cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Field Study of Moisture Effects on Slab Movements

A study is made of 69 residential slabs located in an area of expansive clay. The slabs, all built in conformance to FHA specifications, had been in existence for several years. The slabs had experienced significant differential vertical movements. Differential vertical movements are shown to correlate with differences in moisture contents from the center to the corners of the slabs. Trees planted near the houses are shown to have major influences upon slab behavior. The tree root systems absorbed moisture from the soil causing subsequent drying under the slab edges.
Nonparametric identification and estimation of random coefficients in multinomial choice models

We show how to nonparametrically identify the distribution of unobservables, such as random coefficients, that characterizes the heterogeneity among consumers in multinomial choice models. We provide general identification conditions for a class of nonlinear models and then verify these conditions using the primitives of the multinomial choice model. We require that the distribution of unobservables lie in the class of all distributions with finite support, which under our most general assumptions, resembles a product space where some of the product members are function spaces. We show how identification leads to the consistency of a nonparametric estimator.
Minimal change disease onset observed after bevacizumab administration

This is a report of a patient with minimal change disease (MCD) onset after bevacizumab administration. A 72-year-old man with inoperable Grade 3 astrocytoma was treated with a combination of temozolomide and the vascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody bevacizumab. After two biweekly treatments, he developed nephrotic syndrome. Despite cessation of bevacizumab, his renal function deteriorated and a renal biopsy disclosed MCD. Thereafter, he was started on high-dose oral prednisone and renal function immediately improved. Within weeks, the nephrotic syndrome resolved. Although rare, biologic agents can cause various glomerulopathies that can have important therapeutic implications. MCD should be considered in patients who develop nephrotic syndrome while exposed to antiangiogenic agents.
Molecular Diversity and Neuronal Function

The patriarch of American neuroscience, Professor F.O. Schmitt (1984) has recently (1984) defined the transitions and conceptual upheavals that new data are forcing. Onto the classical, hard-wired nervous system of our training years has been superimposed a much looser nervous system in which neurons may release their signals to act, at unknown distances from the release site, not strictly as primary communicators, but rather as signals that can modify the response of the intended target cells to their other afferent signals. In less than one decade, the nervous system ceased to be a rather dry place in which, to classic physiologists, transmitters meant relatively little, since they all worked either to excite or inhibit. In its stead we have a very juicy, flexible nervous system in which transmitters act on many different receptor transduction mechanisms to provide a very enriched repertoire of signalling capabilities across widely differing spatial domains and widely variant durations of action that provide through the analysis of specific molecular mechanisms, a highly enriched diversity of response capacity. For this communication, I will concentrate my remarks on three accumulations of our data that seem relevant to these concerns.
Protocol for Microinjection of Macroplasmodia of Physarumpolycephalum

We have used the following protocol over the last 18 months for the microinjection of 35s-labeled proteins into macroplasmodia. Some patience and dexterity is required in filling the needles with material to be injected; considerably more is required during the injection. Uniform dispersion of injected material is verified by visual inspection in the stereo dissecting microscope with Blue Dextran used as a marker dye. Initially, the dye can be seen to be carried by the protoplasmic streaming. 35S-Labeled material is also uniformly dispersed, as evidenced by constant specific activity in randomly chosen pieces of the Plasmodium. Rupture of the Plasmodium is rarely a problem when the injected material is equilibriated in the buffer described, but can occur if the microburet is dialed too rapidly. The use of black nitrocellulose for growing Plasmodia is recommended to enhance the visual contrast. Standing liquid on the membrane or Plasmodium causes problems and should be avoided.
Complexity Tutor: Developing an Interactive Tutoring System for Computational Complexity (Abstract Only)

This lightning talk describes the development of Complexity Tutor, an interactive tutoring system to assist students in understanding theoretical models of computation and computational complexity. Many computer science students, especially ones lacking a strong background in mathematics, struggle to learn these subjects with the traditional regimen of lectures and written homework assignments. When they are in the process of developing proofs for these homework assignments, they receive no immediate feedback that would illuminate their errors. We intend to remedy this. The main components of our system will entail a novel framework for constructing proofs, as well as a framework for producing algorithmic reductions. The first framework provides continuous feedback to the student on their approach and progress toward the needed proof. The second framework involves analyzing code the student writes in a pseudocode-like language, such as Python. Currently, we have prototypes, which show how to use our frameworks to construct NP-completeness reduction proofs. We are planning to test the efficacy of this system in theoretical computer science courses at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
A Multiobjective Optimization Framework for Online Stochastic Optimal Control in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

The increasing urgency to extract additional efficiency from hybrid propulsion systems has led to the development of advanced power management control algorithms. In this paper, we address the problem of online optimization of the supervisory power management control in parallel hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). We model HEV operation as a controlled Markov chain and show that the control policy yielding the Pareto optimal solution minimizes online the long-run expected average cost per unit time criterion. The effectiveness of the proposed solution is validated through simulation and compared with the solution derived with dynamic programming using the average cost criterion. Both solutions achieved the same cumulative fuel consumption demonstrating that the online Pareto control policy is an optimal control policy.
Query-Based Outlier Detection in Heterogeneous Information Networks

Outlier or anomaly detection in large data sets is a fundamental task in data science, with broad applications. However, in real data sets with high-dimensional space, most outliers are hidden in certain dimensional combinations and are relative to a user’s search space and interest. It is often more e↵ective to give power to users and allow them to specify outlier queries flexibly, and the system will then process such mining queries eciently. In this study, we introduce the concept of query-based outlier in heterogeneous information networks, design a query language to facilitate users to specify such queries flexibly, define a good outlier measure in heterogeneous networks, and study how to process outlier queries eciently in large data sets. Our experiments on real data sets show that following such a methodology, interesting outliers can be defined and uncovered flexibly and e↵ectively in large heterogeneous networks.
Biotic control of cotton aphids (Homoptera : Aphididae) in cotton influenced by two insecticides

During 1989 and 1990, we conducted field studies to determine effects of the pyrethroid cypermethrin and the organophosphate sulprofos on natural enemy densities and on the efficacy of natural enemies against the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover. During 1989 in untreated plots, small predators had the greatest impact on the aphid population, aphidopathogenic fungi had the greatest impact in the sulprofos-treated cotton, and no single biotic mortality factor was predominant in the cypermethrin-treated cotton. In 1990, small predators were the primary mortality factor in all treatments, but they were most effective in the untreated cotton. Predator-induced mortality was lower in insecticide-treated plots than in untreated plots. The aphid parasitoid, Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson), was never abundant in any treatment, but significantly more were found in the sulprofos-treated plots, which contained the most aphids, than in the other treatments. On the basis of population densities, key predators were Geocoris spp. and araneids during 1989 and Geocoris spp. during 1990. Simple linear correlation analyses suggested density-dependent relationships between aphid populations and aphidopathogenic fungi, parasitoids, combined predator populations, and coccinellids. However, these relationships were inconsistent between years and treatments. Aphidopathogenic fungi were the only mortality factor that demonstrated a well-defined cause-effect relationship with cotton aphid population densities.
Stress-Induced Nanoparticle Crystallization

We demonstrate for the first time a new mechanical annealing method that can significantly improve the structural quality of self-assembled nanoparticle arrays by eliminating defects at room temperature. Using in situ high-pressure small-angle X-ray scattering, we show that deformation of nanoparticle assembly in the presence of gigapascal level stress rebalances interparticle forces within nanoparticle arrays and transforms the nanoparticle film from an amorphous assembly with defects into a quasi-single crystalline superstructure. Our results show that the existence of the hydrostatic pressure field makes the transformation both thermodynamically and kinetically possible/favorable, thus providing new insight for nanoparticle self-assembly and integration with enhanced mechanical performance.
Social Security Demand of Aging Population: A Comparison between China and South Korea

In spite of the difference between rural and urban areas,as well as between different regions,China has a large number of aged people that accounts for a high percentage of its population.In contrast,the structure of aged people in South Korea is mainly different in regions and age levels,and it is not obvious between urban and rural areas.In the perspective of economic background,people in South Korean are rich before being aged,while in China the situation is just on the contrary.According to their own conditions of society and population,the government of China and South Korea adopted different policies in law,system and policies and has achieved remarkable results.
Associations of Poor Housing with Mental Health Among North Carolina Latino Migrant Farmworkers

This analysis examines the associations of housing conditions with mental health among migrant farmworkers. Data are from a 2010 cross-sectional study conducted in 16 North Carolina counties. Interviews and housing inspections were completed with 371 farmworkers in 186 camps. Mental health measures included depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, CES-D), anxiety (Personality Assessment Inventory, PAI), and alcohol misuse (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, AUDIT-C). Housing measures were number of people per sleeping room, perceived security of self and belongings, having a key to dwelling's door, having bedroom storage, toilet privacy issues, and number of housing regulation violations. Sixty (16.7%) participants had substantial depressive symptoms (CES-D ≥10), 31 (8.8%) had substantial anxiety (PAI ≥27), and 185 (50.1%) had the potential for alcohol misuse (AUDIT-C ≥4). Those with 5+ persons sleeping per room were more likely to have a depression score ≥10 (31.5% vs. 13-14%, P = .01) and an anxiety scores ≥27 (19.6% vs. 5-9%, P = .02). Those who did not feel they or their belongings were secure were more likely to have a depression score ≥10 (19.4% vs. 9.1%, P = .01). Those without a key were more likely to have an anxiety score ≥27 (11.5% vs. 5.1%, P = .04). Those with no bedroom storage were more likely to have a depression score ≥10 (28.9% vs. 14.9%, P = .03). This article suggests links between poor housing and farmworkers' mental health. These results inform regulations surrounding farmworker housing and inform health care providers on how to prevent and treat poor mental health among migrant farmworkers.
The Historical Development of Obstetric Anesthesia and Its Contributions to Perinatology.

Scottish obstetrician James Young Simpson first introduced the use of ether and chloroform anesthesia for labor in 1847, just 1 year after William Morton's first successful public demonstration of ether anesthesia at the Massachusetts General Hospital. The contemporaneous development of surgical anesthesia and obstetrics enabled obstetric anesthesia to address the pain of childbirth. Shortly after its introduction, obstetricians raised concerns regarding placental transport, or the idea that drugs not only crossed the placenta, but exerted detrimental effects on the neonate. The development of regional anesthesia and clinical work in obstetric anesthesia and perinatology addressed issues of the safety of the neonate, enabling obstetric anesthesia to safely and dramatically reduce the pain of childbirth.
Exploration of the dominant fatty acid metabolic pathway for PET imaging of prostate cancer

1122 Objectives Fatty acid oxidation has been suggested as the dominant bioenergetic pathway in prostate cancer wherein glucose consumption is dormant until the disease becomes disseminative. The aim of this study is to explore the possibility of targeting the dominant bioenergetic pathway for prostate cancer imaging, which was tested by experiments performed with a reported PET tracer for myocardial fatty acid utilization studies, 14(R,S)-18F-fluoro-6-thia-heptadecanoic acid (18F-FTHA). Methods The radiotracer, 18F-FTHA, was prepared from the precursor of 16α-[[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]oxy]-3,3-(ethylenedioxy)androstan-17-one in radiochemical yields of > 35% and its radiochemical purity was > 99% after purification. Three PC3 tumor bearing mice were intravenously administered 3.7 MBq of 18F-FTHA formulated in 4% of albumin saline solution. A dynamic PET/CT scan (0 ‒ 40 min) was immediately conducted on each mouse after injection, followed by a 15-min static PET/CT scan at 2 h post-injection (p.i.). The images were reconstructed and quantitatively analyzed with the manufacturer’s software. Results Immediately after administration of 18F-FTHA, the radioactivity was observed to accumulate in the peripherals of tumor in addition to the expected uptake in the heart, liver, and bone due to the nature of 18F-FTHA. Gradually, more activity was showing up in the tumor interior. This phenomenon can be attributed to the tumor blood vessel environment and the slow distribution of 18F-FTHA inside the tumors as resulted from the formation of 18F-FTHA-albumin complex. The tumor uptake peaked at 1.2 ± 0.33 at 40 min p.i. The tumor-to-muscle ratios increased from 1.5 to 2.3 within 0 ‒ 40 min p.i., and then slightly dropped to 1.7 at 2 h p.i. Conclusions Our preliminary data showed the potential of using fatty acid based PET tracers for prostate cancer imaging. However, because of the physiology and physical location of the prostate, the pharmacokinetic parameters and tumor targeting ability of the tracers need to be optimized for the purpose. Research Support This study was partially supported by the Dr. Jack Krohmer Professorship Funds.
Teaching: Trends in Research

Research on teaching has shifted from an examination of effective teacher behaviors to teacher cognitions and actions. This accompanies a revised vision of the teacher from that of a teacher standing in front of the class and transmitting information and skills to students to one of the teacher as facilitator of learning. Teaching requires complex thought and decision making in situations of uncertainty with diverse student bodies and variable contexts. Research on teacher change provides a naturalistic view of change rather than a notion of change in which someone outside the classroom mandates a change. In the naturalistic model, teachers are not recalcitrant, but change all the time. Research on staff development that operates within the newer model of change appears to be very effective. Research also focuses considerable attention on practical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Areas of current research interest are constructivist teaching, teaching to individual differences (gender and multicultural), and moral development. Methodological breakthroughs include teacher research and self-study, narrative research, and qualitative studies of teacher change.
On the Need for Standard Definitions and Education to Optimize Patient-Ventilator Interactions.

In this issue of Respiratory Care, Ramirez et al[1][1] present the results of their multi-center study. Doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists (akin to a respiratory therapist in Chile) were shown videos of ventilator screens demonstrating different types of asynchrony. The health-care providers had
Peptide-Decorated Tunable-Fluorescence Graphene Quantum Dots

We report here the synthesis of graphene quantum dots with tunable size, surface chemistry, and fluorescence properties. In the size regime 15-35 nm, these quantum dots maintain strong visible light fluorescence (mean quantum yield of 0.64) and a high two-photon absorption (TPA) cross section (6500 Goppert-Mayer units). Furthermore, through noncovalent tailoring of the chemistry of these quantum dots, we obtain water-stable quantum dots. For example, quantum dots with lysine groups bind strongly to DNA in solution and inhibit polymerase-based DNA strand synthesis. Finally, by virtue of their mesoscopic size, the quantum dots exhibit good cell permeability into living epithelial cells, but they do not enter the cell nucleus.
Characterization of antigen-processing machinery in human monocyte-derived immature and mature dendritic cells

1230 Efficient antigen processing and presentation are the major function of dendritic cells (DC) and are clearly dependent on the integrity of the entire antigen processing machinery (AMP) pathway in these cells. The panel of monoclonal antibodies developed for recognition of APM components in fixed paraffin-embedded tissues was used to evaluate expression of each of the components in human immature (iDC) and matured (mDC) dendritic cells. A flow cytometry-based method was developed for quantitative detection (MESF units) of individual APM components, and DC generated from peripheral blood monocytes of normal donors (ND; n = 12) and patients with melanoma and head neck cancer (n = 6) were compared. We also compared two methods for cell permeabilization: the microwave treatment and the incubation of cells in the presence of 0.25% saponin solution. Co-incubation of tumor cell lines with iDC were performed in microwells or transwell system to evaluate effects of tumor cells on the APM component expression. Our results show that the microwave treatment of DC was necessary to achieve optimal staining, as the percentage of positive cells was consistently higher in microwave-treated DC than saponin-permeabilized DC in all experiments performed. A considerable variability was observed among ND in expression of the APM components in DC. i DC were found to have lower (p
Visualizing Heat Transfer: Arrays as Parameters

In Chapter 17 we studied the problem of approximating the temperature at the center of a 10-centimeter silver rod at a specific interval of time after heat sources were put into contact with its ends. All of our work led to a program that produced as its output a single temperature. In this chapter we will study the same heat transfer problem as in Chapter 17, but will focus on characterizing how the temperatures throughout the rod change as time passes.
Dynamic modeling approaches to characterize the functioning of health systems: A systematic review of the literature.

Abstract Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is one of the targets for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3. The impetus for UHC has led to an increased demand for time-sensitive tools to enhance our knowledge of how health systems function and to evaluate impact of system interventions. We define the field of “health system modeling” (HSM) as an area of research where dynamic mathematical models can be designed in order to describe, predict, and quantitatively capture the functioning of health systems. HSM can be used to explore the dynamic relationships among different system components, including organizational design, financing and other resources (such as investments in resources and supply chain management systems) – what we call “inputs” – on access, coverage, and quality of care – what we call “outputs”, toward improved health system “outcomes”, namely increased levels and fairer distributions of population health and financial risk protection. We undertook a systematic review to identify the existing approaches used in HSM. We identified “systems thinking” – a conceptual and qualitative description of the critical interactions within a health system – as an important underlying precursor to HSM, and collated a critical collection of such articles. We then reviewed and categorized articles from two schools of thoughts: “system dynamics” (SD)” and “susceptible-infected-recovered-plus” (SIR+). SD emphasizes the notion of accumulations of stocks in the system, inflows and outflows, and causal feedback structure to predict intended and unintended consequences of policy interventions. The SIR + models link a typical disease transmission model with another that captures certain aspects of the system that impact the outcomes of the main model. These existing methods provide critical insights in informing the design of HSM, and provide a departure point to extend this research agenda. We highlight the opportunity to advance modeling methods to further understand the dynamics between health system inputs and outputs.
The downregulation of miR-3173 in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia promotes cell invasion via PTK2

MicroRNAs are important regulators of the pathogenesis of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL). In this study, we identified miR-3173 and its predicted target gene PTK2 were correspondingly differentially expressed in B-ALL patients. In B-ALL cell lines, CCK-8 proliferation assay revealed that miR-3173 could inhibit the cell proliferation. Moreover, transwell assay revealed that miR-3173 could also inhibit cell migration and invasion in B-ALL cell lines. Luciferase assays revealed that miR-3173 directly bound to the 3'untranslated region of PTK2, and western blotting showed that miR-3173 suppressed the expression of PTK2 at the protein level. Generally, this study indicates that miR-3173 negatively regulates PTK2 and inhibits proliferation and invasion of B-ALL cell lines. Thus, miR-3173 may represent a potential therapeutic molecule for B-ALL intervention.
Antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic activities and herb-drug interaction of a polyherbal formulation in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

Abstract Background Ojamin (OJ), a polyherbal antidiabetic formulation, is extensively used as a food supplement to control diabetes alone or along with synthetic antidiabetic agents. However, it's phytochemical and pharmacological investigations are lacking. Objective The present study was undertaken to study antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic potentials of OJ and its interaction with Metformin in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Materials and methods Diabetes was induced in Wistar rats by single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg). Antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic activities of OJ were evaluated at dose of 0.28 ml/kg by estimating biochemical changes in urine, serum and liver tissue homogenate and histological changes in liver and pancreatic tissues. Metformin (100 mg/kg, p.o.) was used as reference standard drug. Results Results indicate that STZ administration caused hyperglycemia, increased serum glycosylated hemoglobin content, altered serum lipid profile, polyuria, decreased liver glycogen content and histological changes in liver and pancreatic tissues. This elevated serum glucose level and urine volume was significantly decreased by OJ. Supplementation with OJ produced significant improvement in serum lipid profile and glycosylated hemoglobin content along with significant increase in the liver glycogen content. OJ treatment also restored histological changes in liver and pancreatic tissue near to the normal. The observed antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects of OJ were superior to Metformin. Co-treatment of diabetic rats with OJ and Metformin failed to control blood glucose levels. Conclusion It is concluded that the OJ possesses significant antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic activities in rats. However, co-administration of OJ and Metformin is cautioned.
Modeling thermal recovery of the Mullins effect

Abstract Many elastomeric materials exhibit the Mullins effect, or stretch-induced stress softening. However, early experiments show that the Mullins effect may be recovered after annealing previously stretched material in a stress-free state. And that both the rate and degree of recovery are affected by the annealing temperature. In this work, we develop a thermo-mechanically-coupled large-deformation constitutive model that quantitatively captures thermal recovery of the Mullins effect. The model is calibrated to experiments from the literature, and is numerically implemented by writing a user material subroutine for the finite element program Abaqus/Standard. Lastly, our simulation results suggest that unanticipated behavior due to recovery of the Mullins effect is possible.
Selective relay of afferent sensory-induced action potentials from peripheral nerve to brain and the effects of electrical stimulation

Electrical stimulation of peripheral nerve fibers and dorsal column fibers is used to treat acute and chronic pain. Recent studies have shown that sensitized A-fibers maybe involved in the relay of pain information. These nerve fibers also carry sensory-induced action potentials (APs), such as proprioception, mechanoreception, etc. Electrical stimulation of these nerve fibers can result in interactions between sensory-induced APs and stimulation-induced APs. For example, the sensory-induced APs can collide with stimulus APs, and thus may never be relayed to the brain. In this study, we aimed to quantify the effects of stimulation frequency on these interactions. Specifically, we focused on the goal of stimulation to simultaneously (i) block noxious sensory signals while (ii) relaying innocuous sensory signals from the periphery to the brain via a myelinated nerve fiber. We defined a performance metric called the “selective relay $(SR)$ ” measure. Specifically, we constructed a tractable model of a nerve fiber that receives two inputs: the underlying sensory activity at the bottom of the fiber (noxious or innocuous), and the external stimulus applied to the middle of the fiber. We then defined relay reliability, $R$, as the percentage of sensory APs that make it to the top of the fiber. $SR$ is then a product of relaying innocuous sensory information while blocking noxious pain stimuli, i.e., $SR=R_{\mathrm {s}\mathrm {e}\mathrm {n}}(1-R_{\mathrm {p}\mathrm {a}\mathrm {i}\mathrm {n}})$. We applied the two inputs to the fiber at various frequencies and analyzed relay reliability and then we studied selective relay assuming noxious and innocuous stimuli produce APs with distinct frequencies. We found that frequency stimulation between 50-100Hz effectively blocks relay of low-frequency pain signals, allowing mid-to-high frequency sensory signals to transmit to the brain.
Outcomes after Early Initiation of mTOR-Inhibitors in Adult Cardiac Transplant Recipients

Purpose The effect of mTOR-inhibitors initiated as maintenance immunosuppression early after cardiac transplant is not well-established. Current outcomes data are limited to small, single-center studies. Methods 22,173 adult cardiac transplant recipients from the United Network for Organ Sharing database between 2008 and 2018 were included in current study. Propensity-matching was carried out to match 184 patients started on proliferation signal inhibitor (PSI) maintainence therapy (sarolimus or everolimus) before discharge with 184 controls. Outcomes included mortality/graft failure, development of coronary artery disease, infection, and acute rejection. Results PSI and No PSI cohorts were well-matched with regards to age (40.4 vs. 50.6), gender (32% vs. 30% females), race (60% vs. 63% white), LVAD use (28% vs. 30%), UNOS status (54% vs 55% 1A), HF etiology (32% vs 31% ischemic), and other immunosuppressive medication use (all p=NS). Compared to controls, PSI group had significantly lower rates of coronary artery disease (17.8%, 95% CI 12.1%-24.4% versus 27.9%, 95% CI 20.9%-35.5; P=0.04) (Figure). However, risk of hospitalization for rejection (36.1% vs. 23.7%, p=0.043) and hospitalization for infection (40.6% vs. 28.8%, p=0.011) at 5 years were significantly higher in the PSI group. Mortality and graft failure rates were comparable between PSI and No PSI groups. Conclusion mTOR-inhibitors initiated early as part of a maintenance immunosuppression regimen may reduce the long-term risk of developing coronary artery disease at the expense of higher risk of rejection and infection in adult cardiac transplant recipients. These findings suggest that switching to PSI at a later time point may be a more effective strategy in minimizing post-transplant complications compared to early initiation of PSI.
Excision of chromosomal DNA sequences from Streptomyces coelicolor forms a novel family of plasmids detectable in Streptomyces lividans.

When strains of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) lacking the previously identified autonomous plasmids SCP1 and SCP2 are crossed with Streptomyces lividans 66, some of the S. lividans progeny are able to elicit zones of growth inhibition (lethal zygosis), previously associated with the transfer of conjugative Streptomyces plasmids, when grown in contact with S. lividans 66. Some such progeny yield covalently closed circular (CCC) plasmid DNA, the size and restriction endonuclease cleavage pattern of which is constant for a particular isolate, but varies among isolates. These plasmid, which have been named SLP1.1, SLP1.2, ect., all confer resistance to lethal zygosis elicited by the others. Genetic and molecular characterization of the plasmids reveals that they are derived from the strA region of the chromosome of S. coelicolor. It is proposed that, before or during mating with S. lividans, the SLP1 sequences are excised from the chromosome, bringing varying regions of the surrounding chromosome with them, and can circularise to yield the SLP1 family of plasmids. Autonomous SLP1 plasmids can also be generated by cleaving total DNA of S. coelicolor with certain restriction enzymes, ligating it, and transforming the DNA into S. lividans.
A 3–10-GHz CMOS Time-Domain Complex Dielectric Spectroscopy System Using a Contactless Sensor

This article presents an integrated time-domain (TD) microwave broadband dielectric spectroscopy (MBDS) system in the 3–10-GHz frequency span divided into nine subbands. The generated multitone input pulse with 1-GHz bandwidth is upconverted to RF frequencies in the transmitter using a broadband single-sideband (SSB) mixer to suppress the lower sideband of the excited signal and prevent the signal distortion at the configured dc-free direct conversion receiver with the center frequency of 500 MHz at the baseband. The upconverted pulse is passed through a contactless sensor in TD where the material under test (MUT) is placed in the middle of the two ultra-wideband (UWB) Vivaldi antennas coupled in their radiative near field. To identify both the real ( $\epsilon _{r}'$ ) and imaginary ( $\epsilon _{r}''$ ) parts of the MUT’s permittivity, the impact of the entire system on MUT characterization is alleviated by designing the system subblocks and the sensor with flat gain and constant group delay over the entire frequency range. The proposed MBDS system is fabricated in 65-nm CMOS and occupies an active area of 1.24 mm2 while consuming 64~69 mW from a 1-V supply. As a proof of concept, the complex dielectric permittivity of different pure organic chemical liquids has been detected within the desired frequency range with a customized quartz-glass cuvette with the MUT volume of ~ 5 mL by calibrating the sensor using the variations in the phase and the magnitude after FFT with respect to the reference material (air). The system results in an rms error of less than 0.2% and 0.4% for $\epsilon _{r}'$ and $\epsilon _{r}''$ , respectively, compared with theory. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first CMOS TD MBDS system with a homodyne RF transceiver architecture including an on-chip UWB excitation pulse generation and the contactless sensor.
Auditing black-box models for indirect influence

Data-trained predictive models see widespread use, but for the most part they are used as black boxes which output a prediction or score. It is therefore hard to acquire a deeper understanding of model behavior and in particular how different features influence the model prediction. This is important when interpreting the behavior of complex models or asserting that certain problematic attributes (such as race or gender) are not unduly influencing decisions. In this paper, we present a technique for auditing black-box models, which lets us study the extent to which existing models take advantage of particular features in the data set, without knowing how the models work. Our work focuses on the problem of indirect influence: how some features might indirectly influence outcomes via other, related features. As a result, we can find attribute influences even in cases where, upon further direct examination of the model, the attribute is not referred to by the model at all. Our approach does not require the black-box model to be retrained. This is important if, for example, the model is only accessible via an API, and contrasts our work with other methods that investigate feature influence such as feature selection. We present experimental evidence for the effectiveness of our procedure using a variety of publicly available data sets and models. We also validate our procedure using techniques from interpretable learning and feature selection, as well as against other black-box auditing procedures. To further demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique, we use it to audit a black-box recidivism prediction algorithm.
An improved strategy of intra-bone marrow-bone marrow transplantation in tolerance induction in clinical heart transplantation trials

Objective From our previous findings in the first clinical trial undergoing heart transplantation and subsequent intra-bone marrow-bone marrow transplantation (IBM-BMT),we investigate an improved strategy of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) concerning safety besides efficacy for donor-specific tolerance induction after heart transplantation.Method The first clinical trial underwent heart transplantation and subsequent IBM-BMT in August 2010,and consecutive 3 trials were performed using improved BMT regimens from October 2011 to December 2012.This improved BMT regimens consist of modified perfusion method (PM) to improve the efficiency of havesting bone marrow cells (BMCs) and non-radiation precondition of BMT to reduce the toxicity to the host.Result In harvesting of BMCs,modified PM showed higher efficiency in number of monocytes (5.8× 107/kg vs.1.2× 107/kg,P＜0.01) and CD34+ cells (6.7× 105/kg vs.2.38× 105/kg,P＜0.01) as compared with the previous method.After 3-month follow-up,neither was infection of cytomegalovirus or fungus nor graft versus host disease in the group treated with improved BMT regimens.Moreover,no rejection (Class 0) was confirmed by endomyocardial biopsy either.Mixed lymphocyte reactions revealed donor-specific hyporesponsiveness while immunocompetence was well preserved to third-party antigens.Conclusion These findings indicate that the improved BMT strategy of modified PM + non-radiation preconditioning regimens + two-stage IBM-BMT is a safer method for inducing donor-specific tolerance without incidence of early-stage infection in clinical heart transplantation trials than the previous regimens. Key words: Heart transplantion; Bone marrow transplantation; Perfusion; Transplantation conditioning
Pediatric Hospitalist Nocturnist Program at an Academic Medical Center - Costs and Benefits

Background: In-house pediatric hospitalist attending coverage 24/7 is required for hospitals to be certified as a Level I Children’s Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons. Little is known about the effects of having in-house attending nocturnist coverage on hospital utilization. Purpose: To examine utilization outcomes before and after the introduction of a pediatric hospitalist nocturnist program. Methods: The UC Davis Institutional Review Board determined this work does not meet the regulatory definition of human subjects research. Prior to initiation of …
Performance improvement of a water-purifying absorption cooler through humidification-dehumidification

Abstract An absorption heat pump that achieves water purification and air-conditioning with secondary water purification through humidification-dehumidification is developed. A thermodynamic model of this cycle is formulated and used to predict cycle performance. The cycle with humidification-dehumidification outperforms similar cycles using forward osmosis and membrane distillation at baseline operating conditions by 19% and 12%, respectively, because of the additional evaporator loads imposed by the humidification-dehumidification process. The performance of the cycle is insensitive to ambient temperature and humidity due to the high air flow rate associated with air conditioning. However, cycle performance is sensitive to the water load once the heat transfer fluid flow rates and heat exchanger sizes have been fixed, demonstrating a 12% decrease in performance when the water output ratio is changed from 7% below the baseline to 7% above the baseline. Designs that allow for on-design or below-design operation will allow excellent cycle performance.
Visual alternation by pigeons: Learning to select or learning to avoid.

In the visual alternation task, pigeons learn to alternate between two stimuli (e.g., red and green) that vary randomly in location from trial to trial. The task is inherently difficult because animals tend to return to a stimulus to which they have just received reinforcement for responding. Williams (1971, Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 15, 129–140) suggested that pigeons learn this task by learning to avoid the stimulus most recently chosen. The present experiment tested this hypothesis by involving three groups. The Standard Group replicated Williams’ design. For the New Correct Group, following a correct (reinforced) response, on the next trial, the color of the new correct stimulus changed. For example, if it had been green, it changed to either blue or yellow, but the color of the new incorrect stimulus (the one that was just correct) remained the same (i.e., red). For the New Incorrect Group, following a correct response, on the next trial, the color of the new incorrect stimulus changed. For example, if it had been red, it changed to blue or yellow, but the color of the new correct stimulus remained (i.e., green). The Standard Group replicated Williams’s finding that pigeons can learn the alternation task. Consistent with Williams’s hypothesis, pigeons in the New Correct Group showed evidence of learning the alternation task, whereas pigeons in the New Incorrect Group showed little evidence of learning. Acquisition of the visual alternation task suggests that pigeons are cognitively flexible enough to overcome their natural tendency to repeat their most recently reinforced response to a stimulus.
Systemic Medical and Procedural Therapies for Mucosal Lichen Planus: Update and Review of Challenges and Successes

Context: Mucosal lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory debilitating condition that commonly affects the oral mucosa, but other sites such as the genital and ocular mucosae, esophagus and ear canal may also be involved, with risk of scarring and functional compromise. Spontaneous remission is rare and the condition tends to be recalcitrant to therapy, which makes management challenging. Topical therapies are often ineffective in severe cases and official treatment guidelines including systemic agents and procedural interventions are currently not available. Methods: We performed a literature review on current systemic therapies for mucosal lichen planus using PubMed, MEDLINE and Cochrane databases, with 74 publications identified including retrospective and prospective studies, case reports, and clinical trials. Therapies reviewed included biologics, immunosuppressive therapies, immunomodulating and anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamin A derivatives, devices and interventional therapies, and non-prescription drugs. Results: Reported treatments were classified into the following categories: biologics, anti-metabolic immunosuppressives, direct anti-T cell agents, other immunodulatory agents, antibiotics, retinoids, and procedure based interventions. Most studies on mucosal lichen planus are descriptive in nature and demonstrate low levels of evidence. Randomized controlled trials are lacking, which makes it difficult to directly compare different grading scales and outcome. Conclusions: The authors suggest clinical criteria for initiation of therapy in mucosal lichen planus, such as severe disease, lack of response to topical therapy, mucous membranes involvement and involvement of organs at risk of non-function. The authors also propose a stepwise treatment algorithm based on data from this review and their personal experience in an academic tertiary referral center.
Colonic expression of Ace2 , the SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor, is suppressed by commensal human microbiota.

Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (Ace2) is expressed in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and a receptor for SARS-CoV-2, making the GI tract a potential infection site. This study investigated the effects of commensal intestinal microbiota on colonic Ace2 expression using a humanized mouse model. We found that colonic Ace2 expression decreased significantly upon microbial colonization. Humanization with healthy volunteer or dysbiotic microbiota from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients resulted in similar Ace2 expression. Despite the differences in microbiota, no associations between α-diversity, β-diversity or individual taxa, and Ace2 were noted post-humanization. These results highlight that commensal microbiota play a key role in regulating intestinal Ace2 expression and the need to further examine the underlying mechanisms of this regulation.
The Use of Defective Herpes Simplex Virus Amplicon Vectors to Modify Neural Cells and the Nervous System

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the use of amplicon vectors to modify neuron function. It begins with the origin of herpes simplex virus (HSV) amplicon vectors. Herpes simplex virus is a 150-kb DNA virus that contains approximately 70 genes. Amplicon vectors are used to express genes in dissociated neurons in vivo and in organotypic cultures prepared from brain.HSV amplicon vectors are readily engineered and are an efficient mammalian expression system. They appear to infect most mammalian cell types. The HSV amplicons are used to transfer genes into dissociated cell culture, organotypic preparations, and in the intact animal. The production of amplicon vectors requires a copropagated HSV helper virus. The use of wild-type helper virus greatly limits the utility of the amplicon as gene-transfer vehicle because it produces cell lysis. As a gene-transfer vehicle, amplicon vectors have some limitations. The requirement for helper virus, although itself replication defective, results in stocks containing two types of virions: vector and helper. The expression of immediate-early genes from helper virus produces some toxicity in certain cell types, particularly at higher multiplicities of infection. Amplicon vectors can be used to modify neuron function in many ways: altering neuron survival and phenotype by transduction of NGF; converting neurons to a NGF-responsive state—that is, expression of trkA; and modification of neuronal excitability—that is, expression of the kainate receptor GluR6. The chapter demonstrates that transduction led to transcription of the vector-encoded nerve growth factor (NGF) gene, processing of the primary transcript, and synthesis and secretion of NGF.
Evidence of Earnings Inequality Based on Caste in Nepal

In this article, the monthly earnings gap between Dalit and non-Dalit caste members in Nepal is estimated using two methods: Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method and the matching-based nonparametric decomposition method. The nonparametric decomposition method estimates the monthly earnings gap based on a one-to-many matching of the given income-generating characteristics, taking into account the differences in the support of the distribution of those characteristics for Dalits and non-Dalits. According to the results, the majority of the earnings gap between Dalits and non-Dalits is attributed to the endowment effect. Dalits earn less than non-Dalits because Dalits have some characteristics that non-Dalits do not, that are unfavorable in the labor market. That this endowment effect works against Dalits could be a reflection of the social exclusion and job segregation faced by Dalits in the past.
The Molecular Evolutionary Ecology of Plant Development: Flowering Time in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract Flowering time is a major fitness determinant of plants in seasonal habitats. In Arabidopsis thaliana flowering time is largely determined by photoperiod, vernalization, and ambient temperature, although foliar shade, water availability, and herbivory can also have an effect. There is selection on flowering time via both mortality and fruit production, and typically selection favors flowering time plasticity. Much of the variation in flowering time can be attributed to molecular variation in the genes that are responsible for sensing light and temperature, and many of these genes owe their discovery to these effects as determined by quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. Not surprisingly, many flowering time QTLs are environment‐dependent. Molecular analyses of the genes underlying the response of flowering time to the environment provide further evidence that these genes have been repeated targets of natural selection.
A Method to Overcome Space Charge at Injection

The transverse space charge forces in a high current, low energy beam can be reduced by mean of a large increase of the beam's transverse sizes while maintaining the beam area in the 4D phase space. This can be achieved by transforming the beam area in phase space of each of two normal 2D transverse (either plane or circular) modes from a spot shape into a narrow ring of a large amplitude, but homogeneous in phase. Such a transformation results from the beam evolution in the island of a dipole resonance when the amplitude width of the island shrinks adiabatically. After stacking (by using stripping foils or cooling) the beam in such a state and accelerating to energies sufficiently high that the space charge becomes insignificant, the beam then can be returned back to a normal spot shape by applying the reverse transformation. An arrangement that can provide such beam gymnastics along a transport line after a linac and before a booster and/or in a ring with circulating beam will be described and numerical estimates will be presented. Other potential applications of the method will be briefly discussed.