cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A theory of nondeterministic networks

Both nondeterminism and multilevel networks can be used to compactly characterize logic structures as well as all the flexibilities allowed for optimizing them. Synthesis results can be improved by allowing the manipulation of a larger class of networks called nondeterministic (ND) networks. These are multilevel logic networks that embody both nondeterminism and multivalued (MV) signals and, thus, enhance compactness and expressiveness. In this paper, a complete theory for representing and manipulating ND networks is developed. It is shown that an ND network's behavior can be classified into at least three types, all of which coalesce when the network becomes deterministic. The theory addresses the classical transformations commonly applied to optimize deterministic binary networks, such as node minimization, elimination, and decomposition. These are analyzed with respect to their effects on each type of network behavior, leading to modifications of some operations to make them safe, i.e., guaranteeing that the new behavior remains within the network's specification. Finally, it is proved that all three types of behaviors can be used in a hierarchical-synthesis paradigm
Integrated-Optical Components for Fiber Sensors

Progress in developing integrated-optical components for fiber sensors is reviewed. Two LiNbO 3 channel-waveguide components are described. Splitting loss as low as 0.5 dB has been achieved in a Y-branch and 40 dB sideband suppression has been obtained in a serrodyne frequency translator.
A TOUCHSTONE IN THE STUDY OF ADAPTATION1

‘‘The introduction needs to be bolder’’ is what W. D. Hamilton said after looking at one of my first sex ratio manuscripts. He had scrawled in the margin: ‘‘Sex ratio has become a touchstone in the study of adaptation.’’ This sentence captured the spirit of the subject in 1984. How did sex ratio develop into such an important topic? The answer to this question places in context Ian Hardy’s new volume on sex ratios as the first major synthesis since Charnov’s (1982) monograph.
Extinction and Spontaneous Recovery of Spatial Behavior in Pigeons

We investigated extinction and spontaneous recovery of spatial associations using a landmark-based appetitive search task in a touchscreen preparation with pigeons. Four visual landmarks (A, B, C, and D) were separately established as signals of a hidden reinforced target among an 8 × 7 array of potential target locations. The target was located above landmarks (LM) A and C and below B and D. After conditioning, A and B were extinguished. Responding to A and C was assessed on probe tests 2 days following extinction, whereas, B and D were tested 14 days after extinction. We observed spontaneous recovery from spatial extinction following a 14-day, but not a 2-day, postextinction retention interval. Furthermore, by plotting the spatial distribution of responding across the X and Y axes during testing, we found that spontaneous recovery of responding to the target in our task was due to enhanced spatial control (i.e., a change in the overall distribution of responses) following the long delay to testing. These results add spatial extinction and spontaneous recovery to the list of findings supporting the assertion that extinction involves new learning that attenuates the originally acquired response, and that original learning of the spatial relationship between paired events survives extinction. (PsycINFO Database Record
Analysis of Factors Contributing to Infections After Cranioplasty: A Single-Institution Retrospective Chart Review

Objective Cranioplasty is one of the most common neurosurgical procedures, yet has one of the greatest rates of infection among cranial operations. Although studies have reported on cranioplasty complications, it is unclear what factors contribute to the high rate of infection. This study aims to determine which patient characteristics and operative factors lead to postcranioplasty infections. Methods This was a retrospective chart review of 186 patients. Factors analyzed included sex, reason for cranioplasty, type of infection, medical comorbidities, and surgical factors. Results The overall infection rate was 24%. Skin flora was the most common pathogen. Wound dehiscence and presence of a postoperative fluid collection were associated significantly with a greater rate of infection ( P P = 0.075 and P = 0.089, respectively). Male sex, history of previous infection, history of craniectomy for trauma, cranioplasty size, and time to cranioplasty were not found to be significant factors related to cranioplasty infection. Conclusions Although wound dehiscence and postoperative fluid collections were associated significantly with infection in this study, the number in each sample size was small, and further studies with a larger number of patients in each subgroup is necessary to validate our findings.
CONCURRENT OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUE FOR A CONTROLLED STRUCTURE

A design technique is presented to improve the overall performance of a structural system by simultaneously optimizing the design of the structure and an associated controller. This procedure requires the minimization of a single objective function, subject to dimensional or mass constraints. This is done by including the control and disturbance forces in the equations of motion for the structure and using the eigenfunctions of a uniform structural design as a basis for the eigenfunctions of the optimally designed, nonuniform structure. The results of the concurrent optimization of an Euler-Bernoulli beam and H2 controller are presented. More complicated structures/controllers can be designed using this technique, provided the structure can be modeled as a linear time-invariant plant and the controller synthesis technique involves a single cost functional.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus induces congenital heart defects in murine embryos by increasing oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and apoptosis

Background Maternal type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus are strongly associated with high rates of severe structural birth defects, including congenital heart defects. Studies in type 1 diabetic embryopathy animal models have demonstrated that cellular stress-induced apoptosis mediates the teratogenicity of maternal diabetes leading to congenital heart defect formation. However, the mechanisms underlying maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus–induced congenital heart defects remain largely unknown. Objective We aim to determine whether oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and excessive apoptosis are the intracellular molecular mechanisms underlying maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus–induced congenital heart defects. Study Design A mouse model of maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus was established by feeding female mice a high-fat diet (60% fat). After 15 weeks on the high-fat diet, the mice showed characteristics of maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus. Control dams were either fed a normal diet (10% fat) or the high-fat diet during pregnancy only. Female mice from the high-fat diet group and the 2 control groups were mated with male mice that were fed a normal diet. At E12.5, embryonic hearts were harvested to determine the levels of lipid peroxides and superoxide, endoplasmic reticulum stress markers, cleaved caspase 3 and 8, and apoptosis. E17.5 embryonic hearts were harvested for the detection of congenital heart defect formation using India ink vessel patterning and histological examination. Results Maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus significantly induced ventricular septal defects and persistent truncus arteriosus in the developing heart, along with increasing oxidative stress markers, including superoxide and lipid peroxidation; endoplasmic reticulum stress markers, including protein levels of phosphorylated-protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase, phosphorylated-IRE1α, phosphorylated-eIF2α, C/EBP homologous protein, and binding immunoglobulin protein; endoplasmic reticulum chaperone gene expression; and XBP1 messenger RNA splicing, as well as increased cleaved caspase 3 and 8 in embryonic hearts. Furthermore, maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus triggered excessive apoptosis in ventricular myocardium, endocardial cushion, and outflow tract of the embryonic heart. Conclusion Similar to those observations in type 1 diabetic embryopathy, maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus causes heart defects in the developing embryo manifested with oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and excessive apoptosis in heart cells.
Child anxiety symptoms related to longitudinal cortisol trajectories and acute stress responses: Evidence of developmental stress sensitization

Cross-sectional research suggests that individuals at risk for internalizing disorders show differential activation levels and/or dynamics of stress-sensitive physiological systems, possibly reflecting a process of stress sensitization. However, there is little longitudinal research to clarify how the development of these systems over time relates to activation during acute stress, and how aspects of such activation map onto internalizing symptoms. We investigated children's (n = 107) diurnal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity via salivary cortisol (morning and evening levels) across 29 assessments spanning 6+ years, and related longitudinal patterns to acute stress responses at the end of this period (age 9-10). Associations with child psychiatric symptoms at age 10 were also examined to determine internalizing risk profiles. Increasing morning cortisol levels across assessments predicted less of a cortisol decline following interpersonal stress at age 9, and higher cortisol levels during performance stress at age 10. These same profiles of high and/or sustained cortisol elevation during psychosocial stress were associated with child anxiety symptoms. Results suggest developmental sensitization to stress-reflected in rising morning cortisol and eventual hyperactivation during acute stress exposure-may distinguish children at risk for internalizing disorders.
Special Rotation Vectors quaternions in three components

Special Rotation Vectors (SRV) are a means for specifying orientation in three dimensions that is a cross between a generalization of Wigner's rotation vectors and Euler/Hamilton quaternions. SRV constitute a continuous one to one mapping of orientation over a three dimensional manifold. Orientations are specified by three parameters while retaining virtually all the computational advantages of the quaternion method.
Improving oral protein nutrition.

Because protein for rebuilding tissue cannot be given intravenously, it must be fed orally. After a serious burn, patients require 20 gm of nitrogen per square meter of body surface. Giving high-protein powder between meals or by tube feeding can help make up deficits.
Benchmarking and medication error rates.

We commend Gorbach et al.[1][1] for promoting patient safety by encouraging the voluntary reporting of medication errors and highlighting risk factors for errors. However, we disagree with one of their conclusions, specifically that the medication error rates reported in their study will provide “
Orthodontic Treatment of Cleft Lip and Palate, Birth to Adulthood

Abstract No Abstract Available. From the Department of Orthodontics, Eastman Dental Center, Rochester, N.Y. The research was supported in part by Grant DE-01837, National Institute of Dental Research, NIH, USPHS. Read before the Angle Society of Orthodontia, Boston, Massachusetts, October, 1965.
An algorithm for monitoring and managing drug hepatotoxicity.

A systemic schedule, in the format of an algorithm, is proposed for the monitoring of transaminase levels in patients ingesting a potentially hepatotoxic drug, and for the subsequent management according to the value found. The scheme is based on the assumption that hepatotoxicity will be signaled by an increased transaminase level and that this test with subsequent determination of serum alkaline phosphatase and liver biopsy provides an adequate data base for the decision to discontinue drug therapy or to continue it at the same or at decreased dosage.
Abortion, Contraception, and Non-Marital Births: Re-Interpreting the Akerlof-Yellen-Katz Model of Pre-Marital Sex and Shotgun Marriage

In a well-known paper, Akerlof, Yellen, and Katz proposed a counter-intuitive explanation for the rise of non-marital births in the United States that emphasized how birth control and abortion weakened the responsibility of men to their unmarried partner’s pregnancy. The paper is regularly cited by social conservatives to support measures to restrict sex education and access to contraception and abortion. I argue that this use of the paper’s findings stems from specific modeling assumptions about “types” of women. I present a reformulation of the model using more reasonable “types” that generates precisely the same results, but with radically different policy implications.
Post-traumatic stress, mother's emotion regulation, and parenting in survivors of intimate partner violence

Post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are high among female survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV), and children of parents experiencing PTSS are at heightened risk for a wide range of emotional and behavioral problems. Parenting has significant influence on child adjustment, and although links have been found between parental psychopathology and maladaptive parenting, little is known about the factors that may explain this relation. The current study examines mother's emotion regulation (ER) as a factor influencing the relation between mother PTSS and parenting around children's emotions in a study sample of sixty-four female survivors of IPV and their 6- to 12-year-old children. Mothers reported on their own PTSS and their parenting. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was used as a psychophysiological index of mother's ER. Experiential components of mother's ER was also measured by observer coding of the Meta-Emotion Interview, a structured assessment that asks parents about their attitudes toward and experiences with emotions, including their regulation of emotions. Mother's RSA reactivity moderated the relation between PTSS and negative parenting. There was also a significant indirect relation between mothers' PTSS symptom severity and supportive parenting reactions through mothers' self-report of ER. Results suggest that mother's ER abilities represent factors that significantly affect associations between maternal PTSS and parent's emotion socialization practices. Implications for assessment and intervention with families exposed to the stress of IPV are discussed.
Drawing strategies for communication planning: a rationale and exemplar of the geometric page form (GPF) approach

Simple drawing tasks are effective for evaluating the many options communicators have during early design stages. These drawing strategies leverage the metaphoric meanings of basic geometric shapes, not complex artistic illustration, to represent ideas while they are in development. Our paper supports this perspective by linking previous research on sketching, collaboration, and ideation to identify a specific approach to this kind of drawing that we term Geometric Page Forms. To further illustrate the value of these strategies, we give an example of how technical communicators used drawing during a workshop to develop communication solutions explaining complex information about sun block efficacy.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT FOR OLDER ADULTS IN THE U.S.

A major focus of U.S. aging policies and programs is supporting the ability of older adults to age in place, based on evidence that neighborhoods become increasingly important in later life due to place attachment and the belief that aging in place can lead to optimal health and well-being. Gentrification, which occurs when more affluent residents move into a neighborhood that was previously occupied by lower-income residents, has received limited attention in gerontological scholarship. The percent of neighborhoods experiencing gentrification has increased in the U.S., and therefore the ramifications of gentrification are receiving more attention from policymakers, researchers, and the media, yet the potential repercussions for older adults are often ignored. To address this gap, this symposium will examine the consequences of neighborhood renewal for two groups of older adults: those who are involuntarily displaced, and those who continue to age in place. The first two papers will discuss a qualitative study of low-income senior housing residents in Detroit, Michigan who have been involuntarily relocated because of their building’s conversion to market rate rents in a deliberate strategy of neighborhood gentrification. The third paper will present findings from a study combining data from the National Health & Aging Trends Study and the U.S. Census to examine the quality of life of older adults living in gentrifying neighborhoods, particularly for those with limited financial resources. The co-coordinator for Age-Friendly Portland, a city experiencing particularly high rates of neighborhood gentrification, will serve as the discussant.
The antidepressant efficacy of subanesthetic-dose ketamine does not correlate with baseline subcortical volumes in a replication sample with major depressive disorder

Background:This study sought to reproduce, in a larger sample, previous findings of a correlation between smaller raw 3-Tesla (3T) hippocampal volumes and improved antidepressant efficacy of ketami...
Highly Directional Multipath Free High Data-Rate Communications With a Reconfigurable Modem

This paper presents a high data-rate underwater acoustic communication system that does not rely on large, powerful, and computationally complex modems. Our small size, weight, and power system is a reconfigurable acoustic modem platform (RAMP) that exploits transducer directivity to reduce the effects of multipath and mutual interference, thus eliminating the need for a traditional channel equalizer. Experimental results are shown to demonstrate the feasibility of RAMP in a shallow-water ocean environment to deliver real-time data transfer.
Modeling a cell passing through a stenotic channel using extended immersed boundary method

Publisher Summary This chapter analyzes with the help of extended immersed boundary method, passing of a simulated cell through a constricted channel. The chapter examines the large deformation of the structure and the stress profile along with instantaneous velocity and pressure distributions. The flow in the stenotic vessel has motivated much of the research in recent decades because of its physiological importance. When a red cell passes through a stenotic vessel, it could be subjected to a significant shear force and forced to squeeze through the stenosis. The extended immersed boundary method in comparison with the traditional CFD/FEM and the immersed boundary method bear the following significant advantages: (1) the finite element representation enables more appropriate and accurate stress analysis than the fiber network representation of the submerged structure, and (2) with EIBM—on a regular fluid grid—the cell passing through a stenotic vessel, can be efficiently stimulated where large deformation and stress distribution are predicted as well as the pressure and velocity profiles of the viscous fluid inside the channel.
Innovations in Mixed Methods Evaluations.

Mixed methods research—i.e., research that draws on both qualitative and quantitative methods in varying configurations—is well suited to address the increasing complexity of public health problems...
Microneurography and sympathetic nerve activity: a decade-by-decade journey across 50 years.

The technique of microneurography has advanced the field of neuroscience for the past 50 years. While there have been a number of reviews on microneurography, this paper takes an objective approach...
Swine manure application enriches the soil food web in corn and soybean production.

Strategies for managing plant-parasitic nematodes while promoting soil quality are needed in corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) cropping systems. Therefore, a series of two-year experiments were conducted in Minnesota to determine the simple and interactive effects of manure or conventional fertilizer and short-term crop rotation on the nematode community, a sensitive indicator of soil ecology. The two-year crop sequences were Sus-Sus, Res-Sus, and Corn-Sus, where Sus and Res are soybean susceptible and resistant to Heterodera glycines (soybean cyst nematode: SCN), respectively. The fertilizer treatments were liquid swine manure, conventional phosphorus (P)-potassium (K) fertilizer, and no fertilizer. Crop sequence and fertilizer choice had individual main effects, but did not have an interactive effect on the nematode community. Swine manure affected the nematode community in ways that conventional PK fertilizer or no fertilizer did not, substantially enhancing populations of bacterivores in colonizer-persister group 1, which are extreme enrichment opportunists. Manure application did not affect other groups of free-living nematodes and decreased nematode community diversity. Conventional PK fertilizer did not influence the nematode community compared with untreated control. The effects of short-term crop sequences were much less pronounced and consistent than manure application, but corn altered the environment to favor fungivores while soybean increased bacterivore abundances. Strategies for managing plant-parasitic nematodes while promoting soil quality are needed in corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) cropping systems. Therefore, a series of two-year experiments were conducted in Minnesota to determine the simple and interactive effects of manure or conventional fertilizer and short-term crop rotation on the nematode community, a sensitive indicator of soil ecology. The two-year crop sequences were Sus-Sus, Res-Sus, and Corn-Sus, where Sus and Res are soybean susceptible and resistant to Heterodera glycines (soybean cyst nematode: SCN), respectively. The fertilizer treatments were liquid swine manure, conventional phosphorus (P)-potassium (K) fertilizer, and no fertilizer. Crop sequence and fertilizer choice had individual main effects, but did not have an interactive effect on the nematode community. Swine manure affected the nematode community in ways that conventional PK fertilizer or no fertilizer did not, substantially enhancing populations of bacterivores in colonizer-persister group 1, which are extreme enrichment opportunists. Manure application did not affect other groups of free-living nematodes and decreased nematode community diversity. Conventional PK fertilizer did not influence the nematode community compared with untreated control. The effects of short-term crop sequences were much less pronounced and consistent than manure application, but corn altered the environment to favor fungivores while soybean increased bacterivore abundances.
The Impact of Penicillin Skin Testing on Aztreonam Stewardship and Cost Savings in Immunocompromised Cancer Patients.

Objective Reported penicillin allergies result in alternative antimicrobial use and are associated with worse outcomes and increased costs. Penicillin skin testing (PST) has recently been shown to be safe and effective in immunocompromised cancer patients, yet its impact on antimicrobial costs and aztreonam utilization has not been evaluated in this population. Method From September 2017 to January 2018, we screened all admitted patients receiving aztreonam. Those with a self-reported history of possible immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated reaction to penicillin were eligible for PST with oral challenge. Results A total of 129 patients were screened, and 49 patients were included and underwent testing. Sixteen patients (33%) had hematologic malignancies and 33 patients (67%) had solid tumors. After PST with oral challenge, 46 patients (94%) tested negative, 1 patient tested positive on oral challenge, and 2 patients had indeterminate results. The median time from admission to testing was 2 days (interquartile range, 1-4). After testing negative, 33 patients (72%) were switched to beta-lactam therapy, which resulted in a total of 390 days of beta-lactam therapy. For identical therapy durations, the direct total antibiotic cost was $15 138.89 for beta-lactams versus $78 331.50 for aztreonam, resulting in $63 192.61 in projected savings. A significant reduction in median days of aztreonam therapy per 1000 patient days (10.0 vs 8.0; P = .005) was found during the intervention period. Conclusions Use of PST in immunocompromised cancer patients receiving aztreonam resulted in improved aztreonam stewardship and significant cost savings. Our study demonstrates that PST with oral challenge should be considered in all cancer patients with reported penicillin allergies.
Vibrational fundamental and overtone spectra of C2H4 in cryogenic liquid solutions.

Abstract Vibrational Fundamental and overtone transitions of C2H4 around the Δυ = 1–3 in liquid Ar, Kr, Xe and N2 solutions have been obtained using a low temperature cryostat and a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer for wavenumbers between 800 and 10,000 cm−1. The visible C H spectra for Δυ = 6 of ethylene in cryogenic solutions of the same solvents and liquid ethane have been measured with a low temperature cell and the thermal lens technique. Spectra in solutions show great simplification of the bands with respect to gas phase absorption bands. Assignments have been made based on gas phase transitions. Peak positions (ν), wavenumber shifts (Δν), and full widths at half maximum (Δω1/2) are reported. Changes of C2H4 frequencies in liquid Ar, Kr, and Xe seem to correlate with an increase in molar volume, dielectric constant, temperature, and polarizability of the solvents. Influence of the solvent on some fundamental vibrational frequencies are explored using the Onsager model and the polarizable continuum model (PCM). When used in conjunction with calculated anharmonic frequencies, the PCM model shows qualitative agreement with frequency shifts.
Understanding Creep Corrosion Field Fails

Dendrites, Electrochemical Migration (ECM) and parasitic leakage, are usually caused by process related contamination. For example, excess flux, poor handling, extraneous solder, fibers, to name a few. One does not normally relate these fails with environmental causes. However, creep corrosion is a mechanism by which electronic products fail in application, primarily related to sulfur pollution present in the air.1 The sulfur reacts with exposed silver, and to a lesser extent, exposed copper. This paper will explore various aspects of the creep corrosion chemical reaction: 1.What is driving the creep corrosion reaction? 2.Why is drying the product a necessary precursor to obtaining creep corrosion in tests?2, 3 3.Test methods with Flowers of Sulfur, FoS, and sulfur rich clay. 4.Discussion of creep corrosion related field fails. 5.When does creep corrosion become ECM. 6.Sources of sulfur containing pollution. 7.Methods to take to avoid creep corrosion. While there are places with sulfur containing pollution, creep corrosion will be a factor which will impact reliability. Creep corrosion will need to be understood and handled.
Does the Simple View of Writing Explain L2 Writing Development?: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis examines how components of the Simple View of Writing contribute to writing development for English second-language (L2) learners. Previous studies examining first-language learn...
Taming Combinational Trojan Detection Challenges with Self-Referencing Adaptive Test Patterns

While many side-channel methods have been proposed for detecting hardware Trojans inserted by an untrusted foundry, they are challenged in the face of process variation noise. The impacts of process variation have forced researchers to propose costly design enhancements to improve detection as a counter to the deficiency of current easy-to-implement test pattern-based methods. To overcome process variation noise with no design cost, we propose a novel self-referencing adaptive approach based on test pattern construction, which learns from and conforms to device characteristics to maximally magnify the Trojan signal. Through iterative test pattern modifications, response analyses, and decision-making, we can pursue suspicious behaviors and increase the likelihood of Trojan detection. Experiments on Trust-Hub Trojan circuit benchmarks show the efficacy of this technique, magnifying an equivocal starting signal 22 to 130 to deliver crisp resolution to the question of Trojan existence.
Evaluating the Migration Mortality Hypothesis Using Monarch Tagging Data

The decline in the eastern North American population of the monarch butterfly population since the late 1990s has been attributed to the loss of milkweed during the summer breeding season and the consequent reduction in the size of the summer population that migrates to central Mexico to overwinter (milkweed limitation hypothesis). However, in some studies the size of the summer population was not found to decline and was not correlated with the size of the overwintering population. The authors of these studies concluded that milkweed limitation could not explain the overwintering population decline. They hypothesized that increased mortality during fall migration was responsible (migration mortality hypothesis). We used data from the long-term monarch tagging program, managed by Monarch Watch, to examine three predictions of the migration mortality hypothesis: 1) that the summer population size is not correlated with the overwintering population size, 2) that migration success is the main determinant of overwintering population size and 3) that migration success has declined over the last two decades. As an index of the summer population size, we used the number of wild-caught migrating individuals tagged in the U.S. Midwest from 1998-2015. As an index of migration success we used the recovery rate of Midwest tagged individuals in Mexico. With regard to the three predictions: 1) the number of tagged individuals in the Midwest, explained 74% of the variation in the size of the overwintering population. Other measures of summer population size were also correlated with overwintering population size. Thus, there is no disconnection between late summer and winter population sizes. 2) Migration success was not significantly correlated with overwintering population size, and 3) migration success did not decrease during this period. Migration success was correlated with variation in NDVI, a measure of greenness of the southern part of the U.S. used by migrating butterflies for nectar. Thus, the main determinant of yearly variation in overwintering population size is summer population size with migration success being a minor determinant. Consequently, increasing milkweed habitat, which has the potential of increasing the summer monarch population, is the conservation measure that will have the greatest impact.
Rational Tuning of CAR Tonic Signaling Yields Superior T-Cell Therapy for Cancer

SUMMARY Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are modular proteins capable of redirecting immune cells toward a wide variety of disease-associated antigens. Here, we explore the effects of CAR protein sequence and structure on CAR-T cell function. Based on the empirical observation that CD20 CARs with similar sequences exhibit divergent tonic-signaling and anti-tumor activities, we devised engineering strategies that aimed to improve CAR-T cell function by tuning the intensity of tonic signaling. We found that CARs designed to exhibit low but non-zero levels of tonic signaling show robust effector function upon antigen stimulation while avoiding premature functional exhaustion by CAR-T cells. Through alterations of the CAR’s ligand-binding domain and overall protein conformation, we generated CD20 CAR variants that outperform the CD19 CAR in mouse models of human lymphoma. We further demonstrate that rational modification of protein confirmation can be generalized to improve GD2 CAR-T cell efficacy against neuroblastoma. These findings point to tonic signaling and basal T-cell activation as informative parameters to guide the rational design of next-generation CARs for cancer therapy.
Assessment of postprandial hyperglycemia and circadian fluctuation of glucose concentrations in diabetic dogs using a flash glucose monitoring system.

BACKGROUND Postprandial hyperglycemia (PPH) and circadian glucose concentration fluctuations recorded in the home environment of dogs with naturally occurring diabetes mellitus (DM) have not been reported. OBJECTIVES To determine if a flash glucose monitoring system (FGMS; FreeStyle Libre) can detect PPH and circadian fluctuations in glucose concentrations in dogs with variably controlled DM. ANIMALS Fourteen client-owned dogs with DM. METHODS Prospective observational study. Interstitial glucose (IG) concentrations measured by the FGMS during a 13-day study period were analyzed. RESULTS A total of 17, 446 FGMS IG concentrations were analyzed. For all dogs analyzed together, median IG concentration measured within 30 (288 mg/dL), 60 (286 mg/dL), 90 (285 mg/dL), and 120 (285 mg/dL) minutes of meals was each significantly higher than the median IG concentration at all other times (260 mg/dL, 259 mg/dL, 258 mg/dL, and 257 mg/dL, respectively; range, 40-500 mg/dL; P < .001 for each). Median night-time IG concentration measured from all dogs on 3,547 samples recorded between 1:00 am and 6:00 am (268 mg/dL; range, 40-500 mg/dL) was significantly higher than median IG measured on 13, 899 samples at all other time points (259 mg/dL; range, 40-500 mg/dL; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE The FGMS can be used for future studies of PPH and circadian fluctuations of glucose concentrations in dogs with DM in their home environment.
Therapeutic approaches to overcome temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is a grade IV glioma, which is the most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor in adults. GBM is characterized by high infiltration into surrounding brain tissue, chemoresistance, a high rate of recurrence, all of which contribute to poor prognosis. Median survival following standard care therapy is approximately 14.5 months, with relapse commonly occurring after 6 months. Standard care therapy consists of maximal surgical resection followed by concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy with the alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ). Overcoming TMZ resistance, whether intrinsic or adaptive, poses a significant clinical challenge. Here, we discuss mechanisms linked to TMZ resistance and summarize potential treatment options for patients with TMZ-resistant GBM. Despite advances in identifying novel targets and potential molecular, pharmacological, immunological, and noninvasive therapies, TMZ resistance remains a hurdle in establishing long-term treatment for GBM patients.
Why do we repeat electrodiagnostic studies? And, does it make a difference? (P2.463)

Objective: To analyze the reasons to repeat electrodiagnostic (EDX) studies and determine the frequency in which the results are different than prior studies. Background: The EDX evaluation is an extension of the neuromuscular examination, aimed primarily to localize lesions. In some situations, a single test is insufficient and repeat studies are necessary. These include evaluation of new symptoms, rapidly evolving diseases, response to treatment, inconclusive findings and incomplete or suboptimal previous studies. On the other hand, there have been recent concerns about abuse and overutilization of EDX tests. Design/Methods: This is a retrospective study of 100 consecutive cases referred to a single provider in a tertiary care center. Cases with at least one previous EDX study were selected for further analysis. Results: Twenty-eight patients had previous EDX studies and in 24 the reports were available for comparison. Of those, 14 (58%) had a single test and 10 (42%) had 2 or more. The mean time between the studies was 44 months (2–136). Repeat testing was requested for new symptoms in 17 patients (71%) and similar symptoms in 7 (29%). The same limb was evaluated in 16 cases (67%). In 14 (58%) the EDX interpretation was unchanged, including 8 (33%) with new symptoms and 6 (25%) with similar symptoms. Six patients (25%) had more than one normal study of the same limb. Conclusions: Requests for repeat EDX testing are common. Most studies are performed for different complaints. However, in the majority of cases EDX results are unchanged, including many with previous normal studies. Proper review of prior EDX evaluations may contribute to better selection of patients and avoid unnecessary repeat testing. The findings in this study need to be replicated in a larger population, including different providers and other medical centers. Disclosure: Dr. Kovi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Avila has nothing to disclose.
“All Zoomed Out”: Strategies for Addressing Zoom Fatigue in the Age of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted institutions of higher education, and as a result, many educators are now experiencing Zoom fatigue. Institutions of higher education have moved to online or remote learning and are integrating web conferencing tools such as Zoom, WebEx, and Adobe Connect for course delivery. Many educators have reported an overutilization of technology, which has resulted in technostress. Technostress has been shown to affect physical and mental health. As more institutions of higher education move to remote learning, it will require a collective response from educators and from colleges and universities. The purpose of this article is to explore how the technostress model can be used as the framework to provide strategies to recognize and address Zoom fatigue.
Minimum time acceleration of aircraft turbofan engines by using an algorithm based on nonlinear programming

Minimum time accelerations of aircraft turbofan engines are presented. The calculation of these accelerations was made by using a piecewise linear engine model, and an algorithm based on nonlinear programming. Use of this model and algorithm allows such trajectories to be readily calculated on a digital computer with a minimal expenditure of computer time.
Dimensions of Culture (Geert H. Hofstede) – Overview

In his landmark 1980 book Culture's Consequences, Dutch psychologist Geert H. Hofstede described a framework of cultural dimensions that has become the hallmark of much cross-cultural research. Keywords: cross-cultural psychology; Geert Hofstede
Diversity Elephants and Giraffes? Building a House of Diversity: Book Critique

This book critique of Building a House for Diversity: A Fable about a Giraffe and an Elephant Offers New Strategies for Today’s Workforce was completed in response to an ongoing need to make relevant application of published writing about diversity. The book was written by R. R. Thomas and M. I. Woodruff. The purpose of the book is to provide readers a greater understanding of diversity and the factors that contribute to organizations and individuals responses to diversity, and to increase the reader’s diversity management skills. The fable includes giraffes and elephants as the main characters to illustrate common dilemmas that arise when diverse groups come together. Short vignettes consisting of personal interviews with individuals who are characterized as either giraffes or elephants are used to create connections with the reader. This work is a continuation of previous books related to diversity, race, and workforce issues.
Space Based Robot Manipulators: Dynamics of Contact and Trajectory Planning for Impact Minimization

This paper is concerned with the study of contact between free-flying space robots, and the minimization of the impulse at impact. The paper begins with a presentation of a new model of space robots which takes into account external applied forces. Next a contact model which consider both linear and angular motion between contacting systems is presented. Two approaches for trajectory planning in Cartesian space are discussed, and a strategy for achieving both the primary objective of trajectory tracking in Cartesian space and the secondary objective of impact minimization through configuration space planning is presented. The strategy is tested on a 15 degree of freedom space robot and simulation results are presented.
Genotyping in the Cloud with Crossbow

Crossbow is a scalable, portable, and automatic cloud computing tool for identifying SNPs from high-coverage, short-read resequencing data. It is built on Apache Hadoop, an implementation of the MapReduce software framework. Hadoop allows Crossbow to distribute read alignment and SNP calling subtasks over a cluster of commodity computers. Two robust tools, Bowtie and SOAPsnp, implement the fundamental alignment and variant calling operations respectively, and have demonstrated capabilities within Crossbow of analyzing approximately one billion short reads per hour on a commodity Hadoop cluster with 320 cores. Through protocol examples, this unit will demonstrate the use of Crossbow for identifying variations in three different operating modes: on a Hadoop cluster, on a single computer, and on the Amazon Elastic MapReduce cloud computing service.
Autoregulation of Adenovirus Type 5 Early Gene Expression III. Transcription Studies in Isolated Nuclei

Abstract The rate of adenovirus RNA synthesis was compared in nuclei isolated from cells infected at 40.5°C in the presence of 1-β-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine with adenovirus 5 or an early temperature-sensitive mutant of adenovirus type 5, H5ts125 (ts125). In nuclei isolated at various times after infection, the maximum amount of virus RNA synthesis occurred at 6 h after infection, after which time virus RNA synthesis declined in nuclei from wild-type infections but remained high in nuclei from ts125 infections. At 12 h after infection, the amount of virus RNA synthesis was 8- to 11-fold higher in nuclei from ts125 infections than in nuclei from wild-type infections. However, the kinetics of virus RNA synthesis in nuclei isolated from both infections were similar. When a ts125-infected culture was shifted to 32°C for 3 h (12 to 15 h after infection) before nucleus isolation, the amount of virus RNA synthesis in the isolated nuclei was reduced to nearly wild-type levels. A pulse-chase experiment showed little difference in degradation rates of virus RNA in isolated nuclei from wild-type and ts125 infections. Hybridization of RNA synthesized in vitro to restriction fragments of adenovirus type 5 DNA was consistent with early virus RNA. These results support the idea that the 72,000-dalton DNA-binding protein encoded by the mutant gene in ts125 can regulate early adenovirus gene expression by inhibiting initiation of transcription of the adenovirus genome.
Mixed Research and Online Learning: Strategies for Improvement

Research on online learning has largely been characterized as being low quality (Bernard et al., 2004). Part of the reason for this classification is the near obsession of past researchers with conducting comparison studies; that is, studies that compare online learning to traditional face-to-face learning. Despite researchers’ calls to conduct research with other types of designs, use of comparison studies have been increasing since the mid 1980s (Bernard et al.). In general, researchers have been preoccupied with demonstrating that online learning is as good as face-to-face learning (Wray, Lowenthal, Bates, & Stevens, 2008). However, in the past few years, comparison studies have come under increased scrutiny (Bernard et al.; Meyer 2004). This is because the majority, if not all, of comparison studies—like most research on online learning—have failed to employ robust research designs or control for extraneous variables (Bernard et al.; Meyer; Phipps & Merisotis, 1999). AbstrAct
Estimating body fat in African American and white adolescent girls: a comparison of skinfold-thickness equations with a 4-compartment criterion model

Background Although skinfold-thickness equations are widely used to estimate body fat, their accuracy in a biracial population of female adolescents has not been established. Objective We undertook this study to determine the agreement between 8 widely used skinfold-thickness equations and a 4-compartment criterion model in predicting the percentage body fat of 72 white and 40 African American girls aged 13.0 +/- 1.9 y. Design The biceps, triceps, suprailiac, subscapular, thigh, calf, and abdominal skinfold thicknesses of the subjects were measured with skinfold calipers and the buttocks circumference with a metal tape. The percentage fat mass (%FM) predicted by using each skinfold-thickness equation was compared with the criterion value calculated by the 4-compartment model on the basis of measurements of body density, body water, and bone mineral content. Results When the racial groups were analyzed separately, the Bland-Altman analysis indicated that the quadratic equations agreed most closely with the 4-compartment model's measurement of %FM. Agreement of the other equations varied with body fatness. Conclusions The quadratic equation of Slaughter et al is recommended for population studies in female adolescents because of its accuracy and simplicity. However, an individual %FM can be over- or underestimated by approximately 10% when this skinfold-thickness equation is used.
Differences in the Limits of Stability Between Older Rolling Walker Users and Older Single-Tip-Cane Users – A Preliminary Study

PURPOSE: To identify the differences in the limits of stability (LOS) between older rolling walker and single-tip-cane users. DESIGN: This was a matched paired t-test design with respected measure. METHODS: Eighteen older subjects were matched based on age, gender, and functional level. The subjects were assessed using the multidirectional reach test initially and 5-month later in four directions: forward, backward, leftward, and rightward. FINDINGS: Initially, there were no differences between cane users and rolling walker users in the LOS in all directions. However, 5-month later, the cane users who held their canes in their right hand had significantly better stability in forward and rightward reach than the walker users (p CONCLUSION: Cane users might have better stability than walker users in the forward direction and in the direction toward the side holding the cane. This study may provide guide for clinicians including nurses for selecting appropriate rehabilitative interventions for older adults using walkers and canes. Language: en
Clustering of extensive somatic mutations in the variable region of an immunoglobulin heavy chain gene from a human B cell lymphoma

Following treatment of a human B cell lymphoma with an anti-idiotype antibody, a subpopulation of tumor cells remained that had lost the tumor-specific heavy chain idiotypic determinant. Nucleotide sequence analyses of eight independent heavy chain variable region isolates showed extensive point mutations, so that no two sequences were identical. Comparison of pretreatment and posttreatment sequences implicated an amino acid in CDR2 as being involved in the idiotypic determinant. Apparently the malignant B cells escaped the therapeutic effects of the anti-idiotype antibody through an ongoing process of somatic mutation in their immunoglobulin genes. Non-random clustering of amino acid replacements in CDR2 suggested that growth of the tumor may have been influenced by endogenous selective forces interacting with the tumor cell-surface immunoglobulin.