Sauropod dinosaurs exhibit a novel approach to herbivory not yet observed in other amniotes. We demonstrate that sauropod tooth complexity is related to tooth replacement rate rather than diet, which contrasts with the results from mammals and saurians. This relationship is unique to the sauropod clade, with ornithischians and theropods displaying the patterns observed in other groups. The decoupling of herbivory and tooth complexity paired with a correlation between complexity and replacement rate demonstrates a novel evolutionary strategy for plant consumption in sauropod dinosaurs.
Sources of Negative Attitudes Toward the News Media: Horse Race Coverage, Tabloid Coverage, and the Neglected Role of Elite Opinion Leadership

Americans' attitudes toward the news media as an institution have become dramatically more negative over the past 40 years. This has led to considerable discussion about what causes people to dislike the media. Using a survey experiment to manipulate the considerations respondents use when evaluating the press, I find, consistent with the broader literature on political persuasion but not with most scholarship on attitudes toward the media, that elite opinion leadership can powerfully shape these opinions. Additionally, I find that horse race coverage creates antipathy toward the press among politically aware citizens on both sides of the political spectrum and that tabloid coverage has a small negative effect on opinions regardless of predispositions. Contrary to some claims in the literature, I find no detectable effect of news negativity.
Toradol, an Nsaid Used for Renal Colic, Decreases Renal Perfusion and Ureteral Pressure in a Canine Model of Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction

Toradol is a new parenteral, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug which is efficacious in treating renal coli. In the present experiments, Toradol was administered to both control dogs and dogs with unilateral ureteral obstruction. In control dogs, Toradol had no effect on RBF or GFR, despite inhibition of renal prostaglandin synthesis (measured as urinary prostaglandin release). In contrast, RBF fell acutely by 35% (p < 0.001) within 15 minutes of Toradol administration in the setting of ureteral obstruction; contralateral RBF was unaffected. Ipsilateral ureteral pressure also fell. Changes in RBF and ureteral pressure, together with the known effects of NSAIDs on pain pathways, may contribute to the pain relief observed clinically with Toradol. However, the abrupt changes in renal hemodynamics brought on by Toradol to the obstructed kidney may compromise renal reserve, and Toradol should be used cautiously in treating renal colic.
Unbraced Length Requirements for Steel I-Beams

Solutions are obtained for inelastic buckling of I-shaped beams of structural steel and the relationship between unsupported length and the extent of flexural deformation sustained at the onset of buckling is examined. The load consists of a uniform moment. End conditions assumed include full fixity, free rotation about the minor principal axis with restrained warping and free rotation about the minor axis with unrestrained warping. The extensional stiffness is obtained from a theory that considers partially yielded steel to consist of an inhomogeneous mass consisting of unyielded steel and steel which has passed into strain hardening. Of the parameters examined, the minor axis radius of gyration divided by the yield stress appeared to best correlate unsupported length with the amount of flexural deformation sustained at the onset of buckling. Restraining warping at the ends of simply supported beams significantly suppresses their tendancy to buckle.