cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A digit serial algorithm for the integer power operation

We introduce a right-to-left digit serial algorithm for the integer power operation xy where x and y are positive integers. For n-bit words the algorithm utilizes o(n) additions and does not require use of a multiplier. We describe a hardware implementation and evaluate the effectiveness employing a Synopsys tool set with a standard cell implementation. Out digit serial algorithm compares favorably with a popular iterative square and multiply algorithm implemented with the same tool set.
Exotic Behavior in Quantum Dot Mode-Locked Lasers: Dark Pulses and Bistability

Passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers with self-assembled quantum dot active regions can be operated in exotic output modes, stabilized by the complex gain and absorption dynamics inherent in these structures. One such device emits dark pulses—sharp dips on an otherwise stable continuous wave background—in an extended cavity design. We show that a dark pulse train is a solution to the master equation for mode-locked lasers and perform numerical modeling to test the stability of such a solution. A separate, monolithic design displays wavelength bistability and can be electrically switched between these two modes within just a few cavity round trips. This device can be made to switch between two stable wavelengths separated by just 7 nm up to over 40 nm with a contrast ratio of over 40 dB.
The Terrorist Event

In his article "The Terrorist Event," Bill Nichols examines how the U.S. media attempted to make meaning of the events of 9/11. How were news anchors and producers to explain an event that escaped their comprehension? Without context or historical equivalence in the U.S., news outlets groped for a narrative in which to frame the event even if that meant creating the meaning themselves. In their attempt to create meaning, what sorts of fetishes and fantasies did they draw-on and in turn create? The result is that the U.S. excuses itself from its own past and future barbarism as it sets a course, "under the banner of 11 September," as the "crusading force of Good at war with the terrifying face of Evil." Nichols focuses in his essay on the role that the media played in shaping public consciousness of the terrorist attacks. Most importantly, he analyzes the role that the media plays in ratifying certain narrative tropes used to define extraordinary events. Bill Nichols, "The Terrorist Event" page 2 of 12 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 9.1 (2007): Thematic Issue, Representing Humanity in an Age of Terror. Ed. Sophia A. McClennen and Henry James Morello
Tax Policy Under Keeping Up with the Joneses and Imperfect Competition

Department of Economics, University of California, Riverside, U.S.A.E-mail: guojt@ucr.eduThis paper examines the optimal (ﬁrst-best) ﬁscal policy in a stochastic,inﬁnite-horizon representative agent model that exhibits a “keeping up withthe Joneses” utility function and imperfectly competitive product markets. Weﬁnd that the optimal labor tax is a constant, whose sign is determined by therelative strength of consumption externality and monopoly power. Moreover,the optimal capital tax is unambiguously negative and aﬀects the economycountercyclically. Our analysis shows that models with capital accumulation,imperfect competition, and “keeping up with the Joneses” preferences callfor traditional Keynesian demand-management policies that are designed tomitigate business cycle ﬂuctuations.
Is p16INK4a protein expression in oral ST lesions a reliable precancerous marker

Abstract This study correlates the expression of p16 INK4a and p53 with the detection of high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) in three clinical grades of smokeless tobacco keratosis (STK) as compared with patients without a history of smokeless tobacco use. Tissue samples, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were evaluated for the expression of p16 INK4a and p53 by indirect immunohistochemical methods using commercially obtained antibodies. HPV DNA analysis was performed using consensus sequence polymerase chain reaction (PCR). At least focal p16 INK4a expression was detected in Grade I, II and III STK, SCC and control samples of alveolar ridge keratoses (ARK). p16 INK4a expression in STK and in ARK was typically weak but was relatively strong in all SCC. Strong p53 nuclear staining was detected in STK, SCC and ARK. HPV DNA was detected in Grade I, II and III STK, SCC and ARK, but did not correlate with p16 INK4a expression. p16 INK4a distribution did not correlate with STK grade and does not appear to be related to the detection of HPV DNA by PCR in either STK or in SCC. There is an apparent relationship between the grade of STK and the presence of HPV. HPV was rarely detected in high-grade lesions.
Distributed routing in computer communication networks

This paper considers a class of simple distributed shortest-path routing algorithms first introduced in the ARPA Network with convergence for fixed cost functions proven by W.D. Tajibnapis. The basic algorithm has since been implemented in somewhat modified form by a number of operating networks as well as in some computer communication architectures. The basic algorithm, although simple to implement, is prone to loops and utilizes O(n3) control packets during its convergence mode. A so-called Predecessor algorithm is described that retains simplicity of implementation yet reduces the incidence of loops and the number of control packets generated. Comparative theoretical studies of the two algorithms are presented for full-duplex loop networks. Comparative performance results of the two algorithms for large networks, using computer experimentation, are presented as well.
Identifying Elderly with Coping Difficulties after Two Years of Bereavement

This study answers three research questions. First, what proportion of the elderly are experiencing major coping difficulties after two years of bereavement? Second, what factors in early bereavement distinguish between those with difficulties and the others? Third, what set of factors are the best predictors of coping difficulties at two years? Of the 138 persons who completed a two-year longitudinal study of bereavement, twenty-five (18%) were found to be having difficulties after two years according to a scale which combined perceived stress, coping, and depression. The poor copers did not differ from the others with respect to any of the sociodemographic, health, or social support variables. However, those who were poor copers had lower self-esteem, experienced several feelings/behaviors with greater intensity/frequency in early bereavement. Low self-esteem, even prior to bereavement, is likely to be predictive of coping difficulties two years following the death of a spouse. Three weeks after the spo...
An improved reduction algorithm with deeply pipelined operators

Many scientific applications involve reduction or accumulation operations on sequential data streams. Examples such as matrix-vector multiplication include multiple inner product operations on different data sets. If the core operator of the reduction is deeply pipelined, which is usually the case, dependencies between the input data cause data hazards in the pipeline and ask for a proper design. In this paper, we propose a modified design of the reduction operation based on Sips and Lin's method. We analyze the performance of the proposed design to prove the correctness of the timing and demonstrate its performance against previous methods.
Contributions of Matrix Metalloproteinases to Neural Plasticity, Habituation, Associative Learning and Drug Addiction

The premise of this paper is that increased expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) permits the reconfiguration of synaptic connections (i.e., neural plasticity) by degrading cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) designed to provide stability to those extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that form scaffolding supporting neurons and glia. It is presumed that while these ECM proteins are weakened, and/or detached, synaptic connections can form resulting in new neural pathways. Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are designed to deactivate MMPs permitting the reestablishment of CAMs, thus returning the system to a reasonably fixed state. This review considers available findings concerning the roles of MMPs and TIMPs in reorganizing ECM proteins thus facilitating the neural plasticity underlying long-term potentiation (LTP), habituation, and associative learning. We conclude with a consideration of the influence of these phenomena on drug addiction, given that these same processes may be instrumental in the formation of addiction and subsequent relapse. However, our knowledge concerning the precise spatial and temporal relationships among the mechanisms of neural plasticity, habituation, associative learning, and memory consolidation is far from complete and the possibility that these phenomena mediate drug addiction is a new direction of research.
Real-Time Evaluation of Patient Monitoring Algorithms for Critical Care at the Bedside

Rapid interpretation of physiological time-series data and accurate assessment of patient state are crucial to patient monitoring in critical care. Algorithms that use artificial intelligence techniques have the potential to help achieve these tasks, but their development requires well- annotated patient data. In this study, we designed a data acquisition system for synchronized collection of physiological time-series data and clinical event annotations at the bedside to support the evaluation of alarm algorithms in real time, and implemented this system in a pediatric intensive care unit (ICU). This system captured vital sign measurements at 1 Hz and 325 clinical alarms generated by the bedside monitor and the 2 instances of false negatives during a monitoring period of 196 hours. The alarm annotations in real time at the bedside indicate that about 89% of these alarms were clinically-relevant true positives; 6% were true positives without clinical relevance; and 5% were false positives. These findings show an improved specificity of the alarm algorithms in the newer generation of bedside monitoring systems and demonstrate that the designed data acquisition system enables real-time evaluation of patient monitoring algorithms for critical care.
Helix Interaction Tool (HIT): a web-based tool for analysis of helix-helix interactions in proteins

Motivation: In many proteins, helix--helix interactions can be critical to establishing protein conformation (folding) and dynamics, as well as determining associations between protein units. However, the determination of a set of rules that guide helix--helix interaction has been elusive. In order to gain further insight into the helix--helix interface, we have developed a comprehensive package of tools for analyzing helix--helix packing in proteins. These tools are available at http://helix.gersteinlab.org. They include quantitative measures of the helix interaction surface area and helix crossing angle, as well as several methods for visualizing the helical interaction. These methods can be used for analysis of individual protein conformations or to gain insight into dynamic changes in helix interactions. For the latter purpose, a direct interface from entries in the Molecular Motions Database to the HIT site has been provided. Contact: Mark.Gerstein@yale.edu
Impact of Pretreated Switchgrass and Biomass Carbohydrates on Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405 Cellulosome Composition: A Quantitative Proteomic Analysis

Background: Economic feasibility and sustainability of lignocellulosic ethanol production requires the development of robust microorganisms that can efficiently degrade and convert plant biomass to ethanol. The anaerobic thermophilic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum is a candidate microorganism as it is capable of hydrolyzing cellulose and fermenting the hydrolysis products to ethanol and other metabolites. C. thermocellum achieves efficient cellulose hydrolysis using multiprotein extracellular enzymatic complexes, termed cellulosomes. Methodology/Principal Findings: In this study, we used quantitative proteomics (multidimensional LC-MS/MS and 15 Nmetabolic labeling) to measure relative changes in levels of cellulosomal subunit proteins (per CipA scaffoldin basis) when C. thermocellum ATCC 27405 was grown on a variety of carbon sources [dilute-acid pretreated switchgrass, cellobiose, amorphous cellulose, crystalline cellulose (Avicel) and combinations of crystalline cellulose with pectin or xylan or both]. Cellulosome samples isolated from cultures grown on these carbon sources were compared to 15 N labeled cellulosome samples isolated from crystalline cellulose-grown cultures. In total from all samples, proteomic analysis identified 59 dockerin- and 8 cohesin-module containing components, including 16 previously undetected cellulosomal subunits. Many cellulosomal components showed differential protein abundance in the presence of non-cellulose substrates in the growth medium. Cellulosome samples from amorphous cellulose, cellobiose and pretreated switchgrass-grown cultures displayed the most distinct differences in composition as compared to cellulosome samples from crystalline cellulose-grown cultures. While Glycoside Hydrolase Family 9 enzymes showed increased levels in the presence of crystalline cellulose, and pretreated switchgrass, in particular, GH5 enzymes showed increased levels in response to the presence of cellulose in general, amorphous or crystalline. Conclusions/Significance: Overall, the quantitative results suggest a coordinated substrate-specific regulation of cellulosomal subunit composition in C. thermocellum to better suit the organism’s needs for growth under different conditions. To date, this study provides the most comprehensive comparison of cellulosomal compositional changes in C. thermocellum in response to different carbon sources. Such studies are vital to engineering a strain that is best suited to grow on specific substrates of interest and provide the building blocks for constructing designer cellulosomes with tailored enzyme composition for industrial ethanol production.
Frequency stabilization of a mode-locked external cavity diode laser to a high-finesse cavity

A 17.84-cm-long Littrow external cavity diode laser at 823 nm is mode-locked by actively modulating the current at a 840.843-MHz fundamental harmonic frequency. This mode-locked external cavity di- ode laser has an overall spectral width of 0.16 nm or 71 GHz, roughly corresponding to 84 longitudinal modes, a temporal pulse width of 63 ps, and an average power of 1 mW. Using the Pound-Drever-Hall technique with both fast and slow servo corrections, this mode-locked laser is then frequency-stabilized to a 17.84-cm-long sealed optical cavity with a fi- nesse of 6000. To the author's knowledge, this is the first frequency stabilization of a mode-locked diode laser with such a high-finesse
Vietnam Outsourcing Risks Management

The exploratory qualitative research study relied on 32 available literatures from 1983 to 2008 to explore the outsourcing risk to the supply chain management infrastructure within the context of an alliance relationship in which the multinational corporation’s manufacturing is outsourced to Vietnam business partners. The paper attempted to define the impact of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ( FCPA) legislation governing the United States’ Multi National Corporations (MNC), roles of culture, ethicality, and social responsibility principles in assessing and mitigating global risks. The paper discussed ethical leadership behavior in risk management. In addition, the paper presented strategies to integrate a r elational exchange model and Cost-of-Risk Analysis (CORA) two-step process for cost-benefit evaluation for mitigating global supply chain management risks. The paper also highlighted financial risk management strategies using a net present value (NPV) of at least zero to embark on expenditure streams. Recommendations, summary and conclusion were also presented.
Usability: Making It Real from Concepts to Implementation and End-User Adoption

The goal of this chapter is to explore usability, beginning with concepts and continuing through the application of these concepts to real-world health information technology implementations. Throughout the chapter, we present examples of usability concepts in practice through a case study of designing, developing, implementing, and refining an electronic health record at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The case study presented here relates a specific implementation of a system developed in-house at an academic medical center, However, we offer the process and concepts discussed in the case as being transferable to other types of institutions and to vendor systems, as practices that extend beyond basic design principles to implementation and the outcome of usable and useful technology implementations with high rates of adoption.
Some Properties of Continuous Functions

(1952). Some Properties of Continuous Functions. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 59, No. 6, pp. 372-375.
Development of a Parametric Aortic Valve CAD Model, Fabrication of Testing Samples, and Strategy for in vitro Measurement

The creation of anatomical computer aided design (CAD) models in the effort to replicate in vivo tissue geometry has been used in order to further study the implications of diseases and flow conditions in the region of the aortic valve. With medical imaging data, (e.g. CT, MRI, ultrasound), it is possible to create a three-dimensional (3-D) anatomical model by using lofted surfaces to represent the anatomy. This method makes the model more compatible with the intended simulation and fabrication techniques. Utilizing additive manufacturing techniques, dissolvable molds were developed so that the resulting anatomical models could be cast from Sylgard 184 silicone. The custom housing for the model was developed to replicate the conditions in which the real-life version of the model would be exposed to, and create a viewing window in which this simulated model can be observed. A camera array system and LED based lighting solution has been used for the measurement of the models performance during in vitro testing. Use of MathWorks Computer System Vision Toolbox was employed to process the image data and calculate the displacement of the silicone models. A discourse on the method of creation of the model and the housing in which the model was tested will be provided. The data obtained from this simulated model will further understanding of the anatomy of biological structures and biomechanics while under the pathophysiological conditions that have resulted from the progression various diseases and surgical interventions.
Difference Between Umbrella-shaped Tower and Drum-shaped Tower of UHV AC Double-circuit Transmission Line on the Same Tower

The differences between the split umbrella-shaped tower(lengthen the lowest phase's cross arm of drum-shaped tower)and tight waist umbrella-shaped tower(shorten the middle phase's cross arm of drum-shaped tower) are investigated.It is pointed out the performance of tight waist umbrella-shaped tower is better because of better lightning protection,the lighter weight and lower field strength.The selection of the split umbrella-shaped tower or tight waist umbrella-shaped tower depends on the demand horizontal displacement distance of conductors.The vertical distance of conductors on UHV AC double-circuit transmission line on the same tower is 21 m.According to the off-ice jumping calculation and test results,we prove that the horizontal displacement distance demand of UHV AC double-circuit transmission line on the same tower is unnecessary.Tight waist umbrella-shaped tower can meet the requests of off-ice jumping.The middle phases of double-circuit transmission line are the same name phases so different distances between the middle phase conductors have less effect on the magnetic-environment.Based on the calculation results,tight waist umbrella-shaped tower can meet the requests of magnetic-environment standard.Tight waist umbrella-shaped tower has obviously advantage on lightning protection.The tight waist umbrella-shaped tower is better choice for UHV AC double-circuit transmission line on the same tower.
The “rapid two-stage” arterial switch operation

In transposition of the great arteries and intact ventricular septum (TGA/IVS), left-ventricular (LV) muscle mass is normal at birth. However, the rapidly decreasing pulmonary vascular resistance results in a drop of peak LV pressure and, consequently, decreased development of LV muscle mass. Approximately by 1 month of age, most patients with TGA/IVS have a peak LV/RV pressure ratio equal to or less than 0.6. Therefore, in patients with TGA/IVS, we prefer to perform the arterial switch operation (ASO) ideally during the first few weeks of life when the LV is still prepared to support the systemic circulation [1]. Since this is not always possible, we base our decision to do an ASO on arbitrary criteria. Before 2 weeks of age, all patients with TGA/IVS have repair regardless of preoperative hemodynamics. After 2 weeks of age, an LV/RV pressure ratio of 0.6 is accepted as the lower limit for an ASO. Helpful, but not yet absolutely defined are two-dimensional echocardiographic indices of a left ventricle suitable for ASO, including ventricular septal position, degree of LV wall-thickness, LV volume, and LV muscle mass. If the LV/RV ratio is less than 0.6, the LV must be “prepared” to assume the function of a systemic ventricle.
Incidence of abdominal wall metastases following percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement in patients with head and neck cancer.

Introduction Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes are an effective modality for enteral nutrition in patients with head and neck cancer; however, there have been documented case reports of “seeding” of the abdominal wall by the theoretic risk of dragging the tube along the tumor during PEG placement. The objective of this study is to determine the incidence and contributing risk factors leading to metastasis to the abdominal wall following PEG placement in patients with head and neck cancer.
Service Learning in Family Life Education: Incorporating High-Impact Strategies in Undergraduate Family Science Programming

Bertram and Burr begin discussion with the properties of service-learning that make it an effective practice to support student learning and support students in Family Life Education. They focus the discussion to the instructional level of planning a service-learning project highlighting the approaches of transmission, transaction, and transformation. They follow with discussion over the embedded high-impact elements such as spending time on meaningful tasks, interacting about substantive matters, experiencing diversity, application of activities to different settings on/off campus. The authors conclude that students’ awareness of community needs may increase as an outcome of service learning and can help them be more prepared to plan effective programming as Family Life Educators as well as provide an opportunity where students gain professional skills and knowledge and experience personal growth.
The power and the pain of adolescents’ digital communication: Cyber victimization and the perils of lurking.

Many adolescents are heavily engaged with social media and text messaging (George & Odgers, 2015; Lenhart, 2015), yet few psychologists have studied what digital communication means for adolescents' relationships and adjustment. This article proposes that psychologists should embrace the careful study of adolescents' digital communication. We discuss theoretical frameworks for understanding adolescents' involvement with social media, present less widely recognized perils of intense involvement with social media, and highlight positive features of digital communication. Coconstruction theory suggests that adolescents help to create the content of digital communication that shapes their lives, and that there may be strong continuity between adolescents' offline and online lives (Subrahmanyam, Smahel, & Greenfield, 2006). However, psychological theories and research methods could further illuminate the power and the pain of adolescents' digital communication. Psychologists need to understand more about subtle but potentially serious risks that adolescents might face: The agony of victimization by even a single episode of cyberbullying and the pain of social exclusion and comparison resulting from vast amounts of time reading large social media feeds and seeing friends doing things without you and comparing your inner emotional experience to everyone else's highly groomed depictions of their seemingly marvelous lives. If we seek to understand developmental psychopathology and to help youth at risk, psychologists need to embrace careful study of the content of adolescents' online communication, parents need to talk with their children about their own online experiences and become familiar with social media themselves, and clinicians need to address adolescents' online social lives in prevention and treatment programs. (PsycINFO Database Record
Drawing Algeria into Europe: shifting French policy and the Treaty of Rome (1951–1964)

In France and Europe today, claims arise defining so-called Muslim and European ‘worlds’ and labelling them irreconcilable. These claims ignore the intertwined history of France and North Africa. W...
Inhibition of BRAF activity by the Raf kinase inhibitor BAY 43-9006 inhibits melanoma tumor development

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 45, 2004 3846 Activating mutations of the BRaf gene are found in >60% of human melanomas. Approximately 90% of these mutations occur in the activation segment of the kinase domain as a single base substitution. This change converts a valine to glutamic acid at codon 599 (V599E) in exon 15. This mutation leads to activation of the kinase, and is suspected of activating downstream effectors of the MAP kinase-signaling cascade leading to melanoma tumor development. In this study, we evaluated the role that the V599E BRaf mutation plays in melanoma tumor development by determining whether inhibition of V599E BRaf activity prevented melanoma tumor development. We used siRNA targeted against BRaf or a Raf kinase inhibitor (BAY 43-9006) to reduce expression or activity in our melanoma xenograft tumor model. SiRNA targeting of BRaf in melanoma cells expressing V599E BRaf, reduced activity of the MAP kinase-signaling cascade in culture and inhibited tumor development in animals. In contrast, siRNA against CRaf or laminin had a negligible effect on tumor development. Furthermore, treatment with BAY 43-9006 also inhibited tumor development in a dose-dependent manner. The effects of BAY 43-9006 were measured on cellular proliferation, apoptosis and vascular development in temporally and spatially matched tumors using BRDU staining, a TUNEL assay and CD31 staining, respectively. Compared to controls, tumors in mice treated with BAY 43-9006 showed a significant decrease in vascular development and an increase in apoptosis. To confirm this mechanism of action of BAY 43-9006 we analyzed the tumors at several sequential time points after administration of the drug and the results strongly suggest that the increase in apoptotic rates was a consequence of inhibition of angiogenesis. Thus, BRaf is a vital therapeutic target in melanoma tumor development and BAY 43-9006 may be a useful therapeutic drug for the treatment of this cancer.
Meta-analyses in sales research

Meta-analytic inquiries enable researchers to synthesize empirical findings obtained over the evolution of a topic area and identify boundary conditions affecting the associations of key variables. Sales researchers can employ meta-analytic techniques to amalgamate empirical work conducted in a given topic area, and several sales researchers have effectively used meta-analyses to advance our understanding of the field. This article provides an exposition of this research design by analyzing its application in sales research. The authors review the meta-analytic studies in sales research and advance key considerations in topical foci, article selection, data coding and evaluation, and analytic approaches. An empirical example is provided to illustrate the power of meta-analysis in substantiating or refuting findings that diverge from accumulated insight in sales research. Results provide support for a positive effort–job satisfaction association in contrast to findings evidencing a negative association bet...
Estrogenic regulation of memory consolidation: A look beyond the hippocampus, ovaries, and females

The potent estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2) has long been known to regulate the hippocampus and hippocampal-dependent memories in females, and research from the past decade has begun to shed light on the molecular mechanisms through which E2 mediates memory formation in females. Although E2 can also regulate hippocampal function in males, relatively little is known about how E2 influences memory formation in males, or whether sex differences in underlying mechanisms exist. This review, based on a talk given in April 2017 at the American University symposium entitled, "Sex Differences: From Neuroscience to the Clinic and Beyond", first provides an overview of the molecular mechanisms in the dorsal hippocampus through which E2 enhances memory consolidation in ovariectomized female mice. Next, newer research is described demonstrating key roles for the prefrontal cortex and de novo hippocampal E2 synthesis to the memory-enhancing effects of E2 in females. The review then discusses the effects of de novo and exogenous E2 on hippocampal memory consolidation in both sexes, and putative sex differences in the underlying molecular mechanisms through which E2 enhances memory formation. The review concludes by discussing the importance and implications of sex differences in the molecular mechanisms underlying E2-induced memory consolidation for human health.
Standardizing Sustainable Development: A Comparison of Development Banks in the Americas

There is a sense of urgency in emerging market and developing countries in general, and Latin America in particular, for international development banks to generate a pipeline of infrastructure pro...
Neoadjuvant randomized trial of degarelix (Deg) ± cyclophosphamide/GVAX (Cy/GVAX) in men with high-risk prostate cancer (PCa) undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP).

5077Background: GVAX-Prostate is a GM-CSF–secreting allogeneic cellular vaccine, whose immunogenicity may be enhanced by androgen ablation as well as low-dose Cy. We conducted a neoadjuvant immunol...
Integrating Components, Contracts, and Reasoning in CS Curricula with RESOLVE: Experiences at Multiple Institutions

Analytical reasoning is central to code correctness, and every computer science curriculum aims to teach students how to achieve this objective in one form or another. With the acceptance of object-based computing and component-based software engineering, the need for analytical reasoning that is based on formal contracts to establish correctness of software across module boundaries has become ever more obvious. Yet there are few institutions that have integrated modular, analytical reasoning principles into their undergraduate curriculum. Among many reasons for this shortcoming are: the effort it takes overloaded faculty to integrate new ideas of any kind in their courses, the challenge of institutionalizing ideas within a specific context, and constraints of a particular college. This paper presents our experiences over nearly two decades at five different institutions with the hope that they will serve as useful curriculum examples for like-minded educators at other institutions.
Training the Butterflies to Fly in Formation: Cataloguing Student Fears about Public Speaking.

ABSTRACTThis study catalogues student (N = 828) self-described fears related to public speaking. Specifically, this investigation adds to the knowledge of public speaking anxiety through an initial inductive analysis of students’ fears about public speaking and a second analysis (of different data) to authenticate emergent categories. Resulting categories included both internal and external fears about public speaking, providing meaningful implications for teaching and learning within the introductory communication course.
Assessing Curriculum Efficiency Through Monte Carlo Simulation

A Monte Carlo algorithm is designed to predict the average time to graduate by enrolling virtual students in a degree plan. The algorithm can be used to improve graduation rates by identifying bott...
2B or Not 2B

Behavior is complex in origin but individual genetic variants have been identified that alter human behavior. A stop codon in the HTR2B receptor for serotonin, an inhibitory brain neurotransmitter, is relatively common in Finland, but apparently only found in that population. The genetic variant can lead to severely impulsive behavior, including impulsive murders. It does so only in combination with other factors.
Unruptured intracranial aneurysms in patients over 80 years: natural history and management implications

Patients over the age of 80 years when diagnosed with an unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA) pose unique decision-making challenges due to shortened life-expectancy and increased risk of treatment. Thus, we investigated the risk of rupture and survival of a consecutive series of patients who were diagnosed with an UIA after the age of 80 years. Data of consecutive patients with an UIA were reviewed, and patients were included in our study if they were first evaluated for a UIA by the senior author during their ninth decade of life. Outcomes were aneurysm rupture and overall survival after diagnosis. Survival was estimated from a Kaplan-Meier survival curve. Incidence of risk factors was compared to a population of patients less than 65 years who were seen by the senior author over the same time period. Eighty-three patients who were over 80 years when diagnosed with a UIA were included in this study. In our population, there is a risk of rupture of 3.2% per patient-year. One-, three-, and five-year survival rates for our population were estimated to be 92, 64, and 35%, respectively. When compared to patients under 65 years diagnosed with a UIA, “over 80” patients had a significantly higher incidence of hypertension, and a significantly lower incidence of smoking history and familial aneurysm history. In our study population, UIAs greater than 7 mm carry a non-negligible risk of rupture of 3.2% per patient-year, and further studies investigating the risk-to-benefit ratio of treatment in this population are warranted.
Schwarz—Christoffel Integrals

In practical applications of conformal mapping of a standard region (the half—plane or the unit disk) onto a problem region which is in the form of a polygon, it becomes necessary to determine approximately the (2n + 2) parameters al,…, an, x1,…, x n , and the constants A and B that appear in the Schwarz—Christoffel formula (2.3.1). Evaluation of these quantities is known as the parameter problem. We have seen in case studies in §2.3 that the mapping functions obtained by using the Schwarz—Christoffel formula involve certain improper integrals which are known as Schwarz—Christoffel integrals. We shall discuss methods for numerical solution of these integrals and present Newton’s method for the general case of mapping the upper half—plane onto a quadrilateral.
An efficient robot planner which generates its own procedures

LAWALY is a LISP program which solves robot planning problems. Given an axiomatic description of its capabilities in some world, she generates her own procedures to embody these capabilities. She executes these procedures to solve specific tasks in the world. Hierarchies of subtasks guide the search for a solution. In sufficiently large worlds, LAWALY has routinely solved tasks requiring several hundred steps without needing to learn from previous tasks. The times to solution grow usually about linearly with the number of steps in the solution. LAWALY is extensively compared to another robot planner based on a theorem prover.
PEDIATRIC EPILEPSY | Cortical Dysplasia and Catastrophic Epilepsies of Childhood

Catastrophic epilepsies of childhood (CEC) are a class of disorders distinguished not by a common etiology or seizure semiology, but by the early age of occurrence, the severity and frequency of the seizures themselves, and a frequent association with mental retardation. If seizures cannot be controlled, the ultimate impact of CEC on development is often devastating. Although a variety of etiologies contribute to CEC, malformations of cortical development, including cortical dysplasia, form the pathological substrate in a significant number of cases. For this reason, our laboratory has tried to better understand the relationship between cortical dysplasia and epilepsy in an animal model, in utero irradiation in rats. Although we have found a number of cortical abnormalities in this model, the most striking alterations involve impaired development of the cortical interneurons. We hypothesize that this impaired inhibition may be a critical link between abnormal cortical development and seizures in some types of human epilepsy.
The use of EQUIL 2 in the clinical management of patients with stones

Current data support the concept that the formation of stones within the urinary tract are due to multiple factors. These include solute excess, supersaturation for the precipitating crystalline phase, matrix, inhibitors of crystal formation, heterogeneous nucleation, site of crystal formation and retention, phase transformation, infection and obstruction (1). Since supersaturation for the precipitating crystalline phase must always be present, and current forms of therapy, at least in part, are effective by reducing this supersaturation, the relative supersaturation ratio which takes into account a number of urinary components and their relationships has been used both clinically and experimentally by some workers (2,3). We have recently described a modified version of the FORTRAN program EQUIL that calculates the supersaturation in urine for the important mineral components in kidney stones (4). This program is written in BASIC language making it usable on most of the small, inexpensive microcomputers currently available as well as minicomputers and mainframes. In this presentation, application of EQUIL 2 in the evaluation and treatment of patients with calculus formation within the urinary tract will be discussed. The method of computation makes use of thermodynamic stability constants to calculate free ion activities for urinary ions. These free ions activities are used to calculate supersaturation ratio for the various solid phases. Input including urine pH and total concentrations in moles per liter of sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphate, sulfate, oxalate, citrate, urate, ammonia, CO2 content and pyrophosphate are needed.
Building Healthy Communities: Creating Policy to Sustain Health-Related School Change

Many organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Academies of Science have called on schools to address childhood obesity and provide more opportunities for children to be active and eat healthier. This study discusses the impact that one comprehensive school program, Building Healthy Communities (BHC), had on school policy across 40 Midwest elementary schools. The study aim was to assess elementary schools that participated in the BHC whole-of-school intervention and examine the policy changes that took place during the year-long intervention, as well as proposed changes made as part of a sustainability plan. Findings indicated that evidenced-based tools can spur awareness of the need for health-based school change among administration, which in turn can prompt the adoption of school-level adherence policies. The intersection between school-based health policy and community-based youth programs is explored as an important part of comprehensive youth health promotion.
Association of outcomes and co-occuring genomic alterations in patients with KRAS-mutant non-small cell lung cancer.

9019Background: KRAS mutations define the largest subset of oncogene-driven lung cancers (~25%). Patients with KRAS-mutant lung cancers have a heterogeneous clinical course. The pattern of co-occur...
Total artificial heart implantation as a bridge to transplantation: a viable model for the future?

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Since the first total artificial heart (TAH) surgery in a human patient performed in 1969, over 1300 devices have been implanted worldwide. Patients are benefiting from increa...
Abstract 075: Does the Benefit From Treating to Blood Pressure Targets Vary With Age?

Hypertension guidelines differ regarding how blood pressure targets vary with age. Crucial to this debate is how the benefit of treatment might vary with age. Therefore, a systematic search was con...
Probabilistic Power Flow Analysis based on the Adaptive Polynomial Chaos-ANOVA Method

While the conventional generalized polynomial chaos method exhibits excellent computational efficiency and accuracy in the probabilistic power flow calculations applied to medium-size power systems, it suffers from the curse of dimensionality when applied to large-scale systems and is limited to standard probability distributions assumed for the input variables. In this paper, we propose to adaptively reduce the dimension and thereby, to significantly speed up the calculations of the generalized polynomial chaos method via the ANOVA decomposition. We also propose to make use of the Steltijes’ procedure so that any probability distribution may be assumed for the input random variables. Simulation results carry out on the IEEE 118-bus system provided with correlated power generation outputs from renewable energy resources show that our proposed method outperforms the conventional generalized polynomial chaos technique and the Monte Carlo method.
Undocumented and Unafraid: Resilience Under Forced Separation and Threat of Deportation

In this chapter, we share our Spanish-language work with undocumented immigrants and their families within the context of the Texas-Mexican border. We include the historical and legal contexts of immigration in the United States as well as the role of mental health workers in biopsychosocial evaluations. We present two cases of our therapy work with excerpts from the session transcripts. Additionally, we explain our theoretical orientation of strengths-based brief therapy as it applies to our work with immigration clients. The first case presentation shows the benefit of strengths-based family therapy when a family member is deported. In the second case presentation, we share how letter writing in a single therapy session successfully addressed severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for an undocumented woman seeking a trafficking visa. Furthermore, we highlight the benefit of considering posttraumatic growth when working with themes of immigration and how our local work in Texas is relevant to the wider global context. We end our chapter with practical implications for clinicians interested in this work.
Autogestão in an era of mass social housing: the case of Brazil’s Minha Casa Minha Vida-Entidades Programme

Although Brazilian housing policy has historically focused upon upgrading and regenerating informal settlements, (urbanizacao), since 2009 the prioritisation of mass housing has led to social exclu...
Pre- and Postnatal Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Concentrations in Relation to Thyroid Parameters Measured During Early Childhood.

Background: Penta-brominated diphenyl ethers (PentaBDEs) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that structurally resemble thyroid hormones and were widely used as flame retardants in household consume...
Comparing Mutation Testing at the Levels of Source Code and Compiler Intermediate Representation

Mutation testing is widely used in research for evaluating the effectiveness of test suites. There are multiple mutation tools that perform mutation at different levels, including traditional mutation testing at the level of source code (SRC) and more recent mutation testing at the level of compiler intermediate representation (IR). This paper presents an extensive comparison of mutation testing at the SRC and IR levels, specifically at the C programming language and the LLVM compiler IR levels. We use a mutation testing tool called SRCIROR that implements conceptually the same mutation operators at both levels. We also employ automated techniques to account for equivalent and duplicated mutants, and to determine minimal and surface mutants. We carry out our study on 15 programs from the Coreutils library. Overall, we find mutation testing to be better at the SRC level: the SRC level produces much fewer mutants and is thus less expensive, but the SRC level still generates a similar number of minimal and surface mutants, and the mutation scores at both levels are very closely correlated. We also perform a case study on the Space program to evaluate which level's mutation score correlates better with the actual fault-detection capability of test suites sampled from Space's test pool. We find the mutation score at both levels to not be very correlated with the actual fault-detection capability of test suites.
Student perspectives on recruiting underrepresented ethnic minority students to nursing: Enhancing outreach, engaging family, and correcting misconceptions.

Abstract Background Increasing the diversity of the nursing workforce is a high priority for addressing the nursing shortage and for developing a workforce capable of meeting the cultural needs of an increasingly diverse population. The purpose of this study was to identify student perspectives on the (1) influence of family, friends and others on nursing as a career choice and (2) optimal recruitment strategies to enhance diversity in schools of nursing. Method Twenty-two diverse, underrepresented baccalaureate nursing students (including underrepresented ethnic minorities, economically disadvantaged students, and men) participated in two focus groups. Applied thematic analysis was used to organize the data and identify major themes. Results Participants perceptions involved two major thematic areas: (a) misconceptions of nursing, and (b) closing the gap, which had two sub-themes: facilitating support and encouragement and marketing nursing to younger groups. Recommendations for recruitment strategies included: providing applicants information to overcome myths and stereotypes about nursing, incorporating family members and friends into the recruitment process, highlighting nursing as a STEM field grounded in science and evidence-based practice, and engaging in outreach to educate elementary, middle, and high school students about the nursing profession. Conclusion Findings provide direction for developing programming and collaborations to enhance recruitment of underrepresented students to nursing.