cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polypyrrole (PPy) conductive polymer coating of dry patterned vertical CNT (pvCNT) electrode to improve mechanical stability

Traditional wet or gel electrodes are not suitable for long duration neuro-physiological monitoring. Dry electrodes for impedimetric sensing of physiological parameters (such as ECG, EEG, and GSR) promise the ability for long duration monitoring. We have previously demonstrated a novel nanotechnology based dry electrode configuration fabricated with patterned vertically-aligned carbon nanotube (pvCNT) for neuro-physiological impedimetric measurements. However, the fabricated sensors were mechanically weakly adhered to the substrate. This paper describes a coating mechanism of pvCNT with a thin layer of conductive polymer, Polypyrrole (PPy), to increase mechanical stability, while preserving superior impedance properties of pvCNT. The electrodes were fabricated on circular stainless-steel (SS) foil substrate (φ = 10 mm, and thickness = 2 mils). Electrically conductive multi-walled CNT were grown in pattered pillar formation with a square base of 100 μm each side, and an inter-pillar spacing of 200 μm. The heights of the pillars were between 1 to 1.5 mm. The coating procedure involved applying 10 μL of PPy after preparing the pvCNT with 70% ethyl alcohol solution, and flash drying at 300°C. A comparative test with commercial ECG electrodes and non-coated version show that coated pvCNT has lower electrical impedance compared to commercial electrode whereas higher impedance compared to non-coated version. The signal capture were comparable for all electrodes in vitro. The peel test reveal much stronger mechanical adhesion of the pvCNT with the SS substrate when coated with PPy. The results demonstrate the feasibility of coating pvCNT dry electrodes with PPy for robustness.
Retinopathy and Uveitis Associated with Sofosbuvir Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C Infection.

Purpose: We report a case of retinopathy and uveitis associated with sofosbuvir therapy for hepatitis C infection. Methods: Case report. Results: A 57-year-old-male developed ocular inflammation and retinopathy four weeks after the administration of sofosbuvir for a hepatitis C infection. Hearing loss, rheumatologic disease, and essential tremor were also noted. The ophthalmic findings resolved with discontinuation of the drug. Conclusion: The authors report a case of sofosbuvir induced retinopathy and uveitis, the first associated with this emerging therapy for hepatitis C. Ophthalmologists and other treating physicians should be aware of the ophthalmic side effects of this drug.
Pharmacists Can't Administer Opportunity: The Role of Neuroenhancers in Educational Inequalities

While Keisha Ray (2016) provides a compelling argument for how cognitive enhancers could function as a quick fix for educational disparities, as social scientists with expertise in social inequalit...
TGF-beta: a balancing act

Regulation of developmental processes as well as host defense and repair mechanisms requires the maintenance of a delicate balance of positive and negative regulatory signals. TGF-beta, a molecule known for its many diverse activities, can promote or inhibit cell growth and function. Disruption of the balance between these opposing activities can contribute to aberrant development, malignancy, or pathogenic immune and inflammatory responses. TGF-beta transgenic mouse studies highlight the essential function(s) of TGF-beta and its receptors and provide insight to potential therapeutic approaches to manipulate TGF-beta expression.
Spacing patterns in Mojave Desert plant communities: near-neighbor analyses

The identities, sizes and densities of woody shrubs > 10 cm high were recorded at four sites in the Mojave Desert of comparable elevation and topography, all located on flat, sandy granitic alluvium. For each commoner species, the identity, size and distance of c. 50 first and 50 second near-neighbors were recorded. Using the known densities of species in the quadrats, the observed neighbor frequencies were compared to those expected from random disposition of species. The comparison showed that some species are the ‘preferred’ neighbors of others, while yet other species are ‘avoided’ as neighbors. Some species ‘prefer’ conspecifics as neighbors, but the larger dominant shrubs almost invariably ‘avoid’ conspecifics and tend to a uniform spacing. Positive interactions (preferred neighbors) are 2–3 times commoner than negative interactions (involving avoided neighbors). It is hypothesized that the likely mechanism of these spacing patterns is differential compatibility of root systems, although specificity of germination sites may also play a role; this mechanism is hypothesized to be of importance in the maintenance of diversity in desert shrubs.
Abstract 518: O-GlcNAcylation regulates breast cancer cell invasion via the NAD+-dependent deacetylase SIRT1

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Cancer cells increase nutrient consumption leading to the altered metabolic state known as the Warburg effect. One pathway dependent on glucose, glutamine and acetyl-CoA is the Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway (HBP). Increased flux through the HBP leads to elevated post-translation addition of O-linked-β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) on a diverse population of nuclear and cytosolic proteins, many of which are implicated in cancer. Recently, our lab provided the first evidence that breast and prostate cancers increases total O-GlcNAcylation by increasing O-GlcNAc Transferase (OGT) levels. Importantly, reducing OGT activity inhibits cancer cell invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo. OGT inhibition reduces breast and prostate cancer cell invasion through, in part, inhibition of the oncogenic transcription factor, FOXM1 and its transcriptional target matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2). Here, we show that OGT regulation of FOXM1 and cancer cell invasion requires regulation of the NAD+-dependent deacetylase, SIRT1. SIRT1 is a NAD+-dependent deacetylase regulated by changes in energy metabolism and its levels have been found to be reduced during breast cancer progression. We demonstrate an inverse relationship between O-GlcNAcylation and SIRT1 protein level and activity in multiple breast cancer cells and show that SIRT1 regulation by O-GlcNAcylation occurs in an AMPK-dependent manner. Consistent with this idea that reducing O-GlcNAcylation increases SIRT1 activity, we found that reducing OGT levels results in increased NAD+ metabolite levels in breast cancer cells. Importantly, we demonstrate that SIRT1 is critical for OGT-mediated regulation of FOXM1 protein ubiquitination and proteosomal degradation as reducing SIRT1 levels or activity reverses OGT-mediated regulation of FOXM1 and invasion in aggressive triple negative breast cancer cells. Furthermore, we show that SIRT1 regulates FOXM1 to modulate its transcriptional target MMP2 to promote breast cancer cell invasion. Collectively, these data indicate that flux through HBP, via O-GlcNAcylation, connects this nutrient sensing pathways with SIRT deactylases to regulate cellular invasion signaling via regulation of FOXM1. Citation Format: Christina M. Ferrer. O-GlcNAcylation regulates breast cancer cell invasion via the NAD+-dependent deacetylase SIRT1. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 518. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-518
Baseline Serum Albumin and Proteinuria Predict Renal Response after Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in AL Amyloidosis.

Abstract Introduction: High dose melphalan followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is an effective treatment for patients with light chain associated (AL) amyloidosis. Longer patient survival and higher rates of organ response have now been documented by multiple studies. However, predictors of organ response remain unknown. Previously, we have reported the benefits of renal response after ASCT in this population. This study was conducted to investigate the characteristics that would predict renal response after ASCT. Methods: The study was performed retrospectively on consecutive patients that underwent ASCT at our institution from March of 1996 to December of 2004. Exclusion criteria include baseline proteinuria 50% reduction in baseline proteinuria with Results: A total of 135 patients met criteria for study. Median age was 56.2 years at the time of transplant, 53.7% were male. Median baseline proteinuria and GFR were 6.4 g/d and 70 ml/min/1.73m2 respectively. Renal response was achieved in 35.6% of the patients while hematologic response was 71.1% in the 128 patients evaluated. Patient's age, sex, albumin, GFR, proteinuria, conditioning regimen, and hematologic response were evaluated and the following were found to be associated with renal response: albumin (p = 0.001), proteinuria (p = 0.008), and hematologic response (p = 0.0002). The cutoff for albumin was found to be 1.6 mg/dl and proteinuria was 3.5 g/d. Multivariate analysis using a logistic regression model showed hematologic response and proteinuria to be independent predictors of renal response. The impact of proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia was then investigated together (Table 1). When combined, they were a better predictor then either one alone (Hazard ratio = 6.34 for combined, 3.43 for proteinuria, 3.32 for hypoalbuminemia). The combination was also a better independent predictor of renal response in the multivariate analysis. In this group of patients, renal response was associated with longer survival but hematologic response was not (p = 0.02). Discussion: Our study showed that besides hematologic response, baseline serum albumin and proteinuria are independent predictors of renal response in AL patients after ASCT. Hypoalbuminemia and nephrotic range proteinuria, both markers of the severity of renal disease, have strong negative impact on response. This implies that there may be a limit to the reversibility of organ damage even when hematologic response is achieved. This study also points out the importance of organ (renal) response in this disease as hematologic response alone did not predict long term outcome. Our results suggest ASCT should be done early for AL to insure optimal organ response and patient outcome. Table 1 . The Effects of Hypoalbuminemia and Proteinuria on Renal Response after ASCT Hypoalbuminemia & Proteinuria No Renal Response Renal Response None 39.3% 60.7% One 66.2% 33.8% Both 81.8% 18.2%
Current Native Advertising Practices and Disclosures: An Abstract

Native advertising, or paid content that is assimilated with the visual design and function of nonpaid content on a publisher’s site, is growing in popularity. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) asserts widespread advertiser and publisher agreement regarding clear and prominent disclosure that native ads are paid content. The disclosures are important because they help prevent scrutiny about whether native advertising is misleading or deceptive, which could trigger policy intervention. However, by definition, native ads, including their disclosures, are designed to match the experience provided by other content. So, it is not clear (a) if consumers know native ads are sponsored content or (b) whether consumers care about the source of the content. Thus, the initial research questions are How are advertisers using native advertising? How are they disclosing their sponsorship of the content? To begin to address this gap in our understanding of native advertising, the article begins with a report of current native advertising formats and practices. It then reviews 122 examples of native ads from identified native advertising leaders over a 31-day period on October 2014. The report summarizes ad format (video, content, picture), industries that used native ads, the amount of engagement with the content during the 31-day period, and, perhaps most importantly, how the sponsorship was disclosed in each case. Most native ads that were recognized were in-stream ads that used words (vs. video or pictures). However, videos had higher levels of engagement (as measured by social media). Videos also seemed more likely to use celebrities and emotional appeals. Technology companies were the dominant users of native ads during the time period. Substantial variation existed in words used, shading, colors, capitalization, contrast between text and background color, font size, and timing/placement of disclosures. The manuscript contributes to the conceptualization of native advertising, provides an overview of disclosures currently used, and provides directions for next steps and future inquiry by marketers, policy makers, and policy influencers.
Quantifying the Uncertainties of Reanalyzed Arctic Cloud and Radiation Properties Using Satellite Surface Observations

NOAA MAPP Grant at the University of North Dakota [NA13OAR4310105]; NASA CERES project at The University of Arizona [NNX17AC52G]
Update of a Prospective Study of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Post-Chemoradiation Residual Disease in Stage II/III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose To report long-term outcomes (risk of late toxicities, local control, and survival) of dose escalation by stereotactic radiation therapy boost to residual fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography–positive residual disease after chemoradiation (CRT) in stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials Patients with stage IIB/III NSCLC underwent computed tomography or positron emission tomography–computed tomography screening approximately 1 month after completion of CRT. Limited residual disease (≤5 cm) within the site of the primary tumor received a stereotactic radiation therapy boost of either 10 Gy × 2 fractions or 6.5 Gy × 3 fractions to the primary tumor, to achieve a total Biologically Equivalent Dose >100 Gy. Results Thirty-seven patients received protocol therapy. With a median follow-up of 25.2 months, the crude local control rate for the entire group was 78% (n=29), but 10 patients (29%) and 24 patients (65%) developed regional and metastatic disease, respectively. At last follow-up, 5 patients (13.5%) remain alive, all with no evidence of disease, whereas 27 (73%) died of disease and the remaining 5 (13.5%) died of other causes. Median overall survival (OS) for the entire group was 25.2 months. Predictors for grade 3 pneumonitis included age and mean lung dose. Poorer median OS was associated with histology: median OS 15.6 months for squamous cell versus 34.8 months for other histologies (large cell neuroendocrine tumors excluded) ( P =.04). The median progression-free survival was 6 months, with IIIB disease having significantly worse median progression-free survival (stages IIB/IIA being 9.4 months, vs 4.7 months for stage IIIB [ P =.03]). Conclusions Stereotactic radiation therapy boost after CRT is a safe treatment resulting in improvements in local control for locally advanced NSCLC. No additional late toxicities were seen. Possible improvement in OS was found, but further study in a larger prospective trial is needed.
A virtual clinic improves pneumococcal vaccination coverage among patients living with HIV at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center

People living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) should receive pneumococcal vaccinations as part of their routine health maintenance. Our goal was to create a "virtual clinic" to help increase rates of pneumococcal vaccination among people living with HIV without adding substantially to the workload of primary providers. We used administrative data from our Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center to identify a cohort of veterans living with HIV who were not current with either the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) or both. We enrolled these individuals (n = 99) into a virtual clinic, notified providers via the electronic medical record and mailed letters to the veterans recommending they receive a pneumococcal vaccine. We also wrote orders for the appropriate pneumococcal vaccine that expired after 90 days. Among the virtual clinic cohort, 38% (38/99) of patients received the recommended vaccine within 180 days. Concurrent with our intervention, the Veterans Health Administration deployed a system-wide pneumococcal vaccine clinical reminder that incorporated recent PCV13 recommendations. To discern any effect of the virtual clinic beyond that of the clinical reminder, we compared the rate of PCV13 vaccinations among all HIV-positive veterans at our institution to the equivalent population from 2 other VA medical centers in Ohio. With consideration of the VHA's system-wide clinical reminder, the proportion of HIV-positive patients who received PCV13 in the first 90 days following the virtual clinic intervention was greater at our facility compared to another Ohio VA medical center (P < 0.05). The virtual clinic improved the pneumococcal vaccine coverage among HIV-positive veterans. These outcomes suggest that even in conjunction with a system-wide clinical reminder, the virtual clinic strategy improves vaccination rates among a high-risk population.
Exploring generative 3D shapes using autoencoder networks

We propose a new algorithm for converting unstructured triangle meshes into ones with a consistent topology for machine learning applications. We combine the orthogonal depth map computation and the shrink wrapping approach to efficiently and robustly parameterize the triangle geometry regardless of imperfections such as inverted faces, holes, and self-intersections. The converted mesh is consistently and compactly parameterized and thus is suitable for machine learning. We use an autoencoder network to extract the manifold of shapes in the same category to explore and synthesize a variety of shapes. Furthermore, we introduce a direct manipulation interface to navigate the synthesis. We demonstrate our approach with over one thousand car shapes represented in unstructured triangle meshes.
HIGH RESOLUTION SPECTRA IN THE REGION FROM 2 TO 6 μ

Abstract A grating spectrometer has been built which has high resolution in the region from 2 to 6 μ. Three gratings are used to cover the region and they have 7500, 10,000, and 15,000 lines/in. and their ruled area is about 5 × 8 in. The instrument can be used single pass or double pass. Under the most favorable conditions partial resolution is obtained of lines separated by 0.025 cm –1 . The absorption spectra of several polyatomic molecules have been measured and molecular constants calculated. This report discusses the spectra of the 2 v 4 bands of fluoroform and chloroform. Molecular constants of fluoroform have been calculated from the spectra and have the following values, v 0 = 2710.25 5 cm –1 , B ″ = . 34521 5 , B′ = .34452 6 , D = 3.97 5 × 10 –7 .
Wednesday, September 26, 2018 7:35 AM–9:00 AM ePosters: P71. The effects of insurance and employment on the presence of Waddell signs

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Waddell signs were originally introduced as manifestations of “nonorganic” low back pain. Once thought to indicate malingering, positive Waddell signs are now understood to represent real pain, potentiated through mechanisms of central sensitization. This study examines the relationship between the presence of Waddell signs and patient social environments, specifically insurance and employment status. PURPOSE To examine the relationship between the presence of Waddell signs, insurance status, and employment status. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Prospective cross-sectional study at a single academic institution. PATIENT SAMPLE Three orthopedic spinal surgeons, two spinal neurosurgeons, and two physiatrists participated in the study over a one-year period. All patients over age 16 with thoracic or lumbar back pain due to a degenerative condition, with or without radicular symptoms, were included in the analysis. Full-time students were excluded, identifying 462 eligible patients for detailed analysis. OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome measures were 1+ or 3+ Waddell signs. METHODS Patient medical records were extracted for age, sex, employment, and insurance status. Subjects over age 65 and not working were considered retired. At their initial appointment, all patients were given a standard spinal examination where Waddell signs were noted if present. Age, sex, insurance status, and employment status were compared between those with and without any (1+) Waddell signs or clinically significant (3+) Waddell signs. Frequency data comparisons were performed using contingency table analysis; comparisons of means were analyzed for continuous variables. A frequency co-analysis of employment and insurance status was performed. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). RESULTS Nonworking subjects under age 65 had a significantly higher prevalence of 1+ Waddell signs than employed subjects (43% vs. 24%; p CONCLUSIONS Working age patients that do not work have a significantly higher prevalence of Waddell signs than those working or retired. Medicaid patients also have higher prevalence, but this effect appears to be a function of employment status rather than public medical assistance.
Proceedings of the 3rd international workshop on Traceability in emerging forms of software engineering

Welcome to TEFSE, the 3rd international ACM workshop on Traceability of Emerging Forms of Software Engineering. TEFSE 2005 brings together researchers and practitioners to consider the challenges associated with generating and maintaining traceability for the many forms and faces of software engineering. We expect the presentations and discussions in this workshop to facilitate the definition of challenges, ideas, and approaches for the traceability researcher and practitioner.This year the TEFSE 2005 is co-located with the 20th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (ASE) 2005 in Long Beach, California. We greatly appreciated the organizational and logistical support provided to us by the ASE 2005 organizing committee.TEFSE was established in 2002. In this third offering, we have attracted participants from around the world. We were pleased to have received 14 submissions from five countries. Of these, 13 were selected for publication and presentation in the workshop. The high acceptance level represents the quality of the submitted papers rather than the need to accept this number of papers. Each paper was reviewed by at least three members of the program committee. We greatly appreciated the efforts the program committee members put forth on reviewing and supporting this event. Additionally, this year the published proceedings are available through the ACM Digital Library.Papers have been arranged into sessions relating to the "order of tracing" (i.e., pre-tracing concerns, tracing concerns, and post-tracing concerns) in order to spur discussion of key concepts. Researchers are encouraged to bring their laptops to demonstrate their work/tool to others on the breaks and after the workshop. We hope this provides the interested parties the opportunity to learn more details about other work in the field.
Long-term Urinary Tract Catheterization

As the nursing home population expands, the number of patients exposed to the risks of chronic indwelling urinary catheters will increase. The physician must therefore be familiar with the characteristic findings in such patients and be able to recognize complications as they arise. Mechanical or local problems, such as asymptomatic bacteriuria, catheter blockage, nondeflatable balloon, and chronic cystitis, are very common. Further studies are needed to define optimum measures to control these problems. The clinician must be aware that pyuria and bacteriuria are universal and not helpful in diagnosis of infection in this population. Use of chronic antibiotics is not recommended and there is no evidence to support elaborate daily care regimens, such as antibiotic ointments or irrigations. Careful consideration of the indications for catheter use on a long-term basis may reduce the population at risk. Physician awareness of the possibility of life-threatening complications, such as squamous cell carcinoma, bacteremia, and bladder perforation, can help avoid serious consequences of the use of urinary drainage devices.
The Use of Monoclonal Antibodies for Detecting and Serotyping Neisseria meningitidis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the use of monoclonal antibodies for detecting and serotyping Neisseria meningitidis. Neisseria meningitidis are gram-negative diplococci that colonize the human upper respiratory tract and can be transmitted through droplets to people in close contact. In general, the host can become an asymptomatic carrier, but occasionally the organisms can invade the bloodstream and the meninges and can cause an acute and sometimes rapidly fatal disease. Susceptibility to the disease is inversely related to the concentration of bactericidal antibodies in the sera. The major immunogenic components of the meningococci are the capsular polysaccharide, lipopolysaccharide, pili, and outer-membrane proteins. There are five classes of outer membrane proteins in the meningococcus that can be identified by their apparent molecular weights. Neisseria meningitidis is immunologically divided into eight serogroups—A, B, C, X, Y, Z, W135, and 29E—based on their capsular polysaccharide.
'We're asking teachers to do more with less': perspectives on least restrictive environment implementation in physical education

The current practice of the least restrictive environment (LRE) policy in physical education (PE) settings is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to explore how PE and adapted physic...
Recurrence and survival outcomes following adjuvant therapy for early-stage uterine serous carcinoma (USC).

e16556 Background: The choice of adjuvant therapy for early-stage USC remains controversial. The objective of this study was to estimate the recurrence rates of patients with surgically resected ea...
The result of endoscopic vein harvesting in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting

Objective To evaluate clinical results of endoscopic vein harvesting(EVH) in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG). Methods From July 2013 to October 2014, 500 patients who underwent isolate CABG in our institution were divided into two groups: EVH group(n=250)and open vein harvesting(OVH)group(n=250). The surgical result and perioperative complications were compared between the two groups. Results The procedures were completed successfully in all the patients in both groups. There was no significant difference existed in the length of the harvested vein and vein injury between the two groups(P>0.05). Similar results were obtained in the in-hospital mortality. Compared to group OVH, group EVH showed significantly shorter harvesting time, smaller incision, and lower rates of perioperative leg complications(P<0.01). Group EVH had a less bed staying time after operation and a shorter post-operation hospital stay(P<0.05). EVH group achieved an improved patient satisfaction and postoperative pain when compared with OVH in CABG(P<0.05). Conclusion EVH can provide adequate vein graft for CABG, and also significantly reduce wound related complications when compared with OVH. EVH is recommended for vein harvesting to improve patient satisfaction. Key words: Coronary artery bypass grafting; Endoscopy; Saphenous vein
The Nasoseptal Chondromucosal Flap: A Rigid Reconstructive Technique for Skull Base and Orbital Defects.

Introduction The pedicled mucoperichondrial nasoseptal flap serves as the predominant reconstructive option for anterior skull base defects. Its use has also been described for repair of the lamina papyracea following orbital tumor removal. Large skull base or orbital defects may benefit from a more rigid reconstruction to reduce the risk of herniation of orbital or intracranial contents into the sinonasal cavity, which could result in enophthalmos, diplopia, or an encephalocele. Objective This study aims to test the feasibility of using a vascularized rigid composite nasoseptal chondromucosal flap for increased structural support in repairing skull base or orbital defects. Methods The study was conducted in a cadaver model in a surgical skills laboratory. Results We demonstrate a novel technique for harvesting and insetting a pedicled vascularized autologous rigid composite nasoseptal chondromucosal flap to repair both orbital and anterior skull base defects. The graft is harvested with intact mucosa, cartilage, and bilateral perichondrium to preserve a contiguous vascular supply. Confirmation of successful reconstruction is achieved via transcranial and transorbital access to visualize the graft from above. Conclusion The cartilaginous support with associated perichondrium adds to the structural integrity of the reconstruction and may serve as an alternative to devascularized autologous grafts or synthetic materials, which may be particularly advantageous in patients with large defects or those requiring adjuvant radiation.
An optimal control policy for COVID-19 pandemic until a vaccine deployment

Abstract When an outbreak starts spreading, policy makers have to make decisions that affects health of their citizens and the economic. Some might induce harsh measures, such as lockdown. Following a long harsh lockdown, economical declines force policy makers to rethink reopening. But what is the most effective reopening strategy? In order to provide an effective strategy, here we propose a control strategy model. Our model assesses the trade-off between social performance and limited medical resources by determining individuals’ propensities. The proposed strategy also helps decision makers to find optimal lockdown and exit strategy for each region. Moreover, the financial loss is minimized. In addition, a study of a COVID-19 dataset for Los Angeles County is performed to validate our model and its results.
Improving Generalizability of Protein Sequence Models via Data Augmentations

While protein sequence data is an emerging application domain for machine learning methods, small modifications to protein sequences can result in difficult-to-predict changes to the protein's function. Consequently, protein machine learning models typically do not use randomized data augmentation procedures analogous to those used in computer vision or natural language, e.g., cropping or synonym substitution. In this paper, we empirically explore a set of simple string manipulations, which we use to augment protein sequence data when fine-tuning semi-supervised protein models. We provide 276 different comparisons to the Tasks Assessing Protein Embeddings (TAPE) baseline models, with Transformer-based models and training datasets that vary from the baseline methods only in the data augmentations and representation learning procedure. For each TAPE validation task, we demonstrate improvements to the baseline scores when the learned protein representation is fixed between tasks. We also show that contrastive learning fine-tuning methods typically outperform masked-token prediction in these models, with increasing amounts of data augmentation generally improving performance for contrastive learning protein methods. We find the most consistent results across TAPE tasks when using domain-motivated transformations, such as amino acid replacement, as well as restricting the Transformer attention to randomly sampled sub-regions of the protein sequence. In rarer cases, we even find that information-destroying augmentations, such as randomly shuffling entire protein sequences, can improve downstream performance.
Automatic Control Synthesis for Swarm Robots from Formation and Location-based High-level Specifications

In this paper, we propose an abstraction that captures high-level formation and location-based swarm behaviors, and an automated control synthesis framework to generate correct-by-construction behaviors. Our abstraction includes symbols representing both possible formations and physical locations in the workspace. We allow users to write linear temporal logic (LTL) specifications over the symbols to specify high-level tasks for the swarm. To satisfy a specification, we automatically synthesize a centralized symbolic plan, and environment and swarm-size-dependent motion controllers that are guaranteed to implement the symbolic transitions. In addition, using integer programming (IP), we assign robots to different sub-swarms to execute the synthesized symbolic plan. Our framework gives insights into controlling a large fleet of autonomous robots to achieve complex tasks which require composition of behaviors at different locations and coordination among different groups of robots in a correct-by-construction way. We demonstrate the proposed framework in simulation with 16 UAVs and 8 ground vehicles, and on a physical platform with 20 ground robots, showcasing the generality of the approach and discussing the implications of controlling constrained physical hardware.
Microbial Nourishment for Undernutrition.

Hippocrates wrote “let food be thy medicine.” Although access to nourishing food seems to be an obvious solution to the global health crisis of childhood undernutrition, the solution is not simple ...
Cooperative place recognition in robotic swarms

In this paper we propose a study on landmark identification as a step towards a localization setup for real-world robotic swarms setup. In real world, landmark identification is often tackled as a place recognition problem through the use of computationally intensive Convolutional Neural Networks. However, the components of a robotic swarm usually have limited computational and sensing capabilities that allows only for the application of relatively shallow networks that results in large percentage of recognition errors. In a previous attempt of solving a similar setup - cooperative object recognition - the authors of [1] have demonstrated how the use of communication among a swarm and a naive Bayes classifier was able to substantially improve the correct recognition rate. An assumption of that paper not compatible with a swarm localization setup was that all swarm components would be looking at the same object. In this paper, we propose the use of a weighting factor to relapse this assumption. Through the use of simulation data, we show that our approach provides high recognition rates even in situations in which the robots would look at different objects.
Effect of solution parameters on pH-response of polyacrylic acid grafted polyimide smart membrane fabricated using 248 nm krypton fluoride excimer laser

Abstract A fast, efficient, and simple method for fabricating a pH-responsive gating membrane is discussed in this paper. 248 nm KrF excimer laser was used to fabricate base polyimide (PI) membrane and in the second stage, i.e., grafting. We have already studied the effect of laser parameters on grafting. This paper is an extension of our previous study. In this paper we reported the effects of solution parameters, i.e., concentration of monomer and crosslinker on water permeability, and diffusion across the membrane was studied. Polyacrylic acid (PAAc) was used to make membrane stimuli responsive. Caffeine was used as a model drug molecule for diffusion studies. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were carried out using ATR-FTIR and TGA methods. With the help of appropriate tuning of concentration parameters and laser parameter - the number of pulses, water permeability up to 6 order of magnitude could be achieved. We have also successfully demonstrated that controlled release of solute over a larger period could be achieved using the fabrication technique we proposed. This technique can be a powerful tool to develop responsive membranes for medical applications as the fabrication process does not involve any organic solvent.
Gender Differences in Recommended Treatment Decisions Among Breast Cancer Patients: A Study Using the National Cancer Database

ABSTRACT Background Previous studies have explored surgery refusal among female breast cancer patients. However, little attention has been given to other therapies in both females and males. The goal of this study was to determine the potential role of gender on recommended hormone therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery refusal and to describe other determinants of refusal. Materials and Methods A retrospective study of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) between 2004 and 2016 was conducted. The outcome was whether patients accepted or refused the recommended treatment. We examined four different outcome variables (hormone therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery) relation to gender and other factors. Results A total of 906,342 breast cancer patients met the eligibility criteria for hormone therapy, 1,228,132 for surgery, 596,229 for chemotherapy, and 858,050 for radiation therapy. The odds of refusing hormone therapy and surgery in males were 17% (AOR=0.83; 95% CI: 0.75-0.92) and 33% (AOR=0.67; 95% CI: 0.50-0.90) lower compared to female patients, respectively. The odds of refusing radiation therapy were 14% higher in males compared to females (AOR=1.14; 95% CI:1.03-1.30). Older age and lack of insurance were significantly associated with each treatment refusal. Conclusion Female patients tend to refuse hormone therapy and surgery compared to males. A marginally statistically significant gender differences was found for radiotherapy refusal. The providers and other stakeholders can utilize the current findings to identify the risk groups and barriers associated with refusal for each treatment and to develop interventions. MicroAbstract We used largest data to determine the potential role of gender and other factors on breast cancer treatment refusal in the US. Females tend to refuse hormone therapy and surgery compared to males. Demographic and clinical factors association with treatment varied by treatment type. The results can be used to increase the treatment acceptance rate.
Predictive Patterns of Sex Trafficking Online

In the past 10-15 years, the internet has become a popular tool for sex traffickers to advertise and sell their victims. For instance, there are thousands of posts each month selling sex on the common classifieds website Backpage.com, some of which may be cases of sex trafficking. I extracted this publicly available data from the U.S. cities represented on Backpage.com. I then used software developed at Carnegie Mellon’s Auton Lab to find out if it is possible to detect patterns emerging from the data available in sex ads, such as patterns of travel that traffickers may use. To help identify which posts are more likely to be cases of trafficking, I relied on guidance from law enforcement experts. The research in this paper shows that it is in theory possible to track the movement of similar posts—and therefore, similar pimps or victims—across the country over time. With further development and refinement, the techniques demonstrated in this thesis could become the foundation for a valuable tool for law enforcement to use to prosecute traffickers and rescue victims.
Beaty and the Beast: A Prisoner’s Due Process Right to Notice of Changes to Execution Protocols

On May 25, 2011, in Beaty v. Brewer, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that a prisoner’s due process rights do not include the right to notice or to appeal a last-minute change to a state’s method of execution. In doing so, the court established a loophole, permitting states to avoid Eighth Amendment challenges to execution protocols by waiting until the final moment to amend them. This Comment argues that implicit within a prisoner’s right to challenge a state’s method of execution is a due process right to timely notice of changes to that method of execution.
Editorial: Do We Need More Science Education Research?

It is my pleasure to announce that Dr. Molly Weinburgh has agreed to serve as the next Editor for Periodic Issues. Dr. Weinburgh is the director of the Andrews Institute of Mathematics & Science Education at Texas Christian University and holds the William & Betty Adams Chair of Education. For those of you who know Molly, I am sure you share my excitement. She is an outstanding science educator and researcher, and I know that EJSE will thrive and grow under her leadership. Molly and I will work together as coeditors of the regular (periodic) issues of Volume 16 (2012), and Molly will take the reins for the periodic issues starting with Volume 17 (2013). EJSE will continue to be published by Southwestern University, and I will continue serve as Journal Manager and Editor for Special Issue and Projects. I am delighted to pass on these responsibilities to Molly as I take on some additional administrative responsibilities in my department. I am also pleased to be able to stay involved in EJSE and look forward to working on several special issues in the coming years. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Weinburgh as our new Editor.
Studies of the hemoglobins of the eel (Anguilla anguilla L.)—I: Proton binding of stripped hemolysate; separation and properties of two major components

Abstract 1. 1. Stripped eel erythrolysate shows low buffer capacity, similar to the low buffer capacity of whole eel blood. 2. 2. O2 and CO binding at 100 kPa each shows a high fixed-acid Haldane effect, though lower in the case of O2 binding where the saturation is incomplete due to the Root effect. 3. 3. GTP, ATP and IHP have little effect on the CO-induced fixed-acid Haldane effect. 4. 4. Generally two, in few cases three, main eel hemoglobin components were isolated: HbE1 and HbE2 (the latter being the Root effect hemoglobin). 5. 5. Spectra of deoxy, oxy and carboxy derivatives of these hemoglobins are very similar, though slightly red-shifted in HbE2 with respect to HbE1. 6. 6. HbE1 and HbE2 contain 0 and 6 titratable sulphhydryl groups respectively.
Crafting a Sales Pitch for Your Grant Proposal

Experienced grant writers know that reviewers are quick to decide whether they like or do not like the proposals they are reading. Therefore, much of the success of any given proposal rides on the strength of the first page—its capacity to “sell” the research idea to skeptical reviewers. This paper describes a writing technique designed to elicit a positive response from grant reviewers at the outset. While the three-paragraph template does not guarantee a winning outcome, it will set the stage for high reviewer scores now required for success in the increasingly competitive world of sponsored research.
If You Build It, They Will Come: Preserving Tribal Sovereignty in the Face of Indian Casinos & the New Premium on Tribal Membership

This Article considers recent disputes over membership decisions made by American Indian tribal governments. Since Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988, Indian casinos have flourished on some tribal reservations. Some argue that the new wealth brought by casinos has increased fights over membership as tribes seek to expel current members or refuse to admit new members. It is difficult to discern whether there are more disputes over tribal enrollment as a consequence of gaming or whether such disputes are now more public because gaming has brought tribes to the forefront of U.S. culture. What is clear is that enrollment disputes are receiving increased attention, resulting in calls for some change to address what many perceive as a fundamental unfairness in tribal decision making.Aggrieved members' attempts to resort to federal or state court are blocked due to a lack of federal subject matter jurisdiction, standing, and because of the tribes' sovereign immunity. Activists and courts have sought to change this, seeking to curtail the tribes' sovereign immunity, expand federal court jurisdiction to permit oversight, or other-wise impose U.S. law on tribal membership decisions. Scholars are divided, with some arguing for the abrogation of immunity or sovereignty, while others argue that the tribes' decisions are sacrosanct. Still others argue over how the tribes should define membership - contending that it should be based on cultural identity, political participation, blood quantity, or even DNA.This Article argues that the focus should instead be on solutions that come from within the tribes. For too long the tribes have suffered from the imposition of legal and cultural norms that do not reflect their identity or culture. Be-cause a tribe's right to define its membership lies at the heart of its sovereignty, the solution is more, not less, sovereignty for the tribes. To remedy the impasse, I propose that tribes create separate independent judicial bodies, or an intertribal appellate court that would provide independent review of tribal membership decisions.
Automated visual inspection using syntactic representation

A knowledge-based automated visual inspection system is described which operates in two modes: learning and production. In the learning mode either a CAD (computer-aided design) file of the components or a standard reference image is converted to an implicit grammar. The grammar, which is a syntactical description of the reference image, is stored in the knowledge base. For the production mode, grammar rules about the inspection of the image are converted to a parse table. The image to be inspected is captured and digitized. Only the small area of the image in which the next image segments are expected is enhanced, achieving considerable savings in processing time. The general-purpose (predictive) parser analyzes the image, reporting component names, locations, the component identification, and possible defects due to syntactic or semantic errors. Finally, a knowledge-based system characterizes the defects. The operation of the current system is described, and implementation considerations are presented. >
Accelerated Notch-Dependent Degradation of E47 Proteins in Aged B Cell Precursors Is Associated with Increased ERK MAPK Activation

The transcriptional regulator E47, encoded by the E2A gene, is crucial to B lymphopoiesis. In BALB/c senescent mice (∼2 years old), the incidence of E47-expressing pro-B cells in vivo and E47 protein steady state levels in B cell precursors in vitro were reduced. Poor expression of E47 protein was a consequence of accelerated proteasome-mediated turnover and was associated with heightened ubiquitin modification of E2A-encoded proteins in aged B cell precursors. Both MAPK and Notch activity have been previously associated with E2A-encoded protein stability in lymphocytes. Aged B cell precursors exhibited heightened levels of MAPK activity reflected in increased levels of phospho-ERK proteins. Phosphorylation of E2A-encoded proteins was also increased in aged B cell precursors and pharmacologic inhibition of MEK-1 resulted in a partial restoration of their E47 protein. Both Notch proteins and their Delta-like ligands were detected comparably in young and aged B cell precursors. Either inhibition of Notch activation via gamma-secretase or Ab blockade of Notch-Delta-like ligand interactions partially restored E47 expression in aged B cell precursors. We hypothesize that increased MAPK activity promotes phosphorylation of E2A-encoded protein in aged B cell precursors. Subsequently, E2A-encoded proteins undergo ubiquitination and accelerated degradation in a Notch-dependent process. The dysregulation of E2A-encoded protein expression may contribute to the reductions seen in early B lymphopoiesis during murine senescence.