cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the complexity of powering in finite fields

We study the complexity of computing the kth-power of an element of F2n by constant depth arithmetic circuits over F2 (also known as ACP). Our study encompasses the complexity of basic arithmetic operations such as computing cube-root and computing cubic-residuosity of elements of F2n. Our main result is that these problems require exponential size circuits.We also derive strong average-case versions of these results. For example, we show that no subexponential-size, constant-depth, arithmetic circuit over F2 can correctly compute the cubic residue symbol for more than 1/3 + o(1) fraction of the elements of F2n. As a corollary, we deduce a character sum bound showing that the cubic residue character over F2n is uncorrelated with all degree-d n-variate F2 polynomials (viewed as functions over F2n in a natural way), provided d l ne for some universal e > 0. Classical methods (based on van der Corput differencing and the Weil bounds) show this only for d l log(n).Our proof revisits the classical Razborov-Smolensky method for circuit lower bounds, and executes an analogue of it in the land of univariate polynomials over F2n. The tools we use come from both F2n and F2n. In recent years, this interplay between F2n and F2n has played an important role in many results in pseudorandomness, property testing and coding theory.
Enhancement of Ice-Nucleating Activity in Pseudomonas fluorescens and Its Effect on Efficacy against Overwintering Colorado Potato Beetles

Abstract The application of ice-nucleating bacteria as biological control agents for Colorado potato beetles requires the development of media for mass production that optimize bacterial efficacy against overwintering adults. The production method in our laboratory has been limited to a solid medium, nutrient agar supplemented with 2.5% glycerol (NAG), that is known to enhance ice-nucleating activity. In this study, we report culture conditions that enhance expression of type 1 ice nuclei (i.e., initiate freezing at or above −5°C) in the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens F26-4C grown in liquid media. Expression of type 1 ice nuclei was induced during the exponential to the stationary phase of its growth cycle by a low-temperature shift to either 15 or 4°C for at least 1 h. Growth in media with a limiting level of nitrogen and with 5% dextrose or galactose, coupled with a temperature shift to 4°C for 2 h, resulted in the greatest enhancement of type 1 nuclei. Adult Colorado potato beetles fed P. fluorescens cells induced to produce type 1 ice nuclei showed a sustained elevation of supercooling points (i.e., the temperature at which ice formation spontaneously occurs in body fluids) comparable to beetles fed cells grown on NAG. These results suggest that P. fluorescens F26-4C produced in liquid media is as persistent in and as effective against overwintering adults as that grown on a solid medium. Furthermore, the ability to culture in liquid media may facilitate the mass production of bacterial cells needed for field applications.
Couple Communication Patterns as Predictors of Major Depressive Disorder Symptoms: An Exploratory Study

Communication patterns were explored as predictors of Major Depressive Disorder symptoms in 54 couples with a diagnosed partner. The Initiator Style Questionnaire (ISQ; Denton & Burleson, 2007) was used to assess each partner's tendency to initiate and avoid relationship problem discussions, and to categorize couples. Couples were grouped into three initiator style categories: Initiate-Initiate, Avoid-Avoid, and Initiate-Avoid. Patients of Initiate-Avoid couples experienced less severe depressive symptoms. Initiator style category predicted severity of depressed mood, poor concentration/decision-making, and low energy/fatigue. Interactions of initiator style category and relationship satisfaction predicted symptoms that varied in severity. Implications for couple therapists are discussed.
Failures with Bearings

Despite the long-term clinical and radiographic success that has been reported with total knee arthroplasty (TKA), failures related to the articular bearing surface continue to be one of the most significant factors that limit survivorship of TKA implants. Many variables influence wear and bearing surface failure,including factors related to the patient,the surgeon,and the implant. Future efforts should be directed at changes in the materials, implant design, sterilization methods, and surgical technique that could potentially lead to improvements in wear properties and an overall reduction in the incidence of bearing surface failures in TKA.
‘Young People are No Longer at Risk — They are the Risk’: Henry Giroux's Youth in a Suspect Society:

This article analyzes Henry Giroux's recent book Youth in a Suspect Society: democracy or disposability? (Palgrave, 2009) and situates it within his post-9/11 critical interventions. Giroux has foc...
Photolithography with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is widely used as an electron beam resist but is not used as a photoresist because of its insensitivity to electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than about 300 nm. In this paper we describe a technique for performing conventional photolithography with high molecular weight PMMA at the widely used 365 nm i-line wavelength. The technique involves photosensitizing PMMA with Irgacure 651—a commercially available photo-initiator that can cause PMMA strands to cross-link. Optimum amount of Irgacure can produce a negative tone photoresist with adequate photosensitivity and plasma etch resistance. We describe this technique in detail with complete processing conditions and discuss the effects of varying Irgacure 651 concentration in PMMA as well as changes in UV exposure dose. We also show example structures patterned with commonly available materials and equipment. Finally, we show that it is possible to carry out gradient lithography with this approach, in order to produce structures in relief in photosensitive PMMA.
Deterioration of Wood by Terrestrial Ascomycetes and Fungi Imperfecti

It has been known for some time that certain Ascomycetes and Fungi Imperfecti are capable of attacking cellulose and nonlignified materials. For instance: 1. A great many can attack cellulose plant fibers such as cotton, causing serious destruction of fabrics. 2. Others may grow through wood, living on stored food materials, such as starches and sugars in the ray cells, and thereby stain and discolor the wood. 3. Others not only utilize the food material within the ray cells but also the pectin and hemicelluloses of the walls. When the cells are dissolved, porosity is increased, and the wood becomes more absorptive of water and preservatives. It is of interest to note here that certain bacteria also are capable of dissolving the ray cells in logs stored in ponds for the purpose of preventing stains and decay (Ellwood and Ecklund, 1959). Increased absorptiveness may cause considerable drying and paint-maintenance problems. Increased porosity in wood can, on the other hand, be of value to the wood preserver. In experiments directed toward improving the penetration of preservatives, chemicals, such as sodium fluoride, have been sprayed on logs to stimulate the growth of molds, particularly Tricho-derma (Lindgren, 1952). 4. A few bark-inhabiting Ascomycetes are known to decay small branches and twigs. Their attack on the lignified walls of tracheids, vessels,and fibers, however, has been regarded as unimportant.
Molecular genetic approaches to mammalian brain and behavior: An introduction

Two of the goals of behavior genetics have been to identify individual genes with effects on brain and behavior and to determine the mechanism(s) for effects of individual genes on brain and behavior. With classical genetics, this would have consisted of identifying a gene by mapping it to a chromosome and of determining the pathways for its effects, tracing back from behavior or brain to the gene. Molecular genetics brings other approaches to these issues. Findings with molecular methods also lead to hypotheses with regard to mechanisms for effects of individual genes on brain or behavior. In this issue examples of molecular genetic approaches are described for perceptual (color vision and olfaction), motivational (circadian rhythms and sexual behaviors), learning and memory, and pathological (alcohol-related and schizophrenia) aspects of mammalian behavior.
Emerging Epidemic of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in South Asia: Opportunities for Prevention

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), primarily heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases have become a major global health burden accounting for 60% of death worldwide. About 80% of these deaths occur in low income countries having a huge negative economic impact in these resource poor countries. The South Asian region, encompassing people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan, constitutes 25% of the world’s population, and is a high-priority region for addressing the rising epidemic of NCDs particularly among people from low-income strata. The prevalence of NCDs, primarily associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is the highest in South Asia when compared with the rest of the world [1]. Countries in this densely populated region are still fighting a lengthy battle to reduce the menace of infectious and communicable diseases. Therefore, controlling the worsening epidemic of NCDs due to rapid unplanned urbanization, and the globalization of unhealthy lifestyles, at the same time, is a serious challenge for this region. In Bangladesh and Pakistan, heart disease rates have increased more than 100% between 1999-2010 [2]. Additionally, NCDs have been a major cause of death in Sri Lanka over the last 20 years [2]. Neither the public nor private sector in these countries can sustain this trend without comprehensive international action which needs a focused and concerted approach.
Theoretical Aspects on Spatial Thickness Variations in Laser-Deposited Thin Films.

We have studied predicted thickness uniformity of thin films deposited by the pulsed laser ablation technique. Unlike a conventional evaporation process, the spatial thickness characteristics of laser-deposited films is controlled by a number of laser and other deposition variables including laser wavelength, pulse energy density, substrate-target distance, area and shape of the laser irradiated spot, etc. The effect of these parameters on the spatial thickness variations have been analyzed by using a model proposed by Singh et. al. [1]. This model is based on the anisotropic expansion of the laser-generated high-temperature and high-pressure plasma, which is initially confined to small dimensions and then expands anisotropically in vacuum. The results show that spatial film uniformity can be improved by decreasing plasma temperature and specific heat capacity ratio of the plasma gas. For large laser irradiated spot diameters (> 8 mm), the film uniformity was found to decrease with decreasing spot diameters, but this trend reversed at smaller: irradiated spot sizes. Depending on the laser irradiated conditions and substrate-target geometry, the thickness variations have been found to vary from (cos 0)2.5 to (cos 0)12. Optimization of various parameters to decrease the spatial-thickness inhomogeneities across the film are also discussed.
Partial Purification and Characterization of Natriuretic Factor from Rat Kidney

SummaryA partial purification of natriuretic factor from volume-expanded rat kidney has been achieved by Sephadex gel chromatography and acrylamide gel electrophoresis. This factor inhibits frog skin SCC and Na-K-ATPase from different sources in a dose-dependent manner. Activity is destroyed by incubation with trypsin or fresh kidney homogenate but not chymotrypsin.This work was supported by a group investigative award from the American Heart Association, Los Angeles affiliate. The authors are indebted to Ms. De-Anna Mackey and Ruby McCarty for secretarial assistance.
Measurements of Radiation Heat Flux to a Probe Surface in the NASA Ames IHF Arc Jet Facility

An optical probe was applied to measure radiation from inside the arc heater incident on a test sample immersed in the arc-heated stream through spectroscopy and radiometry. Unlike efforts of the past, where the probe line of sight was inclined to the nozzle centerline, the present development focused on having the probe line of sight coincide with the nozzle centerline. A fiber-coupled spectrometer was used to measure the spectral distribution of incident radiation in the wavelength range of 250 to 950 nm. The radiation heat flux in this wavelength range was determined by integration of the measured spectral intensity calibrated to incident irradiance from an integrating sphere. In addition, total radiation measurements were made with thermopile sensors. Due to the flat spectral characteristics of these sensors, the detected wavelength range was only limited by the sapphire windows which typically cut off radiation below 160nm and above ~5μm. Several arc-heater conditions, corresponding to stream bulk enthalpy levels between 8 and 24 MJ/kg, were investigated in the 6-inch diameter nozzle of the Interaction Heating Facility at NASA Ames Research Center. The results are compared to former measurements with the 13-inch diameter nozzle. With the probe placed at a distance of 3 inches from the nozzle exit plane, total radiative heat fluxes were measured to be between 8 and 33 W/cm 2 for the different conditions. In correspondence with the measurements in the 13-inch nozzle, the spectra are dominated by continuum emission. However, with the 6-inch nozzle, the ratios of boundbound to continuum are observed to be higher. The factors between measurements with the 6-inch and the 13-inch nozzle yield the conclusion that for the highest condition, without added cold air, the majority of the measured bound-bound radiation is generated in the cathode region of the arc heater. The measured continuum radiation, however, seems to be generated mainly close to the upstream electrode in the first part of the arc-column. For the condition with significant add air, the radiation heat flux increase is almost the same for bound-bound and continuum radiation. If the arc-column distribution is considered to remain unchanged, this indicates additional continuum radiation to be generated close to the downstream electrode and bound-bound emission in the downstream region to be reduced. These effects are attributed to the added room temperature air at this condition. In the tested configuration with the 6-inch nozzle, the measured radiative heat flux accounts for up to 1.5% of the total heat flux on a hemispheric calorimeter or 2.7% on a flat face. Although stronger than anticipated, these values can still be considered negligible as a heat load.
Heterogeneity of (co)variance among herds for backfat measures of swine.

Within-herd variation for the trait of backfat was examined in swine. Backfat depth data (n=21,877) from 11 herds that had each recorded over 1,000 measures were evaluated using univariate animal model procedures in analyses for individual herds and all herds together. Variance components were estimated by a derivative-free REML algorithm, and significance tests for variance components were carried out as likelihood ratio tests. Adjustment for heterogeneous variance by correction for within-herd phenotypic SD was also evaluated. Additive genetic and residual variances were heterogeneous across herds and ranged from 1.39 to 9.78 mm2 and from .88 to 7.05 mm2, respectively. Eleven parameter estimates from individual herd analyses were significantly different (P < .05) from the analysis for all herds together. However, only small differences were observed between estimates of heritability, which ranged from .37 to .73. Scaling data to a constant within-herd SD resulted in more homogeneous variance. For additive genetic variance, only one herd differed significantly (P < .01) from the analysis for all herds together. However, five estimates of residual variance were found to be significantly different (P < .05) from the analysis for all herds together. The rank correlation between EPD predicted from the analyses with all herds together, homogeneous variance, and scaled to a constant within-herd SD was .97 (P < .01). Effects of heterogeneous variance may need to be accounted for in genetic evaluation procedures for swine.
Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration for Mediastinal Staging in a Community Medical Center.

Rationale: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) and positron emission tomography (PET)–computed tomography (CT) are valuable tools for lung cancer staging. Data from tertiary referral centers suggest that these modalities are superior to mediastinoscopy in mediastinal staging.Objectives: To validate EBUS-TBNA for lung cancer staging in a community center with operators with various levels of experience.Methods: At an 800-bed community hospital, we reviewed all cases where EBUS-TBNA and PET-CT were performed for mediastinal staging by one of seven private practice pulmonologists. Cases were reviewed with lymph node dissection by mediastinoscopy after negative EBUS-TBNA.Measurements and Main Results: Of the 333 cases that were reviewed, 44 underwent mediastinoscopy after negative EBUS-TBNA. Four patients were positive for malignancy at stations 4R and 7 lymph nodes. In none of these cases did EBUS-TBNA reveal lymphoid tissue confirming the sample location. PET-CT show...
The art and science of species delimitation

DNA-based approaches to systematics have changed dramatically during the last two decades with the rise of DNA barcoding methods and newer multi-locus methods for species delimitation. During the last half-decade, partly driven by the new sequencing technologies, the focus has shifted to multi-locus sequence data and the identification of species within the framework of the multi-species coalescent (MSC). In this paper, I discuss model-based Bayesian methods for species delimitation that have been developed in recent years using the MSC. Several approximate methods for species delimitation (and their limitations) are also discussed. Explicit species delimitation models have the advantage of clarifying more precisely what is being delimited and what assumptions we are making in doing so. Moreover, the methods can be very powerful when applied to large multi-locus datasets and thus take full advantage of data generated using today’s technologies.
Demonstration of record SiGe transconductance and short-channel current drive in High-Ge-Content SiGe PMOS FinFETs with improved junction and scaled EOT

We demonstrate high-performance (HP) High-Ge-Content (HGC) SiGe pMOS FinFETs with scaled EOT and improved junction. For the first time, SiGe FinFET EOT scaling down to ∼7A has been achieved. In addition, improved junction and series resistance has been demonstrated for HGC SiGe, by a proper choice of spacer thickness and interface-layer as well as hot ion-implant (I/I), resulting in significant R on reduction down to 250 and 200Ω.µm, respectively. We report the highest “SiGe extrinsic g m ” reported to date with g m, LIN =0.5mS/µm and g m, SAT =2.7/2.5mS/µm at V DD =1.0/0.5V, the highest HGC SiGe I on =0.45mA/µm at fixed HP I off =100nA/µm at V DD =0.5V and the highest pMOS FinFET performance reported to date at sub-35nm L G .
Sodium Tungstate for Promoting Mesenchymal Stem Cell Chondrogenesis.

Articular cartilage has a limited ability to heal. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from the bone marrow have shown promise as a cell type for cartilage regeneration strategies. In this study, sodium tungstate (Na2WO4), which is an insulin mimetic, was evaluated for the first time as an inductive factor to enhance human MSC chondrogenesis. MSCs were seeded onto three-dimensional electrospun scaffolds in growth medium (GM), complete chondrogenic induction medium (CCM) containing insulin, and CCM without insulin. Na2WO4 was added to the media leading to final concentrations of 0, 0.01, 0.1, and 1 mM. Chondrogenic differentiation was assessed by biochemical analyses, immunostaining, and gene expression. Cytotoxicity using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCS) was also investigated. The chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs was enhanced in the presence of low concentrations of Na2WO4 compared to control, without Na2WO4. In the induction medium containing insulin, cells in 0.01 mM Na2WO4 produced significantly higher sulfated glycosaminoglycans, collagen type II, and chondrogenic gene expression than all other groups at day 28. Cells in 0.1 mM Na2WO4 had significantly higher collagen II production and significantly higher sox-9 and aggrecan gene expression compared to control at day 28. Cells in GM and induction medium without insulin containing low concentrations of Na2WO4 also expressed chondrogenic markers. Na2WO4 did not stimulate PBMC proliferation or apoptosis. The results demonstrate that Na2WO4 enhances chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs, does not have a toxic effect, and may be useful for MSC-based approaches for cartilage repair.
Identifying Urban Features from LiDAR for a High-Resolution Urban Hydrologic Model

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), is relatively inexpensive, provides high spatial resolution sampling at great accuracy, and can be used to generate surface terrain and land cover datasets for urban areas. These datasets are used to develop high-resolution hydrologic models necessary to resolve complex drainage networks in urban areas. This work develops a five-step algorithm to generate indicator fields for tree canopies, buildings, and artificial structures using Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS-GIS), and a common computing language, Matrix Laboratory. The 54 km2 study area in Parker, Colorado consists of twenty-four 1,500 × 1,500 m LiDAR subsets at 1 m resolution with varying degrees of urbanization. The algorithm correctly identifies 96% of the artificial structures within the study area; however, application success is dependent upon urban extent. Urban land use fractions below 0.2 experienced an increase in falsely identified building locations. ParFlow, a three-dimensional, grid-based hydrological model, uses these building and artificial structure indicator fields and digital elevation model for a hydrologic simulation. The simulation successfully develops the complex drainage network and simulates overland flow on the impervious surfaces (i.e., along the gutters and off rooftops) made possible through this spatial analysis process.
Characterization of Fracture Behavior of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Cement Paste Using Digital Image Correlation

This paper reports on the fracture behavior of MWCNT-reinforced cement paste based on evidence from three-point bending tests of single-edge notched beam samples. Digital image correlation (DIC) was used to measure full-field displacements at different stages of fracture in reinforced and unreinforced samples. Strain maps extracted from displacement data were used to characterize the morphology of the fracture process zone (FPZ). The DIC principal tensile strain maps from nanoreinforced samples consistently highlighted the development of a larger FPZ prior to failure. Evidence from scanning electron microscopy analysis of fracture surfaces further supports the hypothesis that highly-dispersed and well-bonded MWCNTs contribute to toughness through crack-bridging.
Broadening the Perspective on Gun Violence: An Examination of the Firearms Industry, 1990-2015.

Introduction Firearm violence injures or kills 100,000 Americans each year. This paper applies the Host–Agent–Vector–Environment model to this issue. Research on firearm violence tends to focus on two elements—the host (i.e., victims of firearm violence) and the environment (i.e., gun policies)—but little attention has been paid to the agent (the gun and ammunition) or the vector (firearm manufacturers, dealers, and the industry lobby). Methods Using Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives data, trends in firearm manufacturing were investigated from 1990 to 2015. Outcome measures included: (1) trends in domestic gun manufacturing by weapon type; (2) trends in production by firearm caliber; and (3) 2015 market share by type of firearm and company. Data were collected and analyzed in 2016. Results Overall domestic firearms production decreased slightly from 1996 through 2004, and then steadily increased from 1.7% in 2005 to 13.8% in 2013, when >10 million firearms were produced for the domestic market. The increase in total firearm production was driven by the increased production of pistols and rifles. Within the pistol category, increased production was attributable to an increase in higher caliber weapons. Similar trends were observed in gun purchases and recovered and traced crime guns. Conclusions Trends in firearm manufacturing reveal a shift toward more-lethal weapons, and this trend is also observed in gun purchases and crime gun traces. This may reflect a societal shift in cultural practices and norms related to guns and could inform strategies to reduce firearm violence.
The Risk of Oxygen during Cardiac Surgery (ROCS) trial: study protocol for a randomized clinical trial

Anesthesiologists administer excess supplemental oxygen (hyper-oxygenation) to patients during surgery to avoid hypoxia. Hyper-oxygenation, however, may increase the generation of reactive oxygen species and cause oxidative damage. In cardiac surgery, increased oxidative damage has been associated with postoperative kidney and brain injury. We hypothesize that maintenance of normoxia during cardiac surgery (physiologic oxygenation) decreases kidney injury and oxidative damage compared to hyper-oxygenation. The Risk of Oxygen during Cardiac Surgery (ROCS) trial will randomly assign 200 cardiac surgery patients to receive physiologic oxygenation, defined as the lowest fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) necessary to maintain an arterial hemoglobin saturation of 95 to 97%, or hyper-oxygenation (FIO2 = 1.0) during surgery. The primary clinical endpoint is serum creatinine change from baseline to postoperative day 2, and the primary mechanism endpoint is change in plasma concentrations of F2-isoprostanes and isofurans. Secondary endpoints include superoxide production, clinical delirium, myocardial injury, and length of stay. An endothelial function substudy will examine the effects of oxygen treatment and oxidative stress on endothelial function, measured using flow mediated dilation, peripheral arterial tonometry, and wire tension myography of epicardial fat arterioles. The ROCS trial will test the hypothesis that intraoperative physiologic oxygenation decreases oxidative damage and organ injury compared to hyper-oxygenation in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02361944 . Registered on the 30th of January 2015.
Cryoprotectants and components induce plasmolytic responses in sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) suspension cells

Plant genebanks often use cryopreservation to securely conserve clonally propagated collections. Shoot tip cryopreservation procedures may employ vitrification techniques whereby highly concentrated solutions remove cellular water and prevent ice crystallization, ensuring survival after liquid nitrogen exposure. Vitrification solutions can be comprised of a combination of components that are either membrane permeable or membrane impermeable within the timeframe and conditions of cryoprotectant exposure. In this study, the osmotic responses of sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] suspension cell cultures were observed after treatment with plant vitrification solution 2 [PVS2; 15% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 15% (v/v) ethylene glycol, 30% (v/v) glycerol, 0.4 M sucrose], plant vitrification solution 3 (PVS3; 50% (v/v) glycerol, 50% (w/v) sucrose), and their components at 25 and 0°C, as well as cryoprotectant solution, PGD (10% (w/v) PEG 8000, 10% (w/v) glucose, 10% (v/v) DMSO) at 25°C. At either 25 or 0°C, sweet potato cells plasmolyzed after exposure to PVS2, PVS3, and PGD solutions as well as the PVS2 and PVS3 solution components. Cells deplasmolyzed when the plasma membrane was permeable to the solutes and when water re-entered to maintain the chemical potential. Sweet potato suspension cells deplasmolyzed in the presence of 15% (v/v) DMSO or 15% (v/v) ethylene glycol. Sweet potato plasma membranes were more permeable to DMSO and ethylene glycol at 25°C than at 0°C. Neither sucrose nor glycerol solutions showed evidence of deplasmolysis after 3 h, suggesting low to no membrane permeability of these components in the timeframes studied. Thus, vitrification solution PVS2 includes components that are more membrane permeable than PVS3, suggesting that the two vitrification solutions may have different cryoprotectant functions. PGD includes DMSO, a permeable component, and likely has a different mode of action due to its use in two-step cooling procedures.
Inferred Switching Behavior in Response to Re-entry of Uber and Lyft: A Revealed Study in Austin, TX

In May 2016, Uber and Lyft suspended services following the defeat of Proposition 1 in Austin, TX. In response, several ridesourcing services entered the market. This paper provides information on the individuals most likely to switch back to Uber or Lyft after service restoration using estimated indifference bands. We hypothesize that people will not switch back unless a given trip’s cost saving is beyond a positive threshold due to boundedly rational behavior. The study revealed, among others, that those who use TNC for social purposes, have lower indifference bands and are more likely to switch to Uber or Lyft.
E-cigarette price sensitivity among middle- and high-school students: evidence from monitoring the future.

Aims We estimated associations between e-cigarette prices (both disposable and refill) and e-cigarette use among middle and high-school students in the United States. We also estimated associations between cigarette prices and e-cigarette use. Design We used regression models to estimate the associations between e-cigarette and cigarette prices and e-cigarette use. In our regression models, we exploited changes in e-cigarette and cigarette prices across four periods of time and across 50 markets. We report the associations as price elasticities. In our primary model, we controlled for socio-demographic characteristics, cigarette prices, tobacco control policies, market fixed effects and year-quarter fixed effects. Setting United States of America. Participants A total of 24 370 middle- and high-school students participating in the Monitoring the Future Survey in years 2014 and 2015. Measurements Self-reported e-cigarette use over the last 30 days. Average quarterly cigarette prices, e-cigarette disposable prices and e-cigarette refill prices were constructed from Nielsen retail data (inclusive of excise taxes) for 50 US markets. Findings In a model with market fixed effects, we estimated that a 10% increase in e-cigarette disposable prices is associated with a reduction in the number of days vaping among e-cigarette users by approximately 9.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) = −17.7 to 1.8%; P = 0.02] and is associated with a reduction in the number of days vaping by the full sample by approximately 17.9% (95% CI = −31.5 to −4.2%; P = 0.01). Refill e-cigarette prices were not statistically significant predictors of vaping. Cigarette prices were not associated significantly with e-cigarette use regardless of the e-cigarette price used. However, in a model without market fixed effects, cigarette prices were a statistically significant positive predictor of total e-cigarette use. Conclusions Higher e-cigarette disposable prices appear to be associated with reduced e-cigarette use among adolescents in the US.
Inform: A toolkit for information-theoretic analysis of complex systems

Information theory is increasingly being employed in the study of complex systems, particularly in the fields of neuroscience and artificial life. While domain-specific tools for information analysis are certainly valuable, high-performance and general-purpose toolkits can ensure better reproducibility and faster research turnover. We introduce Inform, an open-source and cross-platform C library for information-theoretic analysis of complex systems. Inform provides a host of functions to estimate information-theoretic measures from time series data. This includes classical information-theoretic measures (e.g. entropy, mutual information) and measures of information dynamics (e.g. active information storage, transfer entropy), but also several less common, yet powerful information-based concepts such as effective information, information flow and integration measures. However, what makes Inform unique is that it exposes a lower-level API allowing users to construct measures of their own, and includes a suite of utility functions that can be used to augment and extend the built-in functionality. Significant effort went into designing Inform's API to make its use from other languages as simple as possible. We describe Inform's overall design and implementation including details of validation techniques and plans for future development. We present evidence that suggests that Inform's computational performance is at least comparable to the Java Information Dynamics Toolkit (JIDT), which is taken to be the gold-standard for the field. We provide several examples to guide users and provide information about higher-level language wrappers for Python, R, Julia and Mathematica.
A Component Analysis of Self-Management Training with Behaviorally Disordered Youth.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the interaction effects among three components of self-management training: self-monitoring, self-evaluation/self-reinforcement, and self-instruction upon t...
Myths and Realities of Crisis Intervention

Crisis situations can be fully understood only by considering the person-in-crisis situation as an organic whole. By viewing the crisis from as many perspectives as possible, the practitioner can i...
Characteristics and outcomes of oral antibiotic treated pulmonary exacerbations in children with cystic fibrosis

Abstract Background Pulmonary exacerbations (PEx) in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) are frequently treated in the outpatient setting with oral antibiotics. However, little is known about the characteristics of PEx managed on an outpatient basis and the effectiveness of oral antibiotic therapy. We sought to prospectively evaluate clinical and laboratory changes associated with oral antibiotic treatment for PEx. Methods Children with CF between 8 and 18 years of age prescribed two weeks of oral antibiotics for a PEx were eligible to enroll. The study consisted of a visit within 48 h of starting antibiotics and a second visit within one week of antibiotic completion. Twenty-eight participants were evaluated by exacerbation score, quality of life measurements, lung function, sputum microbiology and inflammation. Results Oral antibiotic treatment was associated with a significant improvement in exacerbation score and quality of life measured by the CF Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R) respiratory domain. Following treatment, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) % predicted increased [median (range)] 9% (−8%, 31%), and 22 (81%) subjects returned to 90% or higher of baseline FEV1. Bacterial density of the primary organism identified on sputum culture decreased significantly with a median (range) decrease of 0.8 log10 cfu/mL (−8 log10, 2 log10, p = 0.03). Sputum neutrophil elastase [−37 μg/mL (−464, 272), p = 0.02] and IL-1β [−2.8 × 103μg/mL (−6.9 × 104, 3.3 × 104), p = 0.03] decreased significantly following treatment in this cohort. Conclusions Treatment of PEx with oral antibiotics was associated with measurable improvements in patient reported outcomes, lung function, bacterial density and sputum inflammatory markers.
Cortical Parcellation and the Development of Face Processing

Recent evidence indicates that the cerebral cortex is extremely sensitive to experiential factors early in life. Some of the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that constrain this plasticity are briefly reviewed. We then focus on the developmental consequence of one particular intrinsic constraint, cortical panellation, on infants’ ability to detect the direction of eye gaze in face stimuli. Preliminary data from a study of four-month-old infants using a preferential looking paradigm are presented. Infants were presented with two pictures of the same face, one with a direct eye gaze and one with an averted eye gaze. Results are discussed in terms of findings from single cell recordings in the macaque and from studies with adult Prosopagnosie patients.
Spinal Cord Anatomy

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of essential spine anatomy to assist the reader in understanding various structures of the central nervous system (CNS) and their relevance to intrathecal drug therapy. Structures such as the spine, spinal cord, meninges, cerebrospinal fluid, blood-brain barrier (BBB), blood supply, spinal roots, and spinal tracts will be addressed. Keeping current with this rapidly expanding body of knowledge directly affects the quality of patient care. It allows health care professionals to teach patients about the therapy, refines assessment skills, and provides safe and effective treatments that promote comfort and rehabilitation.
Neuroendocrine aging: Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in women

Reproductive aging in women is characterized by degeneration of ovarian follicles. After a transition phase, the final menstrual period marks beginning of the postmenopausal period. Estrogen withdrawal in postmenopausal women results in elevated hypothalamic GnRH secretion resulting in increased gonadotropin secretion from the anterior pituitary gland. In the hypothalamus of postmenopausal women, there is an increase in kisspeptin and neurokinin B gene expression in a subpopulation of neurons known as KNDy (kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin) neurons. KNDy neurons are a site of steroid negative feedback, are regulators of pulsatile GnRH secretion and may even contribute to the generation of hot flushes.
46. Therapeutic Colonoscopy and Its Complications

In addition to polypectomy, colonoscopy offers therapeutic options for the management of Ogilvie’s syndrome, reduction of sigmoid volvulus, and ligation of hemorrhoids. These therapeutic modalities, as well as the potential complications of colonoscopy, are discussed in this chapter.
Analysis for an Archimedean Neusis

An Archimedean neusis from SL was mentioned in the meta-theoretical passage in connection with a violation of the homogeneity criterion. It was claimed that the neusis is solid, where a plane argument might have sufficed. In Props. 42–44, Pappus employs geometrical analysis in order to show that the Archimedean neusis is really solid, and also to present a solid argument that is, in his view, useful for many solid locus problems. That is, Props. 42–44 are once again designed from a methodological point of view, in a twofold way. First of all, they illustrate what was meant by the homogeneity criterion for methods of argumentation, and how one would proceed when demarcating plane from solid geometry via analysis. The neusis discussed in Props. 42–44 is related to the ones used in SL 5 –9, closest to SL 9. It is indeed solid, although Pappus’ argument is not quite able to prove this, because geometrical analysis is limited in this regard; see discussion below. It seems as though Descartes was quite familiar with Pappus’ attempts. His criteria for determining the appropriate level of a problem, though not as far-reaching as he himself hoped, connect to Pappus’ attempts here and are vastly superior.
Core-Melt Probability Update

A Bayesian analysis is made of the probability of core melt (defined as “core on the floor”) for U.S. reactors, using methods that are an extension of those used in an earlier work, and that can th...
Beautifying IoT: The Internet of Things as a Cultural Agenda.

As an IT research agenda, the Internet of Things is often framed according to technical and economic issues, such as protocols, standards, job-creation potential, etc. We argue that IoT also constitutes a cultural and aesthetic vision, that is, a projected image of urban- or region-scale beauty, in which lives are pursued in more meaningful and fulfilling ways than before. In HCI and related disciplines, aesthetics—when not outright dismissed as too subjective and/or confusing to engage—is commonly investigated as individual judgments about individual interfaces. This is a problem, because we know that technologies can produce ugly and unlivable environments at scale—from nuclear disaster sites to urban desolation caused in large part by the automobile. Aesthetic IoT is not a matter of making device surfaces more pretty, but of thinking deeply about the ways it will shape how we live; after all, urban desolation didn’t happen because roads weren’t painted attractively, but because roads disrupted communities and their established ways of life. This chapter demonstrates that aesthetic theory provides concepts sufficient to engage matters of IoT aesthetics in precise and pragmatic ways. It does so by analyzing a policy intended to beautify a major city in Asia alongside aesthetic interpretations of two design initiatives contemporaneous with it: an agricultural IoT project that proposes a computationally enabled new intimacy between humans and their land, and a kitchen design company that innovates not only on manufacturing materials but also on the aesthetic conventions needed for consumers to recognize those material properties as beautiful.
Abstract 4998: Targeting DHPS to abrogate TGFβ-induced metastasis in breast cancer

Progression of solid tumors to a metastatic stage accounts for over 90% of cancer mortality. Thus, it is critical to identify therapeutic strategies that target both primary and metastatic tumors. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) negatively correlates with therapy response, contributing to intratumoral heterogeneity and systemic dissemination in breast cancer. We previously reported that pseudopodium-enriched atypical kinase one (PEAK1) promotes breast cancer cell EMT and metastasis by potentiating fibronectin-transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling cross-talk. Since eukaryotic initiation factor five A (eIF5A), a unique translation factor that is activated by deoxyhypusine synthase (DHPS)-dependent post-translational hypusination, is required for PEAK1 expression, we hypothesized that TGFβ may directly regulate eIF5A activity to promote EMT, and that targeted inhibition of this pathway may provide a novel means to inhibit or reverse metastatic progression. In this regard, we provide evidence of an active eIF5A-EMT program in undifferentiated breast cancer tissue. Notably, blockade of DHPS activity and eIF5A hypusination reduces PEAK1 translation, cell viability and TGFβ-induced EMT in vitro and metastasis in vivo. Conversely, we demonstrate that TGFβ induces post-translational hypusination of eIF5A in metastatic breast cancer cells. TGFβ is known to activate histone deacetylase six (HDAC6) and HDAC6 was independently reported to promote eIF5A deacetylation and nuclear export to support its translation functions. When delivered in combination, HDAC6 and DHPS inhibitors synergize to sequester eIF5A to the nucleus, suppress eIF5A-dependent translation and potently kill metastatic breast cancer cells. To identify candidate pathways downstream of the eIF5A/PEAK1 axis during EMT, we generated a Cytoscape interactome using eIF5A signaling and PEAK1-induced EMT genes as search terms. All interactome component genes were then analyzed across two breast cancer patient studies available on the Cancer BioPortal. Interestingly, SOX2, PIK3CA and EIF4A2 were the interactome nodes that exhibited copy number amplifications among patients harboring genomic alterations in the initial interactome search genes, and SOX2 amplification significantly and independently associated with decreased patient survival (p = 0.0476). Taken together, our results establish a novel node/axis by which TGFβ signaling stimulates HDAC6 and/or DHPS function to activate cytoplasmic eIF5A and promote EMT and survival of breast cancer cells within the metastatic niche, identifying new targeted therapy strategies that may improve cancer patient survival. Citation Format: Robert Guth, Lindsay Kutscher, Yvess Adamian, Cameron Geller, Kishan Bahkta, Kayla Meade, Jonathan A. Kelber. Targeting DHPS to abrogate TGFβ-induced metastasis in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4998.
Developing the Network Dimension

Since so many high-technology systems and enterprises are networked, and since network vulnerabilities are involved in so many cyberattacks, we provide in this chapter a concise summary of networking basics. We present the primary categories of networks and networking devices, along with the standard models used to describe them. We summarize both the seven-layer Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) model and the simpler and more current four-layer Internet protocol model. We discuss some practical aspects of networking media and devices. The remainder of the chapter introduces important variations on a basic networking scheme, including wireless, virtual, and mobile networks. The sheer number of protocols and standards can be overwhelming, and in the chapter itself as well as in Appendix J, we tabulate the more significant of these and spell out many of the associated acronyms. As with other specialized architecture topics, our goal is to equip the system architect with sufficient background to deal with this aspect of a system and to work effectively with experts in the field. Chapter Objective: the reader will have a level of familiarity with networks and networking components that allows effective design, modeling, and analysis of this crucial area of system and enterprise architectures.
Radio silence: the radio preservation task force and the uses of radio history

The Radio Preservation Task Force is a remarkable collaboration of archivists, academics, and practitioners working for the preservation and promotion of US radio history. It is a project fundament...
Diversity for Whom? Gentrification, Demographic Change, and the Politics of School Integration.

Gentrification and the displacement of low-income residents of color from neighborhoods where they have long resided has accelerated over the last 20 years. In some cities, this process has begun t...