cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transgender Discrimination And The Law

An emerging area of law is developing regarding sex/gender identity discrimination, also referred to as transgender discrimination, as distinguished from discrimination based on sexual orientation. A transgendered individual is defined as “a person who has a gender-identity disorder which is a persistent discomfort about one’s assigned sex or a sense of belonging to the other sex.’ While Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or it amendments do not provide protection from discrimination for individuals based on sexual orientation, transgender, or transvestites, there are a growing number of state, cities, and counties with transgender explicit non-discrimination laws. In addition to the above private employers, colleges and universities and collective bargaining agreements prohibit discrimination against transgendered people. While Title VII does not protect transgendered people, some federal courts have broadly interpreted Title VII’s prohibitation against sex discrimination as including transgendered people on the basis of the concept of “sex stereotyping” as a form of sex discrimination protected by Title VII. Additionally, the state courts of Massachusetts and New Jersey have held that transsexual people are protected under state disability laws. Human Resource Managers need to be sensitive to issues that can arise as a result of an employee making a sex change transition with respect to the following: 1) bathroom and dressing room usage; 2) dress codes; 3) identification and records changes; and (4) health benefits. Additionally, the transgendered employee, supervisory management and coworkers each have responsibilities to see that the transgendered transition is done respecting the rights of all concerned. As to the future, legal status of transgendered employees, transgender advocates should seek to change the existing laws; and if the existing law has sexual orientation protection, these laws should be written in such a way as to expressly include transgendered individuals. Additionally, transgender advocates should seek the voluntary cooperation of employers.
Arenicolid behaviors: similarity of Arenicola marina and Abarenicola pacifica

The hydraulic activities of two arenicolid polychaetes, Abarenicola pacifica and Arenicola marina, result in strikingly similar pressure waveforms. The principal hydraulic activities are defecation, burrowing and feeding/burrow maintenance. Both the duration and magnitudes of the pressures are very similar. The behavioral periodicities of the two species are also quite similar, although burrowing is more common in A. pacifica than in A. marina. Additionally burrowing activities in A. marina appear to be more influenced by tidal stage than those in A. pacifica . The link between burrowing and pore-water pressure reductions makes this difference potentially important in terms of drawing oxygenated water into surface sediments
Cancer chemotherapy administered via hemodialysis fistulas.

End-stage renal failure (ESRF) patients can develop cancer before or after kidney disease occurs. Can- cer chemotherapy often needs to be administered via the sort of central venous catheter that is normally avoid- ed in ESRF care. Three cases are presented in which ESRF patients received chemotherapy for cancer via exist- ing hemodialysis fistulas, and the consequences of central venous access in a fourth patient are discussed. (The Journal of Vascular Access 2005; 6: 196-9)
Concepts and Constructs

A group is an abstract mathematical object, a set with elements and an operation satisfying certain axioms. A representation of a group realizes the elements of the group concretely as geometric symmetries.
States Can Decouple From the 'Qualified Production Activities Income' Deduction

The authors say the states will lose revenue if they conform to the part of the American Job Creation Act of 2004 that provides for a deduction for "qualified production activities." The authors suggest that the states consider decoupling from that provision.
Diving in or Guarding the Tower: Mina Shaughnessy's Resistance and Capitulation to High-Stakes Writing Tests at City College.

Mina Shaughnessy continues to exert powerful influences over Basic Writing practices, discourses and pedagogy thirty-five years after her death: Basic Writing remains in some ways trapped by Shaughnessy’s legacy in what Min-Zhan Lu labeled as essentialism, accommodationism and linguistic innocence. High-stakes writing tests, a troubling hallmark of basic writing programs since the late-1970s, figure into conversations involving Shaughnessy and her part in basic writing administration as today we continue to see their effects. This article explores how Shaughnessy shaped the rise of such tests at City College, and asks whether they also shaped her. Relying on archival sources, and using Shaughnessy’s 1975 “Diving In” speech as a framing lens, I examine the diving-in pedagogy that was developed in the City College SEEK program where Shaughnessy taught from 1967 to 1970, and which formed the foundation for her open admissions basic writing program starting in September of 1970. Next I trace the roots of the first high-stakes writing test at City College and Shaughnessy’s conflicted responses—from 1968 when Shaughnessy mocked traditional essay exams as “attic furniture,” to November 20, 1972 when she embraced this high-stakes test as a valid measure of her basic writing program and the abilities of its students.
Chemicals, companies, and countries: The concept of diffusion in management research

Abstract In the field of organizational behavior, the term “diffusion” has come to be implicitly paired with the concept of innovation and a peculiar set of conceptual choices. We explore how this came about, and examine the evolution of the concept “diffusion” from its inception in the English language through its use in the natural and social sciences to its current meaning in organizational research. A sensemaking perspective on researchers’ cognition helps us explain the changing meaning of the concept, and alerts researchers to the subtle but far-reaching effects of revisions in a field's conceptual language. Even though the field of organizational studies ostensibly treats diffusion as a neutral phenomenon, it implicitly narrates diffusion as a mechanical and positive process that should be welcomed and encouraged. The implications of this reframing become even more important with the increasing focus on innovation in recent diffusion studies. The diffusion of new products among consumers and the diffusion of market institutions around the world are things of a rather different nature and consequence, but treating them as implicitly equivalent “innovations” that “diffuse” naturalizes and hence legitimates them. We conclude by noting implications of our findings for exploring the evolution of meaning for other concepts, and their utilization in research on organizations.
More Gravy than the Grave: classical Arabic lexical monographs in translation

With the appearance of Ramzi Baalbaki’s The Arabic Lexicographical Tradition in 2014, the early history of Arabic language scholarship lies open for appreciation as never before. Meanwhile, the tradition’s surviving texts remain closed to non-readers of Arabic. This essay suggests that an English-language readership would rejoice in access to selected ‘Abbāsid-era lexical monographs through the medium of critical translation. Besides the primary-source value of these texts to cultural studies, anthropology and intellectual history (not to mention their appeal to bare logophilia), I point out their power to induce in the modern reader a ludic estrangement from the dominant categoricalities through which the world’s realia are rendered unto knowledge. By virtue of this disorienting, category-lifting power, I argue that lexical monographs that were current over a thousand years ago might well serve today’s avant-garde reading public as a hedonic resource.
Adult Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome with Renal Arteriolar Deposition of IgM and C3

Two cases of idiopathic adult hemolytic uremic syndrome in which deposits of IgM and C3 were identified in renal arterioles showing fibrinoid necrosis are reported. Fibrin was also identified in the lumina of the involved vessels, but there was no laboratory evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation. In both cases, serum C3 was decreased and C4 was normal, suggesting involvement of the alternate pathway of complement activation. These two cases suggest that in some instances the adult hemolytic uremic syndrome may be immunologically mediated, and that renal vascular thrombosis is a secondary phenomenon.
High-Speed, High-Sensitivity Optoelectronic Device with Bilayer Electron and Hole Charge Plasma

Analogous to a drop exciting a wave in a reservoir that is detected more rapidly than the drop’s transport by current flow, charge plasma confined in a semiconductor can transfer energy, hence respond much faster than the electric field-induced carrier drift current. Here we construct an optoelectronic device in which charge reservoirs respond to excitation with a speed that is impossible to achieve by transport of charge. In response to short optical pulses, this device produces electrical pulses that are almost 2 orders of magnitude shorter than the same device without the charge reservoirs. In addition to speed, the sensitivity of this process allowed us to measure, at room temperature, as low as 11 000 photons. These micro plasma devices can have a range of applications such as optical communication with a fraction of a microwatt power compared to the present tens of milliwatts, ultrasensitive light detection without cryogenic cooling, photovoltaic devices capable of harvesting dim light, THz radiatio...
Identity, Quantum Mechanics and Common Sense

Analyse de la geographie logique de l'identite dans la mecanique quantique afin de resoudre les tensions internes entre les categories scientifiques, d'une part, telles que l'idee de trajectoire et de particule quantiques, le phenomene statistique quantique chez Bose-Einstein, l'idee d'action a distance et de composition parmi les particules, et les categories du sens commun, d'autre part, qui s'inscrivent dans une perspectivie metaphysique particuliere
Theoretical and Experimental Studies of C–C versus C–O Bond Scission of Ethylene Glycol Reaction Pathways via Metal-Modified Molybdenum Carbides

Designing catalysts with high activity and selectivity for biomass conversion to fuels and chemicals requires the understanding and controlling of the bond scission mechanism in biomass derivatives. In the current study, ethylene glycol, the smallest polyol from cellulose with the same atomic C/O ratio as C5 and C6 sugars, is employed as a surrogate molecule for controlling the bond scission sequence of O–H, C–H, C–O, and C–C bonds. A promising methodology for catalyst design is established in this work by constructing a microkinetic model to predict the activity and selectivity for ethylene glycol transformation reactions on molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) and metal-modified Mo2C surfaces, followed by supplementing the theoretical prediction with temperature program desorption (TPD) and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) experiments on model surfaces. The fundamental insights from the theoretical approach and experimental results thus helps to guide the catalyst design and reduce the nu...
Readmissions After Colon Cancer Surgery: Does It Matter Where Patients Are Readmitted?

Purpose:Readmissions to a different hospital may place patients at increased risk for poor outcomes and may increase their overall costs of care. We evaluated whether mortality and costs differ for patients with colon cancer on the basis of whether patients are readmitted to the index hospital or to a different hospital within 30 days of discharge.Methods:We conducted a retrospective analysis using SEER-Medicare linked claims data for patients with stage I to III colon cancer diagnosed between 2000 and2009 who were readmitted within 30 days (N = 3,399). Our primary outcome was all-cause mortality, which was modeled by using Cox proportional hazards. Secondary outcomes included colon cancer–specific mortality, 90-day mortality, and costs of care. We used subhazard ratios for colon cancer– specific mortality and generalized linear models for costs. For each model, we used a propensity score–weighted doubly robust approach to adjust for patient, physician, and hospital characteristics.Results:Approximately 2...
L-DOPA as a small molecule surrogate to promote angiogenesis and prevent dexamethasone-induced ischemia

The foreign body response to implantable biosensors has been successfully countered through the use of corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone. However, while controlling inflammation, dexamethasone also decreases angiogenesis, which may lead to delayed analyte readings. The concurrent application of VEGF with dexamethasone increases angiogenesis, but VEGF has physical stability issues and is not cost-effective. The use of l-DOPA, a small molecule drug shown to up-regulate VEGF in the Parkinsonian brain, can potentially resolve these issues by substituting for VEGF. In this work, l-DOPA was used for the first time as a pro-angiogenic agent to counteract dexamethasone-induced ischemia. Angiogenesis was modeled using the CAM assay and changes in blood vessel formation were recorded with both manual and digital techniques. As expected, dexamethasone reduced blood vessel formation in the CAM. Application of l-DOPA, on the other hand, increased blood vessel formation when dexamethasone and l-DOPA were administered simultaneously. This novel finding suggests the utility of l-DOPA in the field of implantable medical devices, such as biosensors, as well as tissue engineering applications where both a vascularized tissue environment and control of tissue response is desired.
Biomarkers in Neoplastic Neuropathology

Biomarkers in neoplastic neuropathology / , Biomarkers in neoplastic neuropathology / , کتابخانه دیجیتال جندی شاپور اهواز
Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyl-153 decreases incidence of autoimmune Type 1 diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice

AbstractType 1 diabetes (T1D) incidence has been steadily rising across the globe. Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POP) has been implied as one potential cause of increased T1D occurrence. Since data regarding the role of POP polychlorinated biphenyl-153 (PCB-153) in autoimmune T1D development in experimental animal models are lacking, this study sought to evaluate the effect of PCB-153 exposure on T1D development in a non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model. As T1D is an autoimmune, T-cell-dependent disease, PCB-153 effects on T-cells were studied as well. Pre-diabetic 8–9-week-old NOD mice were exposed to intraperitoneal injections of PCB-153 in a 10-day short- (subacute exposure; 0.5 or 50 mg/kg) or 16-week long-term (subchronic exposure; 0.125 or 12.5 mg/kg) fashion. A significant decrease in incidence of T1D was observed in both low- and high-dose subchronically exposed mice. Analysis of various immune parameters, including T-cell types and subtypes, T-cell proliferative responses – as well a...
The discovery and analysis of suspended discharge defects in TV

Reducing the influences of suspended discharge on insulating property can improve power supply reliability. In this Paper, through analyzing an explosion accident of 220kV SF 6 gas-insulated electromagnetic voltage transformer (TV), it shown that the primary cause of the accident is attributed to the suspended discharge in the internal equipment, resulting in a reducing performance of SF 6 gas-insulation. Under the low lightning overvoltage, short circuit of TV's primary lead over the ground is caused. Meanwhile, the experiment verifies that the suspended discharge causes instable electrical connection in internal equipment, resulting in fluctuation of TV's secondary terminal voltage and misjudge of equipment insulation online monitoring. At last, the paper proposes the countermeasures and recommendations on preventing from suspended discharge in internal electrical equipment.
The partition of energy among seismic waves reflected and refracted at the earth's core

The reflection and refraction of seismic waves has been studied extensively in the past by various authors. Among them are Knott (9, 10), Wiechert (13), Zoeppritz (14), Jeffreys (8), Bouasse (3), Gutenberg (4, 5, 6, 7), Berlage (1), Blut (2), and Macelwane (11, 12). The purpose of the present paper is to calculate the ratios of the energies of waves reflected and refracted at the surface of the earth's core for various angles of incidence, supposing values for the elastic constants and densities considered the most likely.
Management, Spirituality, and Religion: Where Do We Go From Here?

This chapter provides a retrospective view of the field of management from the perspective of a management scholar who has worked with MBA students and with executives on the integration of faith and spirituality in the workplace. Andre Delbecq has also been active in the Academy of Management and reflects on the evolution of the academy’s acceptance of the new field of “management, spirituality, and religion.” This chapter concludes with a vision for where the field may be going next as leaders cope with ever-increasing complexity and the role that spiritual and religious wisdom may play in leadership and organizational development.
Electrodiagnostic Studies for Pain in the Rehabilitation Patient

Managing care for patients with pain requires an accurate diagnosis. Electrodiagnostic studies provide important data that helps guide care and prognostic information that enables the clinician and patient to make good therapeutic choices. This chapter reviews the use of nerve conduction studies and electromyography in this patient population. The prognostic value of electrodiagnostic testing is discussed using examples of commonly encountered clinical conditions, citing relevant and recent medical literature.
Direct additive, environmental, and phenotypic variances and covariances and coefficients of heritability for underline score in Beefmaster cattle

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine estimates of heritability for underline score (UDLS) and genetic, environmental, and phenotypic correlations (rg, re, rp, respectively) of UDLS with conformation score (CONS), birth weight (BRWT), weaning weight (WNWT), and yearling weight (YRWT) in Beefmaster cattle born between 1976 and 2008. Records provided by Beefmaster Breeders United (n = 49,533) for UDLS and CONS and BRWT (n = 10,698), WNWT (n = 22,503), and YRWT (n = 8,316) were studied. Data were analyzed using single- or 2-trait animal models with DFREML ( Boldman et al., 1993 ) and DMU ( Madsen and Jensen, 2013 ). The mixed model included fixed contemporary group effects constructed using herd, birth year, and sex information. Age of dam and animal age at inspection were included as covariates. Coefficients of heritability were 0.44 ± 0.01, 0.43 ± 0.01, 0.75 ± 0.04, 0.60 ± 0.02, and 0.85 ± 0.06 for UDLS, CONS, BRWT, WNWT, and YRWT, respectively, from the single-trait analyses. From the 2-trait analyses, coefficients of heritability for UDLS with CONS, BRWT, WNWT, and YRWT were 0.43 ± 0.01, 0.35 ± 0.05, 0.39 ± 0.03, and 0.40 ± 0.06, respectively. Coefficient of rg for UDLS with CONS was −0.16 ± 0.02, UDLS with BRWT was 0.02 ± 0.07, ULDS with WNWT was 0.05 ± 0.04, and UDLS with YRWT was 0.13 ± 0.08 from the 2-trait analyses. Mean estimated breeding value of UDLS was 0.00 ± 0.40. These results suggest that artificial selection for UDLS would be effective in beef breeding programs.
The Great Exception: The New Deal and the Limits of American Politics

Review of: "The Great Exception: The New Deal and the Limits of American Politics," by Jefferson Cowie.
Population Density and Habitat Distribution of A Predatory Hemipteran, Chiloxanthus Stellatus (Curtis) (Saldidae), in Arctic Alaska

The density and habitat distribution of adult Chiloxanthus stellatus (Curtis), a predatory shore bug (Hemiptera:Saldidae), were studied using mark and recapture trapping on polygonal tundra near Ba...
Multifunctional biophotonic nanostructures inspired by the longtail glasswing butterfly for medical devices

Numerous living organisms possess biophotonic nanostructures that provide colouration and other diverse functions for survival. While such structures have been actively studied and replicated in the laboratory, it remains unclear whether they can be used for biomedical applications. Here, we show a transparent photonic nanostructure inspired by the longtail glasswing butterfly (Chorinea faunus) and demonstrate its use in intraocular pressure (IOP) sensors in vivo. We exploit the phase separation between two immiscible polymers (poly(methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene) to form nanostructured features on top of a Si3N4 substrate. The membrane thus formed shows good angle-independent white-light transmission, strong hydrophilicity and anti-biofouling properties, which prevent adhesion of proteins, bacteria and eukaryotic cells. We then developed a microscale implantable IOP sensor using our photonic membrane as an optomechanical sensing element. Finally, we performed in vivo testing on New Zealand white rabbits, which showed that our device reduces the mean IOP measurement variation compared with conventional rebound tonometry without signs of inflammation.
Nonlinear Stability of Core-Annular Flow

In this chapter, we will discuss nonlinear theories of the Ginzburg-Landau type [Chen and Joseph 1991a] and various long -wave equations [Chen and Joseph 1991b].
Geometrical Relations Among Variance Component Estimators

In linear models with two variance components, mean squared errors (MSEs) of invariant quadratic estimators of linear combinations of the variance components are quadratics in the variance components. However, it is revealing to note that MSEs are linear in convex combinations of the squares and products of the variance components, so that surfaces of MSEs are subsets of planes. Lower bounds on MSEs form a concave surface. MSEs of admissible invariant quadratic estimators are tangent to this surface, while MSEs of inadmissible estimators are not. There are different bounds when attention is restricted to unbiased invariant quadratic estimators or the more general class obtained by dropping the restriction to unbiasedness. The purpose of this paper is to develop these simple relations and to illustrate them with graphs.
Abstract LB-197: Transposon mutagenesis and CRISPR/Cas9 screening reveal pathways driving peripheral nerve sheath tumor development and maintenance

Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath tumors(MPNSTs) are highly aggressive soft tissue sarcomas derived Schwann cell tumors. Half of these tumors occur sporadically, while the rest occur in the context of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 Syndrome (NF1) developing from pre-existing plexiform neurofibromas. NF1 is characterized by loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding neurofibromin, a negative regulator of the oncogenic Ras pathway. To better understand genetic factors that give rise to MPNSTs, we performed a Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon screen in mice. The results implicated Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K-AKT-mTOR, growth factor receptor signaling, and other pathways. It is our goal to understand the role of these pathways in human Schwann cell transformation, tumorigenesis, and tumor maintenance. We next sought to validate SB screen gene hits in a human cellular model using CRISPR/Cas9 technology as a tool to induce loss-of-function mutations in tumor suppressor gene (TSG) and oncogene candidates. A total 103 genes were independently targeted with multiple guideRNAs in immortalized human Schwann and MPNST cell lines and effects on transformation assessed. Transformation was assessed by anchorage-independent colony formation in soft agar, transwell migration, and tumor formation in NRG mice. In these assays, more than 30 genes scored as TSG candidates. Our results revealed a role for the Wnt/β-catenin, Hippo/Yap, PI3K-AKT-mTOR, Rho, and growth factor receptor signaling pathways in human neurofibroma and MPNST development and maintenance. These are generating hypothesis driven pre-clinical treatment studies we9re pursuing now. Citation Format: German L. Velez Reyes, Nicholas Koes, Gabriel Kaufmann, Esther Ryu, David A. Largaespada. Transposon mutagenesis and CRISPR/Cas9 screening reveal pathways driving peripheral nerve sheath tumor development and maintenance [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-197.
Combination of internal structuring and external coating in an oleogel-based delivery system for fish oil stabilization

In this study, we created oleogel-based formulations featuring varying degrees of beeswax for internal structure and whey protein isolate (WPI) as external coating to improve the oxidative stability of fish oil. Oleogel was characterized by rheological analysis to access gelation behavior, and morphology was visualized using electron microscopy. It was found that the WPI-coated oleogel displayed strong physical stability during storage. The oxidative assay demonstrated that WPI-coated oleogel had the best protection against fish oil oxidation under both thermal treatment and ultraviolet-C radiation. The oxidation of fish oil was inhibited by 2-3 fold, compared to its unencapsulated form. This stability was attributed to the modulation of beeswax and WPI on the micropolarity and microviscosity of the formulation, as evidenced by pyrene fluorescence measurement. Our approach combining internal structuring and external coating may contribute to the development of oleogel system for efficient delivery of lipophilic bioactive components.
A Comparison of the Magnus Expansion and Other Solvers for the Chemical Master Equation with Variable Rates

Many traditional approaches for solving the chemical master equation (CME) cannot be used in their basic form when reaction rates change over time, for instance due to cell volume or temperature. One technique is to use the Magnus expansion to represent the solution to the CME as the action of a matrix exponential, for which Krylov-based approximation methods can be applied. In this paper, we compare two variants of the Magnus scheme with some popular ordinary differential equations (ODE) solvers, such as Adams-Bashforth, Runge-Kutta and Backward-differentiation formula (BDF). Our numerical tests show that the Magnus variants are remarkably efficient at computing the transient probability distributions of a transcriptional regulatory system where propensities vary over time due to cell volume increase.
Variations in the Clinical Course of Patients with Herpes Simplex Virus Esophagitis Based on Immunocompetence and Presence of Underlying Esophageal Disease

Herpes simplex esophagitis (HSE) is the second most common cause of infectious esophagitis and occurs in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. The aim of this study was to reappraise the clinical course of HSE in different patient populations based on degree of immunocompetence and the presence or absence of underlying esophageal disease. Patients with histopathologically confirmed HSE identified from the Mayo Clinic pathology database from 2006 to 2016 were included in this study. Relevant demographic, clinical, and endoscopic data were retrospectively reviewed and compared between two cohorts: (a) immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients and (b) patients with and without underlying esophageal disorders. Forty-six patients were included in the study. The most common presenting symptoms were odynophagia (34.8%) and dysphagia (30.4%). Thirty-three (71.7%) patients were immunocompromised, and these patients who experienced longer duration of symptoms (25.5 ± 23.4 days vs. 7.0 ± 5.5 days, p = 0.04) were more likely to require an extension of treatment course (38.1% vs. 8.3%, p = 0.05) compared to their immunocompetent counterparts. Seventeen (37%) patients had underlying esophageal disease, and these patients were more likely to have concomitant esophageal candidiasis (41.2% vs. 10.3%, respectively; p = 0.01). Herpes simplex virus causes esophagitis in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. While the disease course appears to be self-limited for all patient populations, clinical and endoscopic differences in the disease presentation and clinical course based on immune status and the presence or absence of underlying esophageal disease exist.
Listening to the songs of the universe: How vibration control for the laser interferometer gravitational-wave observatory (LIGO) allows us to measure ripples in the fabric of space

In 2015, humanity made the first detection of gravitational waves from the violent collision of two black holes. As Einstein predicted, this collision sent waves through the fabric of space-time, but nearly 100 years passed between Einstein's prediction and the first measurement of these waves by the advanced LIGO detectors. The detection was made possible by many advances in the precision measurement. I will describe the detectors and one of the key technologies, the vibration isolation for the optics; at 10 Hz, the motion of the LIGO mirrors is at least 1,000,000,000 times less than the motion of the ground. By creating one of the quietest places on Earth, we have created a new way to "listen" to the stars.In 2015, humanity made the first detection of gravitational waves from the violent collision of two black holes. As Einstein predicted, this collision sent waves through the fabric of space-time, but nearly 100 years passed between Einstein's prediction and the first measurement of these waves by the advanced LIGO detectors. The detection was made possible by many advances in the precision measurement. I will describe the detectors and one of the key technologies, the vibration isolation for the optics; at 10 Hz, the motion of the LIGO mirrors is at least 1,000,000,000 times less than the motion of the ground. By creating one of the quietest places on Earth, we have created a new way to "listen" to the stars.
Integrating Diverse Disciplines to Enhance Interprofessional Competency in Healthcare Delivery

Interprofessional education (IPE) typically involves clinical simulation exercises with students from medical and nursing schools. Yet, healthcare requires patient-centered teams that include diverse disciplines. Students from public health and informatics are rarely incorporated into IPE, signaling a gap in current educational practices. In this study, we integrated students from administrative and non-clinical disciplines into traditional clinical simulations and measured the effect on communication and teamwork. From July 2017–July 2018, 408 students from five schools (medicine, nursing, dentistry, public health, and informatics) participated in one of eight three-hour IPE clinical simulations with Standardized Patients and electronic health record technologies. Data were gathered using a pre-test–post-test interventional Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS) and through qualitative evaluations from Standardized Patients. Of the total 408 students, 386 (94.6%) had matched pre- and post-test results from the surveys. There was a 15.9% improvement in collaboration overall between the pre- and post-tests. ICCAS competencies showed improvements in teamwork, communication, collaboration, and conflict management, with an average change from 5.26 to 6.10 (t = 35.16; p < 0.001). We found by creating new clinical simulations with additional roles for non-clinical professionals, student learners were able to observe and learn interprofessional teamwork from each other and from faculty role models.
A case study of leadership initiatives in a diverse charter school: values in agreement and conflict

This case study offers an in-depth analysis of the initiatives implemented by a principal in an intentionally diverse charter school. Through extensive interviews with the principal, assistant prin...
Radiographic predictors of pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with high-grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

522Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has established survival benefits prior to radical cystectomy for bladder cancer, yet its role in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) prior to neph...
Hybridization effect on the x-ray absorption spectra for actinide materials: Application to Pu B 4

Studying the local moment and $5f$-electron occupations sheds insight into the electronic behavior in actinide materials. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has been a powerful tool to reveal the valence electronic structure when assisted with theoretical calculations. However, the analysis currently taken in the community on the branching ratio of the XAS spectra generally does not account for the hybridization effects between local $f$ orbitals and conduction states. In this paper, we discuss an approach which employs the density functional theory plus Gutzwiller rotationally invariant slave boson method to obtain a local Hamiltonian for the single-impurity Anderson model, and calculates the XAS spectra by the exact diagonalization (ED) method. A customized numerical routine was implemented for the ED XAS part of the calculation. By applying this technique to the recently discovered $5f$-electron topological Kondo insulator $\mathrm{Pu}{\mathrm{B}}_{4}$, we determined the signature of $5f$-electronic correlation effects in the theoretical x-ray spectra. We found that the Pu $5f\ensuremath{-}6d$ hybridization effect provides an extra channel to mix the $j=5/2$ and $7/2$ orbitals in the $5f$ valence. As a consequence, the resulting electron occupation number and spin-orbit coupling strength deviate from the intermediate-coupling regime.
The effects of violent urban settings on neuropsychological outcomes: A review

Abstract The effects of exposure to violent urban settings can be seen in structural brain changes and in neuropsychological outcomes. Individuals are exposed to risk factors that increase the likelihood of poor outcomes on neuropsychological measures. Children and adolescents in these environments show lower intelligence quotients and academic achievement compared to those raised in less violent or rural settings. They also have lower scores on measures of attention and impulse control. In addition, their exposure to such environments can result in increased mental health symptoms and disorders.
Code-to-code verification for thermal models of melting and solidification in a metal alloy: comparisons between a Finite Volume Method and a Finite Element Method

Abstract. Verification, the process of checking a modelling output against a known reference model, is an important step in model development for the simulation of manufacturing processes. This manuscript provides details of a code-to-code verification between two thermal models used for simulating the melting and solidification processes in a 316 L stainless steel alloy: one model was developed using a non-commercial code and the Finite Volume Method (FVM) and the other used a commercial Finite Element Method (FEM) code available within COMSOL Multiphysics®. The application involved the transient case of heat-transfer from a point heat source into one end of a cylindrical sample geometry, thus melting and then re-solidifying the sample in a way similar to an autogenous welding process in metal fabrication. Temperature dependent material properties and progressive latent heat evolution through the freezing range of the alloy were included in the model. Both models were tested for mesh independency, permitting meaningful comparisons between thermal histories, temperature profiles and maximum temperature along the length of the cylindrical rod and melt pool depth. Acceptable agreement between the results obtained by the non-commercial and commercial models was achieved. This confidence building step will allow for further development of point-source heat models, which has a wide variety of applications in manufacturing processes.
Neurodevelopment and the gut microbiome

Abstract Neurodevelopment after birth is a complex process in which neurons extend and form synaptic connections to define an individual’s neurocircuitry. It is widely known that the environment plays a crucial role in shaping this process, and if synaptogenesis is impaired, the result is lifelong disability. The human gut microbiome has been proposed as an important factor affecting neuronal growth, survival, and synaptogenesis, and the aim of this chapter is to present the evidence and mechanisms of the gut–brain axis that impact neurodevelopment. Topics of discussion include influences of the gut microbiome on nutrition, humoral communication, neuronal communication, and neuroinflammation.
Congress's Article III Power and the Process of Constitutional Change

Text in Article III of the U.S. Constitution appears to give to Congress authority to make incursions into judicial supremacy, by restricting (or, less neutrally, “stripping”) the jurisdiction of federal courts. Article III gives Congress authority to make “exceptions” to the Supreme Court’s appellate jurisdiction. Article III also gives Congress discretion whether to “ordain and establish” lower federal courts. Congress’s power to create or abolish these courts would seem to include the power to create them but to limit their jurisdiction, and that has how the power has historically been understood. Is Congress’s power to remove the jurisdiction of federal courts in effect a legislative power to choose the occasions on which federal courts may, and may not, have the final word on the meaning of the Constitution? That is a question on which Supreme Court has never spoken definitively. In this Article, I argue that Congress’s Article III power can be understood as a means by which Congress may change the Constitution without amending it. I argue, further, that we should welcome it as such. Working through the ordinary legislative process, Congress may remove the jurisdiction of federal courts to hear cases involving most questions of federal law, including cases that raise questions under the federal Constitution. To be clear, I am not arguing that the Constitution unambiguously establishes this congressional power. As on so many important issues, the Constitution is indeterminate: Article III provides a textual foundation for the power, and neither history nor precedent rule it out. In this matter, however, what Congress does is more important than anything the Constitution says. The Constitution’s indeterminacy opens a space for Congress to reclaim authority, in particular cases, over constitutional interpretation. If a determined Congress acts to fill that space, courts will have little power to resist. Correction, if it comes at all, will come from voters. Understood this way, the implications of Congress’s Article III power are potentially transformative. Congress may prescribe, by ordinary legislation, constitutional rules in areas where the meaning of the Constitution is unsettled. Or it may displace otherwise settled constitutional rules by ordinary legislation. In either case, Congress may remove the jurisdiction of federal courts to hear constitutional challenges to its interventions. And Congress may do the same with respect to state courts. To be clear, Article III does not permit Congress to escape accountability. Rather, Article III gives to Congress the power to choose whether it must answer, in a particular instance, to judges or to voters. In the push-and-pull between judicially-enforced constitutional rules and the desires of current democratic majorities, the potential for Congress’s exercise of its Article III power helps legitimate both constitutionalism and judicial review.
Modeling RNA Translation with Craft Supplies

Students often struggle with the concept of protein synthesis, which incorporates two main processes: transcription and translation. This article describes an activity in which students use craft supplies to physically model the process of translation. The teacher creates the modeling kits, and then students use a worksheet to prepare the kit for a specific amino acid sequence. They practice the process of translation, including the start, tRNAs movement through the ribosome, the amino acid chain building, and the stop. This article describes how to create the model kits and implement the activity in the classroom. We have performed this hands-on activity in college classrooms as large as 170 students. Students appreciate the hands-on approach and find the activity extremely useful in understanding translation. While students model translation, the teaching team identifies and helps students overcome any misconceptions and gaps in their knowledge.
On Statistical Security in Two-Party Computation

There has been a large body of work characterizing the round complexity of general-purpose maliciously secure two-party computation (\(\mathsf {2PC}\)) against probabilistic polynomial time adversaries. This is particularly true for zero-knowledge, which is a special case of \(\mathsf {2PC}\). In fact, in the special case of zero knowledge, optimal protocols with unconditional security against one of the two players have also been meticulously studied and constructed.
"The Main Concern is HIV, Everything Else is Fixable": Indifference Toward Sexually Transmitted Infections in the Era of Biomedical HIV Prevention.

With the advent of biomedical HIV prevention, attitudes toward and cultural norms around condom use and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are changing. Participants of 2GETHER, a randomized controlled trial of a relationship education and HIV prevention program for male couples, have acknowledged that having condomless anal sex put them at increased risk for STIs. Nonetheless, facilitators of the program have increasingly observed that participants were indifferent toward STIs and unmotivated to engage in preventative behaviors, particularly if they used pre-exposure prophylaxis. Participants’ reasons for their lack of motivation to take precautions against STIs are reviewed. Implications of these attitudes for public health interventions to reduce rates of STIs among MSM, including frequent screening and treatment of STIs and potential messaging around condom use, are discussed.
Lactation Telehealth in Primary Care: A Systematic Review.

Background: Despite recommendations to exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months of an infant's life with subsequent introduction of complementary foods through the infant's first year, breastfeeding rates decrease significantly over the first 6 months of life. Access to skilled lactation care is one of the main barriers to breastfeeding. Research Aim: This study aims to review current research on access to skilled lactation care through telehealth and to assess whether the research indicates an impact of lactation telehealth on breastfeeding rates, duration, and early cessation. Methods: PubMed, Medline, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane Library were searched for peer-reviewed articles published 2015-2020. A systematic review of literature identified 10 research articles that study the impact of lactation telehealth using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Protocols (PRISMA). Results: Studies included analyzed associations between lactation telehealth and breastfeeding outcomes as well as lactation telehealth feasibility and satisfaction. All studies examined lactation telehealth and most interventions were multidirectional synchronous communication. Increases in any breastfeeding rate and exclusive breastfeeding rate, and a decrease in early breastfeeding cessation occurred following lactation telehealth. Lactation telehealth was also found to be feasible and produced high satisfaction rates among users. Conclusion: Lactation telehealth is feasible and an effective intervention to increase breastfeeding rates and breastfeeding duration and decrease early breastfeeding cessation.
Cybersecurity Program Accreditation: Benefits and Challenges

The Curricular Guidelines for Post-Secondary Degree Programs in Cybersecurity (CSEC 2017) released by the Joint Task Force of the ACM, IEEE Computer Society, AIS and IFIP have begun to define the academic field of cybersecurity. Increasing numbers of institutions are now offering full-fledged undergraduate cybersecurity degree programs. However, as the CSEC 2017 guidelines do not define what constitutes a standalone undergraduate cybersecurity degree, the computing community needs to agree on parameters of what such a degree ought to be. To this end, ABET has created flexible accreditation criteria for cybersecurity programs guided extensively by CSEC 2017 and community input. These criteria were used to conduct pilot accreditation visits of four distinct cybersecurity programs in 2017-18. This panel discusses benefits, challenges, and costs of cybersecurity program accreditation. The panelists, who represent the first four ABET-accredited cybersecurity programs, will discuss major curricular features of their programs, their motivation for participating in the pilot accreditation, the effort in preparing for accreditation, and the benefits anticipated both for their programs and the larger computing community due to program accreditation
SU-C-207-06: In Vivo Quantification of Gold Nanoparticles Using K-Edge Imaging Via Spectrum Shaping by Gold Filter

Purpose: Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) are multifunctional platforms ideal for drug delivery, targeted imaging and radiosensitization. We have investigated quantitative imaging of AuNPs using on board imager (OBI) cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). To this end, we also present, for the first time, a novel method for k-edge imaging of AuNP by filter-based spectral shaping. Methods: We used a digital 25 cm diameter water phantom, embedded with 3 cm spheres filled with AuNPs of different concentrations (0 mg/ml – 16 mg/ml). A poly-energetic X-ray spectrum of 140 kVp from a conventional X-ray tube is shaped by balanced K-edge filters to create an excess of photons right above the K-edge of gold at 80.7 keV. The filters consist of gold, tin, copper and aluminum foils. The phantom with appropriately assigned attenuation coefficients is forward projected onto a detector for each energy bin and then integrated. FKD reconstruction is performed on the integrated projections. Scatter, detector efficiency and noise are included. Results: We found that subtracting the results of two filter sets (Filter A:127 µm gold foil with 254 µm tin, 330 µm copper and 1 mm aluminum, and Filter B: 635 µm tin with 264 µm copper and 1 mm aluminum), providesmore » substantial image contrast. The resulting filtered spectra match well below 80.7 keV, while maintaining sufficient X-ray quanta just above that. Voxel intensities of AuNP containing spheres increase linearly with AuNP concentration. K-edge imaging provides 18% more sensitivity than the tin filter alone, and 38% more sensitivity than the gold filter alone. Conclusion: We have shown that it is feasible to quantitatively detect AuNP distributions in a patient-sized phantom using clinical CBCT and K-edge spectral shaping.« less