cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recursive data mining for masquerade detection and author identification

In this paper, a novel recursive data mining method based on the simple but powerful model of cognition called a conceptor is introduced and applied to computer security. The method recursively mines a string of symbols by finding frequent patterns, encoding them with unique symbols and rewriting the string using this new coding. We apply this technique to two related but important problems in computer security: (i) masquerade detection to prevent a security attack in which an intruder impersonates a legitimate user to gain access to the resources, and (ii) author identification, in which anonymous or disputed computer session needs to be attributed to one of a set of potential authors. Many methods based on automata theory, hidden Markov models, Bayesian models or even matching algorithms from bioinformatics have been proposed to solve the masquerading detection problem but less work has been done on the author identification. We used recursive data mining to characterize the structure and high-level symbols in user signatures and the monitored sessions. We used one-class SVM to measure the similarity of these two characterizations. We applied weighting prediction scheme to author identification. On the SEA dataset that we used in our experiments, the results were very promising.
Collagen and Gelatin in the Solid State

Abstract Current physicochemical knowledge on the structure of collagen is based almost exclusively on dilute solution measurements or on results from x-ray diffraction studies and electron microscopy of native and reconstituted collagen fibers and fibrils. A comprehensive treatise of this subject has recently appeared [1]; this treatise demonstrates the depth of structural understanding that has been achieved by use of a methodology based largely on the state of infinite dilution, on one hand, and on condensed states of very high order, on the other.
The Water Infiltration, Hydraulic Conductivity and Water Retention Effects of Ground Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis L.) Root as a Soil Surfactant

Climate change is affecting precipitation patterns and intensity; increasing regional drought conditions and increasing runoff, respectively. The use of soil surfactants presents an opportunity to improve soil water content and infiltration in soils. As aridity and drought vulnerability increase globally, improving water infiltration and retention is becoming increasingly important for agriculture as water resources are scarce and climate change shifts precipitation patterns. While surfactants are widely available for agricultural use, most or all are unapproved in sustainable and organic production. Ground soapwort ( Saponaria officinalis L.) root produces saponins, natural surfactants used in several industrial applications, including soap manufacturing and soil contaminant recovery. To determine its potential to improve soil water interactions its effects on soil hydraulic conductivity, water content, infiltration and drainage rates were tested in washed sand, heavy clay soil and clay loam soil. When compared to untreated soils, drainage and infiltration was slowed (P < 0.05) in sand and loam with soapwort applications while no significant differences in any variable were present in clay soil compared to any treatment. Soil water content was not significantly different in any treatment. While soapwort did not increase infiltration rates it did markedly slow drainage rates in sand and loam. The benefit of this may be realised as longer opportunity for plant available water in the root zone.
Maternal Obesity: Consequences and Prevention Strategies

Maternal obesity is associated with pregnancy complications and birth defects. Infants born to obese mothers may be at greater risk for childhood and adult obesity. Preconception planning with women of childbearing age should include information on the potential effects of obesity during pregnancy.
Activity of Bollworm Moths Influenced by the Full Moon

A trap equipped with an UV lamp was operated for 5 years (1965–69) at the Southeastern Cotton Insects Investigations Laboratory in Florence, S. C., to monitor fluctuations in the activity of moths of the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie). This light trap (top of trap ca. 8 ft above ground) was located in a grass-weed lot 100–200 ft from fields of corn, cotton, and soybeans. Also, some small farm buildings were scattered about the lot, and a small insectary was ca. 25 ft from the trap. Insects caught in the trap were killed with ethyl acetate or dichlorvos as they entered the collecting container. The captured moths were sexed every year except 1968, but total catches only are reported here.
Pulsed-DC Electrospray for Biopolymer Particle Production

PLLA microparticles were successfully fabricated via pulsed-DC electrospray. In this study, we investigated the effect of the pulsed voltage characteristics (e.g. pulse frequency, pulse amplitude and pulse width) on the particle’s size. We found that pulse frequency, pulse amplitude, pulse width, and the combinations of these factors had a statistically significant effect on the particle’s size. The process conditions to obtain smaller particles with uniform shape and size are a low pulse frequency, high pulse amplitude, and long pulse width (or a high duty cycle).
A distributed optical fiber monitoring system for anti-stealing of oil pipelines

Aiming at the problem that some oil pipelines were frequently excavated and perforated by some lawless persons for oil-stealing, a real-time monitoring technology for safety of oil pipelines based on the theory of distributed optical fiber sensor is introduced. Optical fiber, laid along the pipeline acting as a sensor, picks up the vibration signals. When there is an accident of factitious destruction or oil-stealing on the pipeline, the destruction will create vibration and pressure and thus the optical attenuation of the backscattered Rayleigh through the optical fiber happens. At last using ODTR(Optical Time Domain Reflectometer) to measure the attenuation of the Rayleigh intensity at the starting point of fiber, the disturbance and breakage of pipeline is detected, and the location where the optical attenuation occurred is located. Thus the system will give an alarm as soon as the oil pipeline is disturbed, The experiment results show the performance of the system as follows: length of single mode fiber:5km(expandable), location error: 20 m, spatial resolution:1m.Therefore the anti-stealing oil level of oil pipelines may be improved effectively.
Effect Evaluation of the Health Education on the Occupational Protection among the Nurses in Internship

[Objective]To evaluate the effect of health education among the nurses in internship about the prevention of occupational exposure to blood-transmitted diseases.[Methods] 120 nurses in internship were randomly divided into 2 groups: experimental group(n=60) that was given health education on blood-transmitted diseases and professional exposure protection,and the control group(n=60).[Results]The rates of correct answers to the professional protection knowledge,attitude and practice of the experimental group were all significantly higher than that of the control(P0.05);[Conclusion]Health education on professional protection among the nurses in internship is a very important approach to help them master the protection measures against professional contact infection and blood-transmitted diseases.
Endocrine and Testicular Changes Associated with Season, Artificial Photoperiod, And the Peri-Pubertal Period in Stallions

Stallions have a seasonal reproductive cycle that is characterized by annual fluctuations in testicular size and weight, sperm production and output, libido, and serum concentrations of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and testosterone. This seasonal reproductive cycle is responsive to manipulation by photoperiod such that sexual recrudescence can be hastened by the application of long days. Stallions may possess an endogenous circannual rhythm in reproductive function that is synchronized by the annual changes in day length. The peripubertal period in colts extends to 83 weeks and is characterized by low to gradually increasing gonadotropin concentrations and a marked increase in testosterone secretion at approximately the mean age of puberty.
The Influence of Simultaneous Resection of Bladder Tumors and Prostate on the Occurrence of Prostatic Urethral Tumors

AbstractThe records of 137 patients who underwent simultaneous transurethral resection of bladder tumors and the prostate were compared to those of 150 patients who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumors only. The data presented provide no evidence that simultaneous resection of bladder tumors with the prostate affects adversely the incidence of tumor occurrences in the prostatic urethra.
Leaders Wanted! The Skills Expected and Needed for a Successful 21st Century Historically Black College and University Presidency:

This study examines the 21st-century Historically Black College and University (HBCU) presidency. First, we gathered information on the skills needed for the 21st century HBCU president. Then, we examined the background of future HBCU presidents. Through an analysis and discussion of the responses of current HBCU presidents, trustees,1 and presidential search consultants, we determined what skills are pertinent for HBCU presidential hopefuls to attain. Lastly, we made recommendations, based on our findings, regarding the skills needed for HBCU presidential aspirants to not only reach the presidency but to perform well upon doing so.
Understanding family firm innovation heterogeneity

Purpose – In family business studies, inconsistent findings exist regarding the relationship between family involvement and firm innovation. The purpose of this paper is to understand the heterogeneity of family firm innovation. Design/methodology/approach – The authors draw on governance literature and the socioemotional wealth (SEW) perspective to examine how the extent of family governance and the type of SEW objectives jointly influence innovation strategies in family firms. Findings – The authors develop a typology of family firm innovation strategies, positing that the family firm’s risk orientation, innovation goal, and knowledge diversity vary depending on the degree of family involvement in governance and the type of SEW objective. The authors propose that four family firm innovation strategies (e.g. Limited Innovators, Intended Innovators, Potential Innovators, and Active Innovators) emerge when family involvement in the dominant coalition (high or low) is contrasted with the SEW objective (rest...
Wear properties of laser alloyed and clad Fe-Cr-Mn-C alloys

The abrasive wear resistance of a Fe-Cr-Mn-C clad, produced by laser cladding techniques, was studied for a possible alternative to Co-alloys used in hardfacing for wear applications. The clad was produced by using a pneumatic powder delivery system to inject a Cr-Mn-C powder mixture into a molten pool produced in the AISI 1016 steel substrate by a 10 KW CW CO2 laser. The molten pool area was shielded with argon gas to suppress vaporization of the Mn, resulting in a non-porous clad.This preliminary study has shown that wear resistance can be significantly improved by laser alloying and cladding of Cr-Mn-C alloy to a mild steel substrate. The laser processed material composed of Fe-Cr-Mn-C exhibited far superior wear properties than Stellite 6 during block-on-cylinder tests. The wear resistance is attributed to dendrite structures and chrome carbides. The finer the dendrites, the higher the wear resistance. Using a two level factorial experimental design matrix gave insight as to which laser process variables results in better wear resistance. The combination of low laser power and high table velocities produced better wear resistant materials for laser surface alloying. This condition allows for higher concentration of alloy particles per melted volume which, in conjunction with faster cooling rates, produces a finer microstructure. For laser cladding, both the laser power and table speed seem to have little influence on wear for the range of power and speed considered.The abrasive wear resistance of a Fe-Cr-Mn-C clad, produced by laser cladding techniques, was studied for a possible alternative to Co-alloys used in hardfacing for wear applications. The clad was produced by using a pneumatic powder delivery system to inject a Cr-Mn-C powder mixture into a molten pool produced in the AISI 1016 steel substrate by a 10 KW CW CO2 laser. The molten pool area was shielded with argon gas to suppress vaporization of the Mn, resulting in a non-porous clad.This preliminary study has shown that wear resistance can be significantly improved by laser alloying and cladding of Cr-Mn-C alloy to a mild steel substrate. The laser processed material composed of Fe-Cr-Mn-C exhibited far superior wear properties than Stellite 6 during block-on-cylinder tests. The wear resistance is attributed to dendrite structures and chrome carbides. The finer the dendrites, the higher the wear resistance. Using a two level factorial experimental design matrix gave insight as to which laser process variab...
An Exploration of the Ecological Context of Low-Income, Urban African-American Adolescent Sexual Risk.

Prior health disparities research has indicated that urban, low-income African-American families and adolescents experience ecological and environmental hardships that result in higher rates of engagement in risk behaviors. Contextual factors like community violence, socioeconomic status, and family processes, as well as limited sexual health knowledge, a psychological element, also contribute to high rates of sexual risk among urban African-American adolescents. However, protective factors like parental monitoring and parent-adolescent communication about sex may decrease sexual risk among this urban teen population. Therefore, the current study sought to explore the following research questions: (1) Is parent-adolescent communication about sex associated with adolescent sexual health knowledge?, (2) Is parent-adolescent communication about sex associated with parental monitoring?, (3) Are parental monitoring and parent-adolescent communication about sex predictors of adolescent sexual risk?, (4) Are there gender differences in parent-adolescent communication about sex and parental monitoring?, and (5) Are age and gender predictors of adolescent sexual risk? A sample of approximately 1102 African-American adolescents aged 13–17 from urban Midwestern high schools were included in this study. There was no significant association found between sexual health knowledge and parent communication about sex or parental monitoring. Female adolescents reported higher levels of communication about sex than males. Findings indicated a significant negative association between parental monitoring and adolescent sexual risk, with the association being stronger for males than females. There was a significant negative association found between sexual health knowledge and adolescent sexual risk. Additionally, findings indicated a significant negative association between parental monitoring and adolescent sexual risk.
Theories Guiding Nursing Research and Practice: Making Nursing Knowledge Development Explicit edited by Joyce J. Fitzpatrick and Geraldine McCarthy

The editors of this work are pioneers in nursing education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Both have been deans of nursing schools, editors of journals, writers of many book chapters, and...
Multi-institutional multiplexed genetic analysis in lung adenocarcinoma (AC): The Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium (LCMC I) experience.

11030 Background: Molecular analysis of lung AC has become standard of care for therapy selection. LCMC I collectively enrolled 1102 patients from 14 institutions with the goal of performing molecu...
Abstract 54: Diminished Endothelial Fibrinolytic Function With Prehypertension

Prehypertension (systolic blood pressure: 120-139 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure: 80-89 mm Hg) affects ~30% of the US adult population and is associated with increased atherothrombotic vascular disease risk. The underlying mechanisms responsible for this heightened risk are unclear. The capacity of the endothelium to release tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), the primary activator of the fibrinolytic system, is an important endogenous defense mechanism against intravascular fibrin deposition and thrombosis. As part of an ongoing study, we are determining whether the capacity of the endothelium to release t-PA is impaired in adults with prehypertension. To date, 22 sedentary, non-obese middle-aged men have been studied: 12 normotensive (age: 53±2 yr; BP: 113/72±2/2 mm Hg) and 10 prehypertensive (age: 55±2 yr; BP: 133/85±2/1 mm Hg). All subjects were free of overt cardiometabolic disease. Net endothelial release of t-PA was determined, in vivo, in response to intrabrachial infusions of bradykinin (BK: 125-500 ng/min) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP: 2-8 μg/min). Endothelial t-PA release in response to each dose of BK was significantly lower (~50%) in the prehypertensive (from -1.7±0.7 to 34.1±5.7 ng/100 mL tissue/min) vs the normotensive (from 0.6±1.4 to 54.1±5.7 ng/100 mL tissue/min) adults. Total amount of t-PA released (area under the BK curve) was ~40% less (P
Semantic and phonological retrieval in traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACTBackground: Identifying associations or links between encoded stimuli can influence whether those stimuli are successfully retrieved at a later time.Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of semantic and phonological lexical targets on recall in individuals with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to identify if individuals with TBI form associations when recalling related information.Methods & Procedures: Forty-seven individuals, 14 with TBI, completed the Deese–Roediger–McDermott (DRM) word retrieval paradigm in which six digitally recorded word lists were presented auditorily. Three of the lists contained semantically related words and three contained phonologically related words.Outcomes & Results: Non-brain-injured (NBI) participants recalled significantly more phonological and semantic stimuli than participants with TBI. Phonologically related stimuli resulted in increased intrusions for both TBI and NBI participants. For participants with TBI, age and...
The Role of Visual Association Cortex in Associative Memory Formation across Development

Associative learning underlies the formation of new episodic memories. Associative memory improves across development, and this age-related improvement is supported by the development of the hippocampus and pFC. Recent work, however, additionally suggests a role for visual association cortex in the formation of associative memories. This study investigated the role of category-preferential visual processing regions in associative memory across development using a paired associate learning task in a sample of 56 youths (age 6-19 years). Participants were asked to bind an emotional face with an object while undergoing fMRI scanning. Outside the scanner, participants completed a memory test. We first investigated age-related changes in neural recruitment and found linear age-related increases in activation in lateral occipital cortex and fusiform gyrus, which are involved in visual processing of objects and faces, respectively. Furthermore, greater activation in these visual processing regions was associated with better subsequent memory for pairs over and above the effect of age and of hippocampal and pFC activation on performance. Recruitment of these visual processing regions mediated the association between age and memory performance, over and above the effects of hippocampal activation. Taken together, these findings extend the existing literature to suggest that greater recruitment of category-preferential visual processing regions during encoding of associative memories is a neural mechanism explaining improved memory across development.
Investigation of patterned and non-patterned poly(2,6-dimethyl 1,4-phenylene) oxide based anion exchange membranes for enhanced desalination and power generation in a microbial desalination cell.

Quaternary ammonium poly(2,6-dimethyl 1,4-phenylene oxide) (QAPPO) anion exchange membranes (AEMs) with topographically patterned surfaces were assessed in a microbial desalination cell (MDC) system. The MDC results with these QAPPO AEMs were benchmarked against a commercially available AEM. The MDC with the non-patterned QAPPO AEM (Q1) displayed the best desalination rate (a reduction of salinity by 53 ± 2.7%) and power generation (189 ± 5 mW m- 2) when compared against the commercially available AEM and the patterned AEMs. The enhanced performance with the Q1 AEM was attributed to its higher ionic conductivity and smaller thickness leading to a reduced area specific resistance. It is important to note that Real Pacific Ocean seawater and activated sludge were used into the desalination chamber and anode chamber respectively for the MDC - which mimicked realistic conditions. Although the non-patterned QAPPO AEM displayed better performance over the patterned QAPPO AEMs, it was observed that the anodic overpotential was smaller when the MDCs featured QAPPO AEMs with larger lateral feature sizes. The results from this study have important implications for the continuous improvements necessary for developing cheaper and better performing membranes in order to optimize the MDC.
Counting plants using deep learning

In this paper we address the task of counting crop plants in a field using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). The number of plants in an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) image of the field is estimated using regression instead of classification. This avoids to need to know (or guess) the maximum expected number of plants. We also describe a method to extract images of sections or “plots” from an orthorectified image of the entire crop field. These images will be used for training and evaluation of the CNN. Our experiments show that we can obtain a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) as low as 6.7% with the Inception-v3 CNN architecture.
Relationship themes and structures of bisexual individuals

ABSTRACTIn this review, we examine current literature on binegative attitudes and stereotypes that affect bisexual people in relationships, bisexual people's engagement in mixed orientation relationships, and their experiences of monogamy and consensual non-monogamy. Despite systemic barriers that can pose a negative impact on the relationships of bisexual people, we also conclude that bisexual individuals have the capacity to experience positive relationship outcomes in both same-gender and different-gender relationships.
Corticoinsular circuits encode subjective value expectation and violation for effortful goal-directed behavior

We are presented with choices each day about how to invest our effort to achieve our goals. Critically, these decisions must frequently be made under conditions of incomplete information, where either the effort required or possible reward to be gained is uncertain. Such choices therefore require the development of potential value estimates to guide effortful goal-directed behavior. To date, however, the neural mechanisms for this expectation process are unknown. Here, we used computational fMRI during an effort-based decision-making task where trial-wise information about effort costs and reward magnitudes was presented separately over time, thereby allowing us to model distinct effort/reward computations as choice-relevant information unfolded. We found that ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) encoded expected subjective value. Further, activity in dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) and anterior insula (aI) reflected both effort discounting as well as a subjective value prediction error signal derived from trial history. While prior studies have identified these regions as being involved in effort-based decision making, these data demonstrate their specific role in the formation and maintenance of subjective value estimates as relevant information becomes available.
The construction, refinement, and early validation of the equipartitioning learning trajectory

Equipartitioning, a foundational construct of rational number, is introduced in the form of a learning trajectory. Its development is linked to synthesis of research, the conduct of clinical interviews, and the development of related diagnostic assessments. Refinement and validation of a learning trajectory is described as an iterative empirical process that can serve as a prototype for design of other learning trajectories.
Synthesizable Higher-Order Functions for C++

State-of-the-art C/C++ synthesis tools lack abstractions and conveniences that are pervasive in modern software languages. Higher-order functions are particularly important as they increase productivity by concisely representing common design patterns. Providing these in hardware design environments would improve the accessibility of hardware tools for software engineers by providing familiar interfaces and abstractions. We have created an open-source library of higher-order functions synthesizable in C/C++ hardware development tools. We implement six common algorithms on a PYNQ board and conclude that our library produces results that are generally statistically indistinguishable from nonrecursive techniques.
Kaempferol inhibits VEGF and HIF-1α genes expression through PI-3 kinase/Akt signaling pathway in ovarian cancer cells

1758 For effective prevention and treatment of ovarian cancers, the anti-angiogenesis potential of kaempferol and its signal transduction pathway were investigated. Two ovarian cancer cell lines, OVCAR-3 and A2780/CP70, were treated with kaempferol. Short-term cytotoxicity was assessed by measuring released lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and long-term inhibition on cell proliferation was determined by a MTS-based assay. The expression of vascular epidermal growth factor (VEGF) gene was analyzed at both transcription level by RT-qPCR and translation level by ELISA. The upstream regulator of VEGF, hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), was also examined at both mRNA level by RT-qPCR and protein level by Western Blot. To identify the signaling pathway that mediates HIF-1 regulation, Erk and Akt phosphorylation were also quantitated by ELISA. No short-term cytotoxicity was observed in OVCAR-3 cells after 6-hour treatment with kaempferol up to 160 μM, and only a mild inhibition ( 0.40) in both cell lines by kaempferol treatment up to 40 μM, though Western Blot showed that HIF-1α protein levels dropped to 69% for A2780/CP70 cells (p
Effects of large aromatic precursors on soot formation in turbulent non-premixed sooting jet flames

In this paper, we computationally study the effects of large Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) (more than two aromatic rings) on soot yield and distribution in turbulent flames, when they are ...
Savannas of the Mariana Islands Archipelago

Abstract This article provides an overview of the savannas of the Mariana island archipelago (Marianas) savanna biome, including current status, stressors, and future viability. Across the Marianas, savannas are typically found in mountainous areas formed by volcanic action. Tropical savanna are associated with the tropical wet and dry climate and develop in a seasonal forest of climax regions. However, edaphic conditions or disturbances prevent the establishment of species of trees associated with the climatic community ( Woodward, 2012 ). Savanna in the Marianas generally receive between 50.8 and 127 cm (20–50 in.) of rainfall annually and are characterized by a predominance of grass and other herbaceous species with some small trees and shrubs ( Webber et al., 2007 ). Currently, savanna ecotypes in the Marianas are experiencing severe erosion, forming badlands, which are challenging to control and restore back to native systems. Our assessment of savanna viability, defined as the likelihood of persistence over the long term, is based on the concepts of representation, redundancy, and resiliency. The main stressors to savanna in the Marianas are development, invasive species, erosion caused by recreational off-road vehicle use, fires, typhoons and drought. Current ongoing conservation efforts by Federal, State, and private entities and agency partnerships combined with certain laws and regulations limit some of the effects of stressors on the ecotype, but do not eliminate them. A stronger effort to engage partners and stakeholders in identifying and prioritizing landscape areas required for the conservation of native ecosystems, and to actively restore and expand these areas is needed for the successful conservation of savannas.
Five Rings, Five Screens? A Global Examination of Social TV Influence on Social Presence and Social Identification During the 2018 Winter Olympic Games:

This study uses social presence theory and social identity theory as theoretical frameworks to examine global social TV usage during a mega-sporting event. A total of 2,296 people from six differen...
Current and emerging therapies for patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a bright future

Summary Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the seventh leading cause of cancer death worldwide with an estimated 432 242 deaths occurring in 2018. This estimate, in conjunction with the findings that pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma incidence is rising and that pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has the highest case-fatality rate of any solid tumour, highlights the urgency for designing novel therapeutic strategies to combat this deadly disease. Through the efforts of the global research community, our knowledge of the factors that lead to the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, its progression, and the interplay between tumour cells and their surrounding microenvironment have improved substantially. Although these scientific advances have not yet translated into targeted or immunotherapy strategies that are effective for most patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, important incremental progress has been made particularly for the treatment of specific molecular subgroups of tumours. Although PD-1 inhibitors for mismatch-repair-deficient tumours and NTRK inhibitors for tumours containing NTRK gene fusions are the most recent targeted agents approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, olaparib for germline BRCA-mutated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is expected to be approved soon in the maintenance setting. These recent advances show the accelerated pace at which pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma drugs are achieving successful clinical outcomes. Here we review the current understanding of the pathophysiology of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, recent advances in the understanding of the stromal microenvironment, current standard-of-care treatment, and novel therapeutic targets and strategies that hold promise for improving patient outcomes. We predict that there will be major breakthroughs in the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in the next 5–10 years. These breakthroughs will result from the increased understanding of the treatment barriers imposed by the tumour-associated stroma, and from the development of novel approaches to re-engineer the tumour microenvironment in favour of effective anticancer responses.
A poststructural analysis of study abroad as teacher preparation pedagogy: Thinking through theory for generative practice

Scholarship in teacher education reflects study abroad as established pedagogy and part of ‘best practices’ in preparing K-12 teachers for diverse classrooms. Three discourses dominate the literatu...
Health Literacy and Parental Oral Health Knowledge, Beliefs, Behavior, and Status Among Parents of American Indian Newborns

To examine the relationship between health literacy (HL) and parental oral health knowledge, beliefs, behavior, and self-reported oral health status (OHS) among parents of American Indian (AI) children. This analysis used baseline data from a randomized controlled trial that tested an oral health intervention with parents of AI newborns. Participants were recruited in parent-child dyads (N = 579). Parents completed items assessing sociodemographic characteristics, HL, and parental oral health knowledge, beliefs, behavior, and self-reported OHS. We examined the correlation of HL with each oral health construct, controlling for parent age and income. On average, parents felt quite confident in their HL skills, performed well on questions assessing parental oral health knowledge, and endorsed beliefs likely to encourage positive parental oral health behaviors (e.g., confidence that one can successfully engage in such behaviors). Parents with more limited HL had significantly less knowledge, perceived cavities to be less severe, perceived more barriers and fewer benefits to recommended oral health behaviors, were less confident they could engage in these behaviors, and were more likely to believe their children’s oral health was under the control of the dentist or a matter of chance (P values 0.05) but was linked to worse self-reported OHS (P = 0.040). HL was associated with parental oral health knowledge, beliefs, and self-reported OHS. Oral health education interventions targeting AI families should facilitate development of knowledge and positive oral health beliefs among parents with more limited HL skills.
Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2) controls phosphatase-regulated signaling and function in platelets

Cell cycle regulatory molecules including cyclin-dependent kinases can be recruited into non-nuclear pathways to coordinate cell cycling with the energetic state of the cell or with functions such as motility. Little is known about the role of cell cycle regulators in anucleate cells such as platelets. We report that cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk2) is robustly expressed in human platelets, is activated by thrombin and is required for platelet activation. Cdk2 activation required Src signaling downstream of the platelet thrombin receptor PAR1. Kinase-active cdk2 promoted the activation of downstream platelet kinases by phosphorylating and inactivating the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1). Erk was bound to PP1 in a complex with the PP1 regulator PPP1R12a (MYPT1) in platelets, and cdk2 inhibited the phosphatase activity of PP1 and PPP1R12a bound complexes. The requirement for cdk2 in Erk activation could be replaced by the phosphatase inhibitor calyculin. Blockade of cdk2 kinase with chemical and peptide cdk2 inhibitors resulted in suppression of thrombin-induced platelet aggregation, and partially inhibited GPIIb/IIIa integrin activation as well as platelet secretion of P-Selectin and ATP. Together, these data indicate a requirement for cdk2 in platelet activation.
Abstract P158: Addressing Hypertension And Aging In Growing Pakistani Elderly San Joaquin Population

Introduction: San Joaquin Pakistani elderly population (SJPEP) face health problems due to poor nutritional habits, financial and emotional stress from loss of social status, loss of physical capab...
A Multi-Objective Optimization Scheme for Resilient, Cost-Effective Planning of Microgrids

Natural disasters and cascading events have historically caused severe disruptions of the electric power system. For instance, in 2012, hurricane Sandy left over 8 million people in darkness and caused total damage costing $65 billion. Under emergency conditions, microgrids can help the electric power system recover critical loads, such as hospitals, data centers, and water pumping stations. While the literature has mostly focused on the utilization of existing microgrids, the idea of planning for future microgrids in combination with switching operations to make the grid more resilient against devastating events is investigated in this study. This work aims to simultaneously maximize the resiliency of distribution networks – in terms of service to the critical loads – and minimize the dispatchable generation capacity of microgrids. The considered microgrid model entails dispatchable power generators, renewable energy resources, and electrical energy storage systems (ESS) to serve consumers. Considering the topological and operational limitations, the robust optimization scheme optimizes the objectives by the effective selection of the node for microgrid connection and the minimum change in its generation capacity. While the problem is modeled as a multi-objective, mixed-integer linear programming (MO-MILP) problem, the results show more than 99% accuracy compared to the exact results of an exhaustive search algorithm. Numerical tests are performed on the IEEE 37-node test feeder and the IEEE 123-node test feeder to assess the proposed method’s performance. Given the accuracy, computation time efficacy, and the generic formulation of the problem, the optimization scheme can be easily applied to any real network.
Linear Redshift Distortions and Power in the PSCz Survey

We present a state-of-the-art linear redshift distortion analysis of the recently published IRAS Point Source Catalog Redshift Survey (PSCz). The procedure involves linear compression into 4096 Karhunen-Loeve modes culled from a potential pool of about 3 x 10^5 modes, followed by quadratic compression into three separate power spectra, the galaxy-galaxy, galaxy-velocity, and velocity-velocity power spectra. Least squares fitting to the decorrelated power spectra yields a linear redshift distortion parameter beta = Omega_m^0.6/b = 0.41(+0.13,-0.12).
Cultivation and characterization of snowbound microorganisms from the South Pole

Little is known about microbial ecosystems of interior Antarctica, if indeed such ecosystems exist. Although considerable research has assessed microorganisms indigenous to coastal regions of Antarctica, particularly their lakes, ponds, and soils, to our knowledge only one characterized bacterium, a strain of Pseudomonas, has been isolated from South Pole ice or snow. Metagenomic community analyses described in this work and elsewhere reveal that a diversity of bacteria exists in inland polar snows, yet attempts to culture and characterize these microbes from this extreme environment have been few to date. In this molecular and culture-dependent investigation of the microbiology of inland Antarctica, we enriched and isolated two new strains of bacteria and one strain of yeast (Fungi) from South Pole snow samples. The bacteria were of the genera Methylobacterium and Sphingomonas, and the yeast grouped with species of Naganishia (class Tremellocytes). In addition to phylogenetic analyses, characterization of these isolates included determinations of cell morphology, growth as a function of temperature, salinity tolerance, and carbon and energy source versatility. All organisms were found to be cold-adapted, and the yeast strain additionally showed considerable halotolerance. These descriptions expand our understanding of the diversity and metabolic activities of snowbound microorganisms of interior Antarctica.
Osilodrostat for the treatment of Cushing's disease.

The treatment of Cushing’s disease (CD) has been advanced well with the introduction of treatment options like transsphenoidal surgery, radiosurgery, bilateral adrenalectomy, and various classes of...
Adapting cities for climate change through urban green infrastructure planning

Abstract Green Infrastructure (GI) planning firstly developed as an integrated approach to ecological and conservation planning. Then it has advanced and used in several disciplines such as urban and reginal planning and landscape architecture. This diversity has promoted a range of planning initiatives and widespread its usage while make it difficult to define and operationalize GI planning. However, this is a planning strategy that has the potential to promote urban landscape planning by providing a holistic understanding of the dynamics of socio-ecological systems. GI planning, by producing a variety of ecosystem services, and having proactive multi-function and multi-discipline approach in planning, enhances our ability to deal with climate change in urban scale. Significant advances in GI planning have recently been made in integrating adaptation objectives in plans. However, in incorporating urban GI planning strategy to urban adaptive planning to cope with disasters, many challenges remained linked to integrate these two strategic planning in urban ecological planning with opportunistic response, more than only simple unintegrated defensive strategy. This research tries to take a step in this direction and seeks to investigate what constitutes GI as a strategy, and through this strategy how it can be possible to offer an integrated approach in urban planning practice. Then it investigates what are the key concepts and principles of urban adaptive planning, and how urban adaptive planning can be made operational in urban GI planning practice. In this essay, a transdisciplinary framework for adaptive urban GI planning is proposed to integrate science and professional practice. It includes adaptive strategies from climate change adaptation and ecological planning in a structured form to simultaneously support different type of responses in planning and improve transformability and flexibility in planning and practice.
“New-Style” Judicial Campaigns and the Legitimacy of State High Courts

Judicial elections in the American states became considerably more complicated with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Republican Party of Minnesota v White. That ruling extended free speech rights to candidates for judicial office, allowing them the freedom to announce their views on a variety of political and legal issues. Coupled with growing campaign contributions by interest groups and the increasing prevalence of attack ads, state judicial elections now often appear to be little different from ordinary political elections. This has caused many to worry about the legitimacy of elected state courts inasmuch as their perceived impartiality appears to be at risk from campaign activity. The purpose of this article is to investigate those concerns, relying upon an experiment embedded within a representative national survey. Four hypotheses about the effects of campaign activity on institutional legitimacy are investigated, including the hypothesis that courts differ little from legislatures in how they ...
A scalable multicomputer

Computer uses are being expanded beyond the capabilities of stand-alone machines to applications requiring high throughput and computational power as well as low cost which can only be found in multicomputers. In this paper we describe a currently developing multicomputer constructed with the interconnections of many computers on a network where each computer performs a task so that the combined efforts of all the computers can be used to solve problems beyond the capability of any single machine to solve. We address four aspects of this multicomputer: hardware, software, applications, and future work efforts. >
Abstract 1594: Transgenic overexpression of NanogP8 in the mouse prostate does not initiate tumorigenesis nor promotes tumor development in the Hi-Myc mouse model

Nanog1 is a homeobox transcription factor critical for the self-renewal and pluripotency of ES cells. NanogP8 is a retrotransposed homolog of Nanog1 preferentially expressed in somatic cancer cells. Work from our lab has shown that shRNA-mediated knockdown of NanogP8 in prostate, breast, and colon cancer cells inhibits tumor regeneration whereas inducible overexpression of NanogP8 in somatic cancer cells promotes cancer stem cell phenotypes and properties. A key unanswered question is whether tissue-specific overexpression of NanogP8 is sufficient to promote tumor development in vivo. To address this question, we generated a NanogP8 transgenic mouse model in which the NanogP8 cDNA derived from a primary prostate cancer was driven by the ARR 2 Pb promoter to direct prostate-specific expression. IHC analysis revealed that human NanogP8 was expressed mainly in the mouse prostate and the expression levels varied from lobe to lobe, with the highest expression in the lateral and ventral lobes. The ARR 2 Pb-NanogP8 transgenic mice were viable, developed normally, and did not form spontaneous tumors during the observation period of >2 years. In addition, both wild-type and ARR 2 Pb-NanogP8 transgenic prostates responded similarly to castration and regeneration and did not develop any tumors. These results indicate that overexpression of human NanogP8 in the mouse prostate is insufficient to initiate tumorigenesis in both androgen intact and deprived conditions. We then crossed the ARR 2 Pb-NanogP8 transgenic mice with ARR 2 Pb-Myc (i.e., Hi-Myc) mice and found that the double transgenic (i.e., ARR 2 Pb-NanogP8; Hi-Myc) mice showed similar tumor incidence and histology to the Hi-Myc mice. Unexpectedly, we found white dots in the ventral lobes of the double transgenic mice, which are currently being characterized. Taken together, our present work demonstrates that transgenic overexpression of NanogP8 in the mouse prostate does not initiate tumorigenesis nor promotes tumor development in the Hi-Myc mouse model. These results are consistent with our recent findings that NanogP8 overexpression fails to initiate tumorigenesis in a K14-NanogP8 transgenic model. Our results are also consistent with others9 recent work showing that NanogP8 overexpression in transgenic animals is insufficient to initiate mammary tumor development. Citation Format: Shuai Gong, Bigang Liu. Transgenic overexpression of NanogP8 in the mouse prostate does not initiate tumorigenesis nor promotes tumor development in the Hi-Myc mouse model. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1594. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1594
Interconnect synthesis of heterogeneous accelerators in a shared memory architecture

An accelerator-rich architecture (ARA) is composed of heterogeneous accelerators with an on-chip memory system. Compared to the general-purpose processors, an accelerator demands short and predictable latency to its local on-chip memory to satisfy its performance target. Moreover, an accelerator requires a much higher off-chip memory bandwidth than a CPU since it consumes much more data in a given time period. Therefore, a customized on-chip memory system design is one of the keys to an efficient ARA. In this work we provide a two-layer interconnect synthesis method. We first provide an optimal layer of partial crossbar that connects the heterogeneous accelerators and shared memory banks with a minimum number of switches. The second layer of interconnect tries to interleave possible conflicting long-burst memory requests for prefetching data from off-chip memory. The experimental results show that we can reduce more than 45% of the switches of the partial crossbar compared to the best known method. This further leads to 53% reduction of LUTs and 34% reduction of slice utilization on a 30-accelerator FPGA prototype. Furthermore, the performance of an ARA can be improved by 36% – 52% with a well-designed interleaved network in a real ARA prototype for medical imaging applications. This prototype also shows a 7.44x energy efficiency gain over the state-of-the-art Xeon processors.