cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
VR/AR Immersive Communication: Caching, Edge Computing, and Transmission Trade-Offs

We study the delivery of 360°-navigable videos to 5G VR/AR wireless clients in future cooperative multi-cellular systems. A collection of small-cell base stations interconnected via back-haul links are sharing their caching and computing resources to maximize the aggregate reward they earn by serving 360° videos requested by VR/AR wireless clients. We design an efficient representation method to construct the 360° videos such that they only deliver the remote scene viewpoint content genuinely needed by the VR/AR user, thereby overcoming the present highly inefficient approach of sending a bulky 360° video, whose major part comprises scene information never accessed by the user. Moreover, we design an optimization framework that allows the base stations to select cooperative caching/rendering/streaming strategies that maximize the aggregate reward they earn when serving the users, for the given caching/computational resources at each base station. We formulate the problem of interest as integer programming, show its NP-hardness, and derive a fully-polynomial-time approximation solution with strong performance guarantees. Our advances demonstrate orders of magnitude operational efficiency gains over state-of-the-art caching and 360° video representation mechanisms and are very promising. This is a first-of-its-kind study to explore fundamental trade-offs between caching, computing, and communication for emerging VR/AR applications of broad societal impact.
The Democratization of Data Science Education

Over the last three decades, data have become ubiquitous and cheap. This transition has accelerated over the last five years and training in statistics, machine learning, and data analysis has stru...
SOFRITAS: Serializable Ordering-Free Regions for Increasing Thread Atomicity Scalably

Correctly synchronizing multithreaded programs is challenging and errors can lead to program failures such as atomicity violations. Existing strong memory consistency models rule out some possible failures, but are limited by depending on programmer-defined locking code. We present the new Ordering-Free Region (OFR) serializability consistency model that ensures atomicity for OFRs, which are spans of dynamic instructions between consecutive ordering constructs (e.g., barriers), without breaking atomicity at lock operations. Our platform, Serializable Ordering-Free Regions for Increasing Thread Atomicity Scalably (SOFRITAS), ensures a C/C++ program's execution is equivalent to a serialization of OFRs by default. We build two systems that realize the SOFRITAS idea: a concurrency bug finding tool for testing called SOFRITEST, and a production runtime system called SOPRO. SOFRITEST uses OFRs to find concurrency bugs, including a multi-critical-section atomicity violation in memcached that weaker consistency models will miss. If OFR's are too coarse-grained, SOFRITEST suggests refinement annotations automatically. Our software-only SOPRO implementation has high performance, scales well with increased parallelism, and prevents failures despite bugs in locking code. SOFRITAS has an average overhead of just 1.59x on a single-threaded execution and 1.51x on sixteen threads, despite pthreads' much weaker memory model.
P031 : NO MORE POOLED POSITIVE CONTROL SERUM: POSITIVE CONTROL SERUM FOR THE STANDARDIZATION OF HLA LABORATORY ASSAYS USING A COMBINATION OF CHIMERIC MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES AGAINST HLA AND AB NEGATIVE SERUM

Introduction and Aim The majority of the Histocompatibility labs use sera that are pooled from sensitized individuals as positive control for the HLA antibodies testing by solid phase or cell based assays. Random pooling of sera requires many attempts to adjust the ranges and the number of HLA antibodies to cover the majority of the Class I and Class II antigens. Recently, chimeric monoclonal antibodies against HLA Class I and Class II have been described (Congy-Jolivet N. et al., J Immunol Methods 390(1–2), 41–51) and became available commercially (InvivoGen, USA). In this study we aimed to use a combination of the chimeric antibodies and the AB negative serum to generate more standardized positive control suitable for Flow cytometric based assay and solid phase based assays. Methods Chimeric antibodies directed to Class I and Class II were reconstituted in sterile water according to the manufacturer instruction, and then several dilutions were made in AB negative serum. All the dilutions were tested initially with flow cytometric based assay followed by solid phase assays. Selected dilutions were aliquoted and stored at − 80 °C. Stored frozen positive sera were at different time interval to test the stability of the antibodies. Results and conclusions Positive control generated by combining chimeric HLA antibodies and AB Neg testing in Solid phase assays and cell based assays were comparable to our current pooled positive sera. In addition the stability of this positive control is not altered with storage. This positive control could be a better alternative to pooled positive sera.
Religion and the Plastic Surgeon: an Imam, a Minister, and a Rabbi Walk into a Surgical Centre.

Cultural competency has become a keystone in forming a successful doctor–patient relationship to provide culturally appropriate services that respect patients’ ethno-cultural beliefs, values, attitudes, and conventions. In cosmetic surgery, an often-overlooked aspect of a patient’s cultural is his and her religious beliefs. In response to this paucity of resources for cosmetic surgeons to enable them to properly service their religious patients, this project was undertaken. This review article covers the three main Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and was written with the assistance of a prominent bioethicist from each religion (see Acknowledgements). In discussing each religion, the article has been divided into two sections. The first section is a general overview of the religion’s relationship with cosmetic surgery as summary provided by the consulting bioethicist. The second portion is an annotated review of additional resources providing the reader further details on that religion. For example, our bioethicists provide a general perspective on Christianity as a whole, and the annotated review focuses on differences between Catholics and Protestants. We recognize the heterogeneity that is inherent in religion and the cultural and geographic biases that affect it. However, we aim to provide the reader a broad and basic foundation of the relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam with cosmetic surgery to begin to create common ground between the physician and the patient and improve the process of shared decision-making and thus our outcomes. This paper should be seen as a foundation to build upon rather than an authoritative source, and specific patient concerns should be addressed with the patient’s own religious advisor. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
The British in Interwar Germany: The Reluctant Occupiers, 1918–30. By David G. Williamson. (New York, NY: Bloomsbury, 2017. Pp. xxi, 337. $114.00.)

The occupation of Germany after the First World War remains an understudied subject, a fact that seems ironic in light of the strong scholarly interest in the making and unmaking of the Treaty of V...
Causal Network Modeling of the Determinants of Drinking Behavior in Comorbid Alcohol Use and Anxiety Disorder.

Background Anxiety and depression disorders (internalizing psychopathology) occur in approximately 50% of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and mark a 2-fold increase in the rate of relapse in the months following treatment. In a previous study using network modeling, we found that perceived stress and drinking to cope (DTC) with negative affect were central to maintaining network associations between internalizing psychopathology INTP and drinking in comorbid individuals. Here, we extend this approach to a causal framework. Methods Measures of INTP, drinking urges/behavior, abstinence self-efficacy, and DTC were obtained from 362 adult AUD treatment patients who had a co-occurring anxiety disorder. Data were analyzed using a machine-learning algorithm ("Greedy Fast Causal Inference"[ GFCI]) that infers paths of causal influence while identifying potential influences associated with unmeasured ("latent") variables. Results DTC with negative affect served as a central hub for 2 distinct causal paths leading to drinking behavior, (i) a direct syndromic pathway originating with social anxiety and (ii) an indirect stress pathway originating with perceived stress. Conclusions Findings expand the field's knowledge of the paths of influence that lead from internalizing disorder to drinking in AUD as shown by the first application in psychopathology of a powerful network analysis algorithm (GFCI) to model these causal relationships.
Determination of Key Drivers of Patient Experience in a Midsize Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Ambulatory Clinic.

Background: Patient perception of care is positively associated with better medical outcomes, clinician job satisfaction, and fewer malpractice claims and also has significant downstream economic impact for healthcare organizations. A sparse amount of data exists regarding provider and practice characteristics driving high levels of patient experience in the pediatric hematology-oncology (PHO) ambulatory setting. The aims of this study were to determine key drivers of high care provider ratings and of the likelihood of recommending our ambulatory PHO practice. Methods: Patient experience was measured using the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Clinician & Group Survey (CG-CAHPS). The study outcomes were to determine the survey items most associated with top-box scores for “Rate This Provider” and for “Likelihood of Your Recommending Our Practice to Others.” Results: The survey items Explanations the care provider gave you about your problem or condition and Concern the care provider showed for your questions or worries were most strongly correlated with high provider ratings. How well the staff worked together to care for you and Friendliness/courtesy of nurse/assistant were most strongly correlated with the likelihood of recommending the practice. Conclusion: High provider ratings were most associated with the physician’s ability to explain problems and conditions to families. Staff teamwork and nursing attitude were most associated with patient recommendations of the PHO practice. By identifying key drivers of high provider and practice ratings by patients in the PHO ambulatory setting, a targeted approach with a focus on physician-specific communication attributes, teamwork, and nursing attitude can be deployed to improve the patient experience.
Pornography and Indian miniature painting: the case of Avadh, India

This article investigates miniature paintings produced in Avadh, India, during the reign of the nawabs of Avadh (r. 1722–1856) that have been consequently labelled as pornography. My case studies i...
Complementary and Integrative Medicine for Episodic Migraine: an Update of Evidence from the Last 3 Years

The purpose of this review is to evaluate evidence from the last 3 years on complementary and integrative medicine treatment options for episodic migraine. Using Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases, research published from 2015-2018 evaluating the modalities of mind/body therapies, supplements, and manual therapies for treatment of migraine were assessed. Although many studies had major methodological challenges that limit interpretation, several studies reported decreased headache frequency, improved quality of life, or less affective responses to pain. The evidence is currently most promising for the mind/body treatment options of mindfulness, yoga, and tai chi. Mindfulness meditation may be as effective as pharmacological treatment for medication-overuse headache after the offending medication is withdrawn. While older research has shown magnesium, riboflavin, feverfew, and butterbur to be helpful in migraine treatment, new research is promising to suggest potential benefit with melatonin, vitamin D, higher dosages of vitamin B6 (80 mg)/folic acid 5 mg combinations, and the combination of magnesium 112.5 mg/CoQ10 100 mg/feverfew 100 mg. Omega 3s have limited evidence of efficacy in migraine. Butterbur needs to be free of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) to ensure safety given their hepatotoxicity. Physical therapy (PT) continues to have strong evidence of support, and acupuncture is superior to sham acupuncture and placebo. Side effects and risks reported were minimal and well tolerated overall, with the exception of the life-threatening risk of cervical artery dissection with high-velocity chiropractic manipulation and hepatotoxicity with the PAs in butterbur. Several studies are ongoing to further evaluate mindfulness, melatonin, PT, exercise, chiropractic manipulation, and acupuncture. The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and American Headache Society (AHS) are currently updating the guidelines for integrative treatment options for migraine, so additional recommendations may be available soon. In conclusion, many complementary and integrative treatment options may be helpful for patients with migraines, and understanding potential efficacy, benefits, and risks can help providers discuss these modalities with their patients. Such a conversation can empower patients, build the therapeutic relationship, and increase self-efficacy, thus improving outcomes and patient-centered care.
Identifying Cases of Metastatic Prostate Cancer Using Machine Learning on Electronic Health Records

Cancer stage is rarely captured in structured form in the electronic health record (EHR). We evaluate the performance of a classifier, trained on structured EHR data, in identifying prostate cancer patients with metastatic disease. Using EHR data for a cohort of 5,861 prostate cancer patients mapped to the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) data model, we constructed feature vectors containing frequency counts of conditions, procedures, medications, observations and laboratory values. Staging information from the California Cancer Registry was used as the ground-truth. For identifying patients with metastatic disease, a random forest model achieved precision and recall of 0.90, 0.40 using data within 12 months of diagnosis. This compared to precision 0.33, recall 0.54 for an ICD code-based query. High-precision classifiers using hundreds of structured data elements significantly outperform ICD queries, and may assist in identifying cohorts for observational research or clinical trial matching.
Mechanisms of Resistance to Monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs) in Lymphoid Malignancies

Passive immunotherapy with therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has revolutionized the treatment of cancer, especially hematological malignancies over the last 20 years. While use of mAbs has improved outcomes, development of resistance is inevitable in most cases, hindering the long-term survival of cancer patients. This review focuses on the available data on mechanisms of resistance to rituximab and includes some additional information for other mAbs currently in use in hematological malignancies. Mechanisms of resistance have been identified that target all described mechanisms of mAb activity including altered antigen expression or binding, impaired complement-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) or antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), altered intracellular signaling effects, and inhibition of direct induction of cell death. Numerous approaches to circumvent identified mechanisms of resistance continue to be investigated, but a thorough understanding of which resistance mechanisms are most clinically relevant is still elusive. In recent years, a deeper understanding of the tumor microenvironment and targeting the apoptotic pathway has led to promising breakthroughs. Resistance may be driven by unique patient-, disease-, and antibody-related factors. Understanding the mechanisms of resistance to mAbs will guide the development of strategies to overcome resistance and re-sensitize cancer cells to these biological agents.
Button Battery Ingestion: The Battery That Is Not as Cute as a Button

Button batteries lodged in the mucosal tract cause caustic injury, mucosal ulceration, and, if impacted long enough, perforation. The esophagus is the most common site for impaction. The severity of esophageal damage is determined by the length of time that the battery is lodged in place, the amount of electrical charge remaining in the battery, and the size of the battery.
Novel Chimeric Immuno-Oncolytic Virus CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1 for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer.

Background Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is fatal. Our preclinical study presents an effective treatment against PDAC PC using a novel oncolytic viral agent, CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1. Study Design CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1 is a genetically engineered chimeric orthopoxvirus, CF33, armed with the human Sodium Iodide Symporter (hNIS) and anti-PD-L1 antibody (anti-PD-L1). The in vitro cytotoxic ability of this virus against 5 PDAC cell lines was tested at various doses (multiplicity of infection [MOI] = 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10). Production and blockade function of virus-encoded anti-PD-L1 antibody were verified using immunoblot, immunoprecipitation, and PD-1/PD-L1 bioassay. In vivo mouse models of PC, with or without subcutaneous (SC) tumors, created by injecting AsPC-1-ffluc cells into nude mice, were treated with PBS or a single dose (1×105 plaque-forming units) of either intraperitoneal (IP) or IV injection of CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1. Mice with PC tumors were treated on days 0, 2, or 14 after tumor implantation. Results CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1 killed PDAC cells in a dose-dependent manner, achieving >90% cell killing by day 8. Cells infected with CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1 produced bioactive anti-PD-L1 antibody, which blocked PD-1/PD-L1 interaction. In vivo, a single dose of virus reduced tumor burden and prolonged survival of treated mice. It was observed that IP administration of CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1 was more effective than IV administration. Conclusions CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1 virus is effective in infecting and killing human PDACs and producing functional anti-PD-L1 antibody. Intraperitoneal delivery of CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1 effectively reduces peritoneal tumor burden and improves survival after only 1 dose and is superior to IV delivery.
New Crocodylomorph Material from the Fayum Depression, Egypt, Including the First Occurrence of a Sebecosuchian in African Late Eocene Deposits

During the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods, the Earth experienced tectonic and climatic changes, which included continental drift following the breakup of the supercontinents Gondwana and Laurasia...
Meeting a Physical Activity Guideline in Preschool and School Readiness: A Program Evaluation

This study evaluates if the Kiddie Children and Teachers on the Move physical activity (PA) program improves the proportion of days meeting the Institute of Medicine (IOM) PA guideline, and whether meeting the guideline is correlated with improvement in school readiness. Thirteen Head Start-affiliated pre-kindergarten classrooms participated in this study. Minutes per hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and proportion of days meeting the IOM PA guideline were examined across three types of intervention days: days during a non-intervention period, non-program days during the intervention period, and program days during the intervention period. Children displayed increasingly more MVPA and a greater proportion of days meeting the IOM guideline from non-intervention days to non-program days, and from non-program days to program days. Proportion of days meeting the guideline significantly predicted improvement in school readiness in five of six domains. Examination of program fidelity indicated the program was run with high fidelity.
The duality of PRDM proteins: epigenetic and structural perspectives.

PRDF1 and RIZ1 homology domain containing (PRDMs) are a subfamily of Kruppel-like zinc finger proteins controlling key processes in metazoan development and in cancer. PRDMs exhibit unique dualities: (a) PR domain/ZNF arrays-their structure combines a SET-like domain known as a PR domain, typically found in methyltransferases, with a variable array of C2H2 zinc fingers (ZNF) characteristic of DNA-binding transcription factors; (b) transcriptional activators/repressors-their physiological function is context- and cell-dependent; mechanistically, some PRDMs have a PKMT activity and directly catalyze histone lysine methylation, while others are rather pseudomethyltransferases and act by recruiting transcriptional cofactors; (c) oncogenes/tumor suppressors-their pathological function depends on the specific PRDM isoform expressed during tumorigenesis. This duality is well known as the 'Yin and Yang' of PRDMs and involves a complex regulation of alternative splicing or alternative promoter usage, to generate full-length or PR-deficient isoforms with opposing functions in cancer. In conclusion, once their dualities are fully appreciated, PRDMs represent a promising class of targets in oncology by virtue of their widespread upregulation across multiple tumor types and their somatic dispensability, conferring a broad therapeutic window and limited toxic side effects. The recent discovery of a first-in-class compound able to inhibit PRDM9 activity has paved the way for the identification of further small molecular inhibitors able to counteract PRDM oncogenic activity.
Recent Advances and Applications of Passive Harmonic RFID Systems: A Review.

Harmonic Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems have attracted significant interest over the last decade as it provides many benefits over the conventional RFID systems. Harmonic RFID is desired over conventional RFID systems due to reduced self-jamming, location accuracy from dual frequency, and higher phase noise immunity. In a harmonic RFID system, the tag receives instructions from the reader at an RF carrier frequency and replies back at the harmonic of the RF frequency. A nonlinear element consuming very low power at the tag is required to generate the harmonic carrier for the battery-less system. In this review article, a detailed contrast between conventional and harmonic RFID systems is presented. This is followed by different circuit design techniques to generate harmonics and integration techniques to form a fully operable passive harmonic RFID tag. Also, a wide range of applications, especially sensor integration with harmonic RFID’s, along with the future trends are presented.
Do Narcotic Use, Physical Therapy Location, or Payer Type Predict Patient-Reported Outcomes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction?

Background:Opioid use and public insurance have been correlated with worse outcomes in a number of orthopaedic surgeries. These factors have not been investigated with anterior cruciate ligament re...
Bias-correcting carbon fluxes derived from land-surface satellite data for retrospective and near-real-time assimilation systems

Abstract. The ability to monitor and understand natural and anthropogenic variability in atmospheric carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) is a growing need of many stakeholders across the world. Systems that assimilate satellite observations, given their short latency and dense spatial coverage, into high-resolution global models are valuable, if not essential, tools for addressing this need. A notable drawback of modern assimilation systems is the long latency of many vital input datasets; for example, inventories, in situ measurements, and reprocessed remote-sensing data can trail the current date by months to years. This paper describes techniques for bias-correcting surface fluxes derived from satellite observations of the Earth's surface to be consistent with constraints from inventories and in situ CO2 datasets. The techniques are applicable in both short-term forecasts and retrospective simulations, thus taking advantage of the coverage and short latency of satellite data while reproducing the major features of long-term inventory and in situ records. Our approach begins with a standard collection of diagnostic fluxes which incorporate a variety of remote-sensing driver data, viz. vegetation indices, fire radiative power, and nighttime lights. We then apply an empirical sink so that global budgets of the diagnostic fluxes match given atmospheric and oceanic growth rates for each year. This step removes coherent, systematic flux errors that produce biases in CO2 which mask the signals an assimilation system hopes to capture. Depending on the simulation mode, the empirical sink uses different choices of atmospheric growth rates: estimates based on observations in retrospective mode and projections based on seasonal forecasts of sea surface temperature in forecasting mode. The retrospective fluxes, when used in simulations with NASA's Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS), reproduce marine boundary layer measurements with comparable skill to those using fluxes from a modern inversion system. The forecasted fluxes show promising accuracy in their application to the analysis of changes in the carbon cycle as they occur.
The Association of Delayed Care With Depression Among US Middle-Aged and Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Analysis.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the depression level among US adults has significantly increased. Age disparity in depression during the pandemic has been reported in recent studies. Delay or avoidance of medical care is one of the collateral damages associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and it can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression and delayed care among US middle-aged adults and older adults during the pandemic, as well as investigate the association of delayed care with depression among those 2 age groups. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) COVID-19 Project (Early, Version 1.0). Univariate analyses, bivariate analyses, and binary logistic regression were applied. US adults older than 46 years were included. Depression was measured by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form (CIDI-SF). Delayed care was measured by the following 4 items: delayed surgery, delayed seeing a doctor, delayed dental care, and other delayed care. RESULTS: A total of 3246 participants were identified. More than half of the participants were older than 65 years (n=1890, 58.2%), and 274 (8.8%) participants had depression during the pandemic. Delayed dental care was positively associated with depression among both middle-aged adults (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.04-4.03; P=.04) and older adults (OR 3.08, 95% CI 1.07-8.87; P=.04). Delayed surgery was positively associated with depression among older adults (OR 3.69, 95% CI 1.06-12.90; P=.04). Self-reported pain was positively related to depression among both age groups. Middle-aged adults who reported higher education levels (some college or above) or worse self-reported health had a higher likelihood of having depression. While perceived more loneliness was positively associated with depression among older adults, financial difficulty was positively associated with depression among middle-aged adults. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that depression was prevalent among middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic. The study highlighted the collateral damage of the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying the association of delayed surgery and dental care with depression during the pandemic. Although surgery and dental care cannot be delivered by telehealth, telehealth services can still be provided to address patients' concerns on delayed surgery and dental care. Moreover, the implementation of telemental health services is needed to address mental health symptoms among US middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic. Future research that uses more comprehensive measurements for delayed care is needed to decipher the path through which delayed care is associated with depression.
Given B. De Finetti’s Conclusion that 'Probability (Objective) Does not Exist', Then Rational Expectations Does not Exist Either

Rational Expectations is an approach to probability and expectations that was initiated by Muth in 1961. Muth’s concept is based on an immense muddle and confusion in his mind about subjective and objective concepts of probability that confuses subjective probability with objective probability. Like Nelson Goodman’s Grue concept, where the color green turns into the color blue at some point in the future, at some point rational expectationists claim that subjective probabilities become true, correct, right and objective. This is what they mean by the term rational. Rational is objective and/or true probability. This is impossible and demonstrates a great lack of knowledge about basic theories of probability. There is no existing theory of probability that supports the claims made by rational expectationists. There is no right(wrong), correct, true, or objective probability, probability distribution, or expectation if you assume that you are applying the subjective theory of probability. Likewise, all objective theories of probability deny the existence of subjective probability. This approach has infected the entire economics profession since the early 1970’s and created an even more immense muddle than was originally created by Muth in 1961.
Molecular approaches to heterogeneous catalysis

Abstract In most applications in industry involving catalysis, heterogeneous catalysts are preferred over their homogeneous counterparts when available. However, the former cannot be easily made as selective for complex chemical conversions as the latter. Selectivity requires control of the structural and electronic properties of the catalytic sites at a molecular level, and that is in general quite difficult to accomplish in solids. Nevertheless, a number of novel approaches have been advanced in recent years toward that goal. In this brief Perspective we provide a personal view of some of the avenues available to make highly selective heterogeneous catalysts. First, we discuss the possibility of tethering or otherwise immobilizing homogeneous catalysts on solid surfaces. Alternatively, molecular complexity can be added to solid surfaces via the adsorption of discrete modifiers. Isolated catalytic sites with unique molecular characteristics can also be created during or after the synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts. The structure of the exposed facets of solids can themselves be exploited to control catalytic performance. Finally, complex nanostructures such as Janus and core-shell nanoparticles can be synthesized and employed as scaffolds for multiple catalytic functionalities. A few examples of all of these methodologies, mainly from our own laboratory, are provided, and a discussion of the pros and cons of each approach is provided.
Seasonal and interannual drought responses of vegetation in a California urbanized area measured using complementary remote sensing indices

Abstract The effects of drought can manifest in vegetation across an array of physiological responses and time scales. In metropolitan areas, vegetation provides shading and cooling during hot and dry conditions, but these benefits can be reduced with drought. While many studies have evaluated interannual vegetation drought responses, these responses to drought can be expressed diversely across seasons, especially in cities that regularly experience seasonal drought (e.g., in Mediterranean climates). Here, we evaluated seasonal and interannual drought responses across the dominant types of urban trees and grasses in the Santa Barbara, California, USA metropolitan area, primarily using Landsat imagery acquired from 2010 to 2019 as well as repeat Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer - Classic (AVIRIS-C) imagery acquired 2013–2015. To track vegetation types, we produced a random forest classification from 4 m AVIRIS-Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG) imagery acquired in June 2014 (overall accuracy = 86%; kappa = 0.85), thresholding to >90% pure pixels for most vegetation types in the coarser time series imagery. We monitored drought response from Landsat imagery using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the difference in land surface temperature (ΔLST) between vegetation and developed/impervious surfaces. We used AVIRIS-C to measure equivalent water thickness (EWT), comparing it with NDVI. During drought years, NDVI was lower and ΔLST was closer to zero. Changes in EWT revealed seasonal adjustments by vegetation that were not readily apparent in the NDVI. To show how drought response expression in vegetation can vary by season, drought duration, and urban vegetation type, we examined the correlations of both NDVI and ΔLST to the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) calculated over a range of time spans. For most vegetation types, the strongest correlations of NDVI to SPEI and ΔLST to SPEI were during the summer, except for annual grass and turfgrass NDVI, which had the strongest correlations in the winter. In general, NDVI and ΔLST for annual grass were most often correlated with SPEI at spans
Upper Limb Issues in Pregnancy and Postpartum: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis

Musculoskeletal problems are commonly associated with pregnancy. Though lower extremity complaints are most prevalent, upper extremity complaints are also common. As with all pregnancy-related musculoskeletal problems, upper extremity disorders are caused by a combination of changes in activity, physiology, and biochemical factors during pregnancy, and they will frequently resolve following delivery. Nevertheless, the two major upper extremity pathologies in pregnancy—carpal tunnel syndrome and DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis—can cause a great deal of dysfunction and may even lead to permanent damage in the absence of treatment. This chapter reviews the scientific basis of these diagnoses, including the relevant anatomic structures, etiology, and specific contributions of physiologic changes in pregnancy. We then discuss current clinical data, including prevalence, typical presentation, and diagnostic strategies. Lastly, we conclude with suggested treatments based on the most recent studies and our clinical experience.
Valuing instream flows using the hedonic price method

[1] The Oregon Water Trust (OWT) uses a market-based approach to protect and enhance instream flows in Oregon. We use the hedonic price method to estimate the effect of numerous variables on the annualized price OWT pays for water rights: the amount of water protected by the transaction, transaction type (state approved or contractual agreement), presence of anadromous and/or resident fish, and if a fish is listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We find evidence of a premium for state-approved transactions and for transactions that protect water in streams with listed species. Adjusting the amount of water protected by each transaction to include only rights that will be delivered with a high degree of certainty produces coefficient estimates that are similar, but more accurate, than using unadjusted water rights amounts.
Hardware Supported Flexible Monitoring: Early Results

Monitoring of software's execution is crucial in numerous software development tasks. Current monitoring efforts generally require extensive instrumentation of the software or dedicated hardware test rig designed to provide visibility into the software. To fully understand software's behavior, the production software must be studied in its production environment. To address this fundamental software engineering challenges, we propose a compiler and hardware supported framework for monitoring and observation of software-intensive systems. We place three fundamental requirements on our monitoring framework. The monitoring must be non-intrusive, low-overhead, and predictable so that the software is not unduly disturbed. The framework must also allow low-level monitoring and be highly flexible so we can accommodate a broad range of crucial monitoring activities. The general idea behind our work is that to make dramatic progress in non-intrusive, predictable, and fine-grained monitoring, we must change how software is compiled and how hardware is designed; a software-monitoring framework covering the development of monitors, through compilation, and down to the hardware is essential. To achieve our goals, we have pursued an approach leveraging the rapid emergence of multi-core processor architectures to achieve a non-intrusive, predictable, fine-grained, and highly flexible general purpose monitoring framework. In this report we describe our initial steps in this direction and provide some preliminary performance results achieved with this new multi-core architecture. We use separate cores for the execution of the application to be monitored and the monitors. We augment each core with identical programmable extraction logic that can observe an application executing on the core as its program state changes.
Nonocclusive mesenteric infarction in hemodialysis patients

Abstract Background: Dialysis patients develop nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI) at an increased rate. Previous studies have associated atherosclerosis and hemodialysis-induced hypotension as inciting factors for NOMI development. A retrospective review of 29 of 1,370 longterm hemodialysis patients who developed NOMI from January 1992 to December 1997 was performed. The NOMI patients were compared with a similar profile of hemodialysis patients to identify risk factors for the development of NOMI and for outcomes assessment. Study Design: All NOMI patients had hypotensive episodes during hemodialysis the week before the development of abdominal symptoms, and additional risk factors of hypertension (83%), diabetes (55%), and atherosclerosis (38%). The majority of patients (83%) experienced abdominal pain more than 24 hours before admission. Sixty-six percent of patients had leukocytosis on admission laboratory data. Results: Sixteen patients (55%) had ischemia of the small bowel, all underwent laparotomy, and nine (56%) died. Thirteen patients (45%) had ischemia of the colon and were managed nonoperatively; four (31%) of them died. Overall mortality rate for NOMI was 45%. Conclusions: NOMI occurs at an increased rate in hemodialysis patients. Identification of patients at high risk for NOMI and close monitoring of filtration rates may impact on the high mortality of this disease.
Disparate Intracellular Processing of Human IL-12 Preprotein Subunits: Atypical Processing of the P35 Signal Peptide

IL-12 is a heterodimeric cytokine produced by APC that critically regulates cell-mediated immunity. Because of its crucial function during immune responses, IL-12 production is stringently regulated, in part through transcriptional control of its p35 subunit, which requires the differentiative effects of IFN-gamma for expression. To determine whether post-transcriptional aspects of IL-12 production might be regulated, we examined intracellular protein processing of each subunit. We report here that p40 and p35 subunits are processed by disparate pathways. Whereas processing of p40 conforms to the cotranslational model of signal peptide removal concomitant with translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), processing of p35 does not. Translocation of the p35 preprotein into the ER was not accompanied by cleavage of the signal peptide; rather, removal of the p35 signal peptide occurred via two sequential cleavages. The first cleavage took place within the ER, and the cleavage site localized to the middle of the hydrophobic region of the signal peptide. Although the preprotein was glycosylated upon entry into the ER, its glycosylation status did not affect primary cleavage. Subsequently, the remaining portion of the p35 signal peptide was removed by a second cleavage, possibly involving a metalloprotease, concomitant with additional glycosylation and secretion. Secretion could be inhibited by mutation of the second cleavage site or by inhibition of glycosylation with tunicamycin. In contrast, p40 secretion was not affected by inhibition of glycosylation. Our findings demonstrate that IL-12 subunits are processed by disparate pathways and suggest new modalities for regulation of IL-12 production.
Physical Activity and Lung Cancer Survivorship

A lung cancer diagnosis and associated therapeutic management is associated with unique and varying degrees of adverse physical/functional impairments that dramatically reduce a patient’s ability to tolerate exercise. Poor exercise tolerance predisposes to increased susceptibility to other common age-related diseases, poor quality of life (QOL), and likely premature death. Here we review the putative literature investigating the role of exercise as an adjunct therapy across the lung cancer continuum (i.e., diagnosis to palliation). The current evidence suggests that exercise training is a safe and feasible adjunct therapy for operable lung cancer patients both before and after pulmonary resection. Among patients with inoperable disease, feasibility and safety studies of carefully prescribed exercise training are warranted. Preliminary evidence in this area supports that exercise therapy may be an important consideration in multidisciplinary management of patients diagnosed with lung cancer.
The Culture of Morality: The Development of Moral and Social Judgments

We have seen thus far that the notion of character has been used in more than one way – some uses more general than others. The general uses of character refer to group, cultural, or national types and subtypes, and are seen to be represented in the makeup of individuals. The link of this type of use of the term character to morality is ambiguous. On the one hand, group or national character is seen to encompass the moral perspective of society. On the other hand, the national character identified is often criticized on moral grounds. When Bellah et al. (1985) and Etzioni (1993), for example, criticize the individualism of American society, they are simultaneously trying to capture the nation's character and scrutinize it from a moral vantage point. However, the moral criteria for the criticism of the society are left largely unspecified. Character types like the inner-directed and other-directed, as put forth by Riesman (1953), appear to contain moral and nonmoral features – but without specification of characteristics that would distinguish the moral from the nonmoral. The less general uses of the notion of character are closely linked to morality through identification of particular traits – such as honesty, compassion, courage, responsibility, and loyalty. Possessing the specific traits, along with associated habits of behavior, is seen to constitute morality. The term character is also used (sometimes colloquially, as well) to refer to individuals who live in a moral way – in the sense that they are “persons of character.”
In Our Own Backyards: Inquiry-based Learning and Institutional Collaboration at Two New England Colleges

Mark T. Motte is associate professor of geography in the department of political science at Rhode Island College in Proviclence Rl. Dr. Motte earned his Ph.D. in city planning and urban policy development at Rutgers University, and has undertaken research and consultitative projects for an array of NGO's and government agencies in the fields of human services, education, and community development. He has published two artictes on the redevelopment of Providence, Rl and, with his colleague Dr. Francis Leazes, Jr., is completing a book on whether Providence truly is America's 21st Century Renaissance City." service to the wider community, but few institutionalize programs that, at the same time, promise to fundamentally transform the curriculum and engage undergraduates. Students (and the families who help to pay their tuition bills) also increasingly insist that programs with a focus on public policy topics deliver experiences that provide concrete skills relevant to the world of work. This article offers suggestions for colleagues in undergraduate political science, public administration, planning/policy, and urban studies departments to incorporate recent calls for inquiry-based learning into their own curricula. From our own recent collaborative successes (1997-2003) in having students analyze urban development/revitalization projects first-hand, we report on a series of strategies with which students can achieve the following:
Characterization of a Lactobacillus strain producing white crystals on cheddar cheese.

Abstract From an enrichment culture of white-crystal deposits from aged Cheddar cheese, an atypical Lactobacillus strain was characterized. The new isolate is facultatively heterofermentative, has a G + C content of 40 mol%, and produces D and L isomers of lactic acid. The strain had a limited ability to ferment carbohydrates. It utilized fructose, galactose, glucose, lactose, maltose, mannose, and ribose but was negative for esculin, gluconate, citrate, and several other carbon sources. The isolate also had low DNA-DNA homologies with strains of Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum. Cheese prepared with milk containing the isolate developed white crystals during curing. Formation of copious D-lactate from unknown substrates during curing probably caused the white-crystal deposits. The strain has been deposited in the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC 49178).
Examining the Relations among Early Adolescent Students’ Goals and Friends’ Orientation toward Effort and Achievement in School☆

Abstract Research examining students’ achievement goals has often excluded social constructs. A large body of research exists demonstrating the importance of relationships with peers during early adolescence. In this study the relations among eighth grade students’ ( N = 260) achievement goals and the orientation of students’ friends toward academic effort and achievement were examined. Regression analysis revealed that associating with positively oriented friends was the strongest predictor of task goals, whereas associating with negatively oriented friends was strongly related to pursuing extrinsic and effort avoidance goals. Relative ability goals were related to the positive orientation of friends scale for boys but not for girls. Significant interactions between positive friend orientation and achievement level on relative ability goals were also found. Discriminant analysis demonstrated that the goal orientations students hold discriminates between their tendencies to associate with negatively and positively oriented friends. Implications for research are discussed.
A new theory of satisficing

The purpose of this paper is to offer a new theoretical rationale for satisficing behavior. The theory developed here is, in principle, applicable to all forms of economic behavior, although attention in this paper is restricted to satisficing on the part of business firms. The basic approach is to incorporate a needs-based theory of motivation into the managerial objective function. The model that is developed shows that a firm will seek to maximize profit until sufficient profit is earned to satisfy the survival needs of the management of the firm, but beyond this point profit is sacrificed for the attainment of other higher order needs. The attractive features of this approach are that it generates satisficing behavior within a traditional utility maximizing framework, leads to testable hypotheses concerning under what conditions satisficing will occur, and provides a rationale for satisficing that blunts much of the previous criticism of the concept. The model is also explicitly “behavioral” in that it integrates psychological concepts and processes into economic theory.