cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Empirical Bayes' Approach to Joint Analysis of Multiple Microarray Gene Expression Studies

Summary. With the prevalence of gene expression studies and the relatively low reproducibility caused by insufficient sample sizes, it is natural to consider joint analysis that could combine data from different experiments effectively to achieve improved accuracy. We present in this article a model-based approach for better identification of differentially expressed genes by incorporating data from different studies. The model can accommodate in a seamless fashion a wide range of studies including those performed at different platforms by fitting each data with different set of parameters, and/or under different but overlapping biological conditions. Model-based inferences can be done in an empirical Bayes’ fashion. Because of the information sharing among studies, the joint analysis dramatically improves inferences based on individual analysis. Simulation studies and real data examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach under a variety of complications that often arise in practice.
SYSTEMATICS OF SALVIA PACHYPHYLLA (LAMIACEAE)

ABSTRACT Most populations of Salvia pachyphylla occur along mountain ranges adjacent to the Mojave Desert of southern California, southwestern Nevada, and northern Baja California, Mexico. A smaller disjunct group occurs in eastern Arizona near the southern edge of Navajo and Hopi reservation lands near Winslow, AZ. This study was undertaken to determine whether there are morphologically and genetically distinct geographical groups within S. pachyphylla and whether these groups form a cohesive unit easily separated from S. dorrii. Specimens of S. pachyphylla and broadly sympatric taxa in S. dorrii were examined in a morphometric analysis of twelve characters. A preliminary molecular analysis using the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS-1 and ITS-2) and the embedded 5.8 S subunit was also performed on the same taxa. Morphometric analysis supports the continued recognition of S. pachyphylla and S. dorrii as distinct species and the recognition of three subspecies within S. pachyphylla, ...
Task graph extraction for embedded system synthesis

Consumer demand and improvements in hardware have caused distributed real-time embedded systems to rapidly increase in complexity. As a result, designers faced with time-to-market constraints are forced to rely on intelligent design tools to enable them to keep up with demand. These tools are continually being used earlier in the design process when the design is at higher levels of abstraction. At the highest level of abstraction are hardware/software co-synthesis tools which take a system specification as input. Although many embedded systems are described in C, the system specifications for many of these tools are often in the form of one or more task graphs. These tools are very effective at solving the co-synthesis problem using task graphs but require that designers manually transform the specification from C code to task graphs, a tedious and error-prone job. The task graph extraction tool described in this paper reduces the potential for error and the time required to design an embedded system by automating the task graph extraction process. Such a tool can drastically improve designer productivity. As far as we know, this is the first tool of its kind. It has been made available on the web.
A descriptive analysis of 10 years of research published in the Journal of health communication

This article describes the contents of the articles from the first decade of The Journal of Health Communication (JOHC). Three hundred and twenty-one published articles were reviewed and coded to determine the characteristics of the researchers, the types of research presented, the common health topics covered, and the research designs used. The results led to the following profile of a typical article. Its primary author is a U.S. academic. It probably focuses on smoking, HIV/AIDS, or cancer. It is an empirical research study, more likely to use quantitative, specifically survey methods, rather than qualitative methods. It probably is not driven by theory. It is much more likely to examine mass media communication than interpersonal communication. Its purpose is just as likely to be audience analysis as message design, as evaluation of a planned communication intervention. If its purpose is to evaluate a planned communication intervention however, that intervention is almost certainly a successful one.
A domain-decomposition message-passing approach to transient viscous incompressible flow using explicit time integration

This paper discusses the design and implementation of solution algorithms suitable for performing transient, incompressible viscous flow simulations on massively parallel computers. The finite element formulation for incompressible flow along with the ad-hoc modifications for explicit time integration are discussed with an emphasis on implementation aspects for achieving scalable, parallel computations. The issues associated with a domain-decomposition message-passing paradigm are presented in the context of explicit time integration and the solution of a pressure Poisson equation using a staggered grid. An element-by-element conjugate gradient algorithm for the pressure equation is outlined with a parallel sub-domain preconditioner. Sample calculations are presented with scaled speedup and efficiency results to demonstrate the scalability of the domain-decomposition message-passing approach.
Divided destinies: group choice by female savannah baboons during social group fission

Group living provides benefits to individuals while imposing costs on them. In species that live in permanent social groups, group division provides the only opportunity for nondispersing individuals to change their group membership and improve their benefit to cost ratio. We examined group choice by 81 adult female savannah baboons (Papio cynocephalus) during four fission events. We measured how each female’s group choice was affected by several factors: the presence of her maternal kin, paternal kin, age peers, and close social partners, her average kinship to groupmates, and her potential for improved dominance rank. Maternal kin, paternal kin, and close social partners influenced group choice by some females, but the relative importance of these factors varied across fissions. Age peers other than paternal kin had no effect on group choice, and average kinship to all groupmates had the same effect on group choice as did maternal kin alone. Most females were subordinate to fewer females after fissions than before, but status improvement did not drive female group choice; females often preferred to remain with social superiors who were their close maternal kin, rather than improving their own social ranks. We suggest that during permanent group fissions, female baboons prefer to remain with close maternal kin if those are abundant enough to influence their fitness; if they have too few close maternal kin then females prefer to remain with close paternal kin, and social bonds with nonkin might also become influential.
Connecting pre-silicon and post-silicon verification

We present a framework for post-silicon analysis, that provides a formal, bidirectional communication with pre-silicon verification. We show how to exploit the framework to provide a formal guarantee on post-silicon verification accuracy under limited observability. In particular, we partition a pre-silicon assertion checker (with full observability) into (1) a limited-observability checker and (2) an in-silicon integrity unit. The composition of the two units is guaranteed to provide the same accuracy as a pre-silicon checker. We apply the framework in the verification of a cache system.
Rhabdomyolysis: a clinical entity for the study of role of proteases.

Many of the readers of these proceedings may be surprised to find the clinical subject of rhabdomyolysis included in a symposium dealing with the biochemistry and biology of proteases. However, a deeper look into the issue provides a clear justification.
Abstract 257: Smooth Muscle Cell--Derived COL15A1 Increases Indices of Plaque Stability and Mediates Plaque Cellular Content

Introduction: Current dogma states that under conditions that promote atherosclerosis quiescent vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) phenotypically modulate into migratory, proliferative cells that move into the arterial intima, form a fibrous cap, and secrete extracellular matrix components (ECM) that promote plaque stabilization. However, there is no direct evidence that SMC derived ECM is critical in promoting changes to plaque stability. We identified collagen, type XV, alpha 1 (COL15A1) as a vascular SMC derived ECM protein present in both human and mouse atherosclerotic aortas. COL15A1 links large fibrillar collagens as well as promotes basement membrane cell adhesion and collagen maturation. We have shown in humans that Col15a1 is associated with atherosclerosis and is epigenetically regulated. However, the role for COL15A1 in atherosclerosis had not been explored. To assess the role of SMC derived collagen and COL15A1 in atherosclerosis we developed unique, conditional, tamoxifen inducible SMC speci...
The Decolonizing Generation: (Race and) Theory in Anthropology since the Eighties

In the wake of anthropology’s much storied crisis of representation; attempted corrections following movements of “Third World” peoples, women, and queer folks; the recent disavowal of 1980s and 1990s reflexivity and experimentation; and what George Marcus has recently termed a “crisis of reception,” this essay seeks to critically reassess and reanimate the formative interventions of anthropologists of the African diaspora (including Africa itself)—foregrounding work that lends new insights into anthropological theory, method, and pedagogy. The intention here is not to merely redeem the pioneering insights of African diaspora anthropologists as unsung forerunners of contemporary anthropological theories (though this is a worthwhile endeavor in itself) but rather to illuminate continued and prospective contributions of this mode of knowledge production.
Abstract 5361: DNA damage by platinum-based drugs induces p21-dependent recruitment of PCNA as a homotrimer into the inhibited G1-phase CDK complex

DNA damage results in activation of cell cycle checkpoints and cell cycle arrest as a result of inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK). In G1 phase, checkpoint activation is often associated with inhibition of CDK4/cyclin D1 and CDK2/cyclin E activities, usually by p21 in a p53-dependent manner. Our investigations in A2780 ovarian tumor cells with cisplatin and 1R,2R-diaminocyclohexane-(trans-diacetato)(dichloro)-platinum(IV) (DAP), a platinum analog that circumvents cisplatin resistance, demonstrated that both agents activated the p53-p21 pathway, which inhibited G1-phase CDK4 and CDK2 kinases, beginning at ∼18 h after drug treatment. However, biochemical analysis of the inhibited complex demonstrated an increase in size by ∼100-150 kDa, which was not consistent with binding of p21 alone and the anticipated stoichiometry of 1 for CDK:p21. In order to account for the p21-dependent increase in the size of the CDK complex, we undertook large-scale immunoprecipitation with antibodies to cyclin D (for the CDK4 complex) or cyclin E (for the CDK2 complex) following DAP treatment, and analyzed the inhibited complex by mass spectrometry for additional recruited proteins. This analysis revealed only one additional protein, namely PCNA, in the inhibited CDK2 and CDK4 complex. As confirmation of p21-dependence, immunodepletion of p21 in boiled cell lysates from DAP-treated cells abolished the binding of PCNA to the CDK complex in a cell-free binding assay. Similar p27 depletion did not prevent the binding of PCNA to the complex. However, PCNA binding with p21 at a stocihiometry of 1 was insufficient to account for the increase in molecular size of the inhibited CDK complex, and it was likely that PCNA was present in its trimeric state. This was confirmed by employing mutant PCNA (Y114A) which could not form the homotrimer and, consequently, was unable to bind to p21 and become recruited into the CDK complex. Moreover, inhibiting the binding of PCNA to p21 did not prevent p21 from inhibiting CDK2, and this indicated that PCNA is not vital for p21-dependent inhibition of kinase activity. On the other hand, knockdown of PCNA by siRNA in A2780 cells potentiated the cytotoxicity of DAP, whereas p21 knockout in HCT-116(p21-/-) cells decreased the sensitivity to this agent. Taken together, our data demonstrate that p21-dependent recruitment of PCNA as a homotrimer substantially increases the molecular size of the CDK complex, but whereas PCNA recruitment does not contribute to p21-dependent inhibition of the kinase, it may attenuate the effect of p21 on drug-induced cytotoxicity. (Supported by NCI RO1 CA127263). Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5361. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5361
Growth of Clostridium Botulinum on Synthetic Mediums

The relationships of the amino-acids arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, oxyglutamic acid and tryptophan to the growth of some strains of Clostridium botulinum were reported in a previous paper.1 The apparent intimate relationship existing between the presence of tryptophan and the growth of the organisms was suggestive and resulted in the development of a hypothesis, the essentials of which were formulated at that time
Demosthenes' renaissance philipics: Thomas Wilson's 1570 translation as Anti-Spanish propaganda

(2004). Demosthenes' Renaissance Philipics: Thomas Wilson's 1570 Translation as Anti-Spanish Propaganda. Advances in the History of Rhetoric: Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 111-137.
Homocysteine and coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND Homocystinuria is a rare autosomal recessive disease complicated by early and aggressive occlusive arterial disease. This may be related to the grossly increased homocysteine concentrations seen in this disease. More recently, milder hyperhomocysteinemia has been proposed as an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease. SUMMARY Many patients with homozygous homocystinuria develop severe premature atherosclerosis and thromboembolism, probably caused by abnormally high concentrations of homocysteine. Homocysteine undergoes metabolism either by remethylation or transsulfuration, and deficiency or dysfunction of any of the substances that regulate these reactions may lead to hyperhomocysteinemia. Homocysteine may have adverse effects on platelets, clotting factors, and endothelial cells. Studies have demonstrated significantly higher plasma homocysteine levels in patients with occlusive arterial disease than in controls. The causes are not clearly understood but may include deficiency of vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid and heterozygosity for cystathionine synthase deficiency. Vitamin supplementation can lower plasma homocysteine levels. CONCLUSIONS Whether measuring plasma homocysteine levels in patients with coronary artery disease should be routine and whether treating hyperhomocysteinemia in these patients may reduce the risk of coronary events remains to be determined.
Systems Analysis for Controlling and Improving Marketing Performance

This article points out some reasons for marketing's lag in the use of computers and quantitative techniques. The systems approach is suggested as one which can minimize or eliminate the causes of ...
Aspirin for the Prevention of Cancer Incidence and Mortality: Systematic Evidence Reviews for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

This systematic review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reports effects of aspirin on total cancer mortality and incidence in adults eligible for cardiovascular primary prevention and on...
Genetic Diversity of Oryza rufipogon Griff. in Zhangpu County of FuJian Province by Using SSR Markers

21 SSR primers were used to assess the genetic diversity of 62 common wild rice individuals from Zhangpu County of Fujian Province and Hainan Province and The results indicated that common wild rice in Zhangpu County Fujian Province had a high level of genetic diversity.74 alleles were detected from 21 loci,A=3.5238,Ae=2.0629,He=0.4635,Ho=0.2465,I=0.7918.t estimated by the fixation index(F=0.4304)was 0.3982,it suggested that the mating system of common wild rice in Zhangpu County of Fujian Province was a type of cross-pollinate system with a high self-breeding rate.For degree of differentiation,Shitanhu population was higher than Gutang population.
Trends of vasopressor using in medical intensive care unit: a 7-year cohort study

The use of vasopressor was common in medical intensive care unit (MICU). Due to the lack of conclusive evidence in superiority in efficacy among various types of vasopressors, the choice of vasopressor use mainly depends on the physician preference.
The problem scar

Control of scar formation is one of the most important objectives of medical science. For patients that manifest hyperkinetic, keloid or other problem scars, the need for effective therapy is particularly important. Over the past few years, new therapeutic strategies have been introduced and there are more on the horizon. This article briefly reviews the mode of action and clinical applications in the context of a general overview of useful strategies to control scar formation.
Kaczmarz Method for Solving Quadratic Equations

Estimating low-rank positive-semidefinite (PSD) matrices from symmetric rank-one measurements is of great importance in many applications, such as high-dimensional data processing, quantum state tomography, and phase retrieval. When the rank is known a priori , this problem can be regarded as solving a system of quadratic equations of a low-dimensional subspace. The authors develop a fast iterative algorithm based on an adaptation of the Kaczmarz method, which is traditionally used for solving overdetermined linear systems. In particular, the authors characterize the dynamics of the algorithm when the measurement vectors are composed of standard Gaussian entries in the online setting. Numerical simulations demonstrate the compelling performance of the proposed algorithm.
A rose by any other name: is stage 3a chronic kidney disease really a disease?

Experts have questioned the clinical relevance of early stage 3 chronic kidney disease, particularly in elderly individuals and in those without albuminuria. A recent study published in PLoS Medicine provides further evidence that many older adults with stage 3a chronic kidney disease will never worsen, whereas some may even improve. Despite limited generalizability, the results support the current, more nuanced classification of chronic kidney disease for use in clinical practice and in future epidemiologic research.
Biogeochemical cycling of Zn and Cd and their stable isotopes in the Eastern Tropical South Pacific

Abstract The distribution of Zn and Cd and their stable isotope ratios (δ66Zn and δ114Cd) were measured on samples from the Eastern Subtropical South Pacific Zonal Transect (EPZT), US GEOTRACES section GP16. The broad trends in both δ66Zn and δ114Cd are similar to those observed in other ocean basins, suggesting global similarities in the biogeochemical processes which cycle Zn and Cd. For example, average deep ocean δ66Zn along this transect (+ 0.46‰) are similar to the ~+0.5‰ values observed in the deep North Atlantic and North Pacific. Also similar to other locations, δ66Zn decreases towards the surface ocean. A plume of hydrothermal Zn emanating from the East Pacific Rise is used to calculate hydrothermal end-member δ66Zn as + 0.24‰, which is similar to crustal values and similar to other sources of Zn to the oceans. Average deep-ocean δ114Cd along this transect is + 0.28‰, which is similar to deep-ocean values between + 0.2 and + 0.3 measured elsewhere in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern Oceans. δ114Cd increases towards the surface ocean, as observed in other ocean basins, reflecting the preferential biological uptake of lighter Cd isotopes. Elsewhere it has been hypothesized that Cd can precipitate in sulfidic microenvironments on sinking particles, affecting seawater Cd concentrations and isotope ratios. However, we don't find evidence of particularly strong CdS precipitation along this transect, despite the fact that the Peru OMZ is one of the most reducing ocean environments worldwide.
Factors Contributing to Posttraumatic Growth in Iraq and Afghanistan Combat Veterans

ABSTRACTThe phenomenon of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and contributing factors were studied in a sample of 10 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans using a phenomenological methodology. Veterans were included in the study if they reported experiencing moderate to high levels of PTG in at least two of the five domains of growth identified in PTG literature. Through semi-structured interviews, participants reported that the factors which mostly contributed to their growth were: (a) remaining connected to veterans or the military, (b) connecting with others and feeling supported by loved ones, (c) working with a counselor, (d) time, and (e) developmental reading. Seven participants reported symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The narratives provided by participants indicate the importance for clinicians to ask clients about PTG, in addition to PTSD symptoms. This article concludes with the description of clinical implications for working with veterans who have experienced combat-related trauma, and reco...
Knowledge- and model-based ATR algorithms adaptation

One of the most critical problems in Automatic Target Recognition systems (ATR) is multi-scenario adaptation. Today's ATR systems perform unpredictably i.e perform well in certain scenarios, and they perform poorly in others. Unless ATR systems can be made adaptable, their utility in battlefield missions remain questionable. We have developed (under internal research and development) a novel concept called Knowledge and Model Based Algorithm Adaptation (KMBAA). KMBAA automatically adapts the ATR parameters as the scenario changes so that ATR can maintain optimum performance. The KMBAA approach has been tested with a non-real-time ATR simulation system and has demonstrated a significant improvement in detection, false alarm rate reduction and segmentation accuracy performance.
The Iterative Command

The while-loop in Pascal has the form “while B do S” and in PL/I the rather baroque form “DO WHILE ( B ); S END;” for a Boolean expression B and command S. S is sometimes called the body of the loop.
Richard Sylla, Hamilton: The Illustrated Biography

Abstract. In a time of renewed interested in Alexander Hamilton inliterature and art, recent attention reflects his near indispensable role in establishing the United States’ political institutions and economic system. Richard Sylla has written an illustrated biography that complements this renewed interest in Alexander Hamilton. Keywords. Political economy, Economic thought, Politics, Economic system. JEL. B10, L66, Q18.
THE TREATMENT OF TRAPEZIOMETACARPAL ARTHRITIS WITH ARTHRODESIS

SUMMARY In this article, the authors discussed the indications for TM arthrodesis, the surgical approach, the types of fixation, expected outcome, and complications. Fusion of the thumb TM joint allows maintenance of pinch and grip strength and provides relief of pain, but limits thumb mobility. An important factor in the success of the arthrodesis is correct thumb position. Trapeziometacarpal joint arthrodesis is advantageous over soft tissue interposition when grip and pinch strength are to be maintained. After TM fusion, however, there are increased stresses across the peritrapezial joints that can cause laxity, pain, and arthritis. Treatment of this may require additional surgical intervention. Treatment of TM arthritis with soft tissue interposition has the advantages of pain relief and increased mobility, but pinch and grip strength are reduced to approximately 75% of normal and rate of reoperation is minimal. The authors recommend TM arthrodesis in the young active person with arthritis limited to the TM joint in whom strong pinch and grip are required. Arthrodesis of the TM joint is safe and predictable and has good subjective and objective results.
Raman scattering from Ag and B1g phonons in Bi2Sr2Can-1CunO2n+4 (n=1,2).

Raman measurements were performed on intergrowth-free ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{6+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ (2:2:0:1) and ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ (2:2:1:2) crystals. The phonon spectra of both phases are similar; however, two lowest-frequency phonon lines corresponding to the 28- and 47-${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ lines in 2:2:1:2 were observed at 20 and 41 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ in 2:2:0:1, and, in both cases, these two Raman features appear exclusively in the z(yy)z\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} configuration. In addition, two weak ${\mathit{A}}_{\mathit{g}}$ lines at 109 and 129 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$, which are absent in spectra of 2:2:0:1, were resolved for 2:2:1:2. An overall assignment can be achieved by attributing the two lowest-frequency lines to the first- and second-order scattering features of the amplitude mode of the superstructural modulation, and the other lines to the optical-phonon modes of the distorted orthorhombic subcell. A careful comparison between the spectra of the single- and double-${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$-layer Bi compounds enables us to clarify some controversies on assigments of certain phonon modes, especially those in the ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ layer.
Circulatory Changes and Cerebral Blood Flow and Oxygenation During Transition in Newborns With Congenital Heart Disease

This review aims to describe how the complex events of cardiovascular transition may affect the brain of infants with congenital heart disease (CHD). In particular, we describe the vulnerabilities of the neonatal brain in the transitional period during and immediately after delivery and propose management strategies that can potentially influence neurodevelopmental outcomes in this patient population. Delayed brain development has been identified in the third trimester fetus with certain forms of CHD. Neonates with critical CHD are at risk for brain injury even before their neonatal operation. The transitional period from fetal to neonatal life is marked with hemodynamic changes that can affect cerebral blood flow and oxygenation and may exacerbate injury and influence outcome. We propose specific perinatal management strategies tailored to maternal-fetal pairs aimed at optimizing hemodynamic stability, especially cerebral blood flow and oxygenation, to maximize the neurodevelopmental potential of infants with CHD.
CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN LOCOMOTION

The human locomotive apparatus is fascinating in its versatility, sophistication and performance. Its main characteristic is versatility. The locomotive apparatus appears to be optimized for an enormous variety of activities, not just for a few specific ones. While many animals can outperform humans in specific situations, none can perform as well in a multitude of conditions. This has very important repercussions in the study of human locomotion. Given the complexity and flexibility of the human locomotive apparatus the characterization of all the possible kinds of human locomotion is a daunting task. For this reason often only very specific situations are analyzed; the most common is certainly walking on a flat, prepared surface: the normal, level gait or simply gait.
Opportunism and the WTO: Corporations, Academics and 'Member States'

The objective in this Chapter will be to offer a theory of opportunism for analyzing the WTO, including a perspective on WTO scholarship and its special role in facilitating the opportunism that characterizes the WTO generally. Much scholarly writing about the WTO and its 'law', it will be argued, does far more to obscure its true nature than to reveal it. The first and foundational form of opportunism is that of certain (private) transnational actors who provided the political impetus for the creation of the body to begin with. In particular, these are the transnational corporate interests able to enjoy enhanced profits as a result of the freer flow of goods and services worldwide. The needs of these interests were clearly reflected in the drafting of the Uruguay Round agreements, seen as a whole. A second form of opportunism is reflected in the writing of those academics who provide intellectual justification and support for the WTO; professional support of a kind required by all systems that allocate power and influence. Last, but perhaps most important, is the opportunism of the nation states (WTO 'members') that rely on the ultimately misleading state-to-state characteristic of the WTO to demonstrate strategic abilities in the course of disputes and general negotiation. In this sense, the WTO provides a stage for the acting out of national know-how. It is the fact of the content of the basic WTO laws - and what these laws established politically - that must be our principal concern. (More simply put, what did these laws as a totality set out to achieve?) Despite the often-made claims, post-1995 'trade law' is not in fact about comparative advantage of nation states. This cannot be emphasized enough. Rather, it is about the needs of transnational business as it seeks to influence or pre-empt certain distributions of wealth and power within nation states. It is most truly 'about' mobility of manufacturing, access to inexpensive labor and favorable tax regimes, and thus about diminishing the role of organized labor and regulatory oversight within developed states. The legal events of 1995 created a system worthy of the ambitions of these key actors - transnational business, academics and nation states.
Catabolism of Nitroaromatic Compounds

Nitroaromatic compounds, though rare in nature, are versatile and favored tools of the synthetic chemist and became widely distributed in the biosphere after the advent of the industrial revolution. Compounds such as nitrobenzene (NB) consistently rank among the most commonly used industrial chemicals in the world, because it is the gateway to the production of aniline and thus to dyes, resins, inks, and rubber. Dinitrotoluene (DNT) is similarly the precursor to toluenediisocyanate which in turn is the major monomer used to manufacture polyurethane foams, elastomers, and coatings. 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) became the most widely used military explosive in the world shortly after the development of practical methods to manufacture substantial quantities of the explosive. Other nitroaromatic compounds have gained widespread use as pesticides and herbicides.
Sincerely Yours. Towards a Phenomenology of Me

Here I am - for you. How does Levinas describe and analyse this amazing discovery? What does it imply about my ipseity and why should mutual respect be founded in a double (chiastic) asymmetry ? This contribution takes up these questions by sketching Levinas's accounts of the economic and ethical subject , clarifying the me aning of asymmetric height in relation to the evocation of the height of the 'Most High ', and then delineating the sense of the term 'passivity '. The author argues that radical passivity must be understood as 'patience ', not as an 'ontological ' passiv- ity whose meaning is drawn from impersonal phenomena . In this way, the central Levinasian insight, that responsibility does not derive from a self-sufficient subject in relation to objects or even from a subject dependent on a medium or being in which it is immersed, is able to be preserved without a complacent or merely passive acceptance of evil or suffering . From the analysis of the patient self , consideration then turns to the question of whether and how a phenomenology of 'me' is possible. The notion of 'election ' comes to the fore as the moment in which 'I' in relation to you am given a more direct access to experience and expression of myself and my own concern for myself, without yet eclipsing or debasing the height of the Other.
Thermal Conductivity of Solids at Low Temperatures

There are three main types of solids whose thermal conductivity is important in the design of cryogenic apparatus: pure metals, alloys and disordered dielectrics. Representative conductivity curves are given in Figure 1. Several relations can be pointed out briefly: Near the conductivity maximum, around 20°K, metals have a conductivity 100 times as large as the alloys. The alloys themselves differ by a factor of ten in their conductivities at those temperatures. The disordered dielectrics like glass and plastics have very low conductivities; but in contrast, the crystal dielectrics like sapphire have a very high conductivity. It should also be noted that the temperature dependences as well as the absolute magnitudes of the conductivities of these three materials are different.
Relief of anxiety and related emotions in patients with gastrointestinal disorders. A double-blind controlled study.

Diagnosis of functional gastrointestinal disorder with significant anxiety overlay was the basis for selecting 52 subjects for a double-blind study of adjunctive administration of diazepam versus placebo, conjointly with propantheline bromide. Random division of subjects resulted in well matched groups with respect to age, sex, weight and initial symptomatology. Greater relief of anxiety and related symptoms was obtained from treatment with diazepam than with placebo. Mean global ratings indicated progressive improvement in all patients, with greater effects among diazepam-treated subjects by the end of the first week of test medication. The most commonly encountered side effects were dryness of mouth (attributed to the anticholinergic agent) and drowsiness (affecting 8 subjects on diazepam and 1 on placebo); in no case was a side effect so severe that trial medication had to be discontinued.
Local Decision Pitfalls in Interactive Machine Learning: An Investigation into Feature Selection in Sentiment Analysis

Tools for Interactive Machine Learning (IML) enable end users to update models in a “rapid, focused, and incremental”—yet local—manner. In this work, we study the question of local decision making in an IML context around feature selection for a sentiment classification task. Specifically, we characterize the utility of interactive feature selection through a combination of human-subjects experiments and computational simulations. We find that, in expectation, interactive modification fails to improve model performance and may hamper generalization due to overfitting. We examine how these trends are affected by the dataset, learning algorithm, and the training set size. Across these factors we observe consistent generalization issues. Our results suggest that rapid iterations with IML systems can be dangerous if they encourage local actions divorced from global context, degrading overall model performance. We conclude by discussing the implications of our feature selection results to the broader area of IML systems and research.
Development and epigenetic plasticity of murine Müller glia

The ability to regenerate the entire retina and restore lost sight after injury is found in some species and relies mostly on the epigenetic plasticity of Muller glia. To understand the role of mammalian Muller glia as a source of progenitors for retinal regeneration, we investigated changes in gene expression during differentiation of retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) into Muller glia and analyzed the global epigenetic profile of adult Muller glia. We observed significant changes in gene expression during differentiation of RPCs into Muller glia in only a small group of genes and found a high similarity between RPCs and Muller glia on the transcriptomic and epigenomic levels. Our findings also indicate that Muller glia are epigenetically very close to late-born retinal neurons, but not early-born retinal neurons. Importantly, we found that key genes required for phototransduction were highly methylated. Thus, our data suggest that Muller glia are epigenetically very similar to late RPCs; however, obstacles for regeneration of the entire mammalian retina from Muller glia may consist of repressive chromatin and highly methylated DNA in the promoter regions of many genes required for the development of early-born retinal neurons. In addition, DNA demethylation may be required for proper reprogramming and differentiation of Muller glia into rod photoreceptors.
Survey of AI in Cybersecurity for Information Technology Management

Cybersecurity has become an emerging challenge for business information management in recent years. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is widely used in different field, but it is still relatively new in cybersecurity. However, the applications in cybersecurity is crucial for everyone’s daily life. In this paper, we introduce the current state of AI in cybersecurity field, and then describe several case studies and applications of AI to help the community including engineering managers and leaders, researchers, educators, innovators, entrepreneurs, and students to better understand this field, such as the challenges and unresolved issues of AI in cybersecurity. Managerial implications and policy recommendations are provided for business and government.
A Pain eHealth Platform for Engaging Obese, Older Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain in Nonpharmacological Pain Treatments: Protocol for a Pilot Feasibility Study.

Background: Low back pain is a costly healthcare problem and the leading cause of disability among adults in the United States. Primary care providers urgently need effective ways to deliver evidence-based, nonpharmacological therapies for chronic low back pain. Guidelines published by several government and national organizations have recommended nonpharmacological and nonopioid pharmacological therapies for low back pain. Objective: The Pain eHealth Platform (PEP) pilot trial aims to test the feasibility of a highly innovative intervention that (1) uses an electronic health record (EHR) query to systematically identify a phenotype of obese, older adults with chronic low back pain who may benefit from Web-based behavioral treatments; (2) delivers highly tailored messages to eligible older adults with chronic low back pain via the patient portal; (3) links affected patients to a Web app that provides education on the efficacy of evidence-based, nonpharmacological, behavioral pain treatments; and (4) directs patients to existing Web-based health treatment tools. Methods: Using a three-step modified Delphi method, an expert panel of primary care providers will define a low back pain phenotype for an EHR query. Using the defined low back pain phenotype, an EHR query will be created to identify patients who may benefit from the PEP. Up to 15 patients with low back pain will be interviewed to refine the tailored messaging, esthetics, and content of the patient-facing Web app within the PEP. Up to 10 primary care providers will be interviewed to better understand the facilitators and barriers to implementing the PEP, given their clinic workflow. We will assess the feasibility of the PEP in a single-arm pragmatic pilot study in which secure patient portal invitations containing a hyperlink to the PEP Web app are sent to 1000 patients. The primary outcome of the study is usability as measured by the System Usability Scale. Results: Qualitative interviews with primary care providers were completed in April 2019. Qualitative interviews with patients will begin in December 2019. Conclusions: The PEP will leverage informatics and the patient portal to deliver evidence-based nonpharmacological treatment information to adults with chronic low back pain. Results from this study may help inform the development of Web-based health platforms for other pain and chronic health conditions.
Blood pressure during sleep is associated with arterial stiffness and urine microalbumin to creatinine ratio in youth with type 1 diabetes.

Abstract Aims To determine whether sleep blood pressure (BP) is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Methods We enrolled youth with T1DM, 12–21 years old. Carotid-femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (PWVcf) assessed arterial stiffness, a CVD marker. Sleep systolic and diastolic BP variables were obtained from 24-hour BP Monitoring. Linear regression models analyzed the relationship of each BP variable with PWVcf, adjusted for HbA1c. Correlation of sleep BP with urine microalbumin-to-creatinine ratio (UAC) was examined. Results Nocturnal hypertension was found in 36% and abnormal dipping in 48% of the 25 participants, aged 17.7 ± 2.2 years old. Sleep systolic BP [beta = 0.039, 95% Confidence Interval (CI; 0.006–0.073)], diastolic BP [beta = 0.058, 95% CI (0.003–0.114)], Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) [beta = 0.075, 95% CI (0.018–0.131)] and MAP index [beta = 3.547, 95% CI (0.867–6.227)] were significantly associated with PWVcf. Sleep diastolic BP, load, MAP correlated with UAC. Conclusions Blood pressure alterations during sleep are common in youth with T1DM and they are associated with arterial stiffness and UAC. Larger studies are needed to confirm our results and examine whether interventions that target sleep and night-time BP could decrease CVD risk.
The New Reality of the Object: From Phenomenology to Realism

In this chapter Johns uses phenomenology as a critical weapon against the theory of a realism of objects existing beyond our consciousness of them. The representation and distinction of one object amongst others is seen as a pragmatic trope; stemming from practical necessity and not ontological necessity. However, Johns is dubious of this claim and asks whether an object can have a plethora of uses that are not strictly pragmatic (for human theory and praxis). Johns discovers that, not only does an object use other objects, and not only does an object simply function as a use for human theory and praxis, but an object may come into contact with its internal components, or the general environment may utilise the object in an unexpected way (think weather conditions or scientific experiments with objects). Johns then makes similarities between this conclusion and Graham Harman’s notion of an object-oriented ontology.
Identification and Modeling of a Variable Amplitude Fatigue Experiment Apparatus with Damaged Beam Specimen

The useful remaining life of engineering structures under variable amplitude (VA) fatigue loading remains a major unresolved engineering problem. The existing proposed life prediction models are usually based on empirical approximation from experimental results (Fatemi, Yang Int J Fatigue 20(1):9–34, 1998, Santecchia et al. Adv Mater Sci Eng 2016:1–26, 2016). The variable fatigue experiment apparatus in this extended abstract was designed for simulating structural fatigue with a high testing frequency, variable R-ratio as well as modifiable experimental layout (Falco et al. J Vib Acoust 136(4):041001, 2014). In previous studies, the inherent nonlinearity of the testing rig was detected, the obtained parameters allow one to properly use this testing rig within its linear region. As damage accumulates, however, the corresponding dynamic characteristics of the specimen alter accordingly. Therefore, proper modeling considering the interaction between the inherent nonlinearity and the damage induced nonlinearity for both (1) opening crack and (2) breathing crack is necessary for future fatigue life estimation under complex fatigue loading. Here, nonlinear system identification of the lately modified variable amplitude fatigue experiment apparatus is presented based on a combination of first-principles and data-driven modeling techniques. Eventually, structure-damage interaction dynamics will be described to model the underlying fatigue evolution and structural dynamics interactions.
Entropy: The Evolution of a Concept

Entropy has been, and continues to be, one of the most misunderstood of physical concepts. This is because entropy is a quantification of one’s state of ignorance about a system rather than a quantification of some aspect of a system itself. In this talk I will begin by looking back at the history of entropy tracking the evolution of thought from Carnot’s generalized heat engine, Lord Kelvin’s temperature scale, Clausius’ entropy, to Boltzmann’s counting of microstates. This evolution in thought then took significant leaps as the concept of Shannon’s information was introduced and Jaynes, realizing that this was a matter of inductive inference, introduced the principle of maximum entropy. The concept of entropy continues to evolve as demonstrated by the relation between entropy and the relevance of questions. As a result, the future holds great promise as information-theoretic and entropic methods are justifiably and confidently applied to new problems in new domains far beyond those involving thermodynamics, statistical mechanics and communication theory. And we will see entropic techniques employed in new technologies, such as question-asking machines.
Successful treatment of palmoplantar psoriasis with chemical peeling and gentian violet.

Palmoplantar psoriasis (PPP) remains a difficult dermatologic disorder to treat, even in the age of biologics. This condition causes significant morbidity in that it can interfere with a patient's ability to work as well as walk. We present a patient who has had an excellent response using a combination of 40% trichloroacetic acid (TCA) peels and gentian violet. This provides proof of principle that this technique can be used more widely to treat palmoplantar psoriasis.
Estimation of crop evapotranspiration from MODIS data by combining random forest and trapezoidal models

Abstract Evapotranspiration (ET) is an important parameter for crop growth monitoring and land surface modeling. This paper proposed a new workflow, namely ESVEP-RF, to calculate ET during the crop growing season using MODIS data by combining the advantages of the trapezoidal model and Random Forest (RF) algorithm. In ESVEP-RF, the endmember-based soil and vegetation energy partitioning (ESVEP) model was first used to calculate a series of parameters from MODIS and meteorological inputs, and then all parameters derived from remote sensing data, meteorological data and ESVEP models were used as inputs to the RF algorithm for latent heat flux (LE) calculation. In-situ data of 12 years (2003–2012, 2018 and 2019) from five flux towers located in Nebraska (NE) and Michigan (MI) were used to test the performance of ESVEP-RF, and results showed that ESVEP-RF had great potential to accurately calculate ET when the number of training samples was sufficient and representative. In 2010 and 2011, R2 of LE were around 0.8 and RMSE were around 70 W/m2, which outperformed original ESVEP model results. This indicated that the RF algorithm could better describe the non-linear correlation between in LST/FVC space endmembers and LE. Among all parameters, LAI, PLEv and R-vw had high contribution with percentage importance of 18.49%, 15.71% and 13.57%, respectively. Furthermore, all samples between 2003 and 2012 collected from the three NE sites were used to train RF models and then calculate LE for both NE and MI sites in 2018 and 2019. In NE sites, RMSE was around 65 W/m2 and R2 was around 0.8. In MI sites, it was noted that no samples from these sites were included in the training data set, and RMSE was around 70 W/m2 and R2 was higher than 0.7. These results showed the potential of ESVEP-RF for providing up-to-date ET information.