cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prostate-Specific Antigen 5 Years following Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Low- and Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer: An Ablative Procedure?

Background: Our previous work on early PSA kinetics following prostate SBRT demonstrated that an initial rapid and then slow PSA decline may result in very low PSA nadirs. This retrospective study sought to evaluate the PSA nadir 5 years following SBRT for low and intermediate risk prostate cancer (PCa). Methods: 65 low and 80 intermediate risk PCa patients were treated definitively with SBRT to 35-37.5 Gy in 5 fractions at Georgetown University Hospital between January 2008 and October 2011. Patients who received androgen deprivation therapy were excluded from this study. Biochemical relapse was defined as a PSA rise > 2 ng/mL above the nadir and analyzed using the Kaplan Meier method. The PSA nadir was defined as the lowest PSA value prior to biochemical relapse or as the lowest value recorded during follow up. Prostate ablation was defined as a PSA nadir < 0.2 ng/mL. Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate relevant variables on the likelihood of achieving a PSA nadir < 0.2 ng/mL. Results: The median age at the start of SBRT was 72 years. These patients had a median prostate volume of 36 cc with a median 25% of total cores involved. At a median follow up of 5.6 years, 86% and 37% of patients achieved a PSA nadir ≤ 0.5 ng/mL and < 0.2 ng/mL, respectively. The median time to PSA nadir was 36 months. Two low and 7 intermediate risk patients experienced a biochemical relapse. Regardless of the PSA outcome, the median PSA nadir for all patients was 0.2 ng/mL. The 5-year bRFS rate for low and intermediate risk patients was 98.5% and 95%, respectively. Initial PSA (p=0.024) and a lower testosterone at the time of the PSA nadir (p=0.049) were found to be significant predictors of achieving a PSA nadir < 0.2 ng/mL. Conclusions: SBRT for low and intermediate risk PCa is a convenient treatment option with low PSA nadirs and a high rate of early bRFS. Fewer than 40% of patients, however, achieved an ablative PSA nadir. Thus, the role of further dose escalation is an area of active investigation.
Damned nation: hell in America from the revolution to reconstruction, by Kathryn Gin Lum, New York, Oxford University Press, 2014, xviii + 310 pp., US$31.95 (hardback), ISBN 978 0 19 984311 4

‘Hell mattered in America’ (232). In Damned Nation, Kathryn Gin Lum argues that claim, asserting the significance of hell-talk in creating political and cultural boundaries in the US and in motivat...
Experimental investigation on varying spectral bandwidth when amplifying a pulsed superfluorescent 2-μm source in Tm:fiber

Delivering high peak powers from fiber lasers is limited by the accumulation of nonlinear effects due to the high optical intensities and the long interaction lengths of fibers. Peak power scaling at 2 μm is limited by modulation instability (MI), which is not found for 1 μm sources. This work investigates the performance of a spectrally broadband, nanosecond pulsed thulium-doped fiber laser. The average power and pulse energy performance of the single-mode amplifier delivers >20 W and ~280 μJ. A variable spectral filter is incorporated to study the onset of MI and subsequent spectral broadening as a function of seed linewidth. It is observed that MI-induced spectral broadening is enhanced for larger linewidths. However, when the seed linewidth is increased beyond >10 nm, this trend is reversed. A fiber amplifier model including MI (treated as degenerate four-wave mixing) simulates a parametric gain bandwidth of ~900 GHz for this amplifier configuration, which is equivalent to ~11.5 nm at the 1960 nm center wavelength. Therefore, the decrease in spectral broadening for seed linewidths <10 nm is due to a reduced overlap with the MI gain bandwidth. The capability to scale 2 μm fiber lasers to high powers is strongly dependent on the spectral quality of the seed. Any power initially located within the MI gain bandwidth will degrade performance, and must be considered for power scaling.
The OmegaDesk: towards a hybrid 2D and 3D work desk

OmegaDesk is a device that allows for seamless interaction between 2D and 3D content. In order to develop this hybrid device, a new form of Operating System is needed to manage and display heterogeneous content. In this paper we address the hardware and software requirements for such a system, as well as challenges. A set of heterogeneous applications has been successfully developed on OmegaDesk. They allowed us to develop a set of guidelines to drive future investigations into 2D/3D hybridized viewing and interaction.
Funding Priorities: Data-Driven Approach for Prioritizing Community Health Needs in Vulnerable Communities:

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 mandated nonprofit hospitals to complete community health needs assessments (CHNAs) every 3 years to identify priority health needs for the community they serve. The CHNA must include input from the community in the determination of health needs. Large variation exists across CHNAs on methods used in the integration of quantitative and qualitative data both in the determination and prioritization of health needs and those needs chosen by the hospital for community benefit funding. An important part of the CHNA is the prioritization of the needs identified, as it can influence hospital community benefit funding decisions. This article describes a method for clearly integrating qualitative and quantitative data in the CHNA process offering a best practice strategy for conducting CHNAs. The method uses an approach based on flexible, objective decision points that can be used to both generate a list of significant health needs and a prioritization of those needs based on community input, influencing funding priorities of the hospital. The method provides a standard approach useful across multiple hospital CHNAs in both rural and urban settings, and in collaborative-based CHNAs (local public health departments and hospitals) as well.
WADA and imperialism? A philosophical look into anti-doping and athletes as coloniser and colonised

Post-colonial philosophical scholarship in the late 20th century advanced notions of exploitation and domination of the periphery post imperialistic control. Works by authors Peter Ekeh and Edward ...
Development of a Radioimmunoassay for Erythropoietin Using Recombinant Erythropoietin-Derived Reagents

We describe the development of a sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) for erythropoietin (EPO) which uses recombinant human EPO-derived reagents. Evidence of assay validity includes parallelism of standard and test samples (human sera and impure preparations of urinary and recombinant EPO), correlation of serum EPO levels with clinical condition and agreement of RIA and in vivo bioassay estimates of EPO. In addition,EPO levels determined using the present assay agree well with estimates obtained when the same test samples are assayed in a RIA using human urinary EPO-derived reagents. These results indicate that the RIA employing recombinant EPO reagents has the necessary sensitivity and specificity to assay the natural hormone.
Coronary Heart Disease: Lipid Theory

Arteriosclerosis is a group of conditions characterized by thickening and stiffening of the arterial wall. Atherosclerosis is characterized by the formation of atheromas (lipid-laden plaques) in medium to large arteries. These are associated with calcifications of the arterial wall along with other changes. Atherosclerosis can cause clinically important vascular pathology by slow encroachment on the lumen as in occlusive coronary artery disease. Alternatively, because the endothelium overlying atheromata is abnormal, platelet aggregation occurs, and this promotes occlusive clot formation. Lastly, rupture of the plaque can also lead to rapid vascular occlusion with clot. Over the years there have been a variety of hypotheses seeking to explain the development of arterial lesions; these hypotheses have become increasingly complex as our biochemical and molecular biological skills and knowledge increase.
Utilization of unadapted germplasm in soybean breeding populations

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] populations with 100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, and 0% unadapted germplasm were formed to study the effect of incorporating unadapted germplasm into a breeding population. Four selected adapted lines and four selected plant introductions were used as parents. Each population was intermated four to five times. Ninety-six randomly selected lines from each population were evaluated in three environments. Twenty-four of these lines from each population also were grown in a fourth environment. The population means showed a small, but statistically signifi­ cant decrease in yield with increasing percentages of unadapted germplasm. The population by environment interaction for yield was highly significant. Although most of the superior lines were identified from the populations with 0% and 25% unadapted germplasm, the highest yielding line was from the population with 75% unadapted germplasm. This would indicate that superior progeny can be selected from a population with a large percentage of unadapted germplasm, but the frequency of such lines is low. Genetic variance for yield was greatest in the populations that had both adapted and unadapted germplasm. Height increased with increasing adapted germplasm reflecting the greater mean height of the adapted parents. Lodging scores increased with increasing percentage of unadapted germplasm.
Characterization of plant suspension cultures using the focused beam reflectance technique

Development of bioreactor systems utilizing plant suspension cultures has been hindered by the lack of on-line sensors for monitoring important process variables such as biomass concentration and aggregate size. An optical technique, the focused beam reflectance method (FBRM developed by Lasentec Inc., Redmond, WA), was used to characterize several plant suspension cultures: rice (Oryza sativa), tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) and wild Chinese cucumber (Trichosanthes kirilowii). These cultures differ in a number of respects such as individual cell size and morphology, aggregate shape and size distribution, initial culture density, and color. For plant suspensions comprised of relatively spherical aggregates (rice and cucumber), the area under the cube-weighted FBRM chord length distribution was linearly correlated to biomass concentration (R 2>0.99) while the mean of the cube-weighted FBRM chord length distribution was nonlinearly related to aggregate size.
Resurgent lead poisoning and renewed public attention towards environmental social justice issues: A review of current efforts and call to revitalize primary and secondary lead poisoning prevention for pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children within the U.S.

ABSTRACTThe recent Colorado Gold King Mine waste-water spill and Michigan’s water supply re-routing program catastrophe, has directed renewed public attention towards resurgent environmental lead c...
Different whole genome sequencing strategies for the clinical management of patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is a cancer of the base of the tongue and tonsils. This cancer was previously found in individuals with a smoking and drinking history but is increasingly being promoted by the presence of high risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV). In an attempt to determine the exact role that HPV plays in the development of this cancer we have been using mate-pair next generation sequencing (MP-Seq). Using MP-Seq we have found that HPV is only integrated into the human genome in 30% of HPV-positive OPSCCs, which is dramatically different than what is found in cervical cancer. MP-Seq not only can determine the physical status of HPV in a given sample, but can also ascertain genome-wide changes in any cancer. We describe how MP-Seq could be used in the clinical management of HPV-positive OPSCC patients. We have also explored another whole genome sequencing strategy that has been developed by the Beijing Genomics Institute. They can currently do whole genome sequencing for a total cost (and this includes analysis) of $600 and are developing methodologies to reduce this to $100. I will describe how these types of whole genome sequencing strategies could be used to direct therapies for these patients including facilitating the use of the liquid biopsy to monitor patients during their clinical treatment.
The social silos of journalism? Twitter, news media and partisan segregation:

The present work proposes social media as a tool to understand the relationship between journalists’ social networks and the content they produce. Specifically, we ask, “what is the association bet...
Transforming our world: community practice responses to global and national grand challenges

At the end of 2015, the United Nations released Transforming the World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development supporting a set of 17 goals aimed at eradicating what was identified as arguably...
Demo Abstract: A Long-Lifetime Sensor Platform for a Reliable Internet of Things

Today, most energy harvesting sensors rely on capacitors to buffer small amounts of energy as they intermittently work through a sensing task. While the utilization of capacitors for energy storage affords these systems indefinite lifetimes, their low energy capacity necessitates complex intermittent programming models for state retention and energy management. Recent advances in battery technology lead us to reevaluate the impact that increased energy storage capacity may have on the necessity of these programming models and the reliability and lifetime of energy harvesting sensors. Permamote, presented at IPSN 2019, is designed to explore the benefits of larger capacity energy harvesting Instead of a capacitor, Permamote utilizes a small lithium battery to store harvested energy. The inclusion and size of this battery was determined based on device reliability and lifetime modelling using real indoor solar irradiance traces. Permamote additionally includes a backup, non-rechargeable battery that allows continuous operation even for long periods of no available harvestable energy. In this demo, we present Permamote performing continuous and reliable sensing over a Thread (6LoWPAN 802.15.4) mesh network. Additionally, we show the end-to-end cloud infrastructure supporting connected Permamotes, with the intention of showing that energy harvesting with higher capacity enables more capable sensing.
Drug resistance from preferred antiretroviral regimens for HIV infection in South Africa: A modeling study.

Background Tenofovir-containing regimens comprise the preferred first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in many countries including South Africa, where utilization of second-line regimens is limited. Considerable HIV drug resistance has occurred among persons failing tenofovir-containing first-line ART. We evaluated drug resistance at the population level using mathematical modeling. Setting Heterosexual HIV epidemic in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods We constructed a stochastic individual-based model and simulated scenarios of ART implementation, either CD4-based (threshold < 500 cells/mL) or Fast-track (81% coverage by 2020), with consideration of major drug-associated mutations (M184V, K65R and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)). Using base case and uncertainty analyses, we assessed (majority) drug resistance levels. Results By 2030, the median total resistance (proportion of HIV-infected persons with drug resistance) is predicted to reach 31.4% (interquartile range (IQR): 16.5%-50.2%) with CD4-based ART, decreasing to 14.5% (IQR: 7.7%-25.8%) with Fast-track implementation. In both scenarios, we find comparably high prevalence (~80%) of acquired NNRTI-associated, M184V and K65R mutations. Over 48% of individuals with acquired resistance harbor dual, 44% triple and 7% just single drug mutations. Drug-resistant HIV is predicted to comprise 40% (IQR: 27%-50%) of incident infections, while 70% of prevalent transmitted resistance is NNRTI-associated. At 2018, the projected total resistance is 15% (IQR: 7.5%-25%), with 18% (IQR: 13%-24%) of incident infections from transmitted drug-resistant HIV. Conclusions WHO-recommended preferred first-line ART could lead to substantial drug resistance. Effective surveillance of HIV drug resistance and utilization of second-line as well as alternative first-line regimens is crucial.
Exploring the Utility of Buchwald Ligands for C–HOxidative Direct Arylation Polymerizations

Oxidative C–H/C–H cross-coupling polymerizations provide an opportunity to synthesize conjugated polymers with an increased ease of monomer preparation, reduced environmental impact, and increased ...
What can you learn from an IP

The Internet was not designed with security in mind. A number of recent protocols such as Encrypted DNS, HTTPS, etc. target encrypting critical parts of the web architecture, which can otherwise be exploited by eavesdroppers to infer users' data. But encryption may not necessarily guarantee privacy, especially when it comes to metadata. Emerging standards can protect the contents of both DNS queries and the TLS SNI extensions; however, it might still be possible to determine which websites users are visiting by simply looking at the destination IP addresses on the traffic originating from users' devices. We perform a measurement study to determine the anonymity provided by IP addresses resulting from the multiple sub-queries that are made as a consequence of accessing a particular web page. We show that, in most cases, an adversary can use the IP addresses during a page load as a form of a fingerprint to infer the original site identity.
Social complexity negatively influences lung function in cystic fibrosis after transfer to adult care

BACKGROUND Several nongenetic factors, such as socioeconomic status, environmental exposures, and adherence have been described to have an impact on outcomes in cystic fibrosis (CF). OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of social complexity on the % predicted forced expiratory volume (ppFEV1 ) before and after transfer to adult care among adolescents with CF. METHODS Retrospective, single center, cohort study included all patients with CF who were transitioned into adult care between 2005 and 2015 at Indiana University. Social complexity (Bob's level of social support, [BLSS]) was collected at transfer. Linear mixed regression models assessed the relationship between ppFEV1 decline over time and BLSS with other covariates. RESULTS The median age of the patients (N = 133) at the time of transfer was 20 years (interquartile range: 19-23). Overall, there was a decline in lung function over time in our population (ppFEV1 at 24 months pretransfer 77 ± 20%, ppFEV1 at 24 months, posttransfer 66 ± 24%; P < .001). The relationship between BLSS and ppFEV1 became more negative over time, even after adjusting for other covariates. CONCLUSION Social complexity is strongly associated with lung function decline after transfer to adult care.
Analyzing progression of motor and speech impairment in ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative disease which causes death of neurons controlling voluntary muscles. It is currently assessed with subjective clinical measurements, but it would benefit from alternative surrogate biomarkers that can better estimate disease progression. This work analyzes speech and fine motor coordination of subjects recruited by the Answer ALS foundation using data from a mobile app. In addition, clinical variables such as speech, writing and total ALSFRS-R scores are also acquired along with forced and slow vital capacity. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were performed using speech and fine motor features. Results show that both types of features are useful to infer clinical variables especially for males (R2=0.79 for ALSFRS-R total score), but their initial values are not helpful to predict speech and motor decline. However, we found that longitudinal progression for bulbar and spinal ALS onset are different and they can be identified with high accuracy by the extracted features.
Hydrolysed salmon meal as a replacement for salmon meal in practical diets for Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

A series of growth, feed stability and consumption trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of salmon by‐product in practical diets for Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. This included a salmon by‐product meal (Salmon meal: SM) and a silage hydrolysate (hydrolysed salmon meal: HSM). The basal diet containing 120 g/kg SM was incrementally replaced (0. 25, 50, 75, 100%) by HSM to produce five test diets used in two trials. A sixth diet was included which evaluated gelatin supplementation (trial 1) or pH neutralization (trial 2). In trial 1, each diet was produced using two processing conditions (laboratory extruded and formed with meat grinder) and offered to shrimp in a clear water system. The results demonstrate that up to 50% of the SM can be used to replace with HSM; however, further increases resulted in reduced performance of shrimp. The addition of gelatin reduced leaching but there was limited effect of processing on leaching. There were no detectible effects of pH adjustment of the diets. Results indicated that the growth performance of shrimp has not influenced by HSM up to 60 g/kg to replace 50% of the SM in practical diets; however, higher levels resulted in significant decrease in performance.
Machine learning substantiates biologically meaningful species delimitations in the phylogenetically complex North American box turtle genus Terrapene

Model-based approaches to species delimitation are constrained both by computational capacities as well as by algorithmic assumptions that are frequently violated when applied to biologically complex systems. An alternate approach, demonstrated herein, employs machine learning (=ML) approaches from which species limits are derived without an explicit definition of an underlying species model. By doing so, we demonstrate the capacity of these approaches to designate phylogenomically and biologically relevant groups, using North American box turtles (Terrapene spp.) as an example. Several different ML-based and traditional species delimitation algorithms were invoked to parse a large SNP dataset derived from ddRAD sequencing. Our results illuminate two major findings. First, more traditional model-based approaches perform poorly, a likely reflection of systematic biases inherent in their formulation. Multispecies coalescent methods consistently over-split Terrapene, particularly given prior evidence and our own phylogenetic results. Second, results from ML and clustering algorithms consistently reiterated the presence of clades that were well-supported in prior species tree analyses. In summary, we highlight both the strengths and limitations of ML algorithms, and in doing so, explore appropriate approaches to data manipulation and model fit. Our study was accomplished within the context of a well-characterized empirical system that allowed a direct contrast between ML versus traditional approaches. It allowed the utility of ML-methods to be underscored for species delimitation and serves as a study case from which guidelines implicit to ML methods could be applied to other study systems.
Mechanisms of nitrosamine bioactivation and carcinogenesis

It was discovered in the mid-1950s by Magee and Barnes that N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was hepatotoxic. The carcinogenicity of this compound and many other nitrosamines has since been tested by Magee, Druckrey, Preussmann, Schmahl, and others; the results of these pioneer works were summarized in two comprehensive reviews (1,2). The biochemical mechanisms of the carcinogenicity and the structure-activity relationship of the nitrosamines have since been studied by many investigators and the results have been summarized in three recent symposia (3–5). In this chapter, we will discuss the occurrence and carcinogenicity of nitrosamines, the enzyme mechanisms and the organ site of the activation, and the dose-response relationship in carcinogenesis.
STEP Forward: Combining Formal and Informal Education to Develop Communication Skills that Augment Postdoctoral Training

STEP Forward is a partnership between two established programs that train postdoctoral fellows in science communication: one that focuses on formal communication within college classrooms, and another that focuses on informal science communication at Pacific Science Center, a science museum. By combining these programs, postdoctoral fellows developed broad and more cohesive science communication skills. Here, we describe the components of STEP Forward and report the participants’ experiences as captured by open-ended responses from surveys administered before, during, and after their training at the museum. We use content analysis to examine their perceptions of what they gained from the program. Participants indicated that they eagerly took part in public events at Pacific Science Center, gained confidence in speaking with the general public, and valued the opportunity to bring their scientific research to a broader audience. Collectively, these results indicate that STEP Forward has a positive impact on the postdocs, especially given that the postdoctoral stage is one at which scholars begin to explore different careers and skill sets. We conclude that the program is beneficial, noting that while it is currently novel, it is also a replicable and feasible model for holistic postdoctoral training and science outreach.
Tin monochalcogenide heterostructures as mechanically rigid infrared band gap semiconductors

Based on first-principles density functional calculations, we show that SnS and SnSe layers can form mechanically rigid heterostructures with the constituent puckered or buckled monolayers. Due to the strong interlayer coupling, the electronic wave functions of the conduction and valence band edges are delocalized across the heterostructure. The resultant band gaps of the heterostructures reside in the infrared region. With strain engineering, the heterostructure band gap undergoes a transition from indirect to direct in the puckered phase. Our results show that there is a direct correlation between the electronic wave function and the mechanical rigidity of the layered heterostructure.
Youth and Digital Citizenship+ (Plus): Understanding Skills for a Digital World

Digital citizenship has become a topic of growing importance among academics and policymakers alike, at the center of debate and theorization around the skills youth need to navigate and actively participate in our digital world. On a global level, a variety of stakeholders — including government, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and academia — have adopted the term to develop and shape formal and informal learning programs that aim to help youth address the challenges and embrace the opportunities the digital environment may present. Yet, there is little consensus as to the broad areas (e.g., safety and well-being, civic and political engagement, identity exploration), and skills within them, digital citizenship should encompass. In this spotlight, Youth and Media explores the concept of digital citizenship, providing an overview of the current dialogue surrounding the term, with a focus on several key questions. Why does digital citizenship matter? Why has the concept become central in discussions about youth (ages 12-18), education, and learning in the 21st century? In a world where the online and offline are increasingly blending, to what extent should we emphasize the role of the “digital” in “digital citizenship”? To what degree do youth feel connected to the term “citizen?” How is the concept of digital citizenship similar to or different from other concepts, such as digital literacy or 21st century skills? How should we approach these concepts to more effectively foster the skills youth need to thrive in today’s society? And to what extent have we as decision-makers, academics, and educators been successful at incorporating youth voices in the development, implementation, and evaluation of digital citizenship initiatives?
Incidence, Management, and Outcomes of Adult Spinal Chordoma Patients in the United States:

Study Design:Retrospective cohort study.Objective:Spinal chordomas are rare primary malignant neoplasms of the primitive notochord. They are slow growing but locally aggressive lesions that have hi...
Experimental and theoretical studies of reaction pathways of direct propylene epoxidation on model catalyst surfaces

Abstract The direct epoxidation of propylene to propylene oxide (PO) using molecular oxygen is an attractive alternative to current production methods using chlorohydrin or hydroperoxide-mediated processes, which are environmentally harmful and expensive. Although direct ethylene epoxidation using Ag-based catalysts has been practiced industrially for decades, due to the presence of allylic hydrogen in propylene the selectivity toward epoxide is generally much lower for propylene than for ethylene. Mechanistic understanding on well-characterized surfaces of model catalysts can potentially provide guidance to effectively alter the electronic properties of the catalyst in order to increase PO selectivity. This review summarizes both experimental and theoretical studies on model catalysts for propylene epoxidation and their contributions to elucidating the reaction mechanism, intermediates, and active sites. We first show examples of experimental studies on Cu, Ag, and Au surfaces, and compare the reaction pathways and intermediates on these surfaces. Novel approaches including plasmon-mediated catalysis and utilization of shape-controlled crystal facets that open new opportunities for improving PO selectivity will also be discussed. We then describe how density functional theory (DFT) calculations have provided important insights into the reaction mechanism and active sites on Cu, Ag, and Au surfaces and clusters. Propylene oxidation pathways on other relevant metal surfaces will also be discussed. The combined experimental and computational studies elucidate the nature of surface oxygen species and the role of the oxametallacycle intermediate. We conclude by highlighting design principles and insights for guiding further development of active and selective propylene epoxidation catalysts.
Does Corporate Culture Impact Tax Behavior: Machine Learning Approach

This study investigates whether corporate culture of a firm impacts its tax shelter behavior. We use novel machine learning methodology to measure corporate culture of a firm. The analyses show that firms with stronger corporate culture are more likely to engage in tax shelter behavior and extent of such behavior is greater in these firms. The findings also suggest that firms with stronger corporate culture engage in greater tax avoidance, which is a less controversial corporate behavior compared to tax shelter activities. The results continue to hold when we implement battery of tests to address endogeneity issues (e.g., two-stage least squares methodology and difference-in-difference analysis). Finally, we determine that engaging in tax shelter behavior as a result of stronger corporate culture increases a firm’s after-tax earnings in future periods.
Mobile Unilateral Hip Flexion Exosuit Assistance for Overground Walking in Individuals Post-Stroke: A Case Series

Stroke is a leading medical issue that can impact the person’s ability to walk effectively. There is limited research into the design and biomechanical response for exosuits that assist more proximal joints such as the hip. For this case series, three subjects with chronic stroke participated in a single-session study to evaluate hip flexion exosuit assistance in overground walking. We iteratively tuned the unilateral hip flexion assistance profiles in overground gait. Compared to the initial unpowered baseline, walking speed at the end of tuning and with the device powered increased for 2 of 3 individuals and on average by 0.16 m s\(^{-1}\). We then compared powered versus unpowered overground walking during a 5 min evaluation period. Circumduction was reduced by 9 \(\pm 1\) mm and cost of transport was reduced by 8.6 \(\pm 1.7\)% for the 3 participants.
America's Big League National Monuments: Can President Trump Make Them Smaller?

This article provides the history of presidents reducing national monuments and examines whether this history provides President Trump with the authority to reduce Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments.
On the Theory of Gene-Culture Co-Evolution in a Variable Environment

Publisher Summary While some social scientists have appreciated the interactions between genetic and cultural evolution, the genetical evolution of behavior and the cultural evolution of human societies have been, for the most part, treated as distinct fields of inquiry. In their recent book Genes, Mind, and Culture, Charles Lumsden and E. O. Wilson argue that genetic and cultural evolution are tightly coupled one to another. The basic premise of Lumsden and Wilson's argument is both simple and compelling. An individual's chances of survival and reproduction depend on his or her behavior, but the decision to adopt one behavior or another is influenced by both the individual's genotype and by his or her social environment. Thus, the social environment influences the relative Darwinian fitness of individuals and, thereby, influences the course of genetic evolution. The Lumsden and Wilson model is analyzed in the chapter by considering three shortcomings of their model of gene-culture co-evolution: (1) the gene-culture co-evolution model is complex, (2) Lumsden and Wilson consider gene-cultural co-evolution only in a constant environment where a particular behavior always has the same fitness consequences, and (3) Lumsden and Wilson consider only the situation where an individual's decision to adopt one behavior or another is influenced by the relative numbers of behavior users in the social environment and not at all by the relative success of individuals that adopt different behaviors.
Superoxide production by phagocytes. Another look at the effect of cytochrome c on oxygen uptake by stimulated neutrophils.

Abstract The widely held view that stimulated phagocytes liberate O 2 − into the extracellular medium is supported by the alterations in oxygen uptake which occur when ferricytochrome c is added to a suspension of zymosan-treated neutrophils. An explanation consistent with this view is provided for some previously reported results ( FEBS Lett . 100 , 27) which initially appeared to conflict with the notion that O 2 − is released by phagocytes.
Recent ideas on the calculation of lepton anomalous magnetic moments

We discuss the recent claim [G. Mishima, arXiv:1311.7109; M. Fael and M. Passera, arXiv:1402.1575 [Phys. Rev. D (to be published)]] about discovery of a nonperturbative quantum-electrodynamic contribution of order $(\ensuremath{\alpha}/\ensuremath{\pi}{)}^{5}$ to lepton anomalous magnetic moments. We explain why this nonperturbative correction does not exist.
Recent Agent-Athlete Scandals Spur Regulatory Action

This paper discusses the nexis of athlete agent regulation in the United States and assesses the shortcomings related to regulation and enforcement. A majority of states have agent regulation laws, most modeled after the Uniform Athlete Agent Act, yet these laws are rarely enforced and threaten only minor penalties for violation. Texas legislators are looking to increase penalties for violators, but a lack of resources will continue to challenge enforcement efforts.
The Best Bid and Offer: A Short Note on Programs and Practices

This note describes how to determine the best bid and offer (BBO) from the NYSE’s monthly TAQ data, the source that underlies most academic research. At a given point in time the best bid is the maximum bid, taken over the set of current bids posted by all venues. This value persists until one of the bids posted by any of the venues changes. Then the maximum is recomputed. The best offer is computed in a similar fashion. This differs significantly, however, from the BBO defined and computed in Wharton Research Data System (WRDS) documentation and sample programs distributed prior to October 2010. Furthermore, the BBO calculation relies on correct ordering of the quote records. Incorrect sequencing within a reporting exchange’s records is much more serious than incorrect sequencing between exchanges. This note explains these problems and makes some summary recommendations.
Abstract W P10: Lower Intraprocedural Mean Arterial Pressure Predicts Good Outcome and Lower Mortality in Patients Undergoing Endovascular Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: Several factors influence the outcome of patients who undergo intra-arterial therapy (IAT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The influence of intra-procedural hemodynamics on functional outcome and mortality has not been studied. There is no data to guide intraprocedural blood pressure (BP) management and it is unknown whether systolic, diastolic, or mean arterial pressure (MAP) is important for determining outcomes. Methods: Retrospective study of patents that underwent IAT for anterior circulation AIS between 1/08- 12/12 was conducted. Detailed intra-procedural hemodynamics, demographics, NIH stroke scale score, IV tPA use, thrombus location, recanalization grade, intracranial hemorrhage were collected. Outcomes measured were in-hospital mortality and 30-day good outcome defined as modified Rankin Scale score of 0-2. Successful recanalization was defined as TICI 2b-3 and ICH was classified into parenchymal hematoma (PH1+2) and hemorrhagic infarction (HI 1+ 2). Results: The cohort in the analysis consisted of 190 patients (56% females, mean age 67 + 15 years). Thirty-six (19%) patients died in-hospital, and 25 (17%) achieved an mRS 0-2. Intra-procedural maximum systolic BP (SBP) and maximum MAP were significantly lower in the good outcome group (Table 1). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, maximum MAP was an independent predictor of good outcomes along with baseline CT ASPECTS score, and successful recanalization. Maximum MAP was also an independent predictor of mortality along with age and presence of PH 1+2 ICH. Conclusions: Maximum intraprocedural MAP was an independent predictor of good outcome and mortality in in patients undergoing IAT for AIS. This results may have implications for intraprocedural BP management. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Interaction of oxygen and copper on a W(110) surface: I. Segregation

Abstract The interaction of Cu and O adsorbed on a W(110) surface has been studied by Auger, XPS, LEED, TPD, and work function measurements. Regardless of the adsorption sequence there is segregation of Cu and O after heating to 800 K with 0 forming a p(1 × 1) layer. There is no oxygen under the Cu islands, which can reach heights of 50–100 Cu layers. The sum of θ o and θ cu (the latter referring to the fraction of surface covered by Cu islands after segregation) is ~ 0.77–0.85 and it could be shown that 1.33θ o + 1.1θ cu = 1 over a wide range of θ o and θ Cu , implying that each component has its own dead zone, proportional to its coverage. Arguments are presented to show that this probably does not correspond to a constant fraction of vacancies in the oxygen and Cu layers, but is driven by O-Cu repulsions. Possible explanations for the proportionality of dead zone areas to O and Cu coverages are given. The energetics of segregation are discussed and it is concluded that O decreases the binding energy of Cu on W(110) by 0.3–0.4 eV, and that this effective repulsion drives the segregation.
Annealing characteristics of radiation induced leakage in SOS MOSFETs

Recently, material procurement specifications for controlling and minimizing radiation induced leakage of integrated circuits in silicon-on-sapphire have been explored. It was demonstrated in some optimized SOS material fabrication conditions that a significant reduction in radiation induced leakage in SOS CMOS devices and circuits can be achieved at the price of somewhat reduced channel mobility and increased pre-radiation leakage levels. However, the understanding of reduction mechanisms in the radiation induced leakage is still lacking. In order to gain understanding of this phenomenon, the annealing behavior of the radiation induced leakage in SOS with new procurement specifications is investigated in this work. Based on the annealing results, a potential rad-hard method of low-temperature short-cycle annealing is proposed to cure radiation induced damage for further radiation hardening in space electronics applications. >
Adtributor: revenue debugging in advertising systems

Advertising (ad) revenue plays a vital role in supporting free websites. When the revenue dips or increases sharply, ad system operators must find and fix the root-cause if actionable, for example, by optimizing infrastructure performance. Such revenue debugging is analogous to diagnosis and root-cause analysis in the systems literature but is more general. Failure of infrastructure elements is only one potential cause; a host of other dimensions (e.g., advertiser, device type) can be sources of potential causes. Further, the problem is complicated by derived measures such as costs-per-click that are also tracked along with revenue.Our paper takes the first systematic look at revenue debugging. Using the concepts of explanatory power, succinctness, and surprise, we propose a new multi-dimensional root-cause algorithm for fundamental and derived measures of ad systems to identify the dimension mostly likely to blame. Further, we implement the attribution algorithm and a visualization interface in a tool called the Adtributor to help troubleshooters quickly identify potential causes. Based on several case studies on a very large ad system and extensive evaluation, we show that the Adtributor has an accuracy of over 95% and helps cut down troubleshooting time by an order of magnitude.
Exciton and biexciton signatures in the femtosecond transient absorption of phenylene-based polymers and oligomers

The photophysics of conducting polymers from the poly(para-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) family are studied using femtosecond (fs) transient absorption (TA) to address several issues: what are the primary photoexcitations; how do they interact under high excitation; what are the signatures of biexcitons? We have measured solutions and films of the PPV oligomer MEH-DSB, and several soluble PPV derivatives, with similar results. MEH-DSB results are representative of the entire family. The fs differential transmission (DT) spectra of MEH-DSB show: (1) a positive band due to stimulated emission (SE) around 2.4 eV; (2) a photoinduced absorption (PA) band extending from 1.3-2.0 eV. In solutions at low intensities, both features show exponential decay, indicating that both originate from singlet excitons. In films, the decay is much faster and strongly nonexponential, with a second PA band at /spl sim/1.8 eV. The 1.4-eV band (PA/sub 1/) shows pronounced intensity-dependent dynamics, while PA/sub 2/ exhibits slower pump-independent decay, indicating the creation of two species. The matching PA/sub 1/ and SE features both arise from singlet excitons. We assign PA/sub 2/ to interchain excitons (geminate electron-hole pairs on adjacent chains).
A biogenic-chemical stratified lake model for the origin of oil shale of the Green River Formation: An alternative to the playa-lake model

A model is proposed which involves biogenic Mg enrichment, a stratified lake environment, and authigenic growth of minerals that led to the development of oil shale in the lacustrine Green River Formation. The chemistry and mineralogy of Ca-Mg-Fe carbonates and other minerals in oil shale are consistent with an authigenic origin. The higher content of magnesium with respect to calcium in kerogen-rich rocks is probably due to the preferential concentration of magnesium with respect to calcium by blue-green algae whose remains released these cations after accumulation on the lake bottom. These elements were available for incorporation in Ca-Mg-Fe carbonates which crystallized in lake-bottom muds, while degradation of admixed algal material led to the development of kerogen. In modern lacustrine environments, primary and secondary Ca-Mg-Fe carbonate development and stability in terms of geologic time are consistent with authigenic development of the Ca-Mg-Fe carbonates present in Green River Formation oil shale. Iron is a significant component of these rhombohedral carbonate assemblages in oil shale, and thus it limits interpretations of origin of oil shale in the context of CaCO 3 -MgCO 3 equilibria. The variable composition and variety of Ca-Mg-Fe carbonates in oil shale also prohibits interpretations in terms of CaCO 3 -MgCO 3 equilibrium diagrams. Similarly, inferences regarding the chemical composition and structure of these carbonates lead to misinterpretations due either to the lack of adequate chemical data or to misunderstanding of crystallographic parameters. Greater amounts of mineral matter in time-stratigraphic intervals in the depositional center of the Piceance Creek basin, compared to the basin margins, suggest strongly that authigenic mineral development is more important than detrital accumulation of minerals in the richer oil-shale sequences. Systematic consideration of all of the arguments developed to promote the playa-lake model to explain the chemical, mineralogical, and geologic aspects of Green River Formation oil shale leads to the conclusion that the biogenic-chemical model proposed here is more appropriate than a strictly chemical model, because the playa-lake model so far does not consider the influence of any biogenic factors.
Characterizing the size, shape, and compactness of a polydisperse prolate ellipsoidal particle via quadruple-detector hydrodynamic chromatography

A detailed quantitative description of particle size, shape, and their distributions is essential for understanding and optimization of the solid-, solution-, and melt-state properties of materials. Here, we employ quadruple-detector hydrodynamic chromatography (HDC) with multi-angle static light scattering, quasi-elastic light scattering, differential viscometry, and differential refractometry detection as a method for characterizing three important physical properties of materials, namely the molar mass, size, and shape of a polydisperse, non-spherical colloidal silica sample. These properties and their distributions were measured continuously across the HDC elution profile of the sample. By combining information from the various parameters determined, we were also able to obtain quantitative knowledge regarding the compactness or denseness of the sample. The applicability of multi-detector HDC to characterize polydisperse, non-spherical analytes was shown to be rapid, accurate, and precise. An advantage over traditional characterization methods is the ability of multi-detector HDC to determine particle size, shape, compactness, and their distributions simultaneously in a single analysis.