cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficiently enforcing strong memory ordering in GPUs

GPU programming models such as CUDA and OpenCL are starting to adopt a weaker data-race-free (DRF-0) memory model, which does not guarantee any semantics for programs with data-races. Before standardizing the memory model interface for GPUs, it is imperative that we understand the tradeoffs of different memory models for these devices. While there is a rich memory model literature for CPUs, studies on architectural mechanisms and performance costs for enforcing memory ordering constraints in GPU accelerators have been lacking. This paper shows that the performance cost of SC and TSO compared to DRF-0 is insignificant for most GPGPU applications, due to warp-level parallelism and in-order execution. For the remaining challenging applications that exhibit significant overhead for SC, we show that commonly employed memory ordering optimizations in CPUs are either expensive or ineffective for GPUs. We propose a GPU-specific non-speculative SC design that takes advantage of high spatial locality and temporally private data in GPU applications. Results show that the proposed design is effective in eliminating the performance gap between SC and DRF-0 in GPUs.
Understanding (and Misunderstanding) “Primary Jurisdiction”

Any private mechanism of dispute resolution depends in the last resort on public sanctions and the public monopoly of force. It is this sense that one can speak of a hierarchical relationship between courts and arbitral tribunals. Simultaneously, in a world of comparative advantage, of global ventures, and connected markets, transactions and disputes will routinely flow over national boundaries; they will most likely involve parties of different nationalities and will implicate different sovereign interests. Here, conflict and competition between national jurisdictions become inevitable. One may find the idea of a vision of a mechanism for mercantile self-government that is entirely self-contained—one independent of local peculiarities and with a claim to universal recognition. Such an ideal lacks any organized, permanent hierarchical structure, any supranational standing bureaucracy, that could make it a concrete reality.
A Small Nuclear Reactor for Undersea Use

Requirements for underseas nuclear reactor power systems for small vessels include: simplified small reactor and plant control and instrumentation; long-term compatibility of fuel, structure, and c...
Complexities of Sovereignty: Kosovo, Georgia, and Russian Foreign Policy

This paper argues that Russia’s international behavior can be conceptualized by understanding how events in the late 20th and early 21st centuries shaped the country’s views on sovereignty. The central research question is the following: how have perceptions of sovereignty shaped Russian foreign policy in the post-communist period? And how does Moscow reconcile its vigorous opposition to Kosovo’s independence with support for the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, when the two situations are roughly comparable? This study analyzes how competing views of sovereignty have shaped Russian foreign policy by drawing on two events in post-communist era: NATO’s defense of Kosovo and the bombing of Yugoslavia, with the subsequent recognition of the latter as an independent state; and the Russo-Georgian war of 2008, with Moscow’s subsequent recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Each case highlights fundamental security issues for both Russia and Europe, and each presents a rich body of material for assessing varying conceptions of sovereignty and how these affect international relations.
Activation of cellular p21 ras by myristoylation

p21ras is palmitoylated on a cysteine residue near the C-terminus. Changing Cys-186 to Ser in oncogenic forms produces a non-palmitoylated protein that fails to associate with membranes and does not transform NIH 3T3 cells. To examine whether palmitate acts in a general way to increase ras protein hydrophobicity, or is involved in more specific interactions between p21ras and membranes, we constructed genes that encode non-palmitoylated ras proteins containing myristic acid at their N-termini. Myristoylated, activated ras, without palmitate (61Leu/186Ser) exhibited both efficient membrane association and full transforming activity. Unexpectedly, we found that myristoylated forms of normal cellular ras were also potently transforming. Myristoylated c-ras retained the high GTP binding and GTPase characteristic of the cellular protein and, moreover, bound predominantly GDP in vivo. This implied that it continued to interact with GAP (GTPase-activating protein). While the membrane binding induced by myristate permitted transformation, only palmitate produced a normal (non-transforming) association of ras with membranes and must therefore regulate ras function by some unique property that myristate does not mimic. Myristoylation thus represents a novel mechanism by which the ras proto-oncogene protein can become transforming.
A Comparative Study of the Effectiveness of CPU Consolidation Versus Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling in a Virtualized Multicore Server

Companies operating large datacenters are focusing on how to reduce the electrical energy costs of operating datacenters. A common way of cost reduction is to perform a dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS), thereby matching the CPU’s performance and power level to incoming workloads. Another power saving technique is CPU consolidation, which uses the minimum number of CPUs necessary to meet the service request demands and turns OFF the remaining unused CPUs. DVFS has been already extensively studied and verified its effectiveness. On the other hand, it is necessary to study more about the effectiveness of CPU consolidation. Key questions that must be answered are how effectively the CPU consolidation improves the energy efficiency and how to maximize the improvement. These questions are addressed in this paper. After understanding modern power management techniques and developing an appropriate power model, this paper provides an extensive set of hardware-based experimental results and makes suggestions about how to maximize energy efficiency improvement through CPU consolidation. In addition, this paper also presents new online CPU consolidation algorithms, which reduce the energy-delay product up to 13% compared with the Linux default DVFS algorithm.
Characterization of FeCl 3 Intercalation Doped CVD Few-Layer Graphene

Intercalation doping has been theoretically and experimentally studied on chemical vapor deposition synthesized few-layer graphene. Density functional theory calculations identified FeCl3 as a good dopant to reduce the sheet resistance of few-layer graphene. A simple vapor transfer method is employed to dope graphene. The successful doping is confirmed by the Raman spectra as well as the electrical measurements. After doping, graphene shows p-type conducting behavior and its conductance is significantly enhanced compared with that of undoped graphene. Three-layer graphene exhibited a sheet resistance of 40 $\Omega /\Box $ , while four-layer doped graphene has even smaller sheet resistance of $20~\Omega /\Box $ , with transmittance ≥90% for both cases, which provide the best combination of sheet resistance and transmittance among all previously reported transparent conductors.
The Highly Adaptive Lasso Estimator

Estimation of a regression functions is a common goal of statistical learning. We propose a novel nonparametric regression estimator that, in contrast to many existing methods, does not rely on local smoothness assumptions nor is it constructed using local smoothing techniques. Instead, our estimator respects global smoothness constraints by virtue of falling in a class of right-hand continuous functions with left-hand limits that have variation norm bounded by a constant. Using empirical process theory, we establish a fast minimal rate of convergence of our proposed estimator and illustrate how such an estimator can be constructed using standard software. In simulations, we show that the finite-sample performance of our estimator is competitive with other popular machine learning techniques across a variety of data generating mechanisms. We also illustrate competitive performance in real data examples using several publicly available data sets.
The O'Connor Tweezer Dexterity Test as a Screening Tool for Hiring Surgical Hair Restoration Assistants:

Because the use of very large numbers of small hair-grafts has become the norm in hair transplantation, the surgical assistant who cuts and places the hair-grafts into the recipient sites has becom...
Appearance of superconductivity at the vacancy order-disorder boundary in K x Fe 2 -y Se 2

The role of phase separation and the effect of Fe-vacancy ordering in the emergence of superconductivity in alkali metal doped iron selenides ${\mathrm{A}}_{x}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{2\ensuremath{-}y}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ (A = K, Rb, Cs) is explored. High energy x-ray diffraction and Monte Carlo simulation were used to investigate the crystal structure of quenched superconducting (SC) and as-grown nonsuperconducting (NSC) ${\mathrm{K}}_{x}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{2\ensuremath{-}y}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ single crystals. The coexistence of superlattice structures with the in-plane $\sqrt{2}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{2}$ K-vacancy ordering and the $\sqrt{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{5}$ Fe-vacancy ordering were observed in both the SC and NSC crystals alongside the I4/mmm Fe-vacancy-free phase. Moreover, in the SC crystals, an Fe-vacancy-disordered phase is additionally proposed to be present. Monte Carlo simulations suggest that it appears at the boundary between the I4/mmm vacancy-free phase and the I4/m vacancy-ordered phases ($\sqrt{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{5}$). The vacancy-disordered phase is nonmagnetic and is most likely the host of superconductivity.
Effect of integrated community neurology on utilization, diagnostic testing, and access

Abstract Background: The primary care medical home (PCMH) aims to promote delivery of high-value health care. However, growing demand for specialists due to increasingly older adults with complicated and chronic disease necessitates development of novel care models that efficiently incorporate specialty expertise while maintaining coordination and continuity with the PCMH. We describe the effect of a model of integrated community neurology (ICN) on health care utilization, diagnostic testing, and access. Methods: This is a retrospective, matched case-control comparison of patients referred to ICN for a face-to-face consultation over a 12-month period. The control group consisted of propensity score–matched patients referred to a non-colocated neurology practice during the study period. Administrative data were used to assess for diagnostic testing, visit utilization, and patient time to appointment. Results: From October 1, 2014, to September 30, 2015, we identified 459 patients evaluated by ICN for a face-to-face visit and 459 matched controls evaluated by the non-colocated neurology practice. The majority of patients were Caucasian and female. ICN patients had lower odds of EMGs ordered (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.46–0.89; p = 0.009), MRI brain (adjusted OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.45–0.79; p = 0.0004), or subsequent referral to outpatient neurology (adjusted OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.47–0.83; p = 0.001). ICN was not associated with an increase in emergency department visits, hospitalizations, or appointment wait time. Conclusions: The ICN model in a PCMH has the potential to reduce diagnostic testing and utilization.
Arthroscopic Management of Isolated Tibial Plateau Defect With Microfracture and Micronized Allogeneic Cartilage-Platelet-Rich Plasma Adjunct

Articular cartilage lesions of the tibial plateau are an uncommonly encountered clinical entity, and they have been comparatively less well studied than femoral condyle or patellofemoral defects. The management of these lesions is complicated by the challenging geometry, difficult surgical approach, and proximity to important anatomic structures, and thus, treating these lesions by previously established methods, such as osteochondral allograft transplantation or osteochondral autograft transfer, can be a technically challenging endeavor. These lesions remain readily available to undergo microfracture, and this is the preferred method of management in the senior author's practice. Although less technically difficult and less invasive than other techniques, microfracture is currently limited by concerns over the long-term durability of the method. Current research seeks to improve the quality of cartilage fill stimulated by microfracture, and adjunct techniques have become increasingly popular. In this technical report, we present a technique for arthroscopic treatment of an isolated tibial plateau defect with microfracture using a micronized allogeneic cartilage (BioCartilage; Arthrex, Naples, FL) and platelet-rich plasma adjunct.
Fatigue Characterization of Piezo-Active Beams in Bending

This paper presents the fatigue characterization of piezo-active beams in bending with surface bonded Macro-Fiber Composite actuators. Three substrate materials are considered: stainless steel, aluminum, and brass. First, the bending response is quantified theoretically using the classical laminate plate theory. The theoretical bending results indicate that the beam with the steel substrate had the largest curvature, and the specimen with the aluminum had the least. Next, midpoint deflection in a simply supported configuration in response to harmonic quasi-static actuation is experimentally measured. The results from the experiments showed no evidence of degradation of actuation for up to four million cycles at the harmonic excitation amplitude of 500 V; however, the results appeared highly sensitive to temperature.Copyright © 2017 by ASME
INCREASED MEDICAL CARE COSTS IN PATIENTS WITH STATIN-CONTROLLED LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL AND RESIDUAL HYPERTRIGLYCERIDEMIA

Clinical trials are currently underway to assess the cardiovascular (CV) benefit of treating high triglycerides (TG) despite statin therapy. We evaluated the association between baseline TG levels and subsequent medical care costs among patients at high risk for CV events who had statin-controlled
Treatment of Canine Oral Melanoma with Nanotechnology-Based Immunotherapy and Radiation.

The presence and benefit of a radiation therapy-associated immune reaction is of great interest as the overall interest in cancer immunotherapy expands. The pathological assessment of irradiated tumors rarely demonstrates consistent immune or inflammatory response. More recent information, primarily associated with the “abscopal effect”, suggests a subtle radiation-based systemic immune response may be more common and have more therapeutic potential than previously believed. However, to be of consistent value, the immune stimulatory potential of radiation therapy (RT) will clearly need to be supported by combination with other immunotherapy efforts. In this study, using a spontaneous canine oral melanoma model, we have assessed the efficacy and tumor immunopathology of two nanotechnology-based immune adjuvants combined with RT. The immune adjuvants were administered intratumorally, in an approach termed “in situ vaccination”, that puts immunostimulatory reagents into a recognized tumor and utilizes the en...
National trends in inpatient parotidectomy: A fourteen-year retrospective analysis.

Abstract Purpose Operating room (OR) procedures represent one quarter of hospitalizations, yet OR-related stays account for nearly 50% of hospital costs. Understanding trends in inpatient parotidectomy, associated charges, and key outcomes including length of stay is imperative in the era of evolving health reform. Materials and methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) was queried for patients who underwent inpatient parotidectomy (ICD9-CM procedure code 26.31 and 26.32) between 2001 and 2014. Patient demographics, co-morbidities, hospital characteristics and outcomes including length of stay (LOS) and hospital charges were assessed. Results A total of 66,914 parotidectomies were performed in the inpatient setting between 2001 and 2014. The volume of inpatient parotidectomy decreased steadily by 48% over the study period (7375 procedures in 2001 to 3530 procedures in 2014). Average LOS increased from 1.8 days in 2001 to 2.5 days in 2014. Total charges increased from $17,072 in 2001 to $55,929 in 2014. In 2014, the majority of inpatient parotidectomies were performed in a teaching hospital (87%) and among patients who were older than 65 years (48.1%). In 2001, only 35.4% of patients who underwent parotidectomy were older than age 65, and relatively fewer surgeries were performed at teaching hospitals (63.1%). Conclusions Inpatient parotidectomy in the United States has evolved over the past fourteen years. Notable trends include a nearly 50% reduction of inpatient surgery, doubling in LOS, tripling of hospital charges and predominance of elderly patients with malignant disease. These results provide insight into inpatient parotid lesion management.
United States—Private Practice: Where Have We Been?

It is important in this chapter not to draw any bright lines between Academic Medicine and Private Practice when discussing the delivery of critical services in the healthcare system of the United States of America (USA). Lawyers frequently speak of “eating what you kill.” In some situations in the practice of law the attorney’s income is completely based on their own billing. They are not an employee of the government or some large corporation that provides a salary and benefits. In the practice of medicine there is a diminishing number of situations where the “eat what you kill” model applies to medical practice. The payments for physician services, known as evaluation and management billing codes for cognitive work and procedure billing codes for technical or procedure work, do not support competitive incomes for physicians. This is particularly true for critical care if it is practiced in the intensivist model. Thus critical care physicians enter into some sort of contracted or employee model with a hospital or health system to support their income and provide a competitive salary in a market where there is a large demand for intensivists and a short supply. The hospitals that contract for intensivists might be quite academic with many resident training programs or not be academic at all with no resident training programs. The hospitals might be affiliated with a medical school or owned by a medical school or completely independent of any medical school and still have many resident training programs and be quite academic. The hospitals might be for profit or not for profit so they do not have to pay taxes. The biggest issue for the critical care physician is the intensivist practice model since the “eat what you kill” model or true unadulterated private practice will never apply to intensivists.
Onr Solid Mechanics Research Program Overview

Naval structures operate in severe environments, and are designed to withstand complex multiaxial loading conditions, including highly dynamic loadings. The effective design of these structures requires an understanding of the deformation and failure characteristics of structural materials, and the ability to predict and control their performance characteristics. The Solid Mechanics Research Program at the Office of Naval Research provides the scientific basis for the effective design of affordable Naval structures. Today, the major focus is on mechanics of marine composite materials and composite sandwich structures. The program deals with understanding and modeling the physical processes involved in the response of glass-fiber and carbon-fiber reinforced composite materials and composite sandwich structures to static, cyclic, and dynamic, multi-axial loading conditions, in severe environments (sea water, moisture, temperature extremes, and hydrostatic pressure).
A Critique of the Theory of Incentive Regulation

The main purpose of this paper is to examine developments in the regulation of natural monopoly over the last twenty years and draw some implications for the regulation of postal service. While price regulation has traditionally taken a back seat under the traditional public enterprise monopolies that were almost universal in postal service this is changing with the privatization of the Dutch and German PO’s, the increased liberalization of markets, the creation of specialized regulators most recently in the United Kingdom and similar developments.1 These developments make the form of regulation to be employed an important and topical problem. In this paper we examine what lessons can be drawn for postal regulation from the theory and the practice in other industries where regulation has existed for a considerable time.
Transforming Classroom Learning Through Community Study Projects in Macro-Social Work Practice Courses:

AbstractThis article describes the use of an experiential community study project in teaching a macro-practice course with focus on community engagement in an advanced generalist practice Master of...
When Does Evidence Support Guilt “Beyond a Reasonable Doubt”?

Criminal defendants cannot be punished unless found guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt” (BARD). Under probabilistic accounts, this means that the probability of guilt given the evidence is above a certain numerical threshold, such as 0.9. Under psychological accounts, by contrast, what is essential is that a factfinder reaches a certain psychological attitude toward guilt, such as certainty or unwavering belief, when contemplating the evidence. An adequate account should provide a normative explanation for why guilt BARD warrants punishment. Psychological accounts are more likely to meet this challenge than probabilistic, it is argued. The permissibility of punishment is likely to be relative to the cognitive attitudes of the punisher, but not to the conditional probability of guilt in light of the evidence.
Annual Report on Children's Healthcare: Healthcare Access and Utilization by Obesity Status in the United States

Abstract Objective To examine access to care and utilization patterns across a set of healthcare measures by obesity status and socio-demographic characteristics among children. Methods Nationally representative data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2010–2015) provides data on obesity status, well-child visits, access to a usual source of care provider, preventive dental visits, and prescription medication fills in the past year. Results Uninsured adolescents with obesity were less likely to have a usual source of care provider relative to children without obesity (73% vs 65%). Among younger children, children with obesity were less likely to report a well-child visit (difference of 8 percentage points). Younger children with obesity who lived in the Northeast were more than twice as likely as those living in the West to have a well-child visit. Children with obesity were less likely to report preventive dental use relative to their nonobese counterparts. Obesity status was associated with more prescription medication fills for adolescents, but not for younger children. Conclusions Our findings provide a baseline assessment for examining obesity and utilization trends among children in the future, especially as coverage patterns change with potential changes in childhood insurance coverage access through the Child Health Insurance Programs and Medicaid programs. Our findings highlight new directions for future research, particularly regarding the lower rates of preventive dental care among children with obesity.
Recent results of nucleon structure & matrix element calculations

A review of recent lattice calculations of nucleon structure and matrix elements of operators in nucleons is presented. It primarily covers developments in the calculation of the matrix elements of the scalar, tensor, pseudo-scalar, axial-vector and vector operators in the ground state of neutrons and protons in the isospin symmetric limit. Some preliminary calculations of the electric dipole moment, the gravitational moments and stress-energy distribution, and the magnetic polarizability are briefly described.
Treatment Outcomes of Meniscal Root Tears: A Systematic Review.

Purpose To report changes in outcomes for these 3 treatment options for meniscal root tears. Methods We systematically searched databases including PubMed, SCOPUS, and ScienceDirect for relevant articles. Criteria from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute was used for a quality assessment of the included studies. A meta-analysis was performed to analyze changes in outcomes for meniscal repair. Results Nineteen studies, 12 level III and 7 level IV, were included in this systematic review, with a total of 1086 patients. Conversion to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) following partial meniscectomy ranged from 11% to 54%, 31% to 35% for nonoperative, conservative treatment, and 0% to 1% for meniscal repair. Studies comparing repair with either meniscectomy or conservative treatment found greater improvement and slower progression of Kellgren–Lawrence grade with meniscal repair. A meta-analysis of the studies included in the systematic review using forest plots showed repair to have the greatest mean difference for functional outcomes (International Knee Documentation Committee and Lysholm Activity Scale) and the lowest change in follow-up joint space. Conclusions In patients who experience meniscal root tears, meniscal repair may provide the greatest improvement in function and lowest risk of conversion to TKA when compared with partial meniscectomy or conservative methods. Partial meniscectomy appears to provide no benefit over conservative treatment, placing patients at a high risk of requiring TKA in the near future. However, future high-quality studies—both comparative studies and randomized trials—are needed to draw further conclusions and better impact treatment decision-making. Level of Evidence Level IV, systematic review of level III and level IV evidence
Endoscopic endgame for obstructive pancreatopathy: outcomes of anterograde EUS-guided pancreatic duct drainage. A dual-center study

Background and Aims Anterograde endoscopic ultrasound-guided pancreatic duct drainage (EUS-PDD) refers to transmural drainage of the main pancreatic duct via an endoprosthesis passed anterograde through the gastric (or intestinal) wall. Anterograde EUS-PDD is a rescue procedure for recalcitrant cases of benign obstructive pancreatopathy. Methods We conducted a dual-center retrospective chart review of 28 patients (mean age, 59 years; 50% female) who underwent attempted anterograde EUS-PDD between April 2016 and September 2019 for chronic pancreatitis (CP) (93%) or pancreaticojejunostomy stenosis (PJS) after Whipple resection (7%). The study endpoint was achievement of transpapillary/transanastomotic drainage (definitive therapy). Results Gastropancreaticoenterostomy (ring drainage, definitive therapy) was successfully performed during the index procedure in the 2 patients with PJS (technical success, 100%). Clinical success was 100% in the 2 ring drainage recipients during a mean 18-month follow-up period. The remaining 26 patients with CP underwent attempted pancreaticogastrostomy (PG) with 81% technical success, 75% clinical success, and 15% adverse events (AEs). Repeat endoscopic transmural interventions were performed in the 15 patients with clinical success after PG creation. Definitive therapy transpired in all 15 patients after a median 1 repeat procedure per patient. Clinical success after definitive therapy was maintained in all 15 patients (100%) during a median 4.5-month follow-up. Conclusions In agreement with previous studies, our study showed mild to moderately high rates of technical failure (19%), clinical failure (25%), and AEs (15%) during index drainage (PG creation). Among patients with CP with both technical and clinical success after index PG creation (n = 15), 100% definitive therapy was achieved and clinical outcomes were excellent (100% clinical success, 0% AEs).
Fundamentals of a 3-D "snowball" model for surface roughness power losses

SEM photographs of a typical copper conductors prepared by the PCB industry exhibit a 3-D "snowball" structure of copper surface distortions [1]. We have developed an analytical basis for the electromagnetic scattering by the copper "snowballs" to predict additional power losses to those presented by the propagating medium [2] that compare well with the observed measurements for a set of rough microstrip lines. In this paper we describe the fundamental concepts involved with the 3-D scattering theory of our analysis.
The Role of Gender in Adolescent Dating Abuse: An Interpretive Meta-Synthesis of the Qualitative Literature

The role of gender has received considerable attention in the academic literature on intimate partner violence (IPV). The Grand Challenges for Social Work take a gender-neutral approach, without regard to the influence of gender on adolescent development and dating relationships. This positioning is inconsistent with gender mainstreaming approaches that have been integrated into international framings of IPV. The purpose of this article is to conduct a qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis to investigate how gender is represented in research on adolescent dating abuse across qualitative literature (N = 17 articles). Results underscore that gender influences the impact of abuse, with female adolescents more likely to be fearful in relationships, at higher risk for damage to their social standing, and more likely to be blamed for the abuse. Gender-specific attitudes affect perceptions of the seriousness of abuse, antecedents of abuse, and rationales for perpetrating violence. Findings across the studies indicate that adolescents have internalized gender scripts. Therefore, strategies to prevent dating abuse need to be cognizant of the socializing role of gender and the myriad ways it influences adolescents' lived experiences. Therefore, the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare should consider revising the language of the existing challenges to mainstream gender.
Development of CAR T Cells Expressing a Suicide Gene Plus a Chimeric Antigen Receptor Targeting Signaling Lymphocytic-Activation Molecule F7.

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are fusion proteins that contain antigen-recognition domains and T cell signaling domains. Signaling lymphocytic-activation molecule F7 (SLAMF7) is a promising target for CAR T cell therapies of the plasma cell malignancy multiple myeloma (MM) because SLAMF7 is expressed by MM but not normal nonhematopoietic cells. We designed CARs targeting SLAMF7. We transduced human T cells with anti-SLAMF7 CARs containing either CD28 or 4-1BB costimulatory domains. T cells expressing CD28-containing CARs or 4-1BB-containing CARs recognized SLAMF7 in vitro. SLAMF7-specific cytokine release was higher for T cells expressing CARs with CD28 versus 4-1BB domains. In murine solid tumor and disseminated tumor models, anti-tumor activity of T cells was superior with CD28-containing CARs versus 4-1BB-containing CARs. Because of SLAMF7 expression on some normal leukocytes, especially natural killer cells that control certain viral infections, the inclusion of a suicide gene with an anti-SLAMF7 CAR is prudent. We designed a construct with a CD28-containing anti-SLAMF7 CAR and a suicide gene. The suicide gene encoded a dimerization domain fused to a caspase-9 domain. T cells expressing the anti-SLAMF7 CAR plus suicide-gene construct specifically recognized SLAMF7 in vitro and eliminated tumors from mice. T cells expressing this construct were eliminated on demand by administering the dimerizing agent AP1903 (rimiducid).
Contrast-enhanced MRI synthesis from non-contrast MRI using attention CycleGAN

We propose a learning-based method to synthesize contrast-enhanced MR from non-contrast MR images. Attention network is integrated into a cycle-consistent adversarial network (CycleGAN) framework, called Atten-CycleGAN, to learn a mapping between non-contrast MRI and contrast MRI. Attentional U-Net was used as generator of CycleGAN to force the trained model to extract informative that can represent the specific difference between non-contrast MRI and contrast MRI, namely, the tissue contrast difference. To evaluate the proposed method, we retrospectively investigate 274 brain MR datasets. Each dataset contains a contrast-enhanced MR volume and a non-contrast MR volume. The contrast-enhanced one was served as ground truth and training target, and the non-contrast MR is the input. The proposed method was trained from 224 patients and evaluated by a hold-out test strategy on 50 patients. The average normalized mean absolute error of the synthesized contrast MR is 0.035±0.004. The proposed method has great potential in accurately generating contrast MR and therefore bypassing the contrast administration step during MR scan.
Effects of Intensive Coaching on Educator Implementation of a Comprehensive Function-Based Intervention Package

The effectiveness of a behavior intervention package depends heavily on the ability of authentic educators to implement procedures with fidelity. However, much of the training literature focuses on teaching educators to implement procedures with relatively few components (Kirkpatrick Journal of Behavioral Education 28(3): 344–361, 2019). We used a multiple probe across participants design to evaluate the effects of intensive coaching on educator fidelity of a comprehensive, function-based intervention package (skill-based treatment; Hanley Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 47(1): 16–36, 2014) for three public school staff members with no previous training in applied behavior analysis. Relative to a workshop-style behavioral skills training session, intensive coaching increased educators’ fidelity to criterion levels. Criterion fidelity in one or both major intervention intervals generalized from implementation with an actor to implementation with a target student, and subsequently to implementation with the student in his regularly assigned classroom. Staff reported the training package to be feasible and the intervention to be effective for improving their student’s behavior.
Suggested Qualification Test Procedure to Secure Splitting Resistance in Pretensioned Concrete Members

Prestressed concrete ties could develop end-splitting cracks along tendons due to lateral bursting stresses. The lateral bursting stresses can form due to Hoyer effect (change in diameter of the prestressing tendons due to Poisson’s ratio), the jacking force in the tendons, geometrical features and indent characteristics of the prestressing tendons. End-splitting cracks can occur immediately after de-tensioning procedure in some cases, but they also can be developed during the first weeks after de-tensioning procedure due to sustained lateral stresses exerted by the prestressing tendons. The ability of concrete to resist these bursting stresses without cracking is primarily the function of the thickness of concrete cover, the type of concrete mixture used and the maximum compressive strength of the concrete. Qualification test will be great tool for prestressed concrete tie manufacturers to identify tie designs that may be susceptible to end-splitting cracks. This test was formally adopted as section 4.2.4 in Chapter 30 of the 2021 AREMA Manual for Railway Engineering.
Real-time extrusion quality monitoring techniques for construction 3D printing

Abstract Process quality control is a critical aspect of construction 3D printing as an automated construction system. Four techniques for inline real-time extrusion quality monitoring during construction 3D printing are proposed in this study. These techniques include power consumption measurements for the agitator motor, extrusion pressure measurements, electrical resistivity measurements, and computer vision. These techniques are implemented, discussed and compared in terms of repeatability and responsiveness to six mixture variation levels. The results indicate that among the four approaches, computer vision is the most reliable and accurate technique for instant detection of variations in the printing material. On the other hand, electrical resistivity measurements seem to be the least effective technique for detecting material variations in this study. Advantages, disadvantages, and potential of the proposed techniques for quality monitoring purposes are also discussed in this paper.
Раскрытие и предоставление информации эмитентами ценных бумаг в условиях санкций

The paper is devoted to the transformation of information transparency of Russian securities issuers after the implementation of sanctions by foreign states and international organizations against a significant number of Russian companies. In response to foreign policy pressure, the Russian state quite naturally took a number of steps to protect domestic companies affected by sanctions, including by providing significant concessions in the field of disclosure and presentation of information. The author examines the question of which categories of companies and in relation to which information the rights to disclose/present it in a limited scope are granted, considers the conditions for the implementation of this right. Any change in the above-mentioned area aimed at reducing the availability of information about the activities of companies to the public and market participants may in the future have a negative impact on the development of the Russian economy as a whole. That is why it is especially important to pay attention to legislative changes and law enforcement practice taking place in this area. The author conducted a study of sources of information about public companies that began to disclose and present information in a limited scope. The most interesting examples of how societies began to abuse the rights granted to them were identified. Given that the sanctions affect significant sectors of the Russian economy (including the financial, energy, defense, mining and metallurgical industries), the widespread inappropriate practices in the field of presentation and disclosure of information may adversely affect the value of securities of investors who find themselves in a situation of an information vacuum regarding the activities of issuers. In order to preserve trust between market participants, the author proposes to give an opportunity for investors to resort to such a method of protecting their interests as the right to demand the redemption of securities belonging to them of those issuers that radically restrict access to information about their activities.
Ambulatory visits for common rhinologic complaints in the United States: A patient-centered perspective.

BACKGROUND The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) is a collection of publicly available and deidentified patient data gathered from participating tertiary medical centers. With it, this study attempts to describe and quantify distribution of patients presenting with a rhinologic reason for visit (RFV) in the ambulatory setting, as well as determine the distribution based on specialty and setting of practice. METHODS Data from years 2014-2016 in the NAMCS were analyzed to determine the overall number of visits for a rhinologic RFV, the distribution according to RFV, the medical specialty of the clinical provider and patient demographics. 20.1 Million ambulatory visits with a rhinologic RFV, annualized, were identified. RESULTS The dominant RFVs were nasal congestion (41.9%), sinus problems (14.5%), sinus pain/pressure (10.6%), hay fever (10.5%), sinus congestion (7.5%), sinus inflammation or infection (5.7%), and epistaxis (4.0%). The majority of the most common complaints were addressed by primary care physicians (64.5% of nasal congestion, 63.9% of sinus problems, and 75.7% of sinus pain/pressure), whereas epistaxis, disturbances of sense, and inflammation of the nose were more likely to be addressed by an otolaryngologist (58.9%, 28.8%, and 63.0%, respectively). Non-metropolitan areas generated more primary care visits (90.1%) than metropolitan areas (50.2%) (p < 0.001). The Northeast garnered the highest number of otolaryngology visits (32.4%) and lowest of primary care (59.1%). CONCLUSION Patients with common rhinologic complaints present to primary care more frequently than to otolaryngology, though this pattern varies depending on the specific rhinologic RFV and depending on region and setting of practice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Human and bovine xanthine oxidases. Inhibition studies with oxipurinol.

Abstract Oxipurinol inhibited human xanthine oxidase and bovine xanthine oxidases by very similar mechanisms. It bound to an electronically reduced form of human xanthine oxidase in a manner similar to that previously discerned from its interactions with the bovine enzyme [review article: Spector, Biochem. Pharmac. 26, 355 (1977)]. Xanthine was a good source for the reducing equivalents because it did not compete with oxipurinol for binding to reduced enzyme. The inhibition of the rate of urate production progressively increased with time. Studies of the effect of the concentration of oxipurinol on the rate constant of the development of this inhibition revealed that a complex was rapidly formed between oxipurinol and reduced bovine or human xanthine oxidases (kD of about 8 μM). At 37° these complexes were converted to stable complexes at a maximum rate of about 1.6 min−1. The rate constant was highly temperature dependent with an energy of activation of 30 kcal/mole (cf. 13 kcal/mole for the energy of activation for catalysis). These data support the earlier conclusions that the formation of stable complexes probably reflects a massive rearrangement of the initial complexes. The isolated oxipurinol-xanthine oxidase complexes spontaneously reverted to active enzyme with a rate constant of 0.02 min−1 at 37°. The energy of activation for the “reactivation” was similar to that for the formation of the stable complexes. The rates of “reactivation” could be stimulated by high concentrations of xanthine: 2.4-fold at 50 μM and 3.4-fold at 100 μM. The constant for the overall inhibition by oxipurinol was approximately 100 nM with both enzymes.
The innate immune system as a therapeutic target in arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that may be characterized by several phases. In the initial induction phase of the disease there may be a breech in the normal mechanisms that protect the host from destruction. In the later phase, pathways that are independent of the adaptive immune system may perpetuate inflammation. These pathways may be active in patients who are refractory to biologic therapies that target key cytokines, IL-1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha. The Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are an integral part of the innate immune system, and are present on synovial lining cells, as well as the cells of the immune system, which may amplify their contribution to the inflammatory cascade. We have found that TLR-4 and its coreceptor CD14 can modulate arthritis and can modulate inflammatory joint disease in murine models of arthritis. In particular, exposure to a TLR-4 ligand stimulates release of IL-6 from synovial fibroblast-like cells in culture, and circumvents the requirement for IL-1 receptor signaling in a serum transfer model of arthritis. These data suggest that triggering the innate immune response through the TLRs with either microbial or autologous ligands plays a role in the initiation or perpetuation of rheumatoid arthritis.
The digestive fate of Escherichia coli glutamate dehydrogenase deoxyribonucleic acid from transgenic corn in diets fed to weanling pigs

Corn containing genetically engineered plasmid DNA encoding an Escherichia coli glutamate dehydrogenase (gdhA) was fed to 19-d-old weanling swine to trace the digestive fate of the transgenic DNA. Eight pens of 8 pigs were fed a commercial (nongdhA) starter for 2 wk. One pig was randomly selected from each pen for 0-h control samples. The remaining 56 pigs were transitioned onto a corn-soybean meal diet and fed a diet containing 58% gdhA corn for approximately 1 wk; immediately thereafter, liver, 10th rib muscle, white blood cells, and plasma from the hepatic portal vein and ingesta from the stomach, distal ileum, and large intestine were collected. The DNA was extracted and the concentration determined via spectrophotometry. Polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis were performed with primers designed to amplify 490 bp that included the plasmid's ligation site between the maize ubiquitin and the gdhA genes. The gdhA corn-derived DNA and diet served as positive assay controls, and conventional corn DNA and distilled water acted as negative assay controls. Detection limits were 0.99 fg of target DNA confounded with 500 ng of conventional corn DNA per each 20 &L reaction. Transgenic DNA was detected in 71.43% of the stomach and 1.79% of the ileal ingesta samples from treatment animals but was not detected in the large intestine, white blood cells, plasma, liver, or muscle samples. Transgenic DNA was not detected in any sample from 0-h control animals. Stomach and ileal ingesta samples were further analyzed using real-time PCR. With an estimated limit of detection of 1.049 ag/microL, 89.29% of the stomach ingesta samples were positive (average 1.56 fg target DNA). The proportion of transgenic DNA to total DNA differed between diet and stomach ingesta samples (P < 0.001). Despite the greater sensitivity of real-time PCR, target DNA was detected in only 1.79% of ileal ingesta. These data suggest that the gdhA transgene began degradation in the stomach and was nondetectable in the large intestine.
Effect of Carriers on Descriptive Sensory Characteristics: A Case Study with Soy Sauce

Carriers sometimes are used for sensory testing when a product has a strong characteristic such as the saltiness in soy sauce, the heat/burn in hot sauce or the oily/greasy character of butter or mayonnaise. However, using a carrier in sensory testing may increase the complexity of perceived characteristics or change sensory attributes. In this study, 20 soy sauce samples were evaluated plain (control) and with three possible carriers: cooked rice, chicken broth and grilled chicken, using descriptive analysis by highly trained sensory assessors. As expected, the addition of a carrier in soy sauce decreased the perceived intensity of many sensory characteristics. Although testing in different food matrices did impact some aspects, overall the use of a carrier did not strongly affect the classification patterns of soy sauce samples. Interestingly, the blandest food, white rice, and the most complex product, grilled chicken, appeared to have some of the greatest impact on sensory properties, while chicken broth, a moderately flavored product, had the most similar results compared with the plain soy sauce control. Practical Applications Some products such as condiments or seasoning ingredients that have strong characteristics may need to be evaluated with a carrier for sensory, and especially, consumer tests. An understanding of the effect of the carrier on perceived sensory characteristics would aid sensory scientists in selecting a proper carrier to be used in a study. It cannot be assumed that the blandest nor most complex carrier will provide the best option.
Impedance Transformation and Matching

This chapter contains sections titled: Smith Chart Impedance Matching with Reactive Elements Double-Stub Matching Network Triple-Stub Tuner Impedance Matching with Lumped Elements Design of Complex Impedance Terminations Invariant Property of Impedance Mismatch Factor Waveguide Reactive Elements Quarter-Wave Transformers Theory of Small Reflections Approximate Theory for Multisection Quarter-Wave Binomial Transformer Chebyshev Transformer Chebyshev Transformer (Exact Results) Filter Design Based on Quarter-Wave-Transformer Tapered Transmission Lines Synthesis of Transmission-Line Tapers Chebyshev Taper Exact Equation for the Reflection Coefficient This chapter contains sections titled: Problems References