cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computer-aided detection of malignant lesions in dynamic contrast enhanced mri breast and prostate cancer datasets

Dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) is considered to have great potential in cancer diagnosis and monitoring. During the DCE-MRI procedure, repeated MRI scans are used to monitor contrast agent movement through the vascular system and into tissue. By observing the vascular permeability characteristics, radiologists can detect and classify malignant tissues. When used for diagnostic purposes, the DCE-MRI procedure often requires manual detection, classification, and marking of tumor tissues. This process can be time consuming and fatiguing especially when multiple DCE-MRI procedures must be processed to monitor the progress of a cancer therapy. Manual analysis also suffers from inter- and intra-observer variations which can lead to lesion segmentation inconsistencies. The goal of this dissertation research is to design and develop a tool to aid radiologists, researchers, and clinicians in the detection, segmentation, and analysis of malignant lesions from DCE-MRI datasets. The diagnostic tool presented in this research is model independent, speeds analysis, and provides more consistent segmentations. The approach of the project is to apply statistical 4-D image texture analysis features along with a classifier (such as a neural network) to analyze DCE-MRI datasets. Performance of the computer aided diagnosis (CAD) tool for this project is demonstrated with breast and prostate DCE-MRI data. Training methodology is reported so that extension to other types of cancers and anatomical regions is made possible. Results from the computer assisted diagnostic tool are compared with manual analysis performed by radiologists. The specific research aims of this dissertation are: (a) provide a tool for quantitative and quick DCE-MRI analysis by providing radiologists a segmentation (for semi-automatic or automatic application), (b) quantify inter- and intra-observer variations that occur during manual lesion segmentation and compare performance with computer-based segmentations, and (c) explore the performance of the CAD system in different anatomic regions (including breast and prostate cancer datasets).
The Effect of Sample Substrate on the Structural Properties of Co-Deposited Films of A-Ge:H*

Results from structural measurements on r.f. glow discharge produced a-Ge:H films have been found to be substrate dependent. The variations in the results were found to depend on both the substrate temperature, Ts, and the substrate yield strength. Differential scanning calorimetry results were particularly affected by these parameters. For films prepared at Ts = 150°C, the DSC spectra contain two exothermic peaks when the films are deposited on low yield strength substrates while only one exothermic peak is present for films deposited on high yield strength substrates. One exothermic DSC peak is seen in spectra for all films prepared at Ts = 300°C no matter what substrates were used. This DSC spectral dependence is attributed to differences in the microstructure of films deposited at the two substrate temperatures, as seen in TEM micrographs. X-ray diffraction measurements performed on films annealed to various temperatures show that all of the exothermic DSC peaks described above are associated with the crystallization process. Thus, for the films prepared at low Ts, crystallization is either a one or two step process depending on the yield strength of the substrate.
Certifying Random Polynomials over the Unit Sphere via Sum of Squares Hierarchy.

Given a random n-variate degree-d homogeneous polynomial f , we study the following problem:
Implementation of Data Transmission in Hydropower Dispatching Automation System of District Power Grid Based on Tele-control System

Hydropower dispatching automation system for district power grid plays an important role in the union reservoir dispatch.Due to poor communication channel conditions,it is difficult for small hydropower plants to transmit data to the district dispatching centers.The scheme of multiplexing tele-control system is proposed.It's unnecessary to build new channels for data communications.The data transmission can be realized only with supervisory control and data acquisition(SCADA) tele-control channels.In the project of Lishui multi-reservoir dispatch decision support system,the scheme of multiplexing tele-control channel is designed and the problem of data transmitting is resolved successfully.
Breast Imaging: The Face of Imaging 3.0

In preparation for impending changes to the health care delivery and reimbursement models, the ACR has provided a roadmap for success via the Imaging 3.0 (®)platform. The authors illustrate how the field of breast imaging demonstrates the following Imaging 3.0 concepts: value, patient-centered care, clinical integration, structured reporting, outcome metrics, and radiology's role in the accountable care organization environment. Much of breast imaging's success may be adapted and adopted by other fields in radiology to ensure that all radiologists become more visible and provide the value sought by patients and payers.
Investigation of selected metals in soil samples exposed to agricultural and automobile activities in Macedonia, Greece using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry

Abstract This study presents the results of selected metals in soils samples determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry from five sampling sites in the rural area of the town of Damiano, in Macedonia, Greece, and four sampling sites along the 60 mile distance from Damiano to the airport of the city of Thessaloniki in Macedonia, Greece. It also compares the impact of automobile traffic to the impact of agricultural activities, and investigates how the use of pesticides and fertilizers could impact the concentrations of particular metals in soils found in agricultural areas. Animal manure was found to contain high amounts of Zn and Cu which could have impacted these concentrations at site G6, which is believed to have been the site of Alexander the Great's stables. The Cu and Zn dry mass concentrations at site G6 were 62 and 103 mg/kg (ppm) respectively, which were relatively higher than in other agricultural areas.
Block-based programming abstractions for explicit parallel computing

With the majority of computing devices now featuring multiple computing cores, modern programmers need to be able to write programs that utilize these cores in parallel to extract the requisite levels of performance. Despite the need for such explicit parallel computing, few programmers are properly groomed in the mindset and the practices of parallel computing. Block-based programming languages, such as Scratch and Snap!, have proven to be a highly effective means of teaching fundamental programming concepts to a wide student audience. Nevertheless, the rich feature-set of mainstream block-based programming environments lack abstractions for explicit parallel programming, thus missing the opportunity to introduce this increasingly important programming concept at a time when the students' minds are most receptive. This paper reports on the results of an NSF-sponsored project for adding and integrating explicit programming abstractions, including producer-consumer, master-worker, and MapReduce, to block-based languages. We describe our reference implementation of adding the producer-consumer abstraction to Snap! and an educational project that utilizes this abstraction. This project clearly demonstrate the key features of parallel processing, without unduly burdening the programmer with the low-level details that this programming model typically entails. Our initial results show great potential in introducing the key concepts of parallel computing via block-based programming.
Multi-slice SPECT attenuation and scatter correction using Monte Carlo simulated system matrices

Specifying the system matrix is one of the most important processes in computed tomography. For SPECT, the imaging physics can be very difficult to model and approximations are made which result in mismatch between the model and the data. In a move toward better modeling the physics, we developed a Monte Carlo method for specifying the system matrix for small animal imaging (but is also applicable for human imaging). A study was performed using the computer-generated MOBY rat phantom. This phantom returns a high resolution (0.90 mm) transmission map, which was used in Monte Carlo simulations to estimate attenuation and scatter. System matrices were estimated for the reconstruction of 6 heart slices from projections of 6 detector rows. SimSET was used to model 3 system matrices for each of the following: no attenuation and no scatter, attenuation only, and attenuation and scatter. For each slice, the system matrices had 4096=64x64 columns each representing a sinogram from a different source voxel in the slice. SimSET simulated 106 counts for each source voxel. Each simulated 140 keV photon was forced to be detected on one of the 180 parallel projections evenly spaced over 360°. The system matrices also modeled spillover to account for the scatter from outside the 6 heart slices. For the reconstruction, projections were simulated using SimSET (1012 total counts) to estimate the projection of the 6 slices including scatter from outside the 6 slices. These projections were reconstructed using the estimated system matrices and using 50 iterations of the ML-EM algorithm. There was a 20% increase of average intensity over the heart region with attenuation correction compared to without attenuation correction and a 3.5% decrease from the attenuation corrected result after scatter + attenuation correction. Attenuation correction reconstruction alone, overestimated the original by 3.3%. The results suggest that for quantitative small animal imaging it is important to correct for both attenuation and scatter when using radiolabeled tracers that emit 140 keV photons. This is even more true for radiolabeled tracers that emit 27.5 keV photons as both attenuation and scatter are more important at that lower energy.
Discrete Fractional Component Monte Carlo Simulation Study of Dilute Nonionic Surfactants at the Air–Water Interface

We present a newly developed Monte Carlo scheme to predict bulk surfactant concentrations and surface tensions at the air–water interface for various surfactant interfacial coverages. Since the concentration regimes of these systems of interest are typically very dilute (≪10–5 mol. frac.), Monte Carlo simulations with the use of insertion/deletion moves can provide the ability to overcome finite system size limitations that often prohibit the use of modern molecular simulation techniques. In performing these simulations, we use the discrete fractional component Monte Carlo (DFCMC) method in the Gibbs ensemble framework, which allows us to separate the bulk and air–water interface into two separate boxes and efficiently swap tetraethylene glycol surfactants C10E4 between boxes. Combining this move with preferential translations, volume biased insertions, and Wang–Landau biasing vastly enhances sampling and helps overcome the classical “insertion problem”, often encountered in non-lattice Monte Carlo simula...
On the stress corrosion crack growth behaviour in high temperature water of 316L stainless steel made by laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing

Abstract This paper reports a comprehensive study of the stress corrosion crack growth behaviour of laser additively-manufactured (AM) 316L stainless steel in high temperature water. A wide range of parameters and their effects were evaluated, including microstructure, heat treatment, stress intensity factor, cold work, crack orientation, oxidizing vs. reducing conditions, and porosity. Stress-relieved material exhibits anisotropic microstructure and preferred crack path along material’s build direction. With high-temperature annealing, the material recrystallizes to equiaxed structure and behaves like wrought material. The retained unrecrystallized grains in an annealed AM part may not affect the cracking. Increased porosity may enhance the crack growth rate.
Education Research and the Shifting Landscape of the American School District, 1816 to 2016.

Despite decades of critiques and scores of innovations designed to abolish or weaken it, the school district remains a central institution of the American educational system. Yet, although the district remains the primary agent of local democratic control and serves as the main unit for educational decisions, relatively little attention has been given to the historical evolution of the school district as an institutional form. Reformers and researchers alike often hold misperceptions and inaccurate assumptions about the nature of the school district’s development, precisely because the district has been understudied. The authors of this chapter offer a first step toward correcting that oversight by broadening our attention span, providing a solid historical overview of how the district has developed over the past two centuries, and exploring how scholars have analyzed districts at different points in our past. They focus on how the definition of what constitutes a school district has changed over time and...
Did the RIAA’s Prosecution of Music Piracy Impact Music Sales?

Between 2004 and 2009 it is estimated that over 30 billion songs were downloaded illegally on different peer-to-peer sharing networks according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In an attempt to stop this during the late 1990’s and early 2000s the RIAA and other music labels engaged in a very public and vigorous campaign of prosecution of firms, such as Napster and Limewire, for copyright violations in order to reduce piracy. Due to the public backlash, in late 2008 the RIAA announced that they would begin to stop litigation on a grand scale. This paper examines the impact that this model of piracy prosecution had on music sales. We find evidence that the RIAA’s model of litigation actually backfired and led to decreased legitimate album sales. Additionally, we find that variation in per capita seasonally adjusted album sales cannot be explained by the existence of both Limewire and Napster file sharing services.
Foley catheters are not routinely necessary in children treated with patient-controlled analgesia following perforated appendicitis.

Abstract Background Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is often used in children with perforated appendicitis. To prevent urinary retention, some providers also routinely place Foley catheters. This study examines the necessity of this practice. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all children (≤ 18 years old) with perforated appendicitis and postoperative PCA from 7/2015 to 6/2016 at two academic children's hospitals. Urinary retention was defined as the inability to spontaneously void requiring straight catheterization or placement of a Foley catheter. Results Of 313 patients who underwent appendectomy for perforated appendicitis (Hospital 1: 175, Hospital 2: 138), 129 patients received an intraoperative Foley (Hospital 1: 22 [13%], Hospital 2: 107 [78%], p Urinary retention rate in patients with an intraoperative Foley following removal on the inpatient unit (n = 3, 2%) and patients without an intraoperative Foley (n = 10, 5%) did not reach significance (p = 0.25). On univariate analysis, demographics, intraoperative findings, PCA specifics, postoperative abscess formation, and postoperative length of stay, were not significant risk factors for urinary retention. Conclusions The risk of urinary retention in this population is low despite the use of PCA. Children with perforated appendicitis do not require routine Foley catheter placement to prevent urinary retention. Level of evidence II
HoxB13 mediates AR-V7 activity in prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer remains a leading cause of cancer death in the United States (1). In 2017, it was estimated that over 160,000 prostate cancer cases were diagnosed in the United States, and ∼26,000 men died of prostate cancer (2). Because tumor growth in prostate cancer is predominantly dependent on the androgen receptor (AR), a homodimer-forming transcription factor, the disease is commonly treated via therapies targeting the AR-axis. While this approach has proven to be initially effective, a majority of prostate cancer patients eventually develop resistance to AR-targeting therapies, leading to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), the lethal stage of prostate cancer. Measuring prostate-specific antigen levels in patient serum is regularly used for evaluating the efficacy of prostate cancer treatment. The serum prostate-specific antigen value, however, does not always correlate with the malignant state of CRPC (3). Therefore, it is of high priority to discover therapeutic targets and biomarkers that can accurately assess the efficacy of treatment in patients who have become resistant to therapies targeting the AR-axis. Various mechanisms of resistance to AR targeting have been identified, such as AR bypass signaling, AR alternative splicing, and AR gene amplification (4). Notably, aberrant AR splicing seems to be heavily associated with resistance to AR-targeting … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: agoldstein{at}mednet.ucla.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Effects of LET ∞ on the Fate of DNA Damage Induced in Rabbit Sensory Cells In Situ : Fundamental Aspects

For half a century, radiobiological theory was dominated by the notion that cellular radiosensitivity to ionizing radiations could be explained solely on the basis of the physics of energy deposition1,2. The process was extended even to explanations for the variation in relative biological effectiveness (RBE) with increased linear energy transfer (LET∞ ) associated with densely-ionizing, particulate radiations3,4 In more recent years, examination of the radiation responses of the repair-deficient S/S variant of the L5178Y murine leukemic lymphoblast has demonstrated that radiobiological theories which do not incorporate metabolic modification of radiochemical damage are untenable2.
Managing Web-Enabled Technologies in Organizations: A Global Perspective

Technological advancement of the past several decades in computer and telecommunication technologies has had a profound impact upon the fundamental structures of society, and particularly upon organizations. As these technologies have matured and developed, many organizations have been looking into the organizational and managerial changes that can be made that allow the organization to achieve greater utilization of these technologies to improve their competitive postures.Web-enabled technology has become a serious contender. Many global organizations are looking into emerging web-enabled technologies to make their dispersed operations around the world more efficient and to maintain greater control over their resources. Those organizations that have not attempted to identify and master the many applications of web-enabled technologies will have serious difficulty competing and surviving.This book gives you the latest research finding/writings related to the web-enabled technologies utilization and management in organizations throughout the world.
Molecular nutrition fats: Lipoprotein(a)

Abstract Since its discovery in 1963, our understanding of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] has evolved from an antigenic component to a highly heritable biological trait with a risk factor role in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, much still needs to be done in understanding its physiological functions. The LPA gene diverged from the plasminogen gene, likely twice during its evolution, early in hedgehogs and later in a subset of primates. Lp(a) presents a unique setting as a lipoprotein under strong genetic control and with less likelihood of levels being influenced by lifestyles and lipid-lowering therapies. Recent developments, including PCSK9 inhibitors, open novel possibilities for intervention. Other notable Lp(a) features include an intraindividual stability across the lifespan, presence of a 1000-fold interindividual variability, a distinct ethnic-specific difference, and a strong impact by a size polymorphism in the LPA gene. The interest in Lp(a) has expanded beyond CVD to kidney/liver disease, diabetes, and inflammatory conditions.
Employee Physical Activity in an Outpatient Oncology Clinic: A Baseline Pilot Study.

PURPOSE Studies examining the physical activity of employees within an outpatient oncology setting are absent. The goal of this pilot study was to collect baseline data on the daily activity of employees in varying job descriptions at a satellite outpatient oncology clinic of a large academic medical center. METHODS A total of 40 employees (out of a total of 55) were accrued on this clinical trial. Each employee was given a pedometer to wear at work for a total of 20 business days, with instructions not to alter their baseline activities. Employees recorded their daily workplace pedometer activity on a personalized chart. Baseline vital signs, as well as their general job title, were recorded. RESULTS Of the 40, 36 employees (90%) completed the study. The average steps per workday for all employees were 4455 +/- 2051, which is significantly less than the recommended 10,000 steps per day (p <0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in activity between various job descriptions, with radiation therapists having the highest daily mean steps (8853 +/- 930) and front desk staff having the lowest mean steps (3147 +/- 1010), p<0.001). CONCLUSION Employees at a satellite outpatient oncology clinic of a large academic center, on average, do not meet the surgeon general's recommendations for daily physical activity at the workplace, with only radiation therapists approaching the recommended steps.
Listener-oriented phonetic reduction and theory of mind

Predictable words tend to be phonetically reduced relative to unpredictable words. Under “listener-oriented” accounts of this phenomenon, the talker has tacit knowledge of their interlocutor's ment...
Bioconversion of Agricultural Wastes From the Livestock Industry for Biofuel and Feed Production

Abstract The bioconversion of sunlight energy into biofuels can be coupled to nutrient recovery from organic wastes using systems that employ microalgae grown symbiotically with heterotrophic microorganisms. Of interest for algae biofuel production is the high amounts of oil (lipid) produced, primarily as triglycerides. A major cost factor for algal biomass production is the provision of water and nutrients. In this chapter, progress made in microalgae-based systems using primary manure effluents with high biological oxygen demand levels that microbes decompose into inorganic nutrients including CO2, ammonium, and phosphate is reviewed. Anaerobic digesters offer an attractive alternative to direct treatment of agricultural wastes with several advantages from a fuel production perspective. During anaerobic digestion, organic matter is mineralized producing methane for fuel and inorganic C, N, and P, nutrients needed for algal growth. In each case, a resource and economic synergy are possible as algae-based bioremediation generates revenue from the treatment service and improves the economics of biofuel production.
Versatile Silicon Nitride and Alumina Integrated Photonic Platforms for the Ultraviolet to Short-Wave Infrared

We demonstrate scalable and intercompatible multilayer photonic platforms that operate over a multioctave wavelength range from the near-ultraviolet (NUV) into the short-wave infrared (SWIR). We demonstrate low-loss waveguides ( $\leq$ 3 dB/cm above 370 nm and <0.3 dB/cm between 633 and 1550 nm for both TE and TM polarizations) and present verified component libraries at several wavelengths within this range. We demonstrate the use of thermo-optic heaters for tuning in the SWIR and show that we can automatically initialize complex optical filters. Our platforms are fabricated in a silicon CMOS foundry operating at a 90 nm node and consist of silicon nitride (SiN) and amorphous aluminum oxide (alumina, Al2O3) optical waveguides cladd with silicon dioxide (SiO2). They can be combined in multilayer stacks to enable complex routing of multiple wavelengths, making them useful for applications ranging from atomic-molecular-optical applications to biophotonics to integrated microwave photonics.
Neural Cleanse: Identifying and Mitigating Backdoor Attacks in Neural Networks

Lack of transparency in deep neural networks (DNNs) make them susceptible to backdoor attacks, where hidden associations or triggers override normal classification to produce unexpected results. For example, a model with a backdoor always identifies a face as Bill Gates if a specific symbol is present in the input. Backdoors can stay hidden indefinitely until activated by an input, and present a serious security risk to many security or safety related applications, e.g. biometric authentication systems or self-driving cars. We present the first robust and generalizable detection and mitigation system for DNN backdoor attacks. Our techniques identify backdoors and reconstruct possible triggers. We identify multiple mitigation techniques via input filters, neuron pruning and unlearning. We demonstrate their efficacy via extensive experiments on a variety of DNNs, against two types of backdoor injection methods identified by prior work. Our techniques also prove robust against a number of variants of the backdoor attack.
Kisses of Death in the Psychology Faculty Hiring Process

Competition for full-time psychology faculty positions is intense, and some behaviors and types of information could lead to the rejection of even highly qualified candidates; the current research ...
TGFβ signaling in germinal center B cells promotes the transition from light zone to dark zone

B cells in germinal centers (GCs) cycle between light zone (LZ) and dark zone (DZ). The cues in the GC microenvironment that regulate the transition from LZ to DZ have not been well characterized. In Peyer's patches (PPs), transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) promotes IgA induction in activated B cells that can then differentiate into GC B cells. We show here that TGFβ signaling occurs in B cells in GCs and is distinct from signaling that occurs in activated B cells in PPs. Whereas in activated B cells TGFβ signaling is required for IgA induction, in the GC it was instead required for the transition from LZ to DZ. In the absence of TGFβ signaling, there was an accumulation of LZ GC B cells and reduced antibody affinity maturation likely due to reduced activation of Foxo1. This work identifies TGFβ as a microenvironmental cue that is critical for GC homeostasis and function.
Transiciones e Incertidumbres: Migration from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala

El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras account for some of the most consequential migration streams in the Western Hemisphere. They are some of the largest contributors to Latino migration in the United States. Fleeing political persecution, gang violence, poverty and natural disasters, migrants are often desperate for social and economic stability. As migration from the region continues, legislation in the United States has grown more punitive and unforgiving. Amid hardline stances taken by the Trump administration, the revocation of temporary protected status and denials of asylum, this essay evaluates the complicated emigration from these three countries. It also evaluates the role of Mexico as a country of transit migration and settlement. Using data from the 2016 American Community Survey (5-year estimates) and the Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America, this work also evaluates the settlement patterns of migrants as they settle in the United States.
Elemental Concentrations of Water and Otoliths as Salinity Proxies in a Northern Gulf of Mexico Estuary

To use elements as salinity proxies, relationships of elemental concentrations with salinity must be known and vary from freshwater to marine endmembers. To extend these proxies to biogenic carbonates, elements must incorporate into carbonate matrices proportional to environmental concentrations. Therefore, this study quantified calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), and manganese (Mn) in Mobile Bay, Alabama from freshwater to marine endmembers. Two smaller drainages (Fowl River and Dog River) were quantified to determine if all freshwater elemental concentrations were consistent. The ratio of elements (Mg, Sr, Ba, Mn) to Ca were also measured in water and Red Drum otolith edges across the salinity gradient. Water Ca, Sr, and Mg had positive relationships with salinity, but Ca and Sr were lower in Fowl River freshwater. Barium exhibited a mid-salinity peak and decreased with further salinity increases. More Ba and Mn were present during low river discharge; however, Mn did not vary with salinity. In both water and otoliths, Sr:Ca increased and Ba:Ca decreased non-linearly with salinity increases, Mn:Ca exhibited no relationship with salinity, and Mg:Ca increased non-linearly in water. These results demonstrate that Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca may be used as salinity proxies within the Mobile Bay estuary and likely other estuaries in the region. However, given non-linearity of element:Ca salinity relationships, variable concentrations among species and estuaries from other studies, and variation in elemental ratios between drainages and flow regimes, species-specific element salinity relationships should be known in the estuary of interest prior to utilizing elemental salinity proxies.
Effects of soil particles and convective transport on dispersion and aggregation of nanoplastics via small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and ultra SANS (USANS)

Terrestrial nanoplastics (NPs) pose a serious threat to agricultural food production systems due to the potential harm of soil-born micro- and macroorganisms that promote soil fertility and ability of NPs to adsorb onto and penetrate into vegetables and other crops. Very little is known about the dispersion, fate and transport of NPs in soils. This is because of the challenges of analyzing terrestrial NPs by conventional microscopic techniques due to the low concentrations of NPs and absence of optical transparency in these systems. Herein, we investigate the potential utility of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and Ultra SANS (USANS) to probe the agglomeration behavior of NPs prepared from polybutyrate adipate terephthalate, a prominent biodegradable plastic used in agricultural mulching, in the presence of vermiculite, an artificial soil. SANS with the contrast matching technique was used to study the aggregation of NPs co-dispersed with vermiculite in aqueous media. We determined the contrast match point for vermiculite was 66% D2O / 33% H2O. At this condition, the signal for vermiculite was ~50-100%-fold lower that obtained using neat H2O or D2O as solvent. According to SANS and USANS, smaller-sized NPs (50 nm) remained dispersed in water and did not undergo size reduction or self-agglomeration, nor formed agglomerates with vermiculite. Larger-sized NPs (300-1000 nm) formed self-agglomerates and agglomerates with vermiculite, demonstrating their significant adhesion with soil. However, employment of convective transport (simulated by ex situ stirring of the slurries prior to SANS and USANS analyses) reduced the self-agglomeration, demonstrating weak NP-NP interactions. Convective transport also led to size reduction of the larger-sized NPs. Therefore, this study demonstrates the potential utility of SANS and USANS with contrast matching technique for investigating behavior of terrestrial NPs in complex soil systems.
Adult minority language learning: motivation, identity and target variety: by Colin J. Flynn, Bristol, UK, Multilingual Matters, 2020,1+264 pp., $149.95 (hardback), ISBN 9781788927031

This is a book review of Adult Minority Language Learning: Motivation, Identity and Target Variety by Colin J. Flynn, published in 2020 by Multilingual Matters. This monograph centers on the topic ...
Hybrid Confidence Intervals for Informative Uniform Asymptotic Inference After Model Selection

I propose a new type of confidence interval for correct asymptotic inference after using data to select a model of interest without assuming any model is correctly specified. This hybrid confidence interval is constructed by combining techniques from the selective inference and post-selection inference literatures to yield a short confidence interval across a wide range of data realizations. I show that hybrid confidence intervals have correct asymptotic coverage, uniformly over a large class of probability distributions that do not bound scaled model parameters. I illustrate the use of these confidence intervals in the problem of inference after using the LASSO objective function to select a regression model of interest and provide evidence of their desirable length and coverage properties in small samples via a set of Monte Carlo experiments that entail a variety of different data distributions as well as an empirical application to the predictors of diabetes disease progression.
Variability in atlas registration of optical intrinsic signal imaging and its effect on functional connectivity analysis.

To compare neuroimaging data between subjects, images from individual sessions need to be aligned to a common reference or “atlas.” Atlas registration of optical intrinsic signal imaging of mice, for example, is commonly performed using affine transforms with parameters determined by manual selection of canonical skull landmarks. Errors introduced by such procedures have not previously been investigated. We quantify the variability that arises from this process and consequent errors from misalignment that affect interpretation of functional neuroimaging data. We propose an improved method, using separately acquired high-resolution images and demonstrate improvements in variability and alignment using this method.
Indozyaningrünangiographische Veränderungen bei älteren Patienten mit Chorioretinopathia centralis serosa

Die Chorioretinopathia centralis serosa (CCS) ist eine Erkrankung, die man gewohnlich bei Mannern zwischen dem 30. und 50. Lebensjahr vorfindet. Tritt sie nach dem 50. Lebensjahr auf, so kann eine Abgrenzung gegenuber einer feuchten senilen Makuladegeneration (SMD) schwierig sein.
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy and doxorubicin in thyroid cancer: A prospective phase 2 trial.

Background The use of external-beam radiotherapy for locally advanced nonanaplastic thyroid cancer remains controversial. This prospective study evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with or without concurrent chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced thyroid cancer. Methods The authors conducted a nonrandomized phase 2 trial of IMRT with or without concurrent doxorubicin in patients with gross residual or unresectable nonanaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01882816). The primary end point was 2-year locoregional progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary end points included overall survival (OS), safety, patient-reported outcomes, and functional outcomes. Results Twenty-seven patients were enrolled: 12 (44.4%) with unresectable disease and 15 (55.6%) with gross residual disease. The median follow-up was 45.6 months (interquartile range, 42.0-51.6 months); the 2-year cumulative incidences of locoregional PFS and OS were 79.7% and 77.3%, respectively. The rate of grade 3 or higher acute and late toxicities was 33.4%. There were no significant functional differences 12 months after treatment (assessed objectively by the modified barium swallow study). Patient-reported quality of life in the experimental group was initially lower but returned to the baseline after 6 months and improved thereafter. In a post hoc analysis, concurrent chemotherapy with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (CC-IMRT) resulted in significantly less locoregional failure at 2 years (no failure vs 50%; P = .001), with higher rates of grade 2 or higher acute dermatitis, mucositis, and dysphagia but no difference in long-term toxicity, functionality, or patient-reported quality of life. Conclusions In light of the excellent locoregional control rates achieved with CC-IMRT and its acceptable toxicity profile as confirmed by functional assessments and patient-reported outcomes, CC-IMRT may be preferred over IMRT alone.
Some Key Issues in the Evaluation of Character Education

This article summarizes issues in defining character education (CE) that are relevant to program development and evaluation. No authoritative definition exists for CE, but several features seem pro...
A retrospective, observational study on medication for opioid use disorder during pregnancy and risk for neonatal abstinence syndrome.

OBJECTIVES The prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) among pregnant women is increasing. Research consistently demonstrates the efficacy of medications for OUD (MOUD); however, researchers have called for additional studies evaluating the safety of MOUD during pregnancy, particularly the relative safety of two commonly used MOUD medications-methadone and buprenorphine. This study aimed to evaluate the consequences of MOUD exposure during pregnancy on risk for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). METHODS In a clinical sample of infants born to women with OUD, we evaluated the risk of NAS among those exposed to (i) methadone and (ii) buprenorphine compared with those unexposed to MOUD, as well as the risk of NAS among those exposed to (i) methadone compared with those exposed to (ii) buprenorphine. RESULTS Compared with buprenorphine-exposed infants (n = 37), methadone-exposed infants (n = 27) were at increased risk for NAS (odds ratio [OR] = 4.67, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03, 21.17). Compared with unexposed infants (n = 43), buprenorphine-exposed infants were at decreased risk for NAS (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.14, 1.39) and methadone-exposed infants were at increased risk for NAS (OR = 2.64, 95% CI: 0.79, 8.76), though these associations were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that when methadone and buprenorphine are equally appropriate options for the treatment of OUD in pregnant women, buprenorphine may add the additional benefit of reduced risk of newborn NAS.
High-Speed Si/Ge Avalanche Photodiodes with Enhanced Responsivity

Reflectors have been integrated at the end of the Si/Ge waveguide avalanche photodiodes (APDs) to enhance the responsivity without compromising the bandwidth. The responsivity is improved from ∼ 0.75 A/W to ∼ 1 A/W assisted with a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) or a loop reflector (LR) while maintaining a high bandwidth of 25 GHz. The enhanced responsivity improves the sensitivity by 1-2 dB with 32 Gbit/s NRZ modulation.
Virtual Machine Workloads: The Case for New {NAS} Benchmarks

Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Virtual Machines (VMs) are widely used in data centers thanks to their manageability, scalability, and ability to consolidate resources. But the shift from physical to virtual clients drastically changes the I/O workloads seen on NAS servers, due to guest file system encapsulation in virtual disk images and the multiplexing of request streams from different VMs. Unfortunately, current NAS workload generators and benchmarks produce workloads typical to physical machines. This paper makes two contributions. First, we studied the extent to which virtualization is changing existing NAS workloads. We observed significant changes, including the disappearance of file system meta-data operations at the NAS layer, changed I/O sizes, and increased randomness. Second, we created a set of versatile NAS benchmarks to synthesize virtualized workloads. This allows us to generate accurate virtualized workloads without the effort and limitations associated with setting up a full virtualized environment. Our experiments demonstrate that the relative error of our virtualized benchmarks, evaluated across 11 parameters, averages less than 10%.
A boot camp approach to learning programming in a CS0 course

This research chronicles the experience a computer science department that switched to a "boot camp" approach in the CS0 programming lab course. This curriculum approach required students to write over 350 short programs during the semester. The percentage of students who were successful in completing the CS0 lab course dramatically improved during the two semesters in which the boot camp approach was used.
User performance on typing tasks involving reduced-size, touch screen keyboards

The prospect of using a touch screen to interact with navigation displays led us to develop and evaluate three reduced-size, touch screen keyboards. One keyboard had a standard QWERTY layout; another had a modified QWERTY layout with keys aligned in a matrix; the third had a matrix of keys arranged in alphabetical order. Twenty adults varying in age and typing ability participated in the evaluation. Test results showed that subjects typed 25-26% faster on the QWERTY keyboards than on the alphabetical keyboard. The difference in typing speed between the two QWERTY keyboards was not significant. Additionally, differences in error rates among the three keyboards were not significantly different. Eleven out of 20 subjects preferred the standard QWERTY keyboard; 6 preferred the modified QWERTY keyboard; 3 preferred the alphabetical keyboard. These test results suggest that a reduced-size keyboard should employ a standard QWERTY key arrangement to achieve maximum usability.
Institutional Design, Uncertainty, and Path Dependency during Transitions: Cases from Russia

During transitional moments, new leaders must design political institutions. Some of these designs succeed in establishing lasting rules of the game. Others do not. This paper analyzes those factors which either facilitate or undermine institutional persistence during transitions, focusing particularly on the role that uncertainty and path dependency play in these processes. The empirical section of the paper examines three cases of institutional design in the Soviet/Russian transition—the creation of the Russian presidency, the emergence of electoral law for Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, and the evolution of institutional design regarding the formation of Russia's upper house, the Federal Council. This comparison shows why the first two cases of institutional design created lasting institutions—even though these new rules did not reflect precisely the interests of their creators—while the third case of institutional design did not.
Is the genomic translational pipeline being disrupted

The translational pipeline for genomic medicine has been well defined. However, as with any rapidly changing technology, innovations are difficult to predict leading to the potential to disrupt anticipated translation. Examples of potential disruptors such as laboratory-developed tests, direct-to-consumer testing, and patient-centered research are presented. Awareness of the disruptive nature of innovative approaches is necessary if these innovations are to be incorporated into current practice.
A comparison-based approach for software inspection

Software inspection is considered a cost-effective way for program verification, but a problem with traditional approaches is that the guidelines for code review are usually too general or too vague to be helpful. This paper [1] describes a comparison-based approach to overcome this problem. The development of this approach is based on the observations that different parts of a program are often related to one another, and that most parts are implemented correctly. The comparison-based approach can help reviewers focus on the signs of possible faults in a program. One feature of this approach is that the reviewers may already have some questions in mind before examination of the program. They can have more confidence in the program by using a rigorous comparison analysis during the inspection process. Case studies are given to show the effectiveness and effciency of this approach.
The human papillomavirus type 16 E7 protein complements adenovirus type 5 E1A amino-terminus-dependent transactivation of adenovirus type 5 early genes and increases ATF and Oct-1 DNA binding activity.

We have previously shown that conserved region 1 (CR1) of the adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) E1A protein synergizes with CR3 in the transactivation of Ad5 early genes (H.K. Wong and E. B. Ziff, J. Virol. 68:4910-4920, 1994). CR1 lies within the E1A amino terminus and binds host regulatory proteins such as the RB protein, p107, p130, and p300. Since simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen and human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) E7 protein also bind host regulatory factors, we investigated whether these viral proteins can complement E1A mutants which are defective in early gene activation. We show that the HPV16 E7 protein but not SV40 T antigen can complement mutations in the Ad5 E1A CR1 in the transactivation of viral early promoters. The inability of SV40 T antigen to complement suggests that RB binding on its own is not sufficient for early promoter transactivation by the E1A amino terminus. Nuclear runoff assays show that complementation by HPV16 E7 restores the ability of the E1A mutants to stimulate early gene expression at the level of transcription. Furthermore, nuclear extracts from the E7-transformed cells show increased binding activity of ATF and Oct-1, factors that can recognize the elements of Ad5 early genes, consistent with gene activation by E1A and E7 at the transcriptional level.
Robotic hypospadias surgery: a new evolution.

The dictum that “there is nothing new in surgery not previously described,” is quoted regularly and is particularly true of hypospadias. There is an ongoing search for solutions to many troublesome issues concerning surgical treatment of hypospadias, such as what age is the most appropriate to apply surgery, or in how many stages surgery should be performed. We present a case report of the first robotic hypospadias surgery to propose a departure from the standard practice, in the hope of expanding medical expertise and teaching globally. The use of a robot for reconstructive surgery is not novel; its use for extracorporeal surgery is, but we contend that there is no difference in the surgical steps to carry out a hypospadias repair. In addition, we envision that the benefits of applying robotic surgery for extracorporeal reconstructive procedures will greatly impact the current paradigm of surgery and surgical education. For those surgeons who already possess comfort with robotic skills, reconstructive procedures outside of a major cavity are feasible, and time will provide safety and efficacy data. Our hope is that others will join in the advancement of telesurgery and its applications and appreciate the potential expansion of surgical knowledge that will be afforded by this change in how we teach and operate.