cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photosynthate distribution patterns in cherrybark oak seedling sprouts

Summary We used 14 C tracers to determine photosynthate distribution in cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Raf.) seedling sprouts following release from competing mid-story vegetation. Fall acquisition of labeled photosynthates by seedlings followed expected source–sink patterns, with root and basal stem tissues serving as the primary sinks. Four months after the seedlings had been labeled with 14 C, they were clipped to induce sprouting. First-flush stem and leaf tissues of the resulting seedling sprouts were the primary sinks for labeled photosynthates stored in root tissues. Second-flush stem and leaf tissues, and first-flush stem and leaf tissues the following growing season, were not primary sinks for labeled photosynthates stored in root tissues despite the high radioactivity in root tissues. Root tissues appeared to deposit photosynthates in a layering process whereby the last photosynthates stored in new xylem were the first to be depleted during the initiation of a growth flush the following spring. There were more labeled photosynthates in roots of released seedling sprouts compared with non-released seedling sprouts, indicating increased vigor of released seedling sprouts in response to greater light availability. In contrast, stem and source leaf tissues of non-released seedling sprouts contained greater percentages of labeled photosynthates compared with released seedling sprouts, indicating either greater sink strength or poorly developed xylem and phloem pathways that created inefficiencies in distribution to root tissues. The 14 C distribution coefficients confirmed the
An automated technique for the quantitative assessment of 3D‐MRSI data from patients with glioma

Although proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (1H-MRSI) has been shown to be effective for localizing tumor in patients with gliomas, it is not a routinely used clinical tool. This is due, in part, to the lack of a standardized, objective method for analyzing spectra. We present an automated technique for a) selecting a population of voxels from each patient that have the spectral features of normal brain regions, and b) using the selected voxels as internal controls for quantifying the probability of abnormality at each voxel location. The technique was demonstrated on a phantom, 14 normal volunteers, and 30 patients with histologically proven tumor. In addition, we demonstrated the usefulness of the method for monitoring patients in serial studies from two glioma patients with progressive disease.
Narrating Beliefs: A Language Ideologies Approach to Teacher Beliefs

This article explores how we can better understand the language ideologies of teachers working with second language learners through narrative analysis. This analysis draws on ethnographic data collected in an urban high school with a predominant Latina/o population and nearly a quarter designated as English learners. This analysis illustrates how emergent narratives and language ideologies provide a valuable framework and method for better understanding teacher beliefs in situ about language learners and learning. [narrative, language ideologies, English learners, teacher beliefs]
Discovery of improvised explosive device content in the Dark Web

Improvised explosive device related Web content offers a wealth of knowledge to members of the security and intelligence communities. However, acquiring the desired topical information remains a challenge for analysts due to issues including site identification, accessibility, and language. This paper presents a focused crawling approach for the discovery and collection of improvised explosive device content from the dark Web. Results and examples from an exploratory collection effort are described. Site map and link analyses were also performed, offering insight into the communication dynamics and publication of improvised explosive device Web content.
Verification of timing properties in rapid system prototyping

This paper addresses the need for systematic verifications of timing properties of real-time prototypes, which consist of timing constraints that must be satisfied at any given time and time-series constraints that must be satisfied over a period of time. Traditional schedulability analysis only works for the former kind of timing properties. It is not effective in verifying time-series constraints over a period of time. This paper presents a hybrid approach that combines the traditional schedulability analysis of the designing and monitoring of timing constraint satisfaction during prototype execution based on a time-series temporal logic. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated with a prototype of the fish farm control system software.
Flaw signature estimation in ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation using the Wiener filter with limited prior information

Flaw signals measured in ultrasonic testing include the effects of the measurements system and are corrupted by noise. The measurement system response is both bandlimited and frequency dependent within the bandwidth, resulting in measured signals which are blurred and distorted estimates of actual flaw signatures. The Wiener filter can be used to estimate the flaw's scattering amplitude by removing the effect of the measurement system in the presence of noise. A method is presented for implementing an optimal form of the Wiener filter that requires only estimates of the noise distribution parameters. The theoretical error for scattering amplitude estimation, assuming various levels of available prior information, is analyzed. Three estimation techniques, one a maximum-likelihood based method and the other two residual-sum-of-squares methods, are formulated and tested. The results demonstrate that any of the three approaches could be used to optimally implement the alternative form of the Wiener filter with limited prior information. >
Increased thrombosis after arterial injury in human C-reactive protein-transgenic mice.

Background— C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute-phase reactant long considered merely an innocent bystander in the inflammatory process, is now recognized as a powerful predictor of cardiovascular events. Emerging in vitro evidence suggests that CRP may have direct proinflammatory and prothrombotic effects on monocytes and endothelial cells. To determine whether CRP directly modulates vascular cell function in vivo, we subjected wild-type mice, which do not express CRP, and human CRP–transgenic (CRPtg) mice to 2 models of arterial injury. Methods and Results— Baseline serum CRP levels in CRPtg mice were 18±6 mg/L. CRP levels were undetectable in wild-type mice. Transluminal wire injury led to complete thrombotic occlusion of the femoral artery at 28 days in 75% of CRPtg arteries (6 of 8) compared with 17% (2 of 12) in wild-type mice (P<0.05). In a model of arterial photochemical injury, clot formation time was shortened in CRPtg mice; mean time to occlusion was 33±19 minutes compared with 59±19 minutes in ...
A detection method for unified chromatography: Ion mobility monitoring

Ion mobility monitoring has been used for detection in gas, supercritical fluid, and liquid chromatography, illustrating its potential as a method of detection for unified chromatography. Applications presented include GC-IMD of dioxins in fly ash, SFC-IMD of vitamin E, and HPLC-IMD of alkylamines. Ion mobility spectra of several mixed supercritical fluid mobile phases are also presented. Use of methanol, acetonitrile, and dichloromethane as modifiers of supercritical carbon dioxide, and use of supercritical dichlorodifluoromethane and chlorodifluoromethane as mobile phases had little effect on the reactant ion pattern at the flow rates and concentrations used in this study. Only when acetone was used as a modifier of carbon dioxide did the positive reactant ions change significantly. No effect of modifiers or mobile phase was observed for the negative reactant ions.
Castration and morbidity and their effects on performance, carcass quality, and price differentials for bulls and steers

When purchasing feeder calves, bulls are typically discounted relative to steers. Determining the appropriate discount is difficult. Being able to calculate this discount under varying conditions would help stocker operators maintain a greater level of profitability or recognize opportunities to make more profit when excessive discounts are being applied. The objectives of this study were to determine how castration timing affects performance, morbidity, and carcass quality and how morbidity affects performance and carcass quality. Ordinary least squares and logit models were estimated to quantify the effects of various management and environmental factors on performance, morbidity, and carcass quality. These estimates were used to calculate price discounts for bulls relative to steers, for both a short backgrounding period and when ownership is retained until slaughter. Results confirm that late-castrated bulls exhibit diminished performance and increased morbidity probabilities relative to early-castrated bulls. Increased morbidity also decreases ADG. However, castration timing and morbidity during the backgrounding period have minimal effects on carcass quality, with morbidity only affecting hot carcass weight, whereas castration timing only affects days to market and hot carcass weight. Based on 2009 market conditions, bulls should be discounted at feeder calf sales compared with steers. The average calf arrived at 209 kg. At this BW, bulls should be discounted (P < 0.01) $0.11/ kg relative to the same BW steers. The discount increases (P < 0.01) to $0.12/ kg for 170-kg calves and decreases (P < 0.01) to $0.08/kg for 250-kg calves. If ownership is retained through slaughter, required discounts change (P < 0.01 for all) to $0.14/kg, $0.04/kg, and $0.17/ kg, respectively, for average- (209 kg), light- (170 kg), and heavy-BW (250 kg) calves.
Lower bounds for the kinetic energy and resistance of z-pinches on Z

We present our analysis obtaining from experimental data approximate lower bounds for the kinetic energy and magnetic flux dissipation for single and nested wire arrays and gas puffs on the former and present configurations of the Z pulsed- power accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories. The procedure we employ, applied to electrical and x-ray energy measurements, utilizes the pinch energy balance to determine lower bounds for the plasma kinetic energy just before the main pinch reaches the axis and for the magnetic flux dissipation during stagnation. From the lower bound for the dissipated flux a lower bound for pinch resistance after x-ray peak power is estimated. We present the results of applying this Energy Balance Procedure (EBP) to tungsten wire array, nested wire array and gas puff z-pinches.
EARLY SIGNALLING MECHANISM IN COLONIC EPITHELIAL CELL RESPONSE TO GASTRIN

The hormone gastrin exerts a growth-promoting effect on gastrointestinal cells. The molecular mechanisms by which colonic epithelial cells respond to gastrin are still poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate a novel feature of the action of gastrin on normal colonic cells, namely the rapid phosphorylation on tyrosine of phospholipase C gamma 1 (PLC gamma 1). Tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 1, elicited by gastrin, was transient, concentration-dependent, and was abrogated by pretreating the colonic cells with the gastrin-receptor antagonist proglumide, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein, and by removal of the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor orthovanadate from the isolation buffer. Tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 1 correlated with the time- and concentration-dependent decrease in the mass of membrane phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and the increase in the epithelial concentration of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). Likewise, the stimulated increase in IP3 was also prevented by proglumide and genistein. Gastrin induced a definite but transient increase in the intracellular concentration of free Ca2+ [Ca2+]i, and increased membrane-translocation of immunoreactive alpha- and beta-protein kinase C. The data thus indicate that gastrin elicits at least one signalling cascade, through rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma 1, leading to the activation of a PIP2-specific PLC pathway.
On the Trigonometric Relation between Tax Audit and Underreporting Rates

The probabilities associated with a tax return being audited or containing underreported tax are formulated here in a different way. This new formulation is mathematically equivalent to the traditional formulation; however, it reveals a trigonometric relationship between these probabilities that cannot be deduced from the familiar approach. Unconditioned probabilities associated with audits and underreporting are expressed as the square of the magnitudes of probability amplitude vectors. Conditioned probabilities are expressed as the square of trigonometric functions (cosine or sine) of the angle between probability amplitude vectors and the axes of two-dimensional coordinate systems. Although applications are not discussed, this new way of considering tax audit and underreporting rates will hopefully inspire others to find solutions to problems otherwise thought unsolvable.
Sonographic markers of ovarian morphology, but not hirsutism indices, predict serum total testosterone in women with regular menstrual cycles.

Objective To determine whether sonographic markers of ovarian morphology or male pattern hair growth scores predict androgen levels in women with regular or irregular menstrual cycles. Design Cross-sectional observational study. Setting Clinical research unit. Patient(s) Seventy-six women of reproductive age (18–39 years) were evaluated for male-pattern hair growth (using a modified Ferriman-Gallwey scoring system), ovarian morphology (by transvaginal ultrasonography), and total serum testosterone (T) (by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry). Intervention(s) Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure(s) Regional and total modified Ferriman-Gallwey scores, number of follicles per follicle size category, follicle number per ovary, ovarian volume, ovarian area, stromal to ovarian area ratio, stromal echogenicity index, total testosterone (total T), and menstrual cycle length. Result(s) Neither regional nor total modified Ferriman-Gallwey scores correlated with total T concentrations in women with regular or irregular menstrual cycles, as judged by the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator technique. By contrast, a sonographic marker (follicle number per ovary 6–9 mm) significantly predicted total T concentrations in women with regular menstrual cycles but not in women with irregular menstrual cycles. Conclusion(s) Sonographic markers of ovarian morphology, but not hirsutism scores, predicted total T levels. However, the predictive value of ovarian morphology for total T differed by menstrual cycle status. That sonographic markers did not predict androgen levels in a diverse cohort of women with cycle irregularity suggests the potential for distinct variations in ovarian morphology for androgenic and nonandrogenic types of cycle irregularity. Overall, our findings support that an assessment of ovarian morphology may be helpful in reflecting total T levels.
Efficient Processing of Skyline-Join Queries over Multiple Data Sources

Efficient processing of skyline queries has been an area of growing interest. Many of the earlier skyline techniques assumed that the skyline query is applied to a single data table. Naturally, these algorithms were not suitable for many applications in which the skyline query may involve attributes belonging to multiple data sources. In other words, if the data used in the skyline query are stored in multiple tables, then join operations would be required before the skyline can be searched. The task of computing skylines on multiple data sources has been coined as the skyline-join problem and various skyline-join algorithms have been proposed. However, the current proposals suffer several drawbacks: they often need to scan the input tables exhaustively in order to obtain the set of skyline-join results; moreover, the pruning techniques employed to eliminate the tuples are largely based on expensive pairwise tuple-to-tuple comparisons. In this article, we aim to address these shortcomings by proposing two novel skyline-join algorithms, namely skyline-sensitive join (S2J) and symmetric skyline-sensitive join (S3J), to process skyline queries over two data sources. Our approaches compute the results using a novel layer/region pruning technique (LR-pruning) that prunes the join space in blocks as opposed to individual data points, thereby avoiding excessive pairwise point-to-point dominance checks. Furthermore, the S3J algorithm utilizes an early stopping condition in order to successfully compute the skyline results by accessing only a subset of the input tables. In addition to S2J and S3J, we also propose the S2 J-M and S3 J-M algorithms. These algorithms extend S2J's and S3J's two-way skyline-join ability to efficiently process skyline-join queries over more than two data sources. S2 J-M and S3 J-M leverage the extended concept of LR-pruning, called M-way LR-pruning, to compute multi-way skyline-joins in which more than two data sources are integrated during skyline processing. We report extensive experimental results that confirm the advantages of the proposed algorithms over state-of-the-art skyline-join techniques.
Compressing Deep Neural Networks using a Rank-Constrained Topology

We present a general approach to reduce the size of feedforward deep neural networks (DNNs). We propose a rankconstrained topology, which factors the weights in the input layer of the DNN in terms of a low-rank representation: unlike previous work, our technique is applied at the level of the filters learned at individual hidden layer nodes, and exploits the natural two-dimensional time-frequency structure in the input. These techniques are applied on a small-footprint DNN-based keyword spotting task, where we find that we can reduce model size by 75% relative to the baseline, without any loss in performance. Furthermore, we find that the proposed approach is more effective at improving model performance compared to other popular dimensionality reduction techniques, when evaluated with a comparable number of parameters.
Kinetics of deposition in the diffusion-controlled limit.

The adsorption of particles diffusing in a half space bounded by the substrate and irreversibly sticking to the substrate upon contacts is investigated. We show that when absorbing particles are planar disks diffusing in the three-dimensional half space, the coverage approaches its saturated ``jamming'' value as ${t}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ in the large time limit (generally as ${t}^{\ensuremath{-}1/(d\ensuremath{-}1)}$ when the substrate is $d$ dimensional and $dg1$, and as ${e}^{\ensuremath{-}t/ln(t)}$ when $d=1$). We also analyze the asymptotic behavior when particles are spherical and when particles are planar aligned squares.
Reversible Electrochemical Sensor for Detection of High-Charge Density Polyanion Contaminants in Heparin

We present a simple, rapid, and inexpensive electrochemical sensor based on a reversible pulsed chronopotentiometric polyanion-selective membrane electrode for the detection and quantification of oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS) and other high charge-density polyanions that could potentially be used to adulterate heparin. The membrane is free of ion exchanger and is formulated with plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and an inert lipophilic salt, tridodecylmethylammonium-dinonylnaphthaline sulfonate (TDMA-DNNS). The neutral salt is used to reduce membrane resistance and to ensure reversibility of the sensor. More importantly, TDMA+ is used as the recognition element for the polyanions. Here an anodic galvanostatic current pulse is applied across the membrane to cause the extraction of the polyanions from the sample into the membrane and potential is measured at the sample–membrane interface. The measured electromotive force (emf) is proportional to the concentration and the charge density of the...
Organization and Structure of a Joint Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics within the Medical School Framework

The experience of establishing a joint department at Brown University is related. Organizational structure and some of the advantages and risks of such a framework are indicated.
ESTIMATION OF AREAS REVISITED

The idea behind the estimation of areas is to break up the given area into a number of columns oriented vertically to the X-axis and to estimate the areas of the resulting columns by means of rectangles. This chapter discusses upper and lower rectangular estimates, the trapezoidal rule, and Simpson's rule and parabolic approximation. It also discusses the technique of estimating areas by means of rectangles. However, that method converges rather slowly. The simplest way of improving the rate of convergence is by means of the trapezoidal rule. In this technique, the rectangles are replaced with trapezoids. Depending on the concavity of the function, the trapezoidal estimate may be an upper or lower estimate for the true area.
Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) (Rutile)

Publisher Summary Titanium dioxide (TiO2) exists in three crystal structures—namely, rutile, brookite, and anatase. This chapter describes rutile tetragonal single crystals. Rutile is easily reduced, and the crystal can have some oxygen vacancies or titanium interstitials. It is noted that because the structure cannot be treated as a slightly perturbed cubic crystal, there are pronounced polarization effects. There are very few reports of optical constants for single-crystal TiO2 in the ultraviolet above 20 eV. Meriakri and Ushatkin measured refractive index n at 1030 μm at an unspecified room temperature. The technique involved the use of a millimeter wave source, whose frequency could be varied periodically over a short range, and a Michelson interferometer in which the path length could be varied. A beating fringe pattern was obtained from which an average n could be obtained. Parker measured the susceptibility of oriented rutile in a capacitor at low frequency and determined dc values at 300 K.
The Structural Basis of CD4 — MHC Class II Interactions: Coreceptor Contributions to T Cell Receptor Antigen Recognition and Oligomerization-Dependent Signal Transduction

During thymic differentiation, precursor T lymphocytes committed to the αβ receptor lineage differentiate along two distinct pathways into mature cells distinguished by the mutually exclusive expression of either the CD4 or CD8 cell surface glycoproteins (Reinherz et al. 1980; Reinherz and Schlossman 1980; Fitch 1986; von Boehmer 1988). Early studies of these two lymphocyte subpopulations (CD4+ and CD8+) suggested an association between the functional behavior of a T cell and its expression of either CD4 or CD8, with the former associated with B cell helper activity or delayed type hypersensitivity and the latter with cytotoxic activity. As the importance of class I and class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins in antigen recognition by αβ T cells became apparent, several investigators examined whether the best correlation of CD4 and CD8 expression was with effector function or, alternatively, with specificity of MHC molecule recognition. Expression of CD8 was found to be tightly linked with reactivity to class I MHC molecules, whereas expression of CD4 was associated with reactivity to class II MHC antigens, irrespective of the helper/cytotoxic behavior of the T cells being studied (Okada and Henney 1980; Swain 1981; Engleman et al. 1981; Biddison et al. 1982; Krensky et al. 1982; Meuer et al. 1982; Spits et al. 1982; Swain 1983; Swain et al. 1983; Fitch 1986; Bierer et al. 1989).
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Anabolic Signaling in Patients with Stroke.

Introduction Stroke results in limited ability to produce voluntary muscle contraction and movement on one side of the body, leading to further muscle wasting and weakness. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is often used to facilitate involuntary muscle contraction; however, the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on muscle growth and strengthening processes in hemiparetic muscle is not clear. This study examined the skeletal muscle anabolic response of an acute bout of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in individuals with chronic stroke and healthy older adults. Methods Eleven individuals (59.8 ± 2.7 years old) were divided into a chronic stroke group (n = 5) and a healthy older adult control group (n = 6). Muscle biopsies were obtained before and after stimulation from the vastus lateralis of the hemiparetic leg for the stroke group and the right leg for the control group. The neuromuscular electrical stimulation protocol consisted of a 60-minute, intermittent stimulation train at 60 Hz. Phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin and ribosomal protein S6 kinase beta-1 were analyzed by Western blot. Findings An acute bout of neuromuscular electrical stimulation increased phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (stroke: 56.0%; control: 51.4%; P = .002) and ribosomal protein S6 kinase beta-1 (stroke: 131.2%; control: 156.3%; P = .002) from resting levels to post-neuromuscular electrical stimulation treatment, respectively. Phosphorylated protein content was similar between stroke and control groups at both time points. Conclusion Findings suggest that paretic muscles of patients with chronic stroke may maintain ability to stimulate protein synthesis machinery in response to neuromuscular electrical stimulation.
Therapeutic Approaches for Zika Virus Infection of the Nervous System

Zika virus has spread rapidly in the Americas and has caused devastation of human populations affected in these regions. The virus causes teratogenic effects involving the nervous system, and in adults and children can cause a neuropathy similar to Guillain-Barre syndrome, an anterior myelitis, or, rarely, an encephalitis. While major efforts have been undertaken to control mosquito populations that spread the virus and to develop a vaccine, drug development that directly targets the virus in an infected individual to prevent or treat the neurological manifestations is necessary. Rational and targeted drug development is possible since the viral life cycle and the structure of the key viral proteins are now well understood. While several groups have identified therapeutic candidates, their approaches differ in the types of screening processes and viral assays used. Animal studies are available for only a few compounds. Here we provide an exhaustive review and compare each of the classes of drugs discovered, the methods used for drug discovery, and their potential use in humans for the prevention or treatment of neurological complications of Zika virus infection.
An Ecobehavioral Analysis of Child Academic Engagement: Implications for Preschool Children Not Responding to Instructional Intervention.

A gap exists in the information needed to make intervention decisions with preschool children who are unresponsive to instructional intervention. Multi-Tiered System of Supports/Response to Intervention (MTSS/RTI) progress monitoring is helpful in indicating when an intervention change is needed but provides little information on what to change. Ecobehavioral observation data may provide this support through information on a child’s academic and other behaviors, given the opportunity to learn. We sought to investigate this hypothesis and develop benchmarks for decision making. Teachers (N = 39) and two representative age-cohorts of preschool children (N = 117, 51% boys) were observed using an ecobehavioral, momentary time sample observation system (the Code for Interactive Recording of Children’s Learning Environments [CIRCLE]). Results provided insights into the content and amount of academic instruction children received, the responsiveness of children to instruction, and how context/teacher and child b...
Current Epidemiology and Management of Radiocontrast-Associated Acute- and Delayed-Onset Hypersensitivity: A Review of the Literature

Radiocontrast-associated acute-onset hypersensitivity reactions now occur less frequently than before 1990, when high-osmolar, ionic, radiocontrast agents were widely used. Premedication with corticosteroids and antihistamines does not reliably prevent recurrent low-osmolar radiocontrast-associated acute hypersensitivity reactions. Corticosteroid prophylaxis for acute hypersensitivity currently causes more morbidity than benefit. The specific radiocontrast agent that is associated with a patient's adverse reaction must be displayed in the drug intolerance or drug "allergy" field of their electronic health record to enable effective management and prevention of future reactions. The term iodine allergy should never be used in the context of radiocontrast-associated adverse reactions because it leads to poorer clinical outcomes. The time to onset of the reaction and the nature of the reaction must be noted in enough detail in the drug intolerance comment fields in the electronic health record to determine the potential mechanism for the reaction and to enable selection of the appropriate radiocontrast material for future exposures. Most individuals with a history of radiocontrast agent hypersensitivity can be effectively managed by selecting an alternative radiocontrast agent, without any premedication. Radiology Departments, catheterization laboratories, and all physicians who use parenteral radiocontrast media must have management plans in place to treat severe acute reactions when they occur. Patients should be informed that delayed-onset reactions, mostly benign rashes within one week of exposure, are as common or more common than acute reactions. Future radiocontrast-associated acute and delayed-onset reactions can be minimized, but never completely avoided, by using an appropriate alternative agent.
Eliminating a hidden error source in stochastic circuits

Stochastic computing (SC) computes with probabilities using random bit-streams and standard logic circuits. Its advantages are ultra-low area and power, coupled with high error tolerance. However, due to its randomness features, SC's accuracy is often low and hard to control, thus severely limiting its practical applications. Random fluctuation errors (RFEs) in SC data are a major factor affecting accuracy, and are usually addressed by increasing the bit-stream length N. However, increasing N can result in excessive computation time and energy consumption, counteracting the main advantages of SC. In this work, we first observe that many SC designs heavily rely on constant inputs, which contribute significantly to RFEs. We then investigate the role of constant inputs in SC, and propose a systematic algorithm CEASE to eliminate them by introducing memory into the target circuits. We provide analytical and experimental results which demonstrate that CEASE is optimal in terms of minimizing RFEs.
Transformative Learning and Professional Identity Formation During International Health Electives: A Qualitative Study Using Grounded Theory.

PurposeInternational health electives (IHEs) are widely available during residency and provide unique experiences for trainees. Theoretical models of professional identity formation and transformative learning may provide insight into residents’ experiences during IHEs. The purpose of this study was
Visualizing Intrapopulation Hematopoietic Cell Heterogeneity with Self-Organizing Maps of SIMS Data.

Characterization of the heterogeneity within stem cell populations, which affects their differentiation potential, is necessary for the design of artificial cultures for stem cell expansion. In thi...
Value creation for lifecycle based product development through the sustainable half-life return model

In product development, many organisations struggle to create a value proposition that can overcome the headwinds of technology change and regulatory requirements, while satisfying the longer term goals of sustainability. Current product development business models focus on financial return on investment, in the form of a narrow definition of the time value of money. This often leads to the lost portfolio value and the lack of visibility to sunk costs over the entire product lifecycle. This paper presents a value creation framework for three dependent stakeholders (consumers, producers and socio-environment) through the creation of the sustainable products value proposition and the half-life return models. These models integrate the time value of resources into the product delivery process, and show that shareholder value can be enhanced by improving the product design process and extend the life of product platforms.
Documentary analysis as an assessment tool.

BACKGROUND Documentary analysis of existing information, such as newspaper articles, is an identified method for use in an assessment to provide a descriptive explanation of existing problems or assets. The intention of this case study is to explore the effectiveness of documentary analysis of newspaper articles as a tool to inform an assessment of factors influencing the implementation of a medical respite for the homeless. Two questions framed the assessment; (a) What was occurring or might occur that will affect the development of a medical respite; and (b) What opportunities or threats are generated as a result? METHODS Articles from two local newspapers identified themes related to the three external forces of change that impact medical respites; (a) funding; (b) community resistance; and (c) the health care system. RESULTS Three themes emerged: a) uncertain funding; b) neighborhood resistance, and c) improved access to healthcare would result from the Affordable Care Act. CONCLUSION Use of documentary analysis of newspaper articles provided applicable content for the assessment. Themes from the assessment informed strategic planning, such as addressing potential neighborhood resistance.
Mechanisms of immune evasion in triple-negative breast cancer patients.

1096Background: Immunotherapy has shown promising results in enhancing response rates for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The success of immunotherapy is affected by poor tumor ...
Security scheduling for real-world networks

Network based security games, where a defender strategically places security measures on the edges of a graph to protect against an adversary, who chooses a path through a graph is an important research problem with potential for real-world impact. For example, police forces face the problem of placing checkpoints on roads to inspect vehicular traffic in their day-to-day operations, a security measure the Mumbai police have performed since the terrorist attacks in 2008. Algorithms for solving such network-based security problems have been proposed in the literature, but none of them scale up to solving problems of the size of real-world networks.In this paper, we present Snares, a novel algorithm that computes optimal solutions for both the defender and the attacker in such network security problems. Based on a double-oracle framework, Snares makes novel use of two approaches: warm starts and greedy responses. It makes the following contributions: (1) It defines and uses mincut-fanout, a novel method for efficient warm-starting of the computation; (2) It exploits the sub-modularity property of the defender optimization in a greedy heuristic, which is used to generate "better-responses"; Snares} also uses a better-response computation for the attacker. Furthermore, we evaluate the performance of Snares in real-world networks illustrating a significant advance: whereas state-of-the-art algorithms could handle just the southern tip of Mumbai, {\sc Snares} can compute optimal strategy for the entire urban road network of Mumbai.
A politics of habitability: plants, healing, and sovereignty in a toxic world.

For Tanzanians, modern bodies bear complicated toxic loads not only because of the dumping of capitalism’s harmful by-products but also because of the social-material effects of efforts designed to address insecurity, poverty, and disease. Dawa lishe(nutritious medicine) is forged in this double bind. Producers of dawa lisheproblematize toxicity as the condition under which life is attenuated, diminished, depleted, exhausted, or drained away. Therapies attend not only to individual bodies but also to relations among people, plants, and the soil. The efficacy of herbal remedies and of gardens full of therapeutic foods and nutritious herbs rests in the cultivation of the forms of strength that make places, times, and bodies livable again (and again). This essay examines how Tanzanians are laboring over, and reflecting on, the toxic and its relationship to remedy and memory through dawa lishe. In the process, it argues, they are redefining healing through a politics of habitability.
Pediatric Intracavernous Sinus Lesions: A Single Institutional Surgical Case Series and Review of the Literature.

Author(s): Hoshide, Reid; Rennert, Robert C; Calayag, Mark; Gonda, David; Meltzer, Hal; Crawford, John R; Levy, Michael L | Abstract: BACKGROUND:Pediatric intracavernous sinus tumors are exceedingly rare and thus poorly characterized. Their neurosurgical management is challenging and diagnostic, and management guidelines are limited. OBJECTIVE:To report our institutional experience with the surgical resection of pediatric intracavernous sinus tumors. We also compare and contrast our results with the 14 cases of pediatric intracavernous sinus lesions in the current literature. METHODS:A retrospective descriptive analysis of consecutive pediatric patients (ages 0-18 yr) presenting to our institution with a diagnosis of an intracavernous sinus lesion was performed. From January 2012 to January 2017, 5 cases were identified. Eleven patients with secondary invasion of the cavernous sinus (2 meningiomas, 7 pituitary adenomas) or dermoid tumors involving the cavernous sinus (2) were not included in our review. RESULTS:Surgical resection via a frontotemporal orbitozygomatic approach was performed in all cases by a single senior neurosurgeon (M.L.). There were no perioperative or postoperative complications attributable to the surgery or approach. Four of 5 patients remained neurologically stable throughout the perioperative and postoperative period. The fifth patient had a complete resolution of their cranial neuropathies postoperatively. A pathological diagnosis that guided long-term management was obtained in all cases. CONCLUSION:Neurosurgical management of pediatric cavernous sinus lesions can be safely performed and critically guide future therapies. Surgeon familiarity with cavernous sinus and skull-base anatomy is critical to the successful management of these patients. The benefits of surgery should be balanced against the potential complications and need for a tissue diagnosis in children. The senior author had a significant experience with cavernous sinus approaches in adults prior to initiating use of the approach in the pediatric population.
A mixed method analysis of toxicities of anti-CD19-CAR T cell therapy in hematological malignancies.

e19068Background: CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptor) T cell therapy is a promising therapy with significant benefits. But cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurological toxicities (NT) are major obs...
The independent and interacting effects of weight suppression and admission body mass index on treatment weight change in patients with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

Objective Weight suppression (WS) and body mass index (BMI) have predicted weight change in individuals with eating disorders, but the interaction between these variables is understudied. Furthermore, WS is usually measured as absolute WS-the numeric difference between current weight and highest past weight-overlooking the potentially important influence of how much a person weighed at their highest historical weight. Method The current study investigated the independent and interacting effects of BMI and two measures of WS at admission on residential treatment weight change. WS measures included absolute WS and the relative WS index, the percentage of total body weight lost from highest past weight. Participants were women with anorexia nervosa (n = 357) or bulimia nervosa (n = 293) who provided complete data, 87% of the eligible treatment sample. Results In both diagnostic subsamples, BMI, absolute WS, and the relative WS index all significantly predicted weight change. The interaction between BMI and WS predicted weight change, but only when the relative WS index was used. Discussion Results highlight the potential importance of considering an individual's weight and weight history when predicting their treatment weight change and support the importance of utilizing both methods of calculating WS in future research.
In vitro and in vivo evaluation of degradation, toxicity, biodistribution, and clearance of silica nanoparticles as a function of size, porosity, density, and composition.

Abstract Silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) have potential utility in controlled release. Despite significant research in this area, there is a gap in the understanding of the correlation between SiO2 NP physicochemical properties on the one hand and their degradation in solutions, in cells, and in vivo on the other. Here, we fabricated SiO2 NPs with variations in size, porosity, density, and composition: 100 nm Stober, 100 and 500 nm mesoporous, 100 nm disulfide-based mesoporous, and 100 nm disulfide-based hollow mesoporous. Degradation profiles over 28 days were investigated in simulated biological fluids and deionized water. Results show Meso 100, and 500 nanoparticles degraded faster at higher pH values. Results from macrophages indicate Meso 100 nanoparticles showed the highest degradation amount (~3.8%). Cytotoxicity evaluation of the particles in Human Aortal Endothelial Cells (HAECs) shows concentration-dependent toxicity for the particles. Results from CD-1 mice show ~53% of Meso 100 nanoparticles (25 mg kg−1) degraded and were detected in urine after seven days. It was shown nanoparticle porosity and composition as well as pH and ionic strength of the medium play the predominant roles for degradation of SiO2 NPs. Based on histological evaluations, at the injected doses investigated, the particles did not show toxicity.
Preoperative Chronic Opiate Use and Patient Reported Outcomes Following Adult Spinal Reconstructive Surgery

Background Preoperative chronic narcotic use has been linked to poor outcomes after surgery for degenerative spinal disorders in the form of lower health-related quality of life scores, higher revision rates, increased infections, lower likelihood of return to work, and higher 90-day readmission rates. This study evaluated the impact of preoperative chronic narcotic use on patient reported outcome measures following adult spinal reconstructive surgery. Methods Patients who underwent adult spinal reconstructive surgery over 2 years at our institution were identified from a prospectively maintained spine registry. These patients were grouped into chronic opiate users as defined by a 6-month duration of use with a minimum morphine equivalent dose of 30 mg/day. Patient reported outcome measures were collected prospectively. Results Of 140 patients included for analysis, 30 (21.4%) patients were categorized as chronic opiate users. No differences were identified in mean preoperative patient reported outcome measures, including Oswestry Disability Index, health state, visual analog scale, and EQ-5D indices. At both 6 weeks and 6 months postoperatively, patients in the opiate group demonstrated significantly worse mean visual analog scale back pain scores relative to the nonopiate group. At 6 months postoperatively and at the last known clinical follow-up, Oswestry Disability Index scores were higher in the opiate group. Conclusions Chronic opiate use before adult spinal reconstructive surgery was associated with worse pain and disability following intervention. Further work is needed to understand the role of opiate weaning as part of a larger prehabilitation strategy for adult spinal reconstructive surgery.
Principals’ Depth of Perception of Knowledge on Special Education Programs: How Much Do They Really Know?:

In this study, research centered on the degree to which principals felt knowledgeable about basic generic leadership as well as special education functions. Current principals were selected from th...
Investigating the Relationship between Urban Form and Economic Mobility in Forsyth County, NC:

Forsyth County, NC, is the third lowest ranked county in the United States for upward economic mobility. Urban scholars argue that sprawling development is an obstacle. This paper includes a focuse...
Ablating Ku70 phosphorylation results in defective DNA damage repair and spontaneous induction of hepatocellular carcinoma

SUMMARY Multiple pathways mediate the repair of DNA double-strand break (DSB), with numerous mechanisms responsible for driving choice between the pathways. Previously, we reported that phosphorylation of the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) factor, Ku70, is required for the dissociation of the Ku heterodimer from DNA ends to allow DSB repair via homologous recombination (HR). A knock-in mouse, in which phosphorylation is ablated in the three conserved sites of Ku70 (Ku703A/3A), was generated in order to test the hypothesis that Ku70 phosphorylation is required for initiation of HR and that blocking this process results in enhanced genomic instability and tumorigenesis. Here, we show that Ku703A/3A mice develop spontaneous and have accelerated chemical-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared to wild-type (Ku70+/+) littermates. The HCC tumors from the Ku703A/3A mice have increased γH2AX and 8-oxo-G staining, suggesting DNA repair is decreased in these mice. Spontaneous transformed cell lines from Ku703A/3A mice are more radiosensitive, have a significant decrease in DNA end resection, and are more sensitive to the DNA cross-linking agent mitomycin C compared to cells from Ku70+/+ littermates. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that phosphorylation-mediated dissociation of Ku heterodimer from DNA ends is required for efficient DNA damage repair and disruption of this process results in genomic instability and accelerated development of HCC.
What Difference Do Dividends Make

We evaluate the investment benefits of dividend-paying stocks and make three major findings. First, high-dividend stocks have the least risk, yet return over 1.5% more per year than non-dividend payers. Second, the benefit of targeting dividend payers is conditional on investment style. Surprisingly, the benefit is largest for growth and small-cap stocks; the very firms that are usually thought to benefit the most from the reinvestment of cash flow. Third, long/short managers exploiting the value premium should focus on non-dividend-paying stocks. The return difference between non-dividend-paying, small-cap value versus small-cap growth stocks exceeds 1% per month.