cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On The Relevance And The Irrelevance Of Personal Income Taxes For The Valuation Of Equity Investments

This paper presents a comprehensive and consistent valuation approach including investor taxes (personal taxes) in addition to corporate taxes. It is shown that personal taxes do not influence the valuation result as long as the expected rate of return of an alternative investment opportunity is used as a discount rate, which is comparable in all relevant dimensions. These dimensions are the growth rates of expected cash flows, the risk associated with this growth profile, and the taxation of these cash flows relative to the taxation of potential capital gains. If, however, the alternative investment opportunity is taxed differently, e.g., by means of different tax rates to be applied or different treatment of capital gains, personal taxes become relevant. The valuation approach then has to account for the relative difference in taxation. It is shown how to modify unlevered cost of equity, cost of debt, and the weighted average cost of capital.
Seasonal Color Change in a Population of Pacific Treefrogs (Pseudacris regilla)

Seasonal changes in the frequencies of green and brown Pacific Treefrogs (Pseudacris regilla) were recorded at a site in southern California. Changes in the proportions of green and brown individuals in the population appear to track seasonal changes in the availability of green and brown background substrates. We show that the change in the frequencies of green and brown frogs is not just caused by a change in the proportion of frogs with fixed green and brown body colors but also by the ability of a newly described morph to change color. The findings add further support to the hypothesis that maintenance of this complex color polymorphism likely involves a response to seasonal change in the abundance of green foliage, perhaps driven by differential predation on green and brown frogs that are either plastic or fixed in color.
Engineer or technologist: A matter of degree? Part III: The quality of EET programs varies widely. Adherence to uniform standards will help to clarify career options and opportunities

The electrical engineering profession has come of age in a relatively short time. Just 20 years ago, work options available in electrical engineering were limited to people with bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in power, electronics, and communications.
Children’s Work and Mothers’ Work––What is the Connection?

Summary This paper examines the relationship between the employment of children and their mothers, with the aim of informing discussion on efforts to reduce child labor in Brazil. The analysis builds on the largely separate literatures on children’s time use and mothers’ work in two ways—by examining characteristics of employment which are often not available in survey data, and by modeling both children’s work and mothers’ employment. The results suggest that the relationship between children’s and mothers’ work is complex, with substantial evidence of positive correlation. The findings are consistent with the argument that anti-poverty programs that target women’s employment could result in increased child labor. This possibility warrants further analysis in order to better inform policy regarding child labor.
Educational Implications of Social Network Games

In this chapter, Baek and Choi conducted in-depth interviews and surveys of teachers who have played social network games to find why they play social network games, what the main features of social network games are and how social network games can be used in teaching and learning. Participants pointed out random events keeping them interested, their desire for progression in game and fun as the main reasons for playing social network games. The majority of participants have recognised interactivity as their preferred feature in social network games. The educational use of social network games was reported to be in collaborative learning and quest-based learning.
Factors Affecting Contralateral Breast Dose in Radiation Treatment of Breast Cancer

Materials/Methods: Recurrent or advanced breast cancer patients with contrasted CT images to cover the whole regional nodes at the time of recurrence or advanced disease staging prior to systemic therapy were eligible. The regional lymph nodes were categorized into 8 anatomical substructures: medial and lateral-supraclavicular(Sc-M, Sc-L); axilla (ALN)-I,II,III; infraclavicular (Ic); Rotter’s nodes (RN) and internal mammary nodes (IMN). Frequency of involvement and anatomical characteristics of the involved nodes on CT images were analyzed. Results: A total of 97 regional recurrent pts and 14 advanced breast cancer pts with eligible images from July 2003 to January 2009 entered current study. Within the 111 pts, 199 anatomical substructures of involved nodes were identified. The frequency of involvement includes: Sc-M: 33 (16.6%), Sc-L:21 (10.6%), ALN-I: 30 (15.1%), ALN-II: 25 (12.6%), ALN-III and Ic: 35 (17.6%), RN: 27 (13.6%), IMN: 28 (14.1%). In pts received prior axillary dissection, 67.0% (114/170) had recurrent nodes cranial to the axillary vein. With IMN involvement, 26/28 had nodes within the first 3 intercostal spaces. The average distance between the center of involved IMN and midline is 29.38 ± 6.7 mm. The average distance between the center of involved IMN and internal mammary vessels (IMV) are 6.19 ± 5.73 mm in lateral and 5.73 ± 4.56 mm in depth. The average maximum depth of involved Sc nodes is 53.19 ± 21.68 mm. Conclusions: Identification of involved regional nodes in recurrent and advanced breast cancer is beneficial for better understanding the distribution of risk area. The lymphatic structures observed in our series confirm that current target definition of regional nodes is consistent with the potential risk of regional lymphatic spread. Sc and axillary nodes cranial to the axillary vein should be considered the primary risk target as it accounts for 2/3 of the recurrent nodes. The anatomical relationship of IMN and IMV supports the use of IMV as reference in IMN delineation and 7-10 mm from the center of IMV should be regarded as adequate definition of CTV to IMN. Conventional field design is unlikely to provide sufficient dose to the entire risk region. Individual treatment planning would become feasible with increasing knowledge of natural risk of nodal involvement. Author Disclosure: J. Chen, None; C. Zhu, None; J. Chen, None; G. Cai, None; J. Ma, None; X. Guo, None.
Integrating Person-Centered and Variable-Centered Analyses: Growth Mixture Modeling With Latent Trajectory Classes

Background: Many alcohol research questions require methods that take a person-centered approach because the interest is in finding heterogeneous groups of individuals, such as those who are susceptible to alcohol dependence and those who are not. A person-centered focus also is useful with longitudinal data to represent heterogeneity in developmental trajectories. In alcohol, drug, and mental health research the recognition of heterogeneity has led to theories of multiple developmental pathways. Methods: This paper gives a brief overview of new methods that integrate variable- and person-centered analyses. Methods discussed include latent class analysis, latent transition analysis, latent class growth analysis, growth mixture modeling, and general growth mixture modeling. These methods are presented in a general latent variable modeling framework that expands traditional latent variable modeling by including not only continuous latent variables but also categorical latent variables. Results: Four examples that use the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) data are presented to illustrate latent class analysis, latent class growth analysis, growth mixture modeling, and general growth mixture modeling. Latent class analysis of antisocial behavior found four classes. Four heavy drinking trajectory classes were found. The relationship between the latent classes and background variables and consequences was studied. Conclusions: Person-centered and variable-centered analyses typically have been seen as different activities that use different types of models and software. This paper gives a brief overview of new methods that integrate variable- and person-centered analyses. The general framework makes it possible to combine these models and to study new models serving as a stimulus for asking research questions that have both person- and variable-centered aspects.
Captopril attenuates hypertension and renal injury induced by the vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor sorafenib.

Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (VEGFi) are known to cause hypertension and renal injury that severely limits their use as an anticancer therapy. We hypothesized that the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor captopril not only prevents hypertension, but also decreases renal injury caused by the VEGFi sorafenib. Rats were administered sorafenib (20 mg/kg per day) alone or in combination with captopril (40 mg/kg per day) for 4 weeks. Sorafenib administration increased blood pressure, which plateaued by day 10. Concurrent treatment with captopril for 4 weeks resulted in a 30 mmHg decrease in blood pressure compared with sorafenib alone (155 ± 5 vs 182 ± 6 mmHg, respectively; P < 0.05). Furthermore, concurrent captopril treatment reduced albuminuria by 50% compared with sorafenib alone (20 ± 8 vs 42 ± 9 mg/day, respectively; P < 0.05) and reduced nephrinuria by eightfold (280 ± 96 vs 2305 ± 665 μg/day, respectively; P < 0.05). Glomerular injury, thrombotic microangiopathy and tubular cast formation were also decreased in captopril-treated rats administered sorafenib. Renal autoregulatory efficiency was determined by evaluating the afferent arteriolar constrictor response to ATP. Sorafenib administration attenuated the vasoconstriction to ATP, whereas concurrent captopril treatment improved ATP reactivity. In conclusion, captopril attenuated hypertension and renal injury and improved renal autoregulatory capacity in rats administered sorafenib. These findings indicate that captopril treatment, in addition to alleviating the detrimental side-effect of hypertension, decreases the renal injury associated with anticancer VEGFi therapies such as sorafenib.
Molecularly Targeted Therapies in Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy that remains incurable because most patients will eventually relapse or become refractory to the treatments. Although the treatments have improved, the major problem in MM is the resistance to therapy. Novel agents are currently in development for the treatment of relapsed/refractory MM, including immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, cell signaling targeted therapies, and strategies targeting the tumor microenvironment. We have previously reviewed in detail the contemporary immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies therapies for MM. Therefore, in this review, we focused on the role of molecular targeted therapies in the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, including cell signaling targeted therapies (HDAC, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, p38 MAPK, Hsp90, Wnt, Notch, Hedgehog, and cell cycle) and strategies targeting the tumor microenvironment (hypoxia, angiogenesis, integrins, CD44, CXCR4, and selectins). Although these novel agents have improved the therapeutic outcomes for MM patients, further development of new therapeutic agents is warranted.
Toners for xerographic textile printing produced by means of thermally induced phase separation

The xerographic process is one of the digital printing technologies with a potential for textile printing. One barrier to the use of xerography for printing textiles is the lack of textile-specific toners that produce the required textile properties. Attempts have been made to produce textile-specific toners through mechanical grinding processes such as jet milling, but mechanical grinding requires that the toner resins be sufficiently brittle. In our previous work, toner compounds containing resins that are sufficiently flexible for the required textile properties could not be ground to the required particle size for xerography. In this paper, thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) is used to overcome this difficulty. Isotactic polypropylene (IPP) and poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) are converted into toners by means of TIPS. The EVA polymers meet the flexibility and colorfastness require ments of textile printing.
Habitat Use by the Federally Endangered Mitchell's Satyr Butterfly (Neonympha mitchellii mitchellii) in a Michigan Prairie Fen

Mitchell's satyr (Neonympha mitchellii mitchellii) is a restricted fen species currently listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is considered one of the rarest butterflies in North America. The objectives of this study were to estimate population size, determine distribution within the study site and characterize habitat use for this important species. A mark-release-recapture study conducted at a prairie fen in Jackson County, Michigan, yielded a total population estimate of 1106 individuals. Most N. m. mitchellii were captured at the interface of open fen or sedge meadow and tamarack/hardwood forest within 3 m of woody vegetation. Distribution of N. m. mitchellii within the fen was clumped. The longest distances flown by males and females were 511.8 m and 344.8 m, respectively. Minimum home range values were 0.22 ha for males and 0.07 ha for females. Compared with prior studies on two populations in southwestern Michigan, these individuals flew significantly farther and had much larger population and home range sizes. This new information is critical for the conservation of the species and provides evidence that individuals may be capable of dispersing to new areas if linkages exist between isolated colonies.
Real-time, ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography at 1.5 µm using a femtosecond fiber laser continuum

Ultrahigh-resolution, real-time OCT is demonstrated with ∼5.5 µm resolution in tissue at 1.4–1.7 µm wavelengths using a high-power continuum generated by a mode-locked, stretched-pulse, Er-doped fiber laser and highly nonlinear fiber.
Redefining the Typographical Architect: Analogy and Ethos for Contemporary Design Education

Education in the arts, including architectural design, works often through visual analogy. Qualities easily demonstrated in familiar contexts are shown to be the same as those in new, or unfamiliar, ones. That students can confuse similarity with identity- or that an analogy is only relevant "as far as it goes"-is generally accepted as a simple misstep, from which students learn and mature intellectually. Historian Mario Carpo has located a source of analogy's importance for European architecture in the transition from non-visual to visual imitation, effected by the introduction of mechanical reproduction at the end of the 15th century. Architects were no longer bound by the constraints of ekphrasis to learn about architecture beyond their immediate experience; architectural discourse (including its teaching) could instead proceed by direct visual example, in contrast to medieval methods of "dialogue, observation, and memory" (Carpo, 1998). What Carpo calls the "Typographical Architect" remains a prominent model for students today, but this model is increasingly challenged as other disciplines (including ecology, sociology, and communications) displace traditional subjects of study from the core of architectural education. An especially useful challenge may derive, ironically, from the very books originally responsible for the rise of the "Typographical Architect." Students' engagement with architecture can depend not only upon experiencing buildings and looking at their representations (drawings, diagrams, or photographs), but by attending to the artifacts which bear those representations. Original editions of printed treatises, written by period authors, are part of a work-based discourse independent of-but parallel to-the history of physical architecture itself. In the 21st century classroom, of course, mere printed sources can hardly compete with other media for the attention of students' visual imaginations. Rather, these books embody certain intellectual and human ethoi, which themselves point towards non-allegorical lessons about architecture. This paper argues for just such an engagement with rare books in architectural education, describes a university-level course based on this premise, and suggests criteria for its efficacy.
Mary Anne Kennedy, CCRC, on managing career turns, the value of certification, and how to improve subject safety

![Figure][1] Q: How did you first become interested in clinical research, and can you describe the career path you’ve followed? A: I became interested in research when I tried to manufacture soap in science class. I wanted to know the “what,” “how,” and “why.” After college, I
Project Memory Capture in Globally Distributed Facility Design

Computer-based design in a globally distributed multi-disciplinary project environment remains a difficult problem. This paper describes experimentation with ProMem (Project Memory), a prototype for design evolution capture, visualization, and reuse in support of multi-disciplinary collaborative teamwork. We hypothesize that one of the key factors in reducing life-cycle cost is improved communication, coordination, and cooperation among team members. ProMem accommodates and integrates multiple perspectives within an Architecture/ Engineering/Construction (A/E/C) enterprise. The modeling methodology, search and reuse capabilities, and potential design metrics will be demonstrated with a product knowledge model captured by an A/E/C team. ProMem is distinguished from the state-of-the-art file-based document management systems and proposes a model-based and content-based approach for design evolution capture, visualization, and reuse. In t roduct ion For large manufacturing enterprises, international facilities development and construction are old concepts. What is new, however, is the scope of information and speed at which it can be transferred with modem computing technology. Computer-based design and analysis tools continue to rapidly increase in capability and complexity. New approaches to communication such as video conferencing, digital file sharing and email have enticed corporations to explore the potential benefits of global design. This approach, in combination with multidisciplinary teamwork and concurrent engineering practices bring a new level of challenge. Participants will frequently interact with the decisions and work produced by individuals who are not immediately accessible or are no longer active project members. The coordination of the team members becomes non-trivial and is a potential source of costly, time-consuming, breakdowns. The difficulties center on the capture, sharing and reuse of design knowledge, information, intents, decisions, and rationale. Over the last decade, academia and industry have explored the use of computing technology to address these problems. Related work can be found in the research areas of design rationale capture, design history archival and distributed collaborative design. Highly structured approaches to design knowledge capture include models based on issues and argumentation [Kunz et al. 1970] and on the device itself [Bandin et al. 1993]. The resulting knowledge bases are well organized and searchable but require significant modeling investment by the designer. Other approaches apply document indexing techniques [Yang et al. 1998] [Wood et al. 1996] or natural language processing i Ph.D. Candidate, Center for Design Research, Stanford University, kreiner@cdr.stanford.edu 2 Director of Project Based Learning Laboratory and Sr. Res. Assoc., Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, fruchter@ce.stanford.edu
System Evaluation of JP-8+100 Additives at High Bulk Temperatures

New tests were established early in the development of JP-8+100 fuel to provide system design information in addition to evaluating the JP-8+100 additives. Preliminary evaluation of the JP-8+100 additives indicated that a thermal stability improvement for JP-8 of 100°F (56°C) was achieved for the wetted wall temperature. Specific tests were conducted to evaluate various, additive concentrations and combinations for meeting the bulk fuel goal. Screening type tests were conducted in the Extended Duration Thermal Stability Test System. The promising additive candidates were then tested in the Advanced Reduced Scale Fuel System Simulator. These test systems were designed to provide information that is directly applicable to aircraft/engine fuel system designs. Based on the tests results of both the Extended Duration Thermal Stability Test and the Advanced Reduced Scale Fuel System Simulator, there were essentially zero deposits experienced at 385°F (196°C) bulk fuel temperatures with recirculation of JP-8+100 fuel. There were slight deposits experienced during tests of this fuel at 400°F (204°C) with recirculation. The description of the test systems and their operating characteristics along with the test results of the additive evaluations will be covered in this paper. A discussion of future fuel system applications and the potential payoff for JP-8+100 fuels will also be included.Copyright © 1997 by ASME
Chapter 22 – Treatment of Acute Relapses in Multiple Sclerosis

Relapses are a hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS), and are often associated with significant functional impairment and decreased quality of life; we review the pathophysiology of MS relapse and variants of clinical presentation. Residual symptoms after MS relapses may persist and lead to sustained disability; adequate management of MS relapses helps to shorten and lessen associated impairments. Historically, treatment of MS relapse was the first, and for a period of time, the only approach to MS treatment in general. Systemic corticosteroids and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) have broad regulatory approval and remain the most established and validated treatment options for MS relapse. We discuss clinical trials, therapeutic mechanisms, and side effects of systemic steroids and ACTH. Second-line options for treatment-unresponsive MS relapses, including plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulin, are reviewed. Algorithm for MS relapse management is also presented in this chapter.
US daily temperature records past, present, and future

Observed temperature extremes over the continental United States can be represented by the ratio of daily record high temperatures to daily record low minimum temperatures, and this ratio has increased to a value of about 2 to 1, averaged over the first decade of the 21st century, albeit with large interannual variability. Two different versions of a global coupled climate model (CCSM4), as well as 23 other coupled model intercomparison project phase 5 (CMIP5) models, show larger values of this ratio than observations, mainly as a result of greater numbers of record highs since the 1980s compared with observations. This is partly because of the "warm 1930s" in the observations, which made it more difficult to set record highs later in the century, and partly because of a trend toward less rainfall and reduced evapotranspiration in the model versions compared with observations. We compute future projections of this ratio on the basis of its estimated dependence on mean temperature increase, which we find robustly at play in both observations and simulations. The use of this relation also has the advantage of removing dependence of a projection on a specific scenario. An empirical projection of the ratio of record highs to record lows is obtained from the nonlinear relationship in observations from 1930 to 2015, thus correcting downward the likely biased future projections of the model. For example, for a 3 °C warming in US temperatures, the ratio of record highs to lows is projected to be ∼15 ± 8 compared to the present average ratio of just over 2.
Parallelisms in Arabic: Morphological and Lexical, Syntactic, and Textual

Parallelism in Arabic is investigated through data from three Arabic varieties: Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), Classical Arabic (CA), and (Yemeni) Adeni Arabic (AA). Parallelism in Arabic is examined at different linguistic levels: morphological and lexical, syntactic, and textual. Parallelism seems to be inherent and is more likely in writings that aim to convince or restate theses and topics. However, the occurrence of parallelisms is genre-specific, purpose-oriented, and situation/context-dependent. It is predictable in sermons, public speeches/addresses, and opinion writing. Apparently, parallelism, particularly beyond reduplication and lexical level, triggers resonance in the mind of the listener/reader, retaining the respective information in short term memory and thus marking it for emphasis.
Dissipation and Noise in Mechanical Systems

The dynamical theory of solids that we have described in Chaps. 4 through 7 is fundamentally based on the harmonic approximation to the atomic Hamiltonian. This approximation, as discussed in Chap. 2, leads to the linear relation between the continuum stress and strain. When we worked out the vibrational properties of beams in Chap. 7, we found a mechanical response that had perfectly defined resonance frequencies, with no natural width, and that gave an infinite response for forces applied at one of the resonance frequencies. Furthermore, the waves in infinite and semi-infinite solids were found to travel without any attenuation, travelling without transfer of energy from the wavevector and frequency of interest to other mechanical modes in the solid. This theory therefore does not describe the dissipation of energy from the mechanical modes. The dissipation and attenuation of energy in a mechanical structure is however thermodynamically required: In order that a mechanical normal mode achieve thermal equilibrium with its environment, it must be able to exchange energy with that environment. In a mechanical system, the environment comprises all the other mechanical normal modes of the solid, as well as any electronic degrees of freedom or other types of excitations that might exist.
Sensory over-responsivity and social cognition in ASD: Effects of aversive sensory stimuli and attentional modulation on neural responses to social cues

Sensory over-responsivity (SOR) is a common condition in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that is associated with greater social impairment. However, the mechanisms through which sensory stimuli may affect social functioning are not well understood. This study used fMRI to examine brain activity while interpreting communicative intent in 15 high-functioning youth with ASD and 16 age- and IQ-matched typically-developing (TD) controls. Participants completed the task with and without a tactile sensory distracter, and with and without instructions directing their attention to relevant social cues. When completing the task in the presence of the sensory distracter, TD youth showed increased activity in auditory language and frontal regions whereas ASD youth showed decreased activation in these areas. Instructions mitigated this effect such that ASD youth did not decrease activation during tactile stimulation; instead, the ASD group showed increased medial prefrontal activity. SOR severity modulated the effect of the tactile stimulus on social processing. Results demonstrate for the first time a neural mechanism through which sensory stimuli cause disruption of social cognition, and that attentional modulation can restore neural processing of social cues through prefrontal regulation. Findings have implications for novel, integrative interventions that incorporate attentional directives to target both sensory and social symptoms.
WILLINGNESS OF FARMERS TO PARTICIPATE IN FARMERS' GROUPS

This study was carried out in Delta State, Nigeria to determine the factors that influence the propensity of farmers to subscribe to farmers' groups. One hundred and fifty farmers were randomly selected and data were collected from them with the application of questionnaire and interview schedule. The data were treated with the use of description statistics and Tobit regression Analysis. Subscription to membership of farmers' groups was found to be poor as evidenced in the subscription index (0.427). Marital status of farmers, educational level, household size, farm size, farming experience, extension visits and contacts with other farmers were discovered to be correlates of propensity of farmers to subscribe to self-help groups. It is recommended that extension agencies sensitize the leadership of such groups about the need to satisfy members first; organize leadership training for such leaders; and reorient farmers on the benefit of farmers' self-help groups.
Editor’s Highlight: The Altered DNA Methylome of Chronic Doxorubicin Exposure in Sprague Dawley Rats

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used treatment for human cancers, but increases the risk of life-threatening congestive heart failure (CHF). DOX-induced mitochondrial damage is cumulative and persistent, similar to that observed clinically for risk of CHF. Recent evidence suggests the persistent nature of this injury is caused by altered regulation of genes important to normal cardiac functioning. We hypothesize that chronic DOX therapy is associated with epigenetic modifications of DNA methylation status, particularly in critical regulators of mitochondrial function and capacity. Cardiac tissue from Sprague Dawley rats receiving injections of DOX (2 mg/kg, s.c.) or saline once a week for 6 weeks, followed by 5 weeks of drug-free holiday was used for Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing to map specific sites of DNA methylation. Comparison of these methylomes indicated DOX exposure alters DNA methylation landscapes, and identified 14 genes with highly altered methylation status. Preliminary functional effects of DNA methylation changes were characterized by quantifying mRNA expression of selected targets (Rbm20, Nmnat2, Klhl29, Cacna1c, Scn5a.) Gene expression of Rbm20, Klhl29, and Nmnat2 were significantly altered in DOX treated animals; Klhl29 and Nmnat2 demonstrated significant decreases in protein expression corresponding to gene expression. Through an epigenotype-to-phenotype approach, this study identifies potential markers and molecular regulators of irreversible DOX-induced cardiovascular toxicity associated with clinically limiting CHF. However, none of the most prevalent genes identified directly relate to mitochondrial structure or function. Thus, the investigation fails to demonstrate a direct association between this altered methylome and persistent mitochondrionopathy associated with chronic doxorubicin cardiac toxicity.
Waller R. Newell, Tyrants: A History of Power, Injustice, and Terror

Waller Newell's historical typology of tyrants looks even more interesting from the philosophical perspective of Plato's Gorgias. Socrates pinpoints a blind spot typical of the reformer tyrant in G...
Real Time Flow-Through Biosensor

An all polymeric platform based on planar microring resonator employing a microfluidic flow-through approach is presented and exploited for biosensing applications. A micromilled hole in the center of the microring resonator drives the analyte flow towards the sensing surface, so optimizing the transport kinetic. A simulated and experimental evaluation of the improved performances in terms of kinetic transport and response time is also presented. Biosensing experiments with bovine serum albumin (BSA) based solutions at different concentrations are performed. Optical characterizations by resonance peak shift show a linear behaviour up to 200 nM and a saturation condition at higher concentrations in SU-8 based microring resonators. A reduction of more than 4 times of the response times, as compared with the standard flow-over approach, is obtained with the proposed flow-through approach. The proposed sensing architecture, allowing the single addressing of ring resonator, gives numerous advantages related to time responses and multiplexing of different analytes for a label-free biosensing.
Inside Out Personal Branding (IOPB): Using Gallup Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0 and 360Reach

A personal brand is an individual’s reputation and unique image, which can be a crucial differentiator in today’s hypercompetitive job market. This article’s two main objectives are: to present an ...
Amoeba and Ciliates

The amoeba and ciliates are protozoan parasites that have been causing illness in humans since antiquity. The most relevant foodborne parasites of these groups are Entamoeba histolytica and Balantidium coli. Entamoeba dispar has been identified mostly in asymptomatic patients however, reports demonstrating invasive amebiasis caused by E. dispar may indicate various levels of pathogenicity. In recent years, studies on the pathogenesis and immune responses to amoebiasis are providing insights on how to control this parasitosis that affects more than 50 million people annually.This chapter will address the various aspects of these parasites, from the biology, life cycle, clinical presentation, and treatment.
Object oriented program correctness with OOSimL

Software reliability depends on program correctness and robustness and these are extremely important in developing high-quality software. Correctness is also essential when considering aspects of software security. However, experience applying these concepts, associated methods, and supporting software with Eiffel and Java have shown that students find some diffculty learning program correctness and in learning the software tools provided. We have developed an experimental language, OOSimL, that includes an assertion notation similar to that of Eiffel but which has much more flexibility, and that provides the same semantics as Java. The first part of this paper provides an overview of concepts and methods on software reliability then briefly describes our experience in teaching these. The second part introduces the Design by Contract (DBC) using the OOSimL programming language, which we recently developed.
Authoring and Verifying Human-Robot Interactions

As social agents, robots designed for human interaction must adhere to human social norms. How can we enable designers, engineers, and roboticists to design robot behaviors that adhere to human social norms and do not result in interaction breakdowns? In this paper, we use automated formal-verification methods to facilitate the encoding of appropriate social norms into the interaction design of social robots and the detection of breakdowns and norm violations in order to prevent them. We have developed an authoring environment that utilizes these methods to provide developers of social-robot applications with feedback at design time and evaluated the benefits of their use in reducing such breakdowns and violations in human-robot interactions. Our evaluation with application developers (N=9) shows that the use of formal-verification methods increases designers' ability to identify and contextualize social-norm violations. We discuss the implications of our approach for the future development of tools for effective design of social-robot applications.
Neurosurgical Resection and Stereotactic Radiation Versus Stereotactic Radiation Alone in Patients with a Single or Solitary Brain Metastasis

Background Brain metastases commonly manifest in patients with cancer, with ∼20%–50% presenting with 1 intracranial lesion. Among patients with 1, small brain metastasis and controlled or absent extracranial disease, it remains unclear whether aggressive intracranial management using neurosurgical resection plus cavity stereotactic radiosurgery/stereotactic radiotherapy (SRS/SRT) rather than SRS/SRT alone is beneficial. In patients with controlled or absent extracranial disease and 1 brain metastasis ≤2 cm in size, we evaluated the effect of surgery plus SRS/SRT compared with SRS/SRT on oncologic outcomes, including overall survival. Methods We retrospectively identified 86 patients with controlled or absent extracranial disease and 1 brain metastasis ≤2 cm in size who had been treated from 2000 to 2015 at our institution. We examined differences in the rates of local and distant failure, use of salvage treatment, and other oncologic outcomes, including all-cause mortality. Results The baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 cohorts. The median follow-up period for the surviving patients was 38 months. On multivariable analysis, surgical resection plus cavity SRS/SRT was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.44; 95% confidence interval, 0.19–1.00; P = 0.05) compared with SRS/SRT alone. The 1- and 2-year rates of overall survival were 100% and 88% versus 74% and 52% for surgery plus cavity SRS/SRT versus SRS/SRT alone, respectively. Conclusions Aggressive, local therapy, including neurosurgical resection, might benefit patients with 1 brain metastasis in the context of controlled or absent systemic disease, even if the lesion in question is small. Further studies are needed to evaluate these associations.
Outcomes from acute attacks of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder correlate with severity of attack, age and delay to treatment

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) attacks lead to incremental loss of function of the optic nerves and spinal cord. The standard of care for treatment of acute attacks to mitigate damage is high dose corticosteroids and, if needed, plasma exchange. Although the inclination among clinicians is to treat relapses as soon as they start, there is no previously published evidence to conclude that earlier treatment with corticosteroids is more effective in the long term. In this study, we correlated neurological outcomes from acute NMOSD relapses with delay to treatment, as well as demographic and clinical characteristics that influence prognosis.
A predictive self-configuring simulator for online media

This paper describes the design, implementation, and early experiences with a novel agent-based simulator of online media streams, developed under DARPA’s SocialSim Program to extract and predict trends in information dissemination on online media. A hallmark of the simulator is its self-configuring property. Instead of requiring initial set-up, the input to the simulator constitutes data traces collected from the medium to be simulated. The simulator automatically learns from the data such elements as the number of agents involved, the number of objects involved, and the rate of introduction of new agents and objects. It also develops behavior models of simulated agents and objects, and their dependencies. These models are then used to run simulations allowing for future extrapolations and "what if" analyses. Results are presented on using this system to simulate GitHub transactions. They show good performance in terms of both simulation accuracy and overhead.
Proteomic analysis reveals down-regulation of surfactant protein B in murine type II pneumocytes infected with influenza A virus

Infection of type II alveolar epithelial (ATII) cells by influenza A viruses (IAV) correlates with severe respiratory disease in humans and mice. To understand pathogenic mechanisms during IAV infection of ATII cells, murine ATII cells were cultured to maintain a differentiated phenotype, infected with IAV-PR8, which causes severe lung pathology in mice, and proteomics analyses were performed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. PR8 infection increased levels of proteins involved in interferon signaling, antigen presentation, and cytoskeleton regulation. Proteins involved in mitochondrial membrane permeability, energy metabolism, and chromatin formation had reduced levels in PR8-infected cells. Phenotypic markers of ATII cells in vivo were identified, confirming the differentiation status of the cultures. Surfactant protein B had decreased levels in PR8-infected cells, which was confirmed by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence assays. Analysis of ATII cell protein profiles will elucidate cellular processes in IAV pathogenesis, which may provide insight into potential therapies to modulate disease severity.
On Sexual Selection in the Presence of Multiple Costly Displays

Sexual selection is a powerful yet poorly understood evolutionary force. Research into sexual selection, whether biological, computational, or mathematical, has tended to take a top-down approach s...
COULD CHASING GRANDKIDS KEEP US YOUNG? THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CUSTODIAL GRANDPARENT STATUS AND HEALTH

There are approximately 7.2 million grandparents living with their grandchildren in the United States. Of these, roughly 2.5 million are skipped-generation households in which grandparents are solely responsible for meeting the needs of their grandchildren (U.S. Census, 2017). Previous research has established that custodial grandparents suffer from added strain and burden compared to their peers, which negatively impacts their health (Lo, M., Liu, Y., 2009). A decline in functional ability has a negative impact on not only the lives of these older adult grandparents but also their family members who are dependent upon them for care. The current study examines adults aged 65 and older using data from the American Community Survey 2016 to assess the extent to which raising one’s grandchildren is associated with five areas commonly subject to decline in older adulthood: cognitive performance, self-care ability, ambulatory difficulty, hearing, and vision abilities. Hierarchical binary logistic regression analyses found that after controlling for the effects of age, sex, race, and income-to-poverty ratio, custodial grandparents (those who reported having primary responsibility for their grandchildren in their own home with no parents present) were significantly less likely than their peers to report experiencing any of these five disabilities. Details of each model and clinical implications will be discussed.
Public Debt Levels and Real Interest Rates: Causal Evidence from Parliamentary Elections

We use close elections in parliamentary democracies as natural experiments to estimate public debt levels’ effects on real interest rates. We first estimate that an election in which no party achieves a parliamentary majority causes the debt-to-GDP ratio to increase by 21 percentage points over the following five years relative to an election in which one party barely secures a majority. We next estimate that real interest rates rise by a relative 119 basis points following such an election, implying that a one percentage point increase in the debt-to-GDP ratio causes a 5.6 basis point increase in real rates. That effect is larger than most previous estimates in the literature, suggesting the potential importance of simultaneity in the determination of real rates and government debt levels.
Can the Early Start Denver Model Be Considered ABA Practice

The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is an evidence-based early intervention approach for young children with autism spectrum disorder. Although the ESDM is described by its authors as being rooted in applied behavior analysis (ABA), some states, agencies, and scholars consider the ESDM to qualify as ABA practice, whereas others do not. The purpose of this article is to examine the status of the ESDM in relation to the 7 dimensions established by Baer, Wolf, and Risley ("Some Current Dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis," Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1(1): 91-97, 1968) to define applied behavior-analytic research and intervention, as well as to discuss implications for the field.
Duplex Vision in the Elasmobranchs: Histological, Electrophysiological and Psychophysical Evidence

Over the past century, biologists recognising the unique phylogenetic position of sharks have studied these animals to gain insight into the evolutionary history of vertebrates. Early in their development, sharks left the mainstream of vertebrate evolution and today retain, in many ways, primitive structural and physiological attributes (Shaeffer, 1967). Thus systematic studies of vision in sharks offer the potential of providing evolutionary information about the basic visual function in all vertebrates. Unfortunately, a fund of misinformation concerning both the structure and function of the visual system and visual behaviour in the elasmobranchs has become fixed in the biological literature. Typically, sharks have been described as nocturnal scavengers with a pure rod retina and crude visual system, probably relying on sensory modalities other than vision for survival (Bigelow & Schroeder, 1948; Verrier, 1930; Walls, 1942). Such descriptions stem no doubt from conclusions based on incomplete histological data, anecdotal behavioural evidence and pure speculation.
Carrots and Sticks: How VSC Induce Entrepreneurial Teams to Sell Startups

Venture capitalists (VCs) usually exit from their investments in a startup via a trade sale. But the startup’s entrepreneurial team—the startup’s founder, other executives, and common shareholders—may resist a trade sale. Such resistance is likely to be particularly intense when the sale price is low relative to the VCs’ liquidation preferences. Using a hand-collected dataset of Silicon Valley firms, we investigate how VCs overcome such resistance. We find, in our sample, that VCs give bribes (carrots) to the entrepreneurial team in 45% of trade sales; in these sales, carrots total an average of 9% of deal value. The overt use of coercive tools (sticks) occurs, but only rarely. Our study sheds light on important but underexplored aspects of corporate governance in VC-backed startups and the venture capital ecosystem.
Paget's disease of the vulva.

Abstract 1. 1. A case of Paget's disease of the vulva in which detailed microscopic examination of the entire vulva was performed is presented. 2. 2. Our findings suggest that this represents a case of extramammary Paget's disease of epidermal origin.
User-Centric Design and Evolvable Architecture for Science Gateways: A Case Study

Scientific applications built on wide-area distributed systems such as emerging cloud based architectures and the legacy grid computing infrastructure often struggle with user adoption even though they succeed from a systems research perspective. This paper examines the coupling of user-centered design processes with modern distributed systems. Further in this paper, we describe approaches for conceptualizing a product that solves a recognized need: to develop a data gateway to serve the data management and research needs of experimentalists of electron microscopes and similar shared scientific instruments in the context of a research service laboratory. The purpose of the data gateway is to provide secure, controlled access to data generated from a wide range of scientific instruments. From the functional perspective, we focus on the basic processing of raw data that underlies the lab’s "business" processes, the movement of data from the laboratory to central access and archival storage points, and the distribution of data to respective authorized users. Through the gateway interface, users will be able to share the instrument data with collaborators or copy it to remote storage servers. Basic pipelines for extracting additional metadata (through a pluggable parser framework) will be enabled. The core contribution described in this paper, building on the aforementioned distributed data management capabilities, is the adoption of user-centered design processes for developing the scientific user interface. We describe the user-centered design methodology for exploring user needs, iteratively testing the design, learning from user experiences, and adapting what we learn to improve design and capabilities. We further conclude that user-centered design is, in turn, best enabled by an adaptable distributed systems framework. A key challenge to implementing a user-centered design is to have design tools closely linked with a software system architecture that can evolve over time while providing a highly available data gateway. A key contribution of this paper is to share the insights from crafting such an evolvable design-build-evaluate-deploy architecture and plans for iterative development and deployment.