cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combined-Modality Therapy With Radiation and Chemotherapy for Elderly Patients With Glioblastoma in the Temozolomide Era: A National Cancer Database Analysis.

Importance The optimal management for elderly patients with glioblastoma (GBM) is controversial. Following maximal safe resection or biopsy, accepted treatment paradigms for elderly patients with GBM include combined-modality therapy (CMT) with both radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy (CT), RT alone, and CT alone. Objective To evaluate the overall survival (OS) outcomes associated with RT, CT, and CMT for elderly patients with GBM in the modern temozolomide era. Design, Setting, and Participants In this retrospective cohort study of a prospectively maintained, multi-institutional national cancer registry, the National Cancer Database was queried for elderly patients (≥65 years) with newly diagnosed GBM from January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2011, with complete data sets for RT, CT, tumor resection, Charlson-Deyo comorbidity scores, age, sex, and year of diagnosis. Data analysis was performed from October 2015 through December 2015. Interventions Combined-modality therapy, RT, CT. Main Outcomes and Measures Survival by treatment cohort was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and analyzed using the log rank test, univariate and multivariate Cox models, and propensity score–matched analyses. Results A total of 16 717 patients (median [range] age, 73 [65-≥90 y]; 8870 [53%] male) were identified. The median OS by treatment was 9.0 (95% CI, 8.8-9.3) months with CMT (8435 patients), 4.7 (95% CI, 4.5-5.0) months with RT alone (1693 patients), 4.3 (95% CI, 4.0-4.7) months with CT alone (1018 patients), and 2.8 (95% CI, 2.8-2.9) months with no therapy (5571 patients) ( P P P P = .60). Propensity score–matched analyses redemonstrated improved OS with CMT over CT alone ( P = .002) and RT alone ( P P = .44). On subgroup analyses, a consistent OS advantage was observed with CMT over both CT alone and RT alone across each age stratification (65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and ≥80 years) and among patients treated with or without tumor resection (all P Conclusions and Relevance In this analysis of multimodality therapy for elderly patients with GBM, OS was superior with CMT compared with CT alone and RT alone. Survival was similar between CT alone and RT alone, and both CT alone and RT alone were superior to no therapy. This analysis supports the use of CMT for suitable elderly candidates.
From mosque to mosque: past and present images of Islamic space in Greece

This essay is an attempt to chart recent developments in the field of Modern Greek Studies, focusing on shifting perceptions regarding Islam and Muslims. To do so, the essay positions the relevant literature in its historical context, touching upon both accomplishments and limitations. Its main proposition is that the Greek case is distinct yet connected to contemporary global contingencies and broader long-term regional dynamics. Athens remains the only European capital without a mosque. Moreover, despite recent academic endeavors, there exists today no coherent Greek field of Islamic Studies. That these absences have been brought recently under political and academic scrutiny constitutes, however, a noteworthy change. Most important, the traditional exclusion of Islam from the field of Modern Greek Studies does not suggest lack of relevance between the two but, quite to the contrary, reveals a set of loaded and complex socieconomic, geopolitical, and historical links that deserve to be studied in their ...
Beta Decay of O-20

$^{20}\mathrm{O}$ was produced in the reaction $^{18}\mathrm{O}$($^{18}\mathrm{O}$, $^{16}\mathrm{O}$)$^{20}\mathrm{O}$ and its half-life measured by observing the decay of the 1.06-MeV $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ transition in $^{20}\mathrm{F}$ in a Ge-Li counter. The result is ${t}_{\frac{1}{2}}=13.57\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1$ sec, $logft=3.73$. Upper limits were obtained for weak $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay branches of $^{20}\mathrm{O}$ to other states in $^{20}\mathrm{F}$ between ${E}_{x}=0.984 \mathrm{and} 2.195$ MeV.
The Unsheltered Woman: Definition and Needs

One-third of the nation has a housing problem. Twenty-three millions households are ill-housed. They are a diverse group the elderly, families with children and single people of all races. Most significantly, they tend to be women. More than 40 percent of the group or 10 million are female householders. Females head about 27 percent of all American households today; yet, they are disproportionately represented among those experiencing housing problems. In fact, numerically, they are the largest subgroup of the poorly sheltered population. Comments ©Rutgers University, Center for Urban Policy Research, 1994. Reprinted from The Unsheltered Woman, Women and Housing in the Eighties, (New Brunswick: Center for Urban Policy Research, 1985), pages 21-45. This book chapter is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/cplan_papers/19
Die Verteilung von Calcium und Phosphat

Wenn Calcium und Phosphat aufeinandertreffen, zeigen sie eine Wechselwirkung, die auch ihre Verteilung beherrscht. Im menschlichen Organismus befinden sich uber 99% des Calciums und 83% des Phosphors im Skelet und in den Zahnen; das Verhalten der kleineren, in den Korperflussigkeiten vorhandenen Anteile last sich nur verstehen, wenn man dieses ungeheure Skeletreservoir vor Augen hat.
Nitroglycerin as a Modulator of Hemoglobin Function.

Recent evidence suggests that oxygen acts as an allosteric modulator of nitric oxide (NO) binding to hemoglobin. This may have important physiological implications. Those effects, thought by some to be mediated by nitrosylation of the conserved cysteine β93 residues (S-nitrosohemoglobin; SNO-Hb), may also have therapeutic relevance in sickle cell disease and potentially be a useful strategy in controlling vasoactive effects of hemoglobin-based blood substitutes. Nitroglycerin (NTG), the classic vasodilator drug, acts in part through metabolism to NO. Normal (AA) and sickle (SS) blood suspensions were treated with nitroglycerin from 0.03 to 300 μM for periods up to 3.25 hours. Such treatment significantly lowered the oxygen affinity (increases P 50 , PO 2 at which hemoglobin is half-saturated with O 2 ) of both AA and SS red cells. The decrease in oxygen affinity is greater when oxygenated cells are treated than deoxygenated cells, with changes in P 50 as great as 7.4 mm Hg in the AA cells and 9.9 mm Hg in the SS cells. Those shifts occur within 15 minutes, before significant increases in methemoglobin levels. This is opposite to what has been seen with other NO donors (2-(N,N-diethylamino)-diazenolate-2-oxide, S-nitrosocysteine, and sodium trioxodinitrate), where increased oxygen affinity occurs. Other classic NO donors also yielded significant methemoglobin formation within 15 minutes. In vivo effects of NTG infusion up to 1 μg/kg/min fail to demonstrate any change in P 50 or methemoglobin in study subjects with normal AA erythrocytes. (Shigihara A. Masui1994;43:222) In addition, NTG has been shown to enhance oxygen release from erythrocytes without significantly increasing tissue blood flow in the hepatic microcirculation in a rat model. (Kosaka H, et al . Nat Med1997;3:456) Furthermore, a study in a dog model demonstrated NTG-induced enhanced oxygen unloading in the ischemic microcirculation. (Bin JP, et al . Circulation2006;113:2502) Elevated tandem erythrocyte S-nitrosothiol content, reflecting mainly SNO-Hb, was also noted. However, SNO-Hb increases oxygen affinity (Bonaventura C, et al. J Biol Chem1999;274:24742) and cannot explain the increased oxygen unloading. The effect of NTG on erythrocytes in our in vitro study model mimics in vivo results in the microcirculation (as opposed to the macrovascular circulation) and demonstrates that the reported enhanced oxygen unloading is due to a decrease in oxygen affinity of hemoglobin. Other biotransformation products of NTG may account for these effects as opposed to SNO-Hb. This study demonstrates that selective NO donors (i.e., NTG) may target erythrocytes for enhanced R (oxyhemoglobin) to T (deoxyhemoglobin) transformations specifically in the microcirculation and thereby improve tissue oxygenation.
Large‐scale control of the lower stratosphere on variability of tropical cyclone intensity

Recent studies of tropical cyclones (TC) have suggested intricate impacts of the lower stratosphere layer (LSL) on TC development at the high-intensity limit. This study examines the potential realization of the impacts of the LSL interannual variability on TC intensity. By minimizing the effects of sea surface temperature and outflow temperature based on the potential intensity framework, partial correlation analyses show a negative correlation between the power dissipation index (PDI) for intense TCs and the tropopause height in the northwestern Pacific basin, but a weaker relationship in the north Atlantic basin. Similar analyses for the LSL stratification also reveals signals of negative correlations between the LSL stratification and PDI in both basins, corroborating recent modeling studies about the impacts of the LSL on TC development. Due to the complexity of the relationships and data limitations, however, all correlations are statistically insignificant, thus rendering the impacts of LSL on TC intensity inconclusive at present.
Assessment of Anthropometric Measurements as Predictors of Car Seat Screening Failure.

Objective The objective of this study was to determine whether anthropometric measurements such as head circumference (HC), body mass index (BMI), and body surface area (BSA) can predict car seat tolerance screen (CSTS) failure. We hypothesized that subjects with larger HC and lower BMI/BSA would have increased risk of failure. Study Design We performed retrospective medical record review of infants born in 2013 who qualified for CSTS due to being born preterm ( Results In this study, 19 of 366 subjects failed their CSTS (5.3%). There were no significant differences in HC, length, BSA, BMI, or ratio of HC to length, BMI, or BSA between those who passed versus failed. On subgroup analysis of preterm infants, the significant predictor of failure was multiple gestation (p = 0.024). In the term LBW cohort, requiring nasal canula (NC) (p = 0.03) and having limited or no prenatal care (PNC) (p = 0.0006) were both significant predictors of failure. Conclusion Neither absolute measurements nor the ratios of HC to body measurements predicted CSTS outcome. Multiple gestation was a significant predictor of failure in preterm infants, while NC requirement and poor PNC were predictors in LBW term infants.
RNA-Based Fluorescent Biosensors for Detecting Metabolites in vitro and in Living Cells.

Genetically encoded sensors are important tools for measuring metabolites and other small molecules in vitro and in live cells. Until recently, genetically encoded sensors exclusively comprised fluorescent proteins that undergo changes in Forster resonance energy transfer upon binding a target analyte. However, recently a new class of fluorescent sensor has been developed composed of RNA. These RNA-based sensors rely on Spinach and other RNA mimics of green fluorescent protein. In each case, the RNA-based sensors contain an analyte-binding aptamer domain which transduces binding of the analyte into a conformational change in Spinach. Two types of sensors have been developed: allosteric Spinach sensors and Spinach riboswitches. Allosteric Spinach sensors exhibit metabolite-induced folding and subsequent fluorescence. Spinach riboswitches are naturally occurring riboswitches that have been modified to contain the Spinach aptamer. The resulting RNA is a fluorogenic riboswitch, and produces fluorescence upon binding its cognate analyte. We describe the development of this new technology, its uses, and future directions to facilitate the use of this assay technology in mammalian cells and in high-throughput applications.
Mucosal Immunity and Protective Efficacy of Intranasal Inactivated Influenza Vaccine Is Improved by Chitosan Nanoparticle Delivery in Pigs.

Annually, swine influenza A virus (SwIAV) causes severe economic loss to swine industry. Currently used inactivated SwIAV vaccines administered by intramuscular injection provide homologous protection, but limited heterologous protection against constantly evolving field viruses, attributable to the induction of inadequate levels of mucosal IgA and cellular immune responses in the respiratory tract. A novel vaccine delivery platform using mucoadhesive chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) administered through intranasal (IN) route has the potential to elicit strong mucosal and systemic immune responses in pigs. In this study, we evaluated the immune responses and cross-protective efficacy of IN chitosan encapsulated inactivated SwIAV vaccine in pigs. Killed SwIAV H1N2 (δ-lineage) antigens (KAg) were encapsulated in chitosan polymer-based nanoparticles (CNPs-KAg). The candidate vaccine was administered twice IN as mist to nursery pigs. Vaccinates and controls were then challenged with a zoonotic and virulent heterologous SwIAV H1N1 (γ-lineage). Pigs vaccinated with CNPs-KAg exhibited an enhanced IgG serum antibody and mucosal secretory IgA antibody responses in nasal swabs, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids, and lung lysates that were reactive against homologous (H1N2), heterologous (H1N1), and heterosubtypic (H3N2) influenza A virus strains. Prior to challenge, an increased frequency of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation, and recall IFN-γ secretion by restimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells in CNPs-KAg compared to control KAg vaccinates were observed. In CNPs-KAg vaccinated pigs challenged with heterologous virus reduced severity of macroscopic and microscopic influenza-associated pulmonary lesions were observed. Importantly, the infectious SwIAV titers in nasal swabs [days post-challenge (DPC) 4] and BAL fluid (DPC 6) were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in CNPs-KAg vaccinates but not in KAg vaccinates when compared to the unvaccinated challenge controls. As well, an increased frequency of T helper memory cells and increased levels of recall IFNγ secretion by tracheobronchial lymph nodes cells were observed. In summary, chitosan SwIAV nanovaccine delivered by IN route elicited strong cross-reactive mucosal IgA and cellular immune responses in the respiratory tract that resulted in a reduced nasal viral shedding and lung virus titers in pigs. Thus, chitosan-based influenza nanovaccine may be an ideal candidate vaccine for use in pigs, and pig is a useful animal model for preclinical testing of particulate IN human influenza vaccines.
Acute Liver Failure of Indeterminate Etiology: A Comprehensive Systematic Approach by An Expert Committee to Establish Causality

In the United States, the Acute Liver Failure Study Group (ALFSG) registry lists approximately 11% of cases as of indeterminate etiology (IND-ALF) as determined by the respective local site principal investigator (PI). Traditionally, IND-ALF has prompted concern that other viruses or toxins might be implicated. We hypothesized that many IND- ALF cases would have an identifiable etiology upon further investigation. Improving the identification process should reduce the number of truly indeterminate cases. Specific definitions for each etiology (“etiology-specific algorithms”) were developed by a Causality Adjudication Committee that included six reviewers (each with 20 or more years of experience). Of 2718 patients with ALF, 303 initially deemed IND-ALF by site PIs underwent committee review guided by the algorithms. Acetaminophen (APAP) protein adducts were measured in sera when available, additional HEV testing was performed, and viral sequences sought by microarray analysis and metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). Study sites were asked to provide liver biopsy and/or explant reports and to update serological findings not reported previously. Nearly half (142, 46.9%) of the 303 IND-ALF cases could be reassigned to a single, defined etiology and rated as highly likely or probable; 11 additional cases, upon review, did not meet ALF criteria. Amongst reassigned etiologies, 45 were previously unrecognized APAP, 34 autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), 24 drug-induced liver injury (DILI), 13 various viral causes, 12 ischemia, and 14 miscellaneous other etiologies. The remaining 150, deemed true IND-ALF, represented just 5.5%. The indeterminate etiology in ALF includes patients with a diagnosis that is discernible after closer examination. Revision of etiologic diagnoses of indeterminate cases using added testing and expert opinion is useful in understanding all aspects of ALF.
Dynamic Elastic Determination of the Properties of Sintered Powder Metals

Powder metallurgy products normally contain an inherent amount of residual porosity which gives the product reduced density. Sintered density is a commonly specified characteristic of powder metallurgy products, because, to a first approximation, mechanical properties are related to density. Often, however, this is a poor approximation due to the recognized fact that porosity, per se, does not determine the properties of the product; that is, at any level of density, properties may vary over a relatively wide range. The size, shape and distribution of the porosity, in addition to interparticle bonding also contribute to the mechanical properties1,2,3. These factors are controlled by a multiplicity of processing variables that are difficult for the user to specify or monitor.
THE DOMAIN STRUCTURE OF CALCINEURIN

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the domain structure of calcineurin. A calmodulin-stimulated protein phosphatase was first isolated from skeletal muscle and was also shown to be associated with calcineurin, the major calmodulin and Ca 2+ -binding protein of brain extracts. Calmodulin-stimulated phosphatases have been detected in many mammalian tissues. Most, like calcineurin, appear to be composed of two subunits, calcineurin A and calcineurin B, and cross react with polyclonal antibodies to bovine brain calcineurin. The antibodies also recognize calcineurin B-like proteins in several lower eukaryotes such as Paramecium tetraurelia, Drosophila melanogaster, and sea urchins but cross react more poorly with the large subunit in invertebrates and vertebrate tissues other than brain. Calmodulin-stimulated protein phosphatase has a wide tissue and species distribution, but its large subunit may exist as different isozymes. Brain, which contains 10–20 fold more of this enzyme than other tissues, is the richest source of the protein. The affinity of calcineurin for calmodulin is one of the highest reported for calmodulin stimulated enzymes. It is found that calmodulin does not compete with calcineurin B for the calcineurin B binding site on calcineurin A in reconstitution experiments.
The Political Foundations of Miranda v. Arizona and the Quarles Public Safety Exception

When Dzhokhar Tsaernaev was taken into custody after the Boston Marathon bombing, the Obama Administration’s Justice Department moved to invoke the Quarles Public Safety Exception rather than inform the accused of his rights. A widespread debate about the utility of informing all suspects of their Miranda rights ensued. In this article, we use the Congressional Record to examine the political foundations of the Miranda rule, the Congressional response to Miranda, and the development of the Public Safety Exception announced in Quarles v. New York. We argue that, prior to the Miranda decision, there was widespread and robust political debate in Congress about informing suspects of their rights. This debate lasted for over a decade and, acting in concert with national political majorities, the US Supreme Court announced the Miranda ruling after a small group of US Senators were keeping Congress from acting on legislation that informed suspects of their rights. What separates Miranda from Quarles is that there was virtually no political debate in Congress about carving out this exception to Miranda and certainly there was no debate about applying it to terrorism suspects. After tracing the evolution and application of the Quarles Public Safety Exception, we argue that it requires a robust political debate in the elected branches of the US system, especially in light of the Obama Administration’s application of it to terrorism suspects.
Unattended Acoustic Sensor Systems For Source Detection, Classification, and Tracking

Distributed and decentralized sensing offers a new and promising paradigm for surveillance, reconnaissance, and situation awareness. This paper introduces a new fully decentralized decision-making platform referred to as environmental monitoring station (EMS) for sensor-level detection, classification, and tracking of acoustic airborne sources in national parks. This custom-designed field-programmable gate array-based platform allows for near real-time transient source detection and classification using the 1/3 octave spectral data extracted locally from the streaming acoustic data. Source tracking through successive angle-of-arrival (AoA) estimation is also implemented locally on the EMS system using an array of microphones. The general headings of the sources generated using the AoA history and the source labels are transmitted to a park station via two possible wireless links. Field test results are provided to evaluate the performance of the overall system.
Substance Use and Recovery in the Transgender and Gender Nonconforming (TGNC) Older Adult Community

Overall, rates of substance use are higher in the LGBT community than in the heterosexual population [1]. Although little research exists regarding the specific substance use patterns and rates of use in the TGNC older adult community, available evidence supports higher rates of substance use in the transgender community when compared with cisgender peers [2, 3]. The chapter discusses factors that may contribute to problematic substance use by TGNC older adults, including isolation, stigma and discrimination, minority stress, regret, physical health, lack of affirmative care and chronic pain, and violence [4, 5, 6, 7]. Resilience and strengths of TGNC older adults that may contribute to successful recovery and treatment of substance use disorders are also explored. Guidance for affirmative treatment of substance use disorders within the TGNC older adult community is provided with discussion about some evidence-based practices that have been studied with the TGNC adult population.
Update on prevention of cytomegalovirus in hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Purpose of reviewCytomegalovirus infection (CMVi) has been the troll of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). Over the last 4 decades various approaches have been adopted to minimize the burden from CMVi. There has been major advancement in the management of CMVi in HCT within th
Human activity monitoring using a compressive active sensing electro-optical sensor

Unobtrusive human movement monitoring is important in elderly care and assisted living to alert the caregivers of any potential accidents. The current state of art relies on features extracted from a radar system. The conventional optical camera system is not generally used in this application due to the concern of privacy. As an alternative, we investigate a different kind of electro-optical sensor – compressive active sensing electro-optical (CASEO) sensor. A CSAEO system consists of an infrared (IR) based spatial light modulation devices (SLM) based illuminator and a single-element avalanche photodetector (APD) based receiver. The scene information is encoded through a sequence of coded illumination patterns via the SLM illuminator and the corresponding measurements captured by the APD. Such compressive measurements can be used in scene classification instead of the actual video frames. In this work, we explore the feasibility of using CASEO in the identification of different activities. A CASEO processing framework was developed. Simulations using UIUC Human Activity Recognition test dataset were conducted to validate this framework.
Sport-Specific Free Play Youth Football/Soccer Program Recommendations Around the World

The purpose of this Coaching In paper is to share an overview of how sport-specific free play is incorporated into training and development recommendations for youth football (soccer) in various co...
Self-Reference enhances memory for multi-element events judged likely to happen in young and older adults

We investigated whether the strategy of self-reference can benefit memory for multi-element events, a kind of relational memory that is relatively less studied but highly relevant to daily life. Young and older adults imagined different person-object-location events with reference to themselves and two famous others (i.e., George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey), rated the likelihood that each event would happen, and then completed incidental memory tests on different pairs of elements within the event. We found that self-reference enhanced memory for object-location and person-object pairs in both age groups. Such self-reference effects were observed consistently only for events rated as likely to happen. There was also an overall memory advantage for the higher-likelihood events, which did not differ between young and older adults. Further, the self-reference effects were not correlated with memory functioning in either age group. Retrieval of within-event associations showed a significant level of dependency, which did not differ as a function of reference condition or likelihood category. These findings highlight the ways in which self-reference and prior knowledge improve relational memory, and suggest that the advantage of self-reference is not attributable to increased dependence of elements within complex events.
Parents in Control: Parental perceptions of problem behaviors before and after attending an ADHD‐specific parent‐training program

PROBLEM There is scant evidence to support the efficacy of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-specific parent-training programs in the treatment of preadolescent children with ADHD. This study explores the effectiveness of the Parents in Control (PINC) parent-training program, designed specifically for children with ADHD. METHODS In this pragmatic uncontrolled pre-poststudy parents of preadolescent children with a diagnosis of ADHD were invited to attend the 6-week PINC course. Fifty-seven parent-report pre/postprogram questionnaires were completed. FINDINGS Parental ratings of the intensity and frequency of problem behaviors after completing PINC showed a significant reduction (p < .001) with a moderate effect size (0.6-0.7). CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate the efficacy of PINC in reducing the parental perception of problem behaviors and support a need for further rigorous randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluation of this ADHD-specific intervention.
Development of retinal synaptic arrays in the inner plexiform layer of dark-reared mice.

In the central area of the retina of mouse the rate of synaptogenesis in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) drops precipitously at about the time the eyes open. To determine if the visual input at eye opening provides a signal for the neurons to stop adding synapses, mice were raised in darkness during the period of maximal synaptogenesis and through eye opening. Retinal synaptic arrays of dark-reared and normally reared animals were compared qualitatively. The rate of synaptogenesis after eye opening in dark-reared mice indicated that the onset of visual stimulation was not the cue to stop synaptogenesis. However, the synaptic arrays of the IPL of dark-reared mice consistently had more conventional synapses than those of normally reared mice. It is concluded that the number of conventional synapses in the central retina was increased by dark-rearing.
Cotton thrips infestation predictor: a practical tool for predicting tobacco thrips (Frankliniella fusca) infestation of cotton seedlings in the south-eastern United States.

BACKGROUND Thrips (order Thysanoptera) infestations of cotton seedlings result in plant injury, increasing the detrimental consequences of other challenges to production agriculture, such as abiotic stress or infestation by other pests. Using Frankliniella fusca as a thrips species of focus, we empirically developed a composite model of thrips phenology and cotton seedling susceptibility to predict site-specific infestation risk so that monitoring and other resources can be allocated efficiently, to optimize the timing of thrips control measures to maximize effectiveness, and to inform stakeholders about the dynamics of thrips infestation and cotton seedling injury at a time when thrips are evolving resistance to commonly-used pesticides. RESULTS A mixture distribution model of thrips infestation potential, fit to data describing F. fusca adult dispersal in time, proved best for predicting infestations of F. fusca on cotton seedlings. Thrips generations occurring each year as a function of weather are represented as a probability distribution. A model of cotton seedling growth was also developed to predict susceptibility as a function of weather. Combining these two models resulted in a model of seedling injury, which was validated and developed for implementation as a software tool. CONCLUSIONS Experimental validation of the implemented model demonstrated the utility of its output in predicting infestation risk. Successful implementation and use of the software tool derived from this model was enabled by close cooperation with university extension personnel, agricultural consultants, and growers, underscoring the importance of stakeholder and expert input to the success of applied analytical research. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
Quantifying turbulence model uncertainty in Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations of a pin-fin array. Part 2: Scalar transport

Abstract The accuracy of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes results for turbulent scalar transport are affected by epistemic uncertainty in the Reynolds stress model in two ways: by altering the mean velocity field that advects the scalar, and by altering the inputs required for scalar flux models. We investigate these effects by propagating uncertainty in the Reynolds stress model to the prediction of scalar quantities in simulations of a pin-fin heat exchanger. The Reynolds stress model uncertainty is quantified by perturbing the anisotropy of the predicted stress tensor towards the three limiting realizable states. This uncertainty is then propagated to the scalar turbulence transport via the conservation law for the mean scalar and the turbulent scalar flux model. We consider three different scalar flux models that explicitly take the Reynolds stresses as input, and evaluate the performance of the models by verifying if high-fidelity large eddy simulation results are encompassed by the model predictions. The results indicate that the predicted uncertainty depends on both the general level of momentum transport and the most-relevant stress component, which is affected by the anisotropy perturbations. The predictions provide a similar bounding behavior for the overall temperature field as for the momentum field, but fail in bounding the local heat transfer rates in several locations. The bounding behaviors are further analyzed in terms of the predicted uncertainty in the flux magnitude, direction, and divergence to identify opportunities for further improvement of the proposed methods.
Misreporting attacks in software-defined networking

Load balancers enable efficient use of network resources by distributing traffic fairly across them. In software-defined networking (SDN), load balancing is most often realized by a controller application that solicits traffic load reports from network switches and enforces load balancing decisions through flow rules. This separation between the control and data planes in SDNs creates an opportunity for an adversary at a compromised switch to misreport traffic loads to influence load balancing. In this paper, we evaluate the ability of such an adversary to control the volume of traffic flowing through a compromised switch by misreporting traffic loads. We use a queuing theoretic approach to model the attack and develop algorithms for misreporting that allow an adversary to tune attack parameters toward specific adversarial goals. We validate the algorithms with a virtual network testbed, finding that through misreporting the adversary can draw nearly all of the load in the subnetwork (+750%, or 85% of the load in the system), or an adversary-desired amount of load (a target load, e.g., +200%) to within 12% error of that target. This is yet another example of how depending on untrustworthy reporting in making control decisions can lead to fundamental security failures.
SKETSA BENTUK KARYA CIPTA SENI SEBAGAI MEDIA EFEKTIF PEMBINAAN EKSPRESI

Ekpresi adalah suatu kebutuhan yang pent ing dalam hidup manusia. Manusia normal sangat membutuhkan kesempatan itu. oleh karenan ya perlu disediakan kesempatan tersebut agar kebu tuhan yang penting ini dapat terlaksana den gan baik, dan seni rupa adalah satu jalan un tuk itu. Karya seni rupa secara garis besar dapat dibe dakan menjadi dua golongan, yaitu seni rupa dua dimensional; memiliki ukuran pan jang dan lebar dan seni rupa tiga dimensional; selain uku ran panjang, lebar, juga bervolume. Baik karya seni rupa dua dimensional maupun tiga di mensional pada dasarnya memiliki unsur-un sur yang sama sebagai elemen yang harus ada yaitu, garis, war na, bidang, tekstur, ruang, vol ume, ser ta nada. Dalam artikel ini akan disampaikan satu pembahasan tentang sketsa, yang mana garis merupakan unsur pokok yang berperan didalamnya. Mengingat karya sketsa merupakan karya seni yang proses penciptaannya mudah dilaku kan oleh siapapun, media bahan dan alatnya mudah didapat dan relatif murah, maka artikel penu lis menawarkan suatu pandangan bahwa sketsa mer upakan karya cipta seni yang dapat dipergu nakan sebagai media pembinaan ekspresi secara efektif. Tujuan dari penawaran pandangan terse but adalah mengajak kepada siapapun khusus nya masyarakat awam untuk berlatih bah kan me nekuni karya sketsa, yang besarman faat nya bagi perkembangan fungsi-fung si jiwa ses eorang. Dalam berlatih maupun berolah karya sketsa banyak manfaat yang diperoleh, yaitu : a. secara fisik, melatih keluwesan dalam gerak tangan dan memberikan ketrampilan penguasaan serta melatih ketajaman pengamatan mata. b. secara psikis, berkaitan dengan perkembangan fungsi-fungsi jiwa antara lain dapat melatih kepekaan, melatih keberanian berekspresi, memperkaya konsep atau inspirasi penciptaan.
Budget RNNs: Multi-Capacity Neural Networks to Improve In-Sensor Inference Under Energy Budgets

Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) are well-suited to the sequential inference tasks often found in embedded sensing systems. While RNNs have displayed high accuracy on many tasks, they are poorly equipped for inference under energy budgets that are unknown at design time. Existing RNNs meet energy constraints in sensor environments by training models to subsample input sequences. The tight coupling between the sampling strategy and the RNN prevents these systems from generalizing to new energy budgets at runtime. To address this problem, we present a novel RNN architecture called the Budget RNN. Budget RNNs use a leveled architecture to decouple the sampling strategy from the RNN model, allowing a single Budget RNN to change its subsampling behavior at runtime. We further propose a runtime feedback controller to optimize the model’s accuracy for a given energy budget. Across a set of budgets, the Budget RNN inference system achieves a mean accuracy of roughly 3 points higher than standard RNNs. Alternatively, Budget RNNs can achieve comparable accuracy to existing RNNs while under 20% smaller budgets.
Response to reviewers on “The Tyranny of Experts”

I respond to the three excellent reviewers, who have covered well some of the most difficult issues raised by the arguments in The Tyranny of Experts. These include the good intentions of aid officials supporting autocrats, the role of Western history and current Western travails in the debate on freedom, distinguishing good and bad experts, advocating principles vs. tangible interventions, the serious flaws of democracy and not overstating the case for democracy, the question of whether some academics are also technocrats, the value of freedom as an end in itself, and the definition of democracy as to whether it includes individual rights. Finally and most controversially, I address the biggest question raised by the reviewers (and many others): what should we do? I say why I believe this question is the wrong one, why I refuse to answer it, and suggest more constructive ways to debate freedom and development.
Process simulation of multi-stage chemical-looping combustion using Aspen Plus

Abstract In recent years, Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) is increasingly being considered as a promising technology to increase the efficiency of carbon capture in coal-fired power plants and for reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. The char gasification step required in the CLC process when using solid fuels such as coal is slow and often incomplete, which limits the rate of fuel conversion. The concept of multi-staged fuel reaction is proposed as an improvement to the original CLC concept to address this issue. System-level simulations of the single-stage, two-stage and four-stage CLC processes are conducted in Aspen Plus using a plug flow reactor model for the gasification step to incorporate the reaction kinetics into the simulation. By varying the reactor size and examining the char conversion and net energy output, the optimum reactor size for each multi-stage configuration is determined. The effect of multi-staging on the exhaust composition is also investigated. The results of the simulations show that multi-staging allows the use of multiple smaller reactors with the same total volume without incurring any penalty on the net energy output.
The Conditions Which Influence a Teacher in Initiating Contacts with Parents

AbstractDespite the ethic that encourages teachers to work cooperatively with parents there is great variation among teachers in their practices. Seemingly there are "conditions" that promote or discourage teachers in initiating contact with parents. This study identified twenty-one such conditions, and, using questionnaires and interview data, differentiated teachers who reported significantly different practices in initiating contact with parents. On six of the comparisons important differences were marked: teacher’s socioeconomic status, alternative sources of contact, reasons for contact, role responsibility for parent contact, sense of parental support, and comfort in meeting parental expectations.
Analysis of sequence variation among legume lectins: A ring of hypervariable residues forms the perimeter of the carbohydrate-binding site

Twelve plant lectins from the Papilionoideae subfamily were selected to represent a range of carbohydrate specificities, and their sequences were aligned. Two variability indices were applied to the aligned sequences and the results were analysed using the three-dimensional structures of concanavalin A and the pea lectin. The areas of greatest variability were located in the carbohydrate-binding site region, forming a perimeter around a well-conserved core. These residues are inferred to be specificity determining, in the manner of antibodies, and the most variable position corresponded to Tyr100 in concanavalin A, a known ligand contact residue. In addition to the five peptide loops known to form the binding site from crystallographic studies, a sixth segment with variable residues was located in the binding-site region, and this may contribute to oligosaccharide specificity. In their overall composition, the lectin sites resemble those of the sugar-transport proteins rather than antibodies. The prospects for modelling lectin binding sites by the methods used for antibodies were also assessed.
Molecular cloning of the β-subunit of the Na,K-ATPase in the brine shrimp, Artemia: The cDNA-derived amino acid sequence shows low homology with the β-subunits of vertebrates except in the single transmembrane and the carboxy-terminal domains

A cDNA encoding the beta-subunit of the Na,K-ATPase of brine shrimp (Artemia) has been cloned. Its nucleotide sequence and predicted amino acid sequence have been determined. The amino acid sequence shows considerable divergence from that of chicken, dog, human, pig, rat, sheep, Torpedo, and Xenopus. This is not entirely unexpected since brine shrimp is a 'fast clock' organism which diverged from the precursor of the vertebrates 0.5-1.0 billion years ago. However, a highly hydrophobic putative transmembrane domain and the carboxy-terminal domain show considerable conservation. The relatively small degree of conservation in the beta-subunit of Artemia should provide information about the functional significance of this protein.
Classical Trajectory Calculationsof Infrared MultiphotonAbsorption and Dissociation

A review of classical trajectory calculations of infrared multiphoton absorption and dissociation is presented. These calculations have demonstrated that the classical method can be useful for interpreting experimental results and for understanding the fundamental processes by which molecules absorb photons from the laser.
Beyond liberalization: From the network of networks to the system of systems

Abstract Telecommunications are moving from the traditional monopoly, by way of the intermediate stage of a ‘network of networks’ to the stage of a ‘system of systems’ in which users are served by systems integrators that access each other. This environment will not be the ‘end of history’ as far as regulation is concerned, and government is not likely to disappear from this area. It would be naive to expect less regulatory tasks. Liberalization will not mean libertarianism. Opening telecommunications to competition, painful as it is, will prove to be politically and conceptually the easy part. Dealing with the consequences will be the next and more difficult challenge.
Examining pre-service teachers' attitudes towards children with autism in the USA

Autism is a developmental disorder which affects a growing number of children worldwide. Since the disorder was first discovered by Leo Kanner almost seven decades ago there has been a lot of research trying to unravel this otherwise esoteric disorder. That research has contributed to better understanding of the disorder, shifting of conceptualisations as well as changing of professionals' and families perceptions and attitudes towards the disorder. Together, these changes have helped to promote better outcomes among children with autism. This study was designed to examine pre-service teachers' attitudes towards children with autism. Results indicated that pre-service teachers had positive attitudes towards children with autism. The pre-service teachers' attitudes were found to be influenced by their gender, academic major and different types of exposure to children with autism.
Probability of error for fault-tolerant byte synchronization detectors

The probability of byte synchronization error (P/sub SE/) for a hard disk drive's fault-tolerant byte synchronization detector is derived. The P/sub SE/ is shown to be a function of the synchronization field length (N), the probability of bit error (p), the threshold of allowable errors (T), the location of the synchronization field within the synchronization detection interval (L) and the minimum Hamming distance (dH/sub min/). The Hamming distance is the number of bits by which a sequence consisting of the synchronization field pattern appended to the preamble of a hard disk drive's sector header differs from the synchronization field pattern, at each possible relative position. A good value for T is approximately around (dH/sub m/n/-1)/2 bits.
Submaximal exercise testing may be superior to the 6-min walk test in assessing pulmonary arterial hypertension disease severity.

Introduction Submaximal exercise testing (SET) assesses functional exercise capacity in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients and provides additional physiologic information compared with the 6-min walk test (6MWT). The relative correlations of the 6MWT and SET using SHAPE-HF™ with other markers of PAH severity, particularly echocardiogram (ECHO)-derived mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP), have not been investigated. Objectives (i) Examine the correlation between SHAPE measures with the 6-min walk distance (6MWD), and (ii) Compare SHAPE parameters and the 6MWD to clinical measures of PAH severity. Methods Fifty-five consecutive group 1 PAH outpatients were evaluated in a single pulmonary hypertension referral center from March 2011 to June 2012. Data collected: World Health Organization (WHO) functional class (FC), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), ECHO, 6MWD and SHAPE results. Data are reported using mean ± standard deviation and Spearman correlation coefficients (r). Results Nine patients were excluded. Of the 46 remaining patients, 78% were women and the average age was 61 ± 13 years. PAH characteristics: WHO FC III–IV 48%; idiopathic PAH 52%; BNP 198 ± 277 pg/mL; 6MWD 399 ± 97 m; ECHO right atrial pressure (RAP) 7 ± 4, pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) 63 ± 29 and MPAP 45 ± 17 mmHg. SET with SHAPE results: mean partial pressure of end-tidal (PET) CO2 31 ± 6 mmHg at end-exercise; ventilatory efficiency (VE/VCO2) 43 ± 16. Significant correlations were found between the 6MWD and SHAPE variables: VE/VCO2 (r = –0.57, P < 0.0001) and end-exercise PETCO2 (r = 0.42, P = 0.004). VE/VCO2 correlated with WHO FC, BNP, RAP, MPAP and PASP and 6MWD only with WHO FC, BNP and PASP. Conclusion SHAPE outperformed 6MWD in comparison with other measures of PAH disease severity.
Safety evaluation of genetically modified foods

The concept of substantial equivalence has been accepted as the cornerstone of the health hazard assessment of genetically modified (GM) foods (OECD 1993). Substantial equivalence is the most practical approach to address the safety of foods or food components derived from GM crops and is based on comparison of the phenotypic and compositional characteristics of the parent crop and the GM crop. Basically, three categories of GM crops can be considered (FAO/WHO 1996; EU 1997): (a) GM crops which have the same composition as the parent crop, (b) GM crops which have the same composition as the parent crop with the exception of a well-defined trait, and (c) GM crops which are different from the parent crop. For the safety assessment of the first category of GM foods only a molecular characterisation of the genetic insert is sufficient, whereas for the second category a safety assessment of the expressed protein(s) is also required. For the last category an extensive evaluation including bioavailability and wholesomeness studies are required, beside the molecular characterisation and safety assessment of the expressed protein(s) and their products. By molecular characterisation is meant the position, nature, stability and number of copies of the inserted DNA. Substantial equivalence is established by the determination of the phenotypic characteristics (e.g. resistance against diseases, agronomic properties) and the complete chemical composition of the plant including nutrients, toxicants, antinutrients, and allergens. The toxicity of the expressed protein(s) is assessed by their homology with known protein toxins, degradation in the gastro-intestinal tract, stability to food processing and acute toxicity in rodents. The possible allergenicity of the expressed proteins is evaluated by comparison of their amino acid sequence with that of known allergens and determination of their stability to digestion and food processing. If the source of the genetic insert is allergenic then the use of solid-state immunoassays, skin prick tests and even food challenge tests can be considered.