cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incremental learning for automated knowledge capture.

People responding to high-consequence national-security situations need tools to help them make the right decision quickly. The dynamic, time-critical, and ever-changing nature of these situations, especially those involving an adversary, require models of decision support that can dynamically react as a situation unfolds and changes. Automated knowledge capture is a key part of creating individualized models of decision making in many situations because it has been demonstrated as a very robust way to populate computational models of cognition. However, existing automated knowledge capture techniques only populate a knowledge model with data prior to its use, after which the knowledge model is static and unchanging. In contrast, humans, including our national-security adversaries, continually learn, adapt, and create new knowledge as they make decisions and witness their effect. This artificial dichotomy between creation and use exists because the majority of automated knowledge capture techniques are based on traditional batch machine-learning and statistical algorithms. These algorithms are primarily designed to optimize the accuracy of their predictions and only secondarily, if at all, concerned with issues such as speed, memory use, or ability to be incrementally updated. Thus, when new data arrives, batch algorithms used for automated knowledge capture currently require significant recomputation, frequentlymore » from scratch, which makes them ill suited for use in dynamic, timecritical, high-consequence decision making environments. In this work we seek to explore and expand upon the capabilities of dynamic, incremental models that can adapt to an ever-changing feature space.« less
Effects of Ambient Gas on the Out-Diffusion of Nickel and Copper through Thin Gold Films

The low temperature (300–400°C) out-diffusion of an underlying metal through a thin film overlayer of another metal has been studied in ambients of N 2 and forming gas. Surface oxidation of this out-diffused metal can interfere with the attachment of terminating components used in semiconductor devices. AES depth profile analysis has shown that the out-diffusion of Ni through Au is suppressed in a forming gas ambient. It has also been shown that the extent of this out diffusion can be modified considerably by the presence of Cu.
Abstract CN07-04: Neutrophil elastase as a chemopreventive target for lung cancer

When combined, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) account for >260,000 American deaths each year. Although the link between declining FEV1 and increased lung cancer incidence was identified over 20 years ago, the responsible mechanisms have not been deciphered. Two independent studies have recently demonstrated that it is the presence of emphysema, and not airflow obstruction, that is responsible for the increased risk of lung cancer in COPD patients. Emphysema, unlike COPD, has a strict anatomic definition: permanent enlargement of the peripheral airspaces distal to the terminal bronchioles. The prevailing theory regarding the pathogenesis of emphysema remains the proteinase:antiproteinase hypothesis. Inflammatory cells and inflammatory cell-derived proteinases are recruited to the lung upon chronic cigarette smoke exposure. When the proteinase burden exceeds the host9s antiproteinase capacity, lung matrix tissue is destroyed and, in the absence of repair, emphysema results. When proteinase vs. antiproteinase activity is balanced, tissue homeostasis persists. We propose that the presence of radiographic emphysema on CT scan, which confers increased lung cancer risk, represents a case where the proteinase burden has surpassed the protective capability of the antiproteinase shield. As such, patient9s displaying radiographic emphysema represent a group at increased risk for lung cancer, and therefore amenable to a chemopreventative strategy, especially one that would address a target common to both emphysema and lung cancer. We propose that that neutrophil-derived proteinase, neutrophil elastase (NE), is a viable chemopreventive target in COPD patients at risk for lung cancer. A role for this elastolytic enzyme in the pathogenesis of emphysema has been clearly established in both mouse and human studies. The presence of severe emphysema in A1AT deficient subjects has been attributed to uncontrolled NE activity, and is universally accepted as the pathogenic mechanism. Although previously unstudied, we have recently shown that NE promotes lung tumor growth in vivo (Nature Medicine 2010, 16:219-223). The mechanism by which NE promotes tumor growth represents an entirely new means by which a secreted proteinase can impact tumor behavior. NE is released near the tumor cell surface where it is internalized into tumor endosomes. NE degrades a target substrate, insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), within these tumor endosomes, which ultimately leads to PI3K activation and tumor cell proliferation. We propose that subjects displaying radiographic emphysema possess excessive proteinase burden, and therefore, increased NE activity. When lung cancers arise in these subjects, they will arise within a tumor microenvironment enriched for NE activity, and thus these cancers will display increased growth rates. Additional clinical studies are underway to establish NE as a bona fide therapeutic target for lung cancers arising in emphysematous subjects. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(12 Suppl):CN07-04.
Serum Calcium, Inorganic Phosphorus and Plasma Proteins in Cardiac Edema and After Diuresis.

Peters1 and his coworkers have demonstrated the interrelationship of serum calcium, inorganic phosphorus and the total plasma proteins with albumin and globulin fractions combined. They have analyzed previous reports and their results and have evaluated the relative effects of protein and phosphorus on serum calcium in the absence of any true defect in calcium metabolism. The relation of the components in this series was defined by the equation Ca = 0.255 P + 0.566 protein + 7. An alignment chart was constructed to conform with this equation. The study of this blood chemical series in patients with edema of congestive heart failure was undertaken with the idea of establishing the presence or absence of any relationship between the series, but especially to determine the calcium level and the effectiveness or lack of the same on digitalization and other therapeutic measures.The patients were all old white men and the normal levels for males established by Peters and his coworkers therefore are applied. The...
Abstract 2817: Preclinical studies of the PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitors in endometrial cancer cell lines

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL The PI3K pathway plays a pivotal role in many cellular functions that include regulation of cell proliferation, survival, growth, angiogenesis, and motility. Dysregulation of the PI3K/AKT pathway is a common occurrence in cancer and could be a result of mutations in PIK3CA and PTEN, as well as loss of heterozygosity of PTEN. In endometrial cancer patients, the most frequent aberration is the activation of the PI3K/mAKT pathway with; (1) 80% loss of PTEN function and 30% PIK3CA mutations in type I endometrial cancer and (2) 20% PIK3CA mutation and 46% PIK3CA amplification in type II endometrial cancer. In this study, we investigated the functional consequences of the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors PF-04691502 and PF-05212384 in endometrial cancer cell lines for antiproliferative effects, pathway signaling inhibition and tumor growth inhibition. Both compounds had antiproliferative activity in vitro that translated to tumor growth inhibition in vivo. Moreover, in the MFE-280 xenograft model that harbors a PIK3CA mutation (P1047R), the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors showed tumor regression. These studies support the use of the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors for endometrial cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2817. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2817
How Big a Slice Can You Make Through a Cube

In the Notes section of this MONTHLY, Aug.-Sept. 1987, pp. 662-663, Boo Rim Choe offers an elegant proof of El/n2 = r 2/6. It must, however, be remarked that this proof is by no means new: In a slightly different form it had been published by Euler in 1743 ([1]); cf. [2] (p. 388; footnote to nr. 210) and [3]. (Stackel's paper, mentioned in [3], is reprinted in Euler's Opera Omnia I, 14, pp. 156-176.)
Consultation with the Specialist: Acute Abdominal Pain

1. Keith W. Ashcraft, MD* 1. 2. *Formerly Surgeon-in-Chief, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO. Acute abdominal pain is a frequent occurrence among pediatric patients. As a pediatric surgeon, I view the child who has a “belly ache” most frequently as a consultant. Accordingly, my first decision point is,“ Does this patient need an urgent operation?” When faced with the same patient in the office, the decision point for the general pediatrician may be, “Does this patient need surgical consultation?” Fewer than 50% of the patients I have been asked to see in consultation for abdominal pain had a surgical disease. As evidenced by the case presented here, my assessment was not always correct. On the other hand, if pediatricians did not sort through the multitude of patients who present with abdominal pain and exercise selectivity in their referrals, the surgeon might have little time to operate. A 6-year-old girl who had abdominal pain and persistent vomiting was referred to my office late on a Friday afternoon after she had been seen by her pediatrician. She had attended morning kindergarten and an afternoon child care facility, traveling to these in a car pool that her mother had driven that day. She had eaten little the day before, but because she was thin, the mother did not attach much significance to this fact. The child had complained of not feeling well when her mother awakened her that morning, and she ate no breakfast. Two of the other children in the car pool stayed home from school that day because of similar symptoms. The child had become febrile and was vomiting at school when the mother was called early in the afternoon. The mother did not know whether the vomiting preceded the onset of abdominal pain. In the examining room, the child lay on her side on the examining table, covered by her mother’s coat. She was …
Management of septic shock complicating pregnancy

Septic shock can be a devastating management problem during pregnancy. Current concepts regarding the pathophysiology and clinical impact of this disorder are detailed with emphasis upon the cardiovascular system. A hemodynamic approach for stabilizing such patients is offered.
A Kinetic Model of Sorting that Predicts Ligand Effects

The deficiencies of the diffusion with trapping sorting mechanism developed in Chapter 4 suggest the need for a more complete single endosome model of sorting. Although this mechanism is successful in explaining the kinetics and efficiency of receptor recycling in many systems, the mechanism allowed for variations in the sorting outcome only as a result of variations in the values of the vesicle radius R, the tubule radius b, the distribution of volume between the endosome vesicle and tubules, the diffusion coefficient of the receptor DR, the dimensionless current β, the partition coefficient κ, and the sorting time τ*.
Matching heavy-light currents with NRQCD and HISQ quarks

We calculate the one loop renormalisation parameters for the heavy-light axial-vector and vector currents using lattice perturbation theory. We use NonRelativistic QCD (NRQCD) heavy quarks and the Highly Improved Staggered Quark (HISQ) action for the light quarks. We present results for heavy-light currents with massless HISQ quarks and briefly discuss the extension to heavyheavy currents with massive HISQ quarks.
The Path to Last Resort: The Role of Early Warning & Early Action

For just war doctrine to apply, the last resort requirement to exhaust all measures short-of-war must be fulfilled. Because of research and policy developments in the last fifteen years, the international community is now equipped with a richer understanding of how wars and atrocities evolve through time, improved precision about trigger points and risk factors that may accelerate that evolution, growing consensus on what prevention and mitigation steps to look for in that process, and new technologies for ascertaining these steps in order to intervene when mitigating action might deflect the escalation. It is thus argued that the responsibility of the international community to intervene in a timely and appropriate fashion has become increasingly clear and inescapable. It is further argued that the alert engagement of civil society in crafting this body of research and policy places a heavy public burden on government leaders to demonstrate that indeed all measures short-of-war have been exhausted. We no...
Combining biomedical preventions for HIV: Vaccines with pre-exposure prophylaxis, microbicides or other HIV preventions

Biomedical preventions for HIV, such as vaccines, microbicides or pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with antiretroviral drugs, can each only partially prevent HIV-1 infection in most human trials. Oral PrEP is now FDA approved for HIV-prevention in high risk groups, but partial adherence reduces efficacy. If combined as biomedical preventions (CBP) an HIV vaccine could provide protection when PrEP adherence is low and PrEP could prevent vaccine breakthroughs. Other types of PrEP or microbicides may also be partially protective. When licensed, first generation HIV vaccines are likely to be partially effective. Individuals at risk for HIV may receive an HIV vaccine combined with other biomedical preventions, in series or in parallel, in clinical trials or as part of standard of care, with the goal of maximally increasing HIV prevention. In human studies, it is challenging to determine which preventions are best combined, how they interact and how effective they are. Animal models can determine CBP efficacy, whether additive or synergistic, the efficacy of different products and combinations, dose, timing and mechanisms. CBP studies in macaques have shown that partially or minimally effective candidate HIV vaccines combined with partially effective oral PrEP, vaginal PrEP or microbicide generally provided greater protection than either prevention alone against SIV or SHIV challenges. Since human CBP trials will be complex, animal models can guide their design, sample size, endpoints, correlates and surrogates of protection. This review focuses on animal studies and human models of CBP and discusses implications for HIV prevention.
Wyatt Earp: A Vigilante Life Andrew C. Isenberg. New York: Hill and Wang, 2013.

Wyatt Earp: A Vigilante LifeAndrew C. Isenberg. New York: Hill and Wang, 2013.In Wyatt Earp: A Vigilante Life, Andrew C. Isenberg has two inter-related objectives. First, he sees Earp as someone who "had developed a willingness, perhaps even an eagerness, to reinvent himself" (73). When Earp finally settled in Southern California during his last years, he took a great interest in telling his story or having his story told the way he wanted it told. Isenberg presents this as an obsessive concern of Earp and sees it related to Earp's constant re invention. The most important product of Earp's effort at controlling the story is the famous (or infamous) best-selling biography, Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal by Stuart Lake, published by Houghton Mifflin in 1931. The Lake biography, as much fiction as biography, would become the foundation of the Earp legend for the next forty years. Second, Isenberg seeks to separate truth from fiction in the Earp story and legend, a daunting task. In this effort at separation, Isenberg's book takes on a prosecutorial tone. It is clearly an anti-Earp book.Although we 11-written, there are several weaknesses in Wyatt Earp. First, it is marred by some superficial armchair psycho-analyzing, which is depicted in his treatment of Earp's relationship with Doc Holliday (110-12), in Wyatt's relationship with his brother Virgil (131), and in the statement that Lake had "projected onto Wyatt the strength and vitality that [Lake] had lost" as a result of World War I injuries (214). Then, there are strange passages such as Isenberg's highly hypothetical discussion of what was going on in Wyatt's mind when he read Owen Wister's famous novel, The Virginian: "Vigilante justice, in Wister's telling, is not an angry impulse but a sober imposition of justice in a corrupt Old West that would otherwise know no law. Here, Wyatt found the justification that had long eluded him for his vigilante spree [in the aftermath of the murder of his brother Morgan and serious wounding of Virgil]. The killings were not acts of vengeance but of justice" (203). Of course, vengeance and justice are not necessarily mutually exclusive, and it is hardly likely that Wyatt found in Wister's novel "the justification that had long eluded him." What he more likely found was a poetic presentation consistent with his earlier experiences. Isenberg also frequently reaches conclusions that are at odds with the facts as he presents them. The clearest and most important example of this is his account of the famous O.K. Corral gunfight. In Isenberg's view, there was much in common between the Earps and the Ike Clanton gang: "Wyatt, much like the cowboys against whom he feuded in late 1881 and early 1882, came to Southern Arizona to exploit the public domain. …
Reduced HMOX1 Expression in Myelomatous Bones Is Associated with Poor Survival and Its Induction Regulates Osteoclastogenesis and Osteoblastogenesis

Abstract Abstract 1815 The bone marrow (BM) microenvironment plays critical role in the progression of multiple myeloma (MM) and identification of dysregulated microenvironmental pathways is essential for development of effective interventions for this disease. We and others have shown that bone disease is both a consequence of and a necessity for MM progression and that restoring bone turnover helps control MM. Prooxidant environment has been shown to promote tumorigenesis and bone disease, while circulating levels of antioxidants are reduced in MM patients (Sharma et al., 2009). Heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) is an intracellular inducible antioxidant that acts in response to oxidative stress and mediates anti-inflammatory and wound healing processes. The aim of the study was to identify dysregulated microenvironmental factors in myelomatous bone using mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) cytotherapy as an approach previously shown by us to induce bone formation and inhibit osteolysis and MM progression (Li et al., 2011; 2012). Intrabone injection of fetal MSCs into myelomatous bones of SCID-hu mice engrafted with a patient’s MM cells resulted in significant upregulation(≥2 folds) of 120 probe sets and downregulation of 44 probe sets 24 hours after MSC cytotherapy, assessed by global gene expression profile (GEP, 9 mice/group). HMOX1, one of top overexpressed genes by MSC cytotherapy (5.2 folds, p Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Conformal Integrated Solar Panel Antennas: Two effective integration methods of antennas with solar cells.

This article reviews two conformal antenna designs that can be integrated with CubeSats' solar panels without competing for surface real estate. The first type of antenna is of slot geometry so that the antennas can be integrated around solar cells, and the second type is optically transparent patches that can be placed on top of solar cells. Detailed design philosophy, prototypes, measurements, and assessment of interaction between the antennas and solar cells are presented. As larger CubeSats have sufficient panel area to host antenna arrays, a subwavelength reflectarray, with optimal overall properties both in terms of gain and optical transparency, is presented. The overall transparency and aperture efficiency of the reflectarray are higher than 90% and 40%, respectively, making it a promising solution as a high-gain conformal CubeSat antenna.
Trunk kinetic effort during step ascent and descent in patients with transtibial amputation using angular momentum separation.

Abstract Background Patients with transtibial amputation adopt trunk movement compensations that alter effort and increase the risk of developing low back pain. However, the effort required to achieve high-demand tasks, such as step ascent and descent, remains unknown. Methods Kinematics were collected during bilateral step ascent and descent tasks from two groups: 1) seven patients with unilateral transtibial amputation and 2) seven healthy control subjects. Trunk kinetic effort was quantified using translational and rotational segmental moments (time rate of change of segmental angular momentum). Peak moments during the loading period were compared across limbs and across groups. Findings During step ascent, patients with transtibial amputation generated larger sagittal trunk translational moments when leading with the amputated limb compared to the intact limb (P = 0.01). The amputation group also generated larger trunk rotational moments in the frontal and transverse planes when leading with either limb compared to the healthy group (P = 0.01, P Interpretation This investigation identifies how differing trunk movement compensations, identified using the separation of angular momentum, require higher kinetic effort during stepping tasks in patients with transtibial amputation compared to healthy individuals. Compensations that produce identified increased and asymmetric trunk segmental moments, may increase the risk of the development of low back pain in patients with amputation.
Prioritizing forest fuels treatments based on the probability of high-severity fire restores adaptive capacity in Sierran forests

In frequent fire forests of the western United States, a legacy of fire suppression coupled with increases in fire weather severity have altered fire regimes and vegetation dynamics. When coupled with projected climate change, these conditions have the potential to lead to vegetation type change and altered carbon (C) dynamics. In the Sierra Nevada, fuels reduction approaches that include mechanical thinning followed by regular prescribed fire are one approach to restore the ability of the ecosystem to tolerate episodic fire and still sequester C. Yet, the spatial extent of the area requiring treatment makes widespread treatment implementation unlikely. We sought to determine if a priori knowledge of where uncharacteristic wildfire is most probable could be used to optimize the placement of fuels treatments in a Sierra Nevada watershed. We developed two treatment placement strategies: the naive strategy, based on treating all operationally available area and the optimized strategy, which only treated areas where crown-killing fires were most probable. We ran forecast simulations using projected climate data through 2,100 to determine how the treatments differed in terms of C sequestration, fire severity, and C emissions relative to a no-management scenario. We found that in both the short (20 years) and long (100 years) term, both management scenarios increased C stability, reduced burn severity, and consequently emitted less C as a result of wildfires than no-management. Across all metrics, both scenarios performed the same, but the optimized treatment required significantly less C removal (naive=0.42 Tg C, optimized=0.25 Tg C) to achieve the same treatment efficacy. Given the extent of western forests in need of fire restoration, efficiently allocating treatments is a critical task if we are going to restore adaptive capacity in frequent-fire forests.
Pediatric Participation in a Diverse Society: Accounting for Social Inequalities in Medical Decision Making.

As social scientists with overlapping expertise in children and youth studies, inequalities, and medical sociology, we value the development of practical tools that medical professionals can utiliz...
MFNW: An MLC/TLC Flip-N-Write Architecture

The increased capacity of multi-level cells (MLC) and triple-level cells (TLC) in emerging non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies comes at the cost of higher cell write energies and lower cell endurance. In this article, we describe MFNW, a Flip-N-Write encoding that effectively reduces the write energy and improves the endurance of MLC NVMs. Two MFNW modes are analyzed: cell Hamming distance mode and energy Hamming distance mode. We derive an approximate model that accurately predicts the average number of cell writes that is proportional to the energy consumption, enabling word length optimization to maximize energy reduction subject to memory space overhead constraints. In comparison to state-of-the-art MLC NVM encodings, our simulation results indicate that MFNW achieves up to 7%--39% saving for 1.56%--50% NVM space overhead. Extra energy saving (up to 19%--47%) can be achieved for the same NVM space overhead using our proposed variations of MFNW, i.e., MFNW2 and MFNW3. For TLC NVMs, we propose TFNW that can achieve up to 53% energy saving in comparison to state-of-the-art TLC NVM encodings. Endurance simulations indicate that MFNW (TFNW) is capable of extending MLC (TLC) NVM life by up to 100% (87%).
Testing a novel nanofibre scaffold for utility in bone tissue regeneration

Many variables serve to alter the process of bone remodelling and diminish regeneration including the size and nature of the wound bed and health status of the individual. To overcome these inhibitory factors, tissue-engineered osteoconductive scaffolds paired with various growth factors have been utilized clinically. However, many limitations still remain, for example, bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) can lead to rampant inflammation, ectopic bone formation, and graft failure. Here, we studied the ability for a nanofiber scaffold (Talymed) to accelerate BMP2 growth factor-induced bone healing compared with the traditional absorbable collagen sponge (ACS) delivery system. One hundred fifty-five adult wild type mice were arranged in 16 groups by time, 4 and 8 weeks, and treatment, ACS or Talymed, loaded with control, low, medium, or high dosages of BMP2. Skulls were subjected to microCT, biomechanical, and histological analysis to assess bone regeneration. The use of Talymed within the defect site was found to decrease the bone volume, bone formation rate, and alkaline phosphatase activity compared with ACS/BMP2 combinations. Interestingly, though Talymed regenerated less bone, the regenerate was found to have a greater hardness value than that of bone within the ACS groups. However, the difference in bone hardness between scaffolds was not detectable by 8 weeks. Based on these results, we found that the nanofiber scaffold generated a better quality of bone regenerate at 4 weeks but, due to the lack of overall bone formation and the inhibition of normal remodelling processes, was not as efficacious as the current clinical standard ACS/BMP2 therapy.
Use of mental models and cognitive maps to understand students’ learning challenges

Mental models and cognitive maps have been used in college business education as an instructional design technique, assessment tool, and learning strategy. The authors propose a novel use of mental...
State-mandated transparency: a discussion and examination of deadly force data among law enforcement agencies in Texas

The current paper provides a critical assessment of the available data on police use of deadly force, including the lack of official, national-level measures, and the recent scholarly reliance on I...
Control Strategy for Core-Loss Reduction in High-Frequency Transformers

High-frequency transformers (HFTx) are typically one of the lossiest, bulkiest and heaviest components in a power electronics system with galvanic isolation; for this reason, many literatures are saturated with research in HFTx size and loss optimization. These approaches are limited to the transformer design and manufacturing, and typically rely on complex algorithms. In this study, a circuit-based approach to reduce the transformer overall losses through specifically addressing the core loss, is proposed. This approach allows the implementation of a simple control strategy to reduce the HFTx core loss by transferring a desired RMS voltage (thus supplying a desired power to the load) from its primary to secondary side with low peak AC flux density. It is also independent of the HFTx design and manufacturing, thus can be implemented in a system that is already built. However, the control strategy can still be taken into consideration as part of the design stage of the system so as to build a transformer as small as possible without much sacrifice in its losses. A Z-source-inverter-based isolated power converter is used in this research to validate the control strategy, but the same concept can be implemented with any kind of converter that has control over the voltage shape across the transformer. Theoretical analysis shows that the converter’s overall efficiency can be high using the proposed control strategy, especially at light load conditions. Tradeoffs of implementing such kind of control strategy are also addressed in this paper.
Assessing the Impact of Restrictive Housing on Inmate Post-Release Criminal Behavior

The placement of inmates in restrictive housing (RH) units has become a staple of corrections policy in recent years. Despite its increased use, research on its continued effects is relatively rare when compared to the breadth of general correctional research. This study contributes to the literature by examining the effect placement in restrictive housing has on offender recidivism post prison release. Subjects include approximately 4000 inmates matched through Propensity Score Matching (PSM) techniques and followed 36 months post-release. The findings reveal that inmates placed in restrictive housing had elevated levels of recidivism and proportionally more new commitments for all crime types than those not placed in restrictive housing. Restrictive housing subjects also displayed shorter time to rearrest than non-RH individuals. The theoretical and policy implications of these findings are discussed.
The effects of patellar tendon vibration on quadriceps strength in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed knees

Abstract Objectives To examine the immediate effects of prolonged patellar tendon vibration on quadriceps strength in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed (ACLR) knees with bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) grafts and non-BTB grafts, and healthy control knees. Design Pretest-posttest design. Setting Laboratory. Participants Young adult participants were stratified into one of three groups: non-BTB graft (n = 25), BTB graft (n = 26), and controls without ACLR (n = 21). Main outcome measures Maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) knee extension torque was measured at baseline and following a 20-min vibration intervention applied locally to the patellar tendon. Results Our findings suggest there was no difference in the effects of vibration on knee extension torque between the three groups. Knee extension torque significantly increased (effect size = 0.52 [0.18 to 0.81]) from baseline to post-vibration across all three groups (0.30 ± 0.26 Nm/kg, 21.8 ± 20.0%). Both ACLR groups demonstrated significantly lower knee extension torque compared the control group. Conclusions The vibration intervention had a net excitatory effect on quadriceps strength in all three groups and there were no differences in the magnitude of change between the three groups. Vibration could become a useful tool for enhancing quadriceps strength in ACLR and healthy knees.
Real-world Effectiveness of Advanced Therapies Among Patients With Moderate to Severe Ulcerative Colitis in the United States.

BACKGROUND Ulcerative colitis (UC) treatment aims to induce response and maintain steroid-free remission. For patients with moderate to severe UC and/or nonresponse to conventional treatment, advanced therapies (immunosuppressants and biologics) are available. We assessed real-world effectiveness of advanced UC therapies. METHODS This retrospective analysis of claims data included adult patients with UC initiating immunosuppressant or biologic therapy, with 12 months' continuous enrollment pre- and postinitiation. Patients had no prescription for biologic therapy (and/or immunosuppressant if initiating immunosuppressant) in the previous 12 months. Proportion of patients remaining steroid-free (excluding 14-week tapering period), hospitalizations, and costs in the 12 months postinitiation were assessed. RESULTS In total, 3562 patients were included in the analysis. Most patients (83.0%) used steroids in the 12 months before initiating advanced therapy. Overall, 47.8% remained steroid-free after 12 months (excluding tapering). After adjusting for patient characteristics, remaining steroid-free was significantly more likely with infliximab (43.9%) than with adalimumab (39.4%; P < 0.05); golimumab (38.2%) and vedolizumab (41.4%) were not significantly different vs adalimumab. Overall, 12.2% of patients had a UC-related hospitalization within 12 months of initiation, with a mean (SD) total length of stay of 8.2 (8.9) days and no significant differences between biologic therapies. Mean, unadjusted, UC-related costs in the 12 months postinitiation were $42,579 and were similar between therapies. CONCLUSIONS Patients with UC initiating advanced therapy frequently continued using steroids for at least a year. Some patients experienced extended UC-related hospitalizations, with high UC-related costs overall. This suggests an ongoing challenge in managing patients with moderate to severe UC.
Ultra-fast-pitch acquisition and reconstruction in helical CT

A fast scan with a high helical pitch is desirable for many CT exams, such as pediatric, chest, and some of cardiovascular exams, to suppress patient motion artifacts. However, on a single-source scanner, the pitch typically cannot exceed ~1.5 without generating image distortion within the entire scanning field of view due to insufficient data acquired in a fast pitch mode. In this work, we developed a deep convolutional neural network-based approach to reducing artifacts on images reconstructed from insufficient data acquired in an ultra-fast-pitch mode (&#119901;&#119901; ≥ 2.0). This custom-designed neural network, referred to as Ultra-fast-pitch image reconstruction neural network (UFP-net) consists of functional modules using both local and non-local operators, as well as the z-coordinate of each image, to effectively suppress the location- and structure-dependent artifacts induced by the fast-pitch mode. The UFP-net was trained using a customized loss function that involves image-gradient-correlation loss and feature reconstruction loss. Projection data at a regular pitch (&#119901;&#119901; = 1.0) and a fast-pitch (&#119901;&#119901; = 3.0) were simulated using 10 patient CT cases to generate training and validation datasets. Compared to filtered-back-projection (FBP), the UFP-net largely suppressed image artifacts and restored anatomical details. The structural similarity index (SSIM) was significantly improved (Mean SSIM: UFP-net 0.9, FBP 0.6), and the root-mean-square-error (RMSE) was largely reduced (Mean RMSE: UFP-net 57 HU, FBP 273 HU). The proposed method has the potential to enable ultra-fast-pitch data acquisition on single-source CT scanners to improve scanning speed while maintaining image quality.
A cephalopod-inspired approach to color changing devices (Conference Presentation)

Cephalopods possess unrivaled camouflage and signaling abilities that are enabled by their sophisticated skin architecture, wherein multiple layers contain chromatophore pigment cells (which act like color filters, and are part of larger chromatophore organs) and different types of reflective cells called iridocytes (which act like biological Bragg stacks) and leucophores (which act like broadband Lambertian diffusers). The optical functionality of these cells (and thus cephalopod skin) is enabled by subcellular structures, which are partially composed of a class of unusual structural proteins known as reflectins. Herein, we highlight studies that investigate reflectins’ structure-function relationships, particularly within the context of stimuli-induced color changing devices and systems. Specifically, we will discuss the how the self-assembly of these proteins enables the manipulation of their light reflecting properties. In addition, we will discuss the multi-faceted properties of this unique class of proteins (e.g. proton conductivity), challenges in working with them, and the future potential of these proteins. Overall, our findings hold relevance for the development of protein-based optoelectronic technologies.
The paradox of minority accommodation: Eastern Europe after 30 years

The article discusses some of the paradoxes of minority accommodation in Eastern Europe 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the course of doing so, it focuses on four specific issues: volatility, sequencing, a shift from nationalism (group) to social conservatism (grid), and on the radicalisation of mainstream parties. Volatility is tied to the ebb and flow of shifts in the status quo associated with minority accommodation, which elucidates both why radical right mobilisation accelerates and why it loses steam. The expansion of minority rights leads to political ‘extreme reactions’. Sequencing matters since minority accommodation coincided with democratisation in Eastern Europe, so the struggle over minority rights is confounded with a concurrent regime change. Shifts from group to grid refer to the recent rise in socially conservative issues as sources of polarisation. Finally, extremist parties can threaten democratic pluralism. Nevertheless, large radicalised mainstream parties that control parliaments, not small extremist parties, subvert the institutions of democratic oversight. The threat originates from the mainstream and is exacerbated by the fact that liberal democracy has not ‘locked in’ in most of Eastern Europe.
Abstract 156: Lower Body Temperature ’Dose’ Associated With Higher Likelihood of Survival Following Cardiac Arrest

Introduction: Post-cardiac arrest pyrexia is associated with poor outcomes following successful resuscitation and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Prior studies have used highest recorded ...
Family human capital and the championing of innovation in small firms

This study of 94 small family firms focuses on complex interactions between individual family members and firm-level activities and outcomes. We develop and test a model of relationships between family championing of innovation, family human capital characteristics, and the firms’ adoption of innovation. Family members championed many more adoptions of innovation than non-family members did, demonstrating strong family influence in smaller firms. An important point is that this strong family influence would appear insignificant without accounting for the significant moderating influence of variance in family human capital levels. This study contributes to our understanding of family influence’s heterogeneous nature by modeling interaction between mediating family behaviors and moderating family characteristics
EyeSeg: Fast and Efficient Few-Shot Semantic Segmentation

Semantic segmentation is a key component in eye- and gaze- tracking for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications. While it is a well-studied computer vision problem, most state-of-the-art models require large amounts of labeled data, which is limited in this specific domain. An additional consideration in eye tracking is the capacity for real-time predictions, necessary for responsive AR/VR interfaces. In this work, we propose EyeSeg, an encoder-decoder architecture designed for accurate pixel-wise few-shot semantic segmentation with limited annotated data. We report results from the OpenEDS2020 Challenge, yielding a 94.5% mean Intersection Over Union (mIOU) score, which is a 10.5% score increase over the baseline approach. The experimental results demonstrate state-of-the-art performance while preserving a low latency framework. Source code is available: http://www.cs.utsa.edu/~fernandez/segmentation.html.
Executive Power and National Security Power

The constitutional text governing national security law is full of gaps, oversights, and omissions. In combination with the authorization principle -- which requires all federal actors to identify particularized authority for their actions -- these gaps have often presented an acute dilemma for Presidents charged with defending the nation. Focusing on three periods in American history, this chapter sketches the historical evolution of how the political branches have responded.First, the early republic. During this period, presidents responded to the authorization dilemma by seeking highly particularized authorization from the two other constitutional branches of government. Throughout the era, presidents’ claims of direct constitutional authorization were strikingly modest, and their requests for (and compliance with the terms of) specific statutory and judicial instructions were strikingly precise.Second, the Civil War. While the authorization principle still dominated as an organizing concept, the executive branch began to invoke very different sources of authority in the face of existential crisis. During the early republic, Presidents had sought national security authorization primarily in the contemporaneous acts of a then-sitting Congress. The Civil War period, by contrast, saw a dramatically increased tendency for the executive branch to respond by seeking authorization in the century-old terms of the Constitution. Predictably, these far more assertive claims triggered severe constitutional controversy.By the end of the Cold War, the third period discussed here, that constitutional pressure had been alleviated. Essentially, the solution has been for Congress -- drawing on the legacy of the New Deal, World War II and the Cold War alike -- to enact a broad set of permanent and interlocking ex ante statutory authorizations, the collective effect of which is to charge the President with taking virtually any national security action that seems needful. Combined with aggressive statutory interpretation and a large standing military, these statutes have enabled presidents to take an extraordinarily wide range of significant national security measures without seeking particularized, contemporaneous authorization from any other constitutional actor.The upshot is a constitutional arrangement that relies on remarkably open-ended statutory authorization to mitigate anxieties about both power and constraint -- about the risks of a disempowered presidency in a dangerous world, but also about the risks of letting presidents rely on abstract constitutional text as the sole basis for violent action. While these authorizations don’t purport to constrain the executive branch with anything like the specificity of statutory regimes in earlier eras, their nature as legislative enactments entails a more meaningful possibility of authoritative supervision and even revision via subsequent democratic enactment than the Constitution ever could.
YY1-mediated regulation of type 2 diabetes via insulin

Abstract In the United States, more than 34 million Americans have diabetes (about 1 in 10), and approximately, 90%–95% of them have type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The current treatments have not addressed the main causes of T2DM and are often accompanied by side effects. Therefore there is an urgent need to develop new and effective treatment modalities that can result in both the prevention and cure of T2DM with minimal side effects. Clearly the development of such modalities is challenging and requires fundamental understandings of the biochemical, molecular, and genetic underlying mechanisms involved in T2DM. In this review, we have analyzed the reported literature on the pathogenesis of T2DM and the molecular signaling pathways that underly the onset and regulation of T2DM. The transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) has been reported to regulate a variety of diseases including cancer. We have, therefore, examined the role of YY1 in T2DM and its involvement in the various manifestations and cross talk with signaling pathways that regulate T2DM. We have found that, indeed, YY1 is intimately involved in T2DM. We, therefore, suggest that YY1 may be considered as a new therapeutic target for the treatment of T2DM.
Reading Dickens differently: edited by Leon Litvack and Nathalie Vanfasse, Hoboken, Wiley-Blackwell, 2020, 280 pp., $50.00 (paperback), $40 (e-book), ISBN: 978-1-119-60222-4

A compendium of twelve new essays on Charles Dickens, Reading Dickens Differently presents readers with an impressive diversity of interdisciplinary and illuminating approaches to the author. In th...
Untersuchungen über die Bluteiweiße und das Serumeisen mit Hilfe des radioaktiven Fe59

In der letzten Zeit sind mehrere Arbeiten erschienen, die sich mit dem Problem der Bindung des Eisens an die Blutproteine und dessen Transport eingehend befassen. Skandinavische Autoren (Holmberg und Laurell, Laurell) zeigten, das das Eisen an eine bestimmte Fraktion der Blutproteine gebunden wird und zwar an eine der Unterfraktionen der s 1-Globuline. Sie nannten diese Fraktion sinngemas — Transferrin. Im amerikanischen Schrifttum spricht man von Siderophilin (Schade und aroline), das mit der Fraktion IV-7 (metal combining Protein) nach Cohn identisch ist. Es ist in der Menge von 0,24 g% = 3% des esamteiweises im Plasma vorhanden und normalerweise nur zu 1/3 mit Eisen gesattigt.
Magnitude and variations of groundwater seepage along a Florida marine shoreline

Direct groundwater inputs are receiving increasingattention as a potential source of nutrients and otherdissolved constituents to the coastal ocean. Seepageinto St. George Sound, Florida was measuredextensively from 1992 to 1994 using seepage meters. Spatial and temporal variations were documented alonga 7-km stretch of coastline and up to 1 km from shore. Measurements were made at 3 transects perpendicular toshore and 1 transect parallel to shore. The generalresults indicated that seepage decreased with distancefrom shore (2 of 3 transects), and substantialtemporal and spatial variability was observed inseepage flow from nearshore sediments. In addition,trends in mean monthly integrated seepage rates weresimilar to precipitation patterns measured at a nearbycoastal weather station. Based on these measurements, weestimate that the magnitude of groundwater seepage intothe study area is substantial, representing from 0.23 to4.4 m3 ⋅ sec-1of flow through the sediments, approximately equivalentto a first magnitude spring. Although it is unknown howrepresentative this region is with respect to globalgroundwater discharge, it demonstrates thatgroundwater flow can be as important as riverine andspring discharge in some cases. Our subsurfacedischarge rates suggest groundwater is an importanthydrologic source term for this region and may beimportant to the coastal biogeochemistry as well.
Preference for Cultural Goods: Demand and Welfare in the Korea Films Market

There is an ongoing debate on whether cultural goods like movies and music albums should be protected from foreign competitors. An implicit assumption under the argument for protection is that consumers easily substitute cultural elements for other product characteristics. In this paper we estimate consumers' willingness to pay for cultural elements using admission data on films in Korea. Our results show that Korean consumers are willing to pay more for home-produced movies compared to imported foreign movies and that cultural preference is one of the key determinants of welfare changes in various trade policy settings.
A Nonperturbing Liquid Crystal Fiberoptic Microwave Power Probe

A miniaturized microwave probe has been developed using the microwave-caused heating of a thin coating of a resistive material and the resulting change in the color of a miniscule amount of liquid crystal in intimate contact. The probe can be inserted in animals for microwave biological effects research and is isotropic in its sensitivity to different polarizations of the fields.