cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decision Support Tool for Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) using Multi-Domain Decomposition

Design of today’s complex engineering systems often involves decomposition of large systems into smaller and more manageable subsystems. The decomposition could be done based on physical components associated with the system, on tasks and activities comprising the design of the complete system, or on the disciplinary analyses involved in the design process. This research focuses on the development of a decision support tool for Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) by allowing designers to decom pose the system in three different but coupled domains of product development, -- component, analysis and task. A web -based, interactive visual tool is developed that helps designers to clearly see the decomposed elements and their dependencies represented by a Dependency Structure Matrix (DSM) for each decomposition domain. The DSM representations for all the decomposition domains are also interlinked based on the functional dependencies between the decomposed elements of the different domains. The interactive tool allows the designer to capture the effects of a change in one of the decomposition domains on the other decomposition domains. This tool provides a visual aid for the designer to better understand the behavior of the complete system and, hence, make faster and better trade -off decisions. The capability of the tool is demonstrated using an artificial speed reducer design test problem.
(R)-(Z,E)-9,11-octadecadien-13-olide: an intriguing lactone from Heliconius pachinus (Lepidoptera).

A fourteen-membered lactone,(R)-(Z,E)-9,11-octadecadien-13-olide, was isolated from extruded abdominal glands of a Neotropical, nymphalid butterfly,Heliconius pachinus (Lepidoptera). This compound was obtained from mature adults of both sexes, but was not detected in young adults or pupae.
Ground-based hyperspectral remote sensing for weed management in crop production

Agricultural remote sensing has been developed and applied in monitoring soil, crop growth, weed infestation, insects, diseases and water status in farm fields to provide data and information to guide agricultural management practices. Precision agriculture has been implemented through prescription mapping of crop fields at different scales with the data remotely sensed from space-borne, airborne and ground-based platforms. Ground-based remote sensing techniques offer portability, flexibility and controllability in applications for precision agriculture. In weed management, crop injury from off-target herbicide spray drift and herbicide resistance in weeds are two important issues. For precision weed management, ground-based hyperspectral remote sensing techniques were developed for detection of crop injury from dicamba and differentiation between glyphosate resistant and sensitive weeds. This research presents the techniques for ground-based hyperspectral remote sensing for these two applications. Results illustrate the advantages of ground-based hyperspectral remote sensing for precision weed management. Keywords: ground-based remote sensing, hyperspectral, crop injury, herbicide resistance, precision agriculture DOI: 10.3965/j.ijabe.20160902.2137 Citation: Huang Y, Lee M A, Thomson S J, Reddy K N. Ground-based hyperspectral remote sensing for weed management in crop production. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2016; 9(2): 98－109.
Environmental surveillance of human enterovirus in rivers and wastewater in Shenzhen

Objective:To determine the prevalence of human enterovirus in water environments.Methods: Water samples from 5 locations were collected monthly from April,2010 to December,2011 and enterovirus was detected using real-time RT-PCR.Results: Of 105 water samples,72 samples(68.57%)were positive for enterovirus when subjected to real-time RT-PCR assay.There were no statistical differences in the positive ratio of the samples from 5 locations.Conclusion: The high prevalence of enterovirus in water strongly supports the need of human enterovirus surveillance in aquatic environments and further comprehensive studies for evaluating the public health risk associated with enterovirus in water.
Ages at a Crime Scene: Simultaneous Estimation of the Time since Deposition and Age of Its Originator.

Blood is a major contributor of evidence in investigations involving violent crimes because of the unique composition of proteins and low molecular weight compounds present in the circulatory system, which often serve as biomarkers in clinical diagnostics. It was recently shown that biomarkers present in blood can also identify characteristics of the originator, such as ethnicity and biological sex. A biocatalytic assay for on-site forensic investigations was developed to simultaneously identify the age range of the blood sample originator and the time since deposition (TSD) of the blood spot. For these two characteristics to be identified, the levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), a marker commonly used in clinical diagnostics corresponding to old and young originators, were monitored after deposition for up to 48 h to mimic a crime scene setting. ALP was chosen as the biomarker due to its age-dependent nature. The biocatalytic assay was used to determine the age range of the originator using human serum...
Temporary Satellite Capture of short-period Jupiter family comets from the perspective of dynamical systems

The Temporary Satellite Capture (TSC) of short-period comets, such as Oterma and Helin-Roman-Crockett, by Jupiter has intrigued astronomers for many years. A widely accepted approach to study TSC is to numerically integrate the equations of motion for the n-body problem using a wide range of initial conditions obtained from the heliocentric two-body problem; then, a search ensues for instances when the Joviocentric energy becomes negative. More recently, a preliminary analysis involving the application of Dynamical Systems Theory (DST) to the Sun-Jupiter-comet three-body problem has provided significant insight into the motion in the Sun-Jupiter system and offered a simple model to account for the TSC phenomena observed in Jupiter family short-period comets. The accuracy of this model can be immediately verified since ephemeris data is available for comet trajectories.
Abstract 1212: Effect of metformin and insulin-/IGF1-receptor inhibitor combination drug therapy in triple negative breast cancer

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with poor survival outcomes. Chemotherapy is the only approved treatment, as there are no targeted therapies. Metformin is an anti-diabetic drug for Type 2 Diabetes. It has been shown to have anti-tumor effects by lowering serum levels of the mitogen insulin, and by pleiotropic effects on cancer cell signaling pathways. BMS-754807 is a potent and reversible inhibitor of the insulin receptor (IR)/insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) family kinases that has been shown to have activity in a subset of TNBC. The aim of this study is to evaluate the hypothesis that the combination of metformin and BMS-754807 is more effective than single drug treatment in TNBC. Experimental design and methods: We treated TNBC cell lines with metformin and BMS-754807 alone and in combination and tested cell viability using MTS assays. Then we used CompuSyn software to analyze the dose-effect of drug combinations for additivity, synergism, or antagonism. We also examined the mechanism by performing Western blots of candidate pathways. Results: 5 out of the 9 cell lines tested (56%) showed synergism of metformin and BMS-754807 in the drug combination assays. Western blots showed significant inhibition of IR/IGF-1R and PI3K/Akt pathways with the drug combination. Conclusion: We conclude that the combination of metformin and BMS-754807 is more effective than single drug in a significant proportion of triple negative breast cancer cell lines. This combination may represent effective targeted therapy for a subset of TNBC. Further studies to evaluate this possibility are underway. Citation Format: Lei Xue, Laura Camacho, Sushma Kothapalli, Sao Jiralerspong. Effect of metformin and insulin-/IGF1-receptor inhibitor combination drug therapy in triple negative breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1212.
Inception to application: A GENI based prototype of an open Marketplace for network services

Choice-based network architecture enables users the power to choose services from a set of network service offerings from multiple providers within a marketplace. To facilitate marketplace alternatives and enable fine-grain service composition, a common service specification should represent a general-extensible design for describing a service. This allows users to discover, negotiate, and purchase network services from service providers using service advertisements in the marketplace. We have successfully developed a ChoiceNet prototype which rectifies some of the shortcomings of the earlier prototypes and demonstrates a contractual agreement between multiple network service providers to realize multiple end-to-end application scenarios using the common service specification within the GENI environment. Our implementation showcases the integration of two contrasting payment models for the procurement of contractual agreements for network services. Successful agreements results in the provisioning of the advertised network services. This demo helps in visualizing the network service life cycle as seen by the Marketplace.
Somatic cancer mutations across populations

PL06-01 Although evidence for divergent cancer biology among different ethnic populations has accrued for decades, in many cases the molecular basis for such differences remains unresolved. Progress in this arena may stem from recent advances in cancer genomics approaches. Indeed, cancer represents a disease of the genome, in that each cancer contains a unique set of altered oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Recent large-scale surveys of tumor somatic genetic alterations have begun to shed light on the types of molecular changes that might underlie ethnic differences in cancer behavior. This talk will describe examples of causal tumor genetic changes that vary with ethnicity, as well as emerging high-throughput approaches that may enable comprehensive cancer gene mutation profiling across ethnic groups in the future. Elucidating the relationship between cancer biology and ethnicity will likely comprise an important step towards individualized cancer medicine.
Genome-scale transcriptional study of hybrid effects and regulatory divergence in an F1 hybrid Ruellia (Wild Petunias: Acanthaceae) and its parents.

New combinations of divergent genomes can give rise to novel genetic functions in resulting hybrid progeny. Such functions may yield opportunities for ecological divergence, contributing ultimately to reproductive isolation and evolutionary longevity of nascent hybrid lineages. In plants, the degree to which transgressive genotypes contribute to floral novelty remains a question of key interest. Here, we generated an F1 hybrid plant between the red-flowered Ruellia elegans and yellow flowered R. speciosa. RNA-seq technology was used to explore differential gene expression between the hybrid and its two parents, with emphasis on genetic elements involved in the production of floral anthocyanin pigments. The hybrid was purple flowered and produced novel floral delphinidin pigments not manufactured by either parent. We found that nearly a fifth of all 86,475 unigenes expressed were unique to the hybrid. The majority of hybrid unigenes (80.97%) showed a pattern of complete dominance to one parent or the other although this ratio was uneven, suggesting asymmetrical influence of parental genomes on the progeny transcriptome. However, 8.87% of all transcripts within the hybrid were expressed at significantly higher or lower mean levels than observed for either parent. A total of 28 unigenes coding putatively for eight core enzymes in the anthocyanin pathway were recovered, along with three candidate MYBs involved in anthocyanin regulation. Our results suggest that models of gene evolution that explain phenotypic novelty and hybrid establishment in plants may need to include transgressive effects. Additionally, our results lend insight into the potential for floral novelty that derives from unions of divergent genomes. These findings serve as a starting point to further investigate molecular mechanisms involved in flower color transitions in Ruellia.
Myths in Treating Onychomycosis

Multiple times per week in a physician’s practice, a practitioner will encounter a patient who asks questions regarding how onychomycosis developed in the nails and/or discusses a home remedy found on the internet that is supposed to clear onychomycosis. Any nail specialist, whether dermatologist or podiatric physician, can name a litany of the possibly logical and illogical “cures” that are displayed with a simple internet search. When faced with a patient who has tried these home remedies and has not seen the result they wanted, it is best not to judge or make light of what they have used, but instead give them the facts as to what is the possible source of the fungal infection and why common household remedies have or haven’t worked.
Analysis of Meta-Ethical Relationships

One of the most prominent aspects of educational relationships between instructors and students in school systems is related to observation of metaethics. This article has investigated the impact of perceptual consequential end results on studentsâ€™ learning synergy in a dysfunctional society. Instructors and school authorities need to synergize their intellectual power with meta-ethical principles in order to solve studentsâ€™ societal misbehavior and connect them with the current trends of socialization. Specifically, this article has analyzed five models of educational relationships between instructors and students: (1) parental educational model, (2) architectural engineering educational model, (3) priestly humanitarian educational model, (4) collegial educational social model, and (5) contractual covenant educational model.
A Light-Powered Smart Camera With Compressed Domain Gesture Detection

This paper presents an ultralow power smart camera with gesture detection. Low power is achieved by directly extracting gesture features from the compressed measurements, which are the block averages and the linear combinations of the image sensor’s pixel values. We present two classifier techniques to allow low computational and storage requirements. The system has been implemented on an analog devices BlackFin ULP vision processor. By enabling ultralow energy consumption, we demonstrate that the system is powered by ambient light harvested through photovoltaic cells whose output is regulated by TI’s dc–dc buck converter with maximum power point tracking. Measured data reveals that with only 400 compressed measurements ( $768\times $ compression ratio) per frame, the system is able to recognize key wake-up gestures with greater than 80% accuracy and only $95mJ$ of energy per frame. Owing to its fully self-powered operation, the proposed system can find wide applications in “always-on” vision systems, such as in surveillance, robotics, and consumer electronics with touch-less operation.
Abstract WMP15: Hyperperfusion on Arterial Spin Labeling: Objective Decision Support Using Pattern Recognition

Background: Hyperperfusion detected on arterial spin labeling (ASL) images acquired after stroke onset has been shown to correlate with subsequent hemorrhagic transformation (HT). Presence of hyperperfusion is typically detected by visual review of arterial spin labeling cerebral blood flow (CBF). Such a review is subjective as it is challenged by inter-reader variability, noise, and lack of standard threshold. We present in this study a quantitative hyperperfusion detection model that can provide an objective decision support for the interpretation of ASL CBF maps and rapidly delineate hyperperfusion regions. Methods: ASL Cerebral blood flow (CBF) maps of acute stroke patients presenting with an occlusion in the MCA territory were coregistered to a standardized atlas space. To achieve reliable detection of ASL hyperperfusion, we formalize the problem as a nonlinear classification that relates regional voxel intensity values to the corresponding binary label (normal or hyperperfused). Our method takes into account the healthy contralateral hemisphere and its CBF intensity values during the determination of hyperperfusion of a voxel. Each input feature vector combines the regional intensity values at the voxel of interest, its contralateral matched region, and the distribution of the difference between them. Each input vector is associated to a label corresponding to the presence of hyperperfusion that was manually established by consensus between experts. The predicted hyperperfusion regions were compared to a groundtruth that manually established by two researchers. Results: A total of 361 ASL scans were collected from 221 patients (age=72±17 years; 45% males). Hyperperfusion was detected in 76 patients that were subsequently used in our analysis. An AUC of 83±5% was reached after a leave-one-out cross-validation, which corresponds to the accuracy in detecting hyperperfusion compared to manual delineation of hyperperfusion on ASL CBF maps. Conclusion: Pattern recognition based on a nonlinear regression can provide an accurate and objective measure of hyperperfusion on ASL CBF images and could therefore improve the detection of hemorrhagic transformation in acute stroke patients.
Sexual Orientation, Sexual History, and Inequality in the United States

Much of the literature on sexual orientation discrimination reports earnings differentials for gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals when compared with heterosexuals. The General Social Survey (GS...
THRUST: A Lyapunov exponents based robust stability analysis method for power systems

In this paper, we present THRUST, a Time domain simulation approach with Lyapunov exponent metHod for RobUST stabihty analysis of power systems. THRUST uses Lyapunov exponents method (LEM) for predicting both short-term voltage and angular stability. THRUST offers a novel system stability metric, which evaluates the system stability by considering both the voltage and relative rotor angles together. Due to its algorithmic procedure, THRUST can be used without the need of any manual intervention and can be easily scaled to large systems. THRUST can use the time-series data obtained from phasor measurement unit (PMU) to compute Lyapunov exponents in an online manner. Experiments with a 39-bus system and a 13029-bus system demonstrate the effectiveness of THRUST in analyzing voltage and rotor angle system stability/instability along with individual bus/generator contribution to stability/instability.
Semiconductor Photocatalysis of Bicarbonate to Solar Fuels: Formate Production from Copper(I) Oxide

Copper-oxide-based photocatalysts, micron- and nanosized, and silver nanoparticle–copper oxide nanocomposites (Ag/Cu2O) were characterized and evaluated for the first time in the application of bicarbonate conversion to formate. The Ag/Cu2O nanocomposite yielded considerable production improvement over pure copper oxides due to the role of silver as a plasmonic sensitizer. We attribute these marked production improvements to plasmon-induced electron transfer from metal to semiconductor. These photocatalysts were studied in two different hole scavenger solvents (2-propanol and glycerol) using a solar simulator with air mass coefficient 1.5 and 0 (AM 1.5, AM 0) filters. Formate production increased significantly with AM 0 solar irradiation due to inclusion of the ultraviolet portion of the solar spectrum, and nanoparticulate Cu2O showed improved photocatalysis relative to micron Cu2O. Green chemistry solvent, glycerol, proved to be a far superior hole scavenger in comparison to 2-propanol.
Persona in MMO Games: Constructing an identity through complex player/character relationships

Studies of online interaction involving identity can be divided into two distinct categories. On the one hand, there is the study of the players, which often asks questions of a psychological or economic nature. On the other hand, there is the study of characters, which looks at issues of language or culture, and critical theory topics such as gender, class, and race online. While these two approaches have created a field of digital games research that provides many valuable resources and research projects, the separation between these topics is also limiting due to the complex and intertwined nature of online and offline interaction in the modern age. This paper presents a new definition of persona as an additional methodological concept that can be used to observe interaction in the online world, particularly as it applies to the presentation of an identity to others. This construct serves as a joint identity of character and player, combining these otherwise separate topics to allow for a greater depth of understanding of the actions and reasoning behind the characters and players of digital games. It is also applicable to other online contexts, such as social networking, livestreaming, and forum use.
Evolution of in situ growth stresses and interfacial structure in phase changing Cu/V multilayered thin films

Abstract As the layer thickness is reduced in a Cu/V multilayered thin film, a change in phase from face centered cubic (fcc)-to-body centered cubic (bcc) can result for Cu. A series of Cu/V multilayered films with equal layer thicknesses that spanned bilayer spacing values from 40 nm to 0.6 nm have been sputtered deposited with their in situ growth stress monitored during the deposition. When the bilayer spacing was reduced, and the layers maintained their bulk phase stability, the tensile stress in the multilayer film reduced. This has been contributed to compressive strain generated at the interfaces even with Cu forming stacking faults in response to the strain. When the bilayer was at 2 nm, the Cu layer phase transformed to bcc and adopted its own lattice parameter separate from that of bcc V. Further reductions in bilayer spacing retained a crystalline bcc phase but with a matching lattice spacing between the layers. Significant intermixing was quantified by atom probe tomography even though the elements are immiscible in the bulk state. The change in phase also resulted in an increase in the film's overall tensile growth stress.
Incorporating Ancillary Information in Multibiometric Systems

Information fusion in a multibiometric system can be accomplished at the sensor, feature, match score, rank, or decision levels. Depending on the level of fusion, inputs to the fusion module may consist of raw images, features, match scores, ranks or identity decisions generated by the individual biometric sources. Apart from these inputs, a multibiometric system may have access to ancillary information that may be beneficial in the decision generation process. Intrinsic ancillary information is derived from the same biometric sample that is used for verifying or establishing the identity of the user. An example of intrinsic information is the quality of the acquired biometric sample (e.g., fingerprint image quality). Extrinsic information is derived from sources other than the acquired biometric sample. For instance, characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, height or weight of the user (collectively known as soft biometric traits) can be obtained as the user approaches a fingerprint recognition system. Though the ancillary information may not be directly related to the identity of the user, it is still useful for recognition in many ways, especially in a multibiometric system. The main difficulty in incorporating ancillary information in a multibiometric system lies in (i) designing techniques that can automatically extract the required ancillary information from the individual, and (ii) designing fusion mechanisms that can effectively utilize this additional information to improve recognition accuracy. This chapter presents some techniques that have been proposed in the literature to address these challenges in the context of quality-based fusion and soft biometrics.
Prevention of Achievement Deficits

Children who do not achieve well in academic areas comprise the largest minority of students in schools. Many of those who have achievement deficits acquire the label learning disabled; over 1.6 million pupils are considered learning disabled and they account for 40% of all children receiving special educational services (U. S. Department of Education, 1983). Another 250,000 are labeled mentally retarded but their retardation is not severe enough to cause them to be removed from regular education classrooms. Still others do not acquire a special education label but frequently are given failing grades; they often come from economically depressed areas where mothers are heads of households, unemployment is high, crowded housing is common, and nutrition is poor.
Mindfulness moderates the relation between trauma and anxiety symptoms in college students.

AbstractObjective: To explore the relations between trauma exposure and anxiety and depression among college students, and to determine whether trait mindfulness may moderate these relations. Parti...
Principles of Combination Chemotherapy

In 1948, Farber (Farber et al.,1948) reported that the folic acid antagonist aminopterin was able to induce temporary clinical remissions of disease in some children with acute leukemia. Remarkable as these early remissions were, it soon became apparent that with the exception of methotrexate-induced cure of choriocarcinoma (Li et al.,1956) (and later cyclophosphamide-induced cure of Burkitt’s lymphoma) (Nkrumah and Perkins, 1976; Ziegler et al., 1973), single-agent chemotherapy yielded only a low percentage of complete responses of relatively short duration. Early studies in the 1960s utilizing combinations of antineoplastic drugs soon demonstrated the superiority of combination chemotherapy over single agents in the treatment of certain tumors. Using the combination of methotrexate, actinomycin D, and chlorambucil for the treatment of advanced testicular carcinoma, Li et al. (1960) demonstrated a marked improvement in the response rate as compared with the effect of these agents when used alone. Greenspan (Greenspan et al., 1963; Greenspan, 1966) showed that the objective response rate in metastatic breast carcinoma was more than double the single-agent response rate when thioTEPA and methotrexate were used in combination. When 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was added to the combination, some patients with hepatic metastases resistant to the drugs used alone showed significant tumor regression. The therapeutic potential of combination chemotherapy became more impressive with the demonstration of the superlative effect of five drugs in the treatment of advanced breast cancer (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, methotrexate, prednisone, and 5-FU) (Cooper, 1969). Subsequently, a large number of laboratory and clinical trials against both animal and human tumors followed that utilized empirical combinations of previously known active drugs.
A Practical View of Numerical Taxonomy or should I be a Pheneticist or a Cladist

I wish to approach this subject from the point of view of a practicing taxonomist wishing to take advantage of numerical taxonomic methodologies for the purpose of solving taxonomic problems or for the purpose of constructing classifications. I regard these as separate operations because, in my view of taxonomy, one cannot construct a classification until one is (reasonably) sure of what it is one wishes to classify. That is, it is first necessary to detect entities that may then be subjected to classificatory methods. Therefore, the process of classification is preceded by a process of detection. We may view the combination of these activities as a three stage process: (1) recognition of differences between individuals, (2) grouping those individuals having common characteristics, (3) assessing the relationships between the groups so recognized.
Transient Stresses in Electrorheological Fluids: Role of Particle Polarization Dynamics

While the magnitude of the field-induced shear stress is a critical parameter in designing semiactive electrorheological (ER) devices, the stress response time is also relevant. Furthermore, sharp transients in the stress response may lead to perceptions of harshness that is undesirable, for example, in automotive applications. In light of the importance of these transient effects, a variety of time-dependent rheological phenomena were explored experimentally in several model ER fluid systems.1,2 The character of the transient stress response was found to depend strongly on the composition of the ER system under test. The detailed time dependence of the stress and its variation with material properties can be understood semiquantitatively by using a simple model that accounts for the polarization dynamics of the suspended particles. The character of the transient response depends largely on whether particle polarization involves primarily a particle-fluid conductivity mismatch or a dielectric constant mismatch. The transient stress response is therefore a powerful tool to uncover the mechanisms by which ER activity arises. The shear-rate dependence of the stress response was also investigated; perhaps counterintuitively, the characteristic times for stress growth and decay were largest at low shear rates and varied inversely with shear rate at high shear rates. This relationship is qualitatively consistent with the contributions of particle polarization and the growth and strain of the field-induced structure to the observed transient stresses.2
Absorption Cross Sections of K +/- and p̄ on Carbon and Copper in the Region 1.0-3.3 GeV/c

Measurements of ${K}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$-meson and $\overline{p}$ absorption cross sections on carbon and copper in the region 1.0-3.3 GeV/c are presented.
Agents of Change: Reimagining Curriculum and Instruction in World Language Classrooms through Social Justice Education.

AbstractThis interpretive multiple case study examined how K-16 world language teachers (N = 12) incorporated social justice issues into their curriculum and instruction and the factors that suppor...
Robust BEOL MIMCAP for Long and Controllable TDDB Lifetime

As operating frequency of the chips keeps increasing, high capacitance density MIMCap is needed to mitigate voltage droop for faster current injection. With high capacitance density, it is challenging to retain low leakage and long reliability lifetime. In this work, we will present an integrated MIMCap with BEOL process which has robust TDDB. In addition, while retaining same high capacitance density and low leakage, this work will present a method to fabricate MIMCap with controlled TDDB lifetime, providing flexibility with voltage applied to either electrode.
Promoting Grassroots Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development in the Horn of Africa

This paper engaged in conceptual discourse on the HOWs and WHYs of promoting entrepreneurship at a grassroots level. Dissemination of a popular entrepreneurial culture in a country is one of the main driving forces of achieving accelerated economic development. The paper mainly focuses on the Horn of Africa (HoA) countries. The discussion deals with what types of capacity a country needs to do to promote grassroots entrepreneurship as an effective tool for faster growth and reduction of poverty. The most effective nation-building process, among others, emanates from establishing entrepreneurship culture nationally particularly at the grassroots level. HoA nations can attain faster economic growth by creating a conducive environment for their predominantly younger population to actively engage in entrepreneurial and innovation activities. This can take place only if capacity building programs in entrepreneurship are initiated. We conceptually identified and clustered the resources and capacities needed to disseminate entrepreneurship at the grassroots level. Furthermore, we proposed an array of conceptual initiatives and action plans for consideration by the HoA nations to accelerate their nation-building process by fostering entrepreneurship and innovation nationwide. Our proposed initiative and action plans are conceptual and subjective to further discussion, adaptation, and improvement to reflect the objective reality of each nation.
Context and Regulation of Homeschooling: Issues, Evidence, and Assessment Practices

The article discusses salient factors that influence the current context within which homeschooling occurs. Individual states have applied various approaches to establish regulations that both preserve the rights of homeschooling parents and fulfill the state's obligation to ensure that its residents receive the education to which they are constitutionally entitled. Case and ethnographic studies or research involving small and selected samples often appear in outlets associated with homeschool advocacy groups or in outlets that are not mainstream. The paucity of empirical evidence derived from methodologically strong research paradigms has led to little certainty about many aspects of homeschooling, including its effectiveness in preparing an educated citizenry. From state to state, the understanding and definition of homeschooling vary widely, leading to equally wide variations in regulatory practices. The article documents and summarizes state-to-state variations in matters pertaining to homeschooling and offers recommendations to help school psychologists work more effectively with students who are educated at home. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
An interview with Marshall Forstein, MD

Marshall Forstein, MD is a psychiatrist who, most recently, was Acting Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Adult Psychiatry Residency Director at Cambridge Health Alliance, and Associate Prof...
Shark Cartilage Supplement Labeling Practices and Compliance with U.S. Regulations

The objective of this study was to analyze labeling practices and compliance with regulatory standards for shark cartilage supplements sold in the United States. The product labels of 29 commercial shark cartilage supplements were assessed for compliance with U.S. regulations. Claims, including nutrient content, prohibited disease, and nutritional support statements, were examined for compliance and substantiation. Overall, 48.3% of the samples had at least one instance of noncompliance with labeling regulations. The most common labeling violations observed were: missing a domestic address/phone number, non-compliant nutrient content claim, missing/incomplete disclaimer, missing statement of identity, prohibited disease claims, and incomplete "Supplement Facts" label. The use of prohibited disease claims and nutritional support statements without the required disclaimer is concerning from a public health standpoint because consumers may delay seeking professional treatment for a disease. The results of this study indicate a need for improved labeling compliance among shark cartilage supplements.
Startup Acquisitions, Relocation, and Employee Entrepreneurship

The past few decades have seen a significant increase in the acquisitions of startups by incumbents, raising concerns regarding their potential anti-competitive effects. By developing a dynamic perspective, this study argues that these acquisitions can prompt acquired employees to leave to launch their own ventures, which reflect an often-overlooked long term aspect of acquisitions. We provide empirical support for this argument by analyzing employee-employer matched data from US Census on high-tech startup acquisitions and their workforce in 1990-2011. Moreover, effects on employee entrepreneurship are amplified when the target startup is relocated to the acquirer’s location, and largely muted when left in its original location. Overall, our study highlights the importance of post-acquisition mobility patterns in shaping the dynamics of incumbents’ acquisitions of entrepreneurial firms.
Effects of COVID19 Pandemic on Pediatric Kidney Transplant in the United States

In March 2020, COVID-19 infections began to rise exponentially in the United States, placing substantial burden on the healthcare system As a result, there was a rapid change in transplant practices and policies, with cessation of most procedures Our goal was to understand changes to pediatric kidney transplantation (KT) at the national level during the COVID-19 epidemic Using SRTR data, we examined changes in pediatric waitlist registration, waitlist removal or inactivation, and deceased donor and living donor (DDKT/LDKT) events during the start of the disease transmission in the United States compared to the same time the previous year We saw an initial decrease in DDKT and LDKT by 47% and 82% compared to expected events and then a continual increase, with numbers reaching expected pre-pandemic levels by May 2020 In the early phase of the pandemic, waitlist inactivation and removals due to death or deteriorating condition rose above expected values by 152% and 189%, respectively There was a statistically significant decrease in new waitlist additions (IRR (0 49) 0 65 (0 85) ) and LDKT (IRR (0 17) 0 38 (0 84) ) () in states with high vs low COVID activity Transplant recipients during the pandemic were more likely to have received a DDKT, but had similar cPRA, waitlist time and cause of ESRD as before the pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic initially reduced access to kidney transplantation among pediatric patients in the United States, but has not had a sustained effect
Improving Tolerance to Atmospheric Turbulence Effects in FSO Quantum Communications by Adaptive Optics

We demonstrate that adaptive optics (AO) can be used to improve tolerance to atmospheric turbulence in free-space optical (FSO) quantum communications. Both the overall secret-key rate and quantum bit-error rate for BB84 protocol have been significantly improved by the AO.
SU‐E‐J‐204: Can a Commercial System for MR‐IGRT Be Used to Treat Patients Without Acquiring a CT Scan?

Patients treated using a magnetic-resonance image guided radiation therapy (MR-IGRT) system received both CT and MR simulations. During planning, the CT is used to determine relative electron density (RED) using a calibration table. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of MR-only treatments by comparing CT-computed dose distributions to those computed with combinations of water (1.0), lung (0.26), tissue (1.02), and bone (1.12) bulk RED overrides, and to identify the effects of the magnetic field on the RED-overridden doses. Methods: Four patients who received treatment using a commercial MR-IGRT system were analyzed (1 lung, 2 abdomen, and 1 pelvis). The clinical plans were computed using the first fraction MRI as primary, and the simulation CT as secondary for REDs. Plans were reoptimized using default bulk RED overrides (water/lung and tissue/lung for the lung patient, water/bone, tissue/bone, water only, and tissue only for the abdomen and pelvis patients). Additionally, each plan was re-optimized to include the static magnetic field. All plans were normalized to the same PTV coverage as the clinical plan. Dose-difference volumes and DVHs were computed for bulk density override plans, and 3D gamma analyses between each plan and its accompanying magnetic field plan were performed using 3%/3 mmmore » dose difference and distance-to-agreement criteria using the PTV and Skin as masking structures. Results: The average differences in PTV and organs-at-risk mean dose for all RED combinations tested were −0.19 Gy (−0.62 – 0.06 Gy) and −0.34 Gy (−1.76 – 0.33 Gy), respectively. The average PTV and Skin gamma pass rates for all RED combinations tested were 99.88% (99.5% – 100%) and 98. 35% (96.3% – 99.6%). No systematic differences in DVHs or isodoses were observed. Conclusions: It is likely that that a commercial MR-IGRT system may produce high quality treatment plans without the need for CT scans. Authors of this abstract are members of the Washington University Radiation Oncology department, which has a research agreement with ViewRay, Inc.« less
A cyclic GMP analog decreases the currents underlying bursting activity in the Aplysia neuron R15

Bath application of 8-parachlorophenylthio-cyclic GMP (8-pcpt-cGMP) has been shown to increase the number of action potentials per burst in the Aplysia neuron R15. Here we report that 8-pcpt-cGMP can eventually inhibit R15's bursting activity and cause the cell to exhibit slow tonic spiking activity. This action is preceded by decreases in spike frequency and in the amplitude of the interburst hyperpolarization. The ionic mechanism underlying these various changes in burst pattern was investigated using voltage clamp. 8-pcpt-cGMP reduces steady-state inward current, and this effect is blocked by manganese but is unaffected by internal EGTA or elevation of extracellular potassium. Dopamine, which decreases the subthreshold calcium current in R15, diminishes the change in current induced by 8-pcpt-cGMP. 8-pcpt-cGMP also reduces the spike-evoked calcium-dependent inward and outward currents known to underlie burst generation. These data lead us to conclude that 8-pcpt-cGMP acts directly to reduce the steady-state subthreshold calcium current (ICa). This decrease in ICa may also indirectly reduce the calcium-dependent currents. It is suggested that 8-pcpt-cGMP produces its effects on bursting by decreasing both the inward and outward currents required for generating bursting behavior, and thus effectively dampens bursting until the cell is in a beating state. It is also shown that 8-pcpt-cGMP dramatically alters R15's responses to depolarizing and hyperpolarizing stimuli. Thus, this cyclic GMP analog alters not only the cell's intrinsic activity, but also its response to external inputs.
Intraocular fluid dynamics: I. Steady-state concentration gradients of magnesium, potassium and calcium in relation to the sites and mechanisms of ocular cation transport processes

The concentrations of Mg, Ca and K were estimated by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in samples of anterior and posterior aqueous humor, vitreous humor, blood plasma and in in vivo or in vitro plasma dialysate of rabbits, cats, dogs and rhesus monkeys. In addition, the existence of concentration gradients within the vitreous body was studied in all species except monkeys by analyzing the fluid of the anterior and posterior segment of the vitreous body separately. There are significant concentration gradients of Mg, Ca and K within the ocular fluid system. Significant concentration gradients were also found within the vitreous compartment of all three species in which intravitreal concentration differences were studied. Binding of cations to macromolecular (non-dialyzable) components of the intraocular fluids (IOFs) may contribute to, but cannot account for all, the observed concentration gradients. The concentration gradients within the IOF system reflect the continual net fluxes of all three of these cations between blood and IOFs across most, or all regions of interphase between IOFs and vascularized intraocular tissues (iris, ciliary processes and retina). In addition, net cation fluxes across the crystalline lens may also contribute to the steady-state IOF concentration gradients. Consideration of concentration differences between IOFs and plasma dialysates and of the known electrical potential gradient between blood and IOF show that active cation transport takes place both between blood and posterior aqueous (most likely across the ciliary processes) and between blood and the posterior segment of the vitreous (i.e. across the blood-retinal barrier). Net cation fluxes against an electrochemical gradient are not indicated across the anterior surface of the iris. The cation concentrations in the local environment of the retinal cells are different from those of a plasma ultrafiltrate. The results are consistent with, but do not prove, identity of cation concentrations in the extracellular fluids of retina and brain.
Metal–Organic Frameworks: Adsorption of Hydrocarbons and Alcohols

Microporous metal-organic frameworks (MMOFs) are a new class of crystalline materials comprised of infinite arrays of single metal cations or metal clusters, connected by functionalized organic linker ligands. The adjustable pore sizes and chemical tunability of these materials offer them distinct advantages over traditional zeolite-based molecular sieves for industrially important gas storage and hydrocarbon separations. The recent advances in hydrocarbon and alcohol adsorption in MMOFs, with a focus on adsorption-related phenomena, are summarized herein. Keywords: metal-organic framework; microporous metal-organic framework; adsorption; hydrocarbon; alcohol; commensurate adsorption; incommensurate adsorption; gas separation; equilibrium; xylene isomers; hexane isomers; small molecule hydrocarbons
New airborne laser altimetry over the Thwaites Glacier catchment, West Antarctica

[1] A new airborne altimetry data set collected over Thwaites Glacier, one of Antarctica's most active ice streams, demonstrates the improvement in publicly available digital elevation models (DEMs) of the Antarctic ice sheet. The airborne altimetry comprises 35,000 line km sampled at 20 m along track. The full data set has a relative error of ±20 cm; a reference subset has an error of ±8 cm. These data are offset from ICESat observations by +20 cm. We find that a recently released ICESat DEM provides a good model of the surface of Thwaites Glacier, despite cloud cover and wide track spacings. However, the ICESat DEM's accuracy is an order of magnitude less than that of the ICESat profile data. Our airborne data will serve as an additional temporal reference for the evolution of Thwaites Glacier's surface as well as aid the construction of future high-resolution DEMs.
Studying Reactive, Risky, Complex, Long-Spanning, and Collaborative Work: The Case of IT Service Delivery

IT service delivery is challenging to study. It is characterized by interacting systems of technology, people, and organizations. The work is sometimes reactive, sometimes carefully planned, often risky, and always complex and collaborative. In this paper we describe how we've learned about IT work, using a variety of methods including naturalistic observations, contextual interviews, surveys, and diary studies. We provide examples of our study results, showing what we've learned with the different methods. We argue that to effectively study such systems, a variety of methods may be needed to complement insights and validate findings. We found that naturalistic observations were extremely time and labor intensive, yet offered us the time and space to observe unplanned events and long-lasting tasks, bringing out the full complexity and risks involved in real work. Contextual interviews and diary studies provided fewer details, yet gave a broader context to individual's work. Surveys provided an even broader picture, going beyond individual differences, yet they were limited by details and issues of sampling.
A QOS evaluating model for computational grid nodes

Computational Grid is a cooperative computing environment which collects all kinds of high performance software and hardware computing resources distributed in WAN and provides networked computing services. For the sake of improving the self-adaptability of resource management and accelerating the application and development of Computational Grid, an evaluating model of a computational grid node’s QOS is put forward which is based on the whole running conditions and the execution results of computational grid jobs on the node. Applied in NPU Campus Computational Grid, this model achieves good effect.
Let the Genogram Speak: Curiosity, Circularity, and Creativity in Family History

This case study describes an intern's curiosity about the process encountered during the construction of a genogram for a distressed family. Flexibility in constructing the genogram and additional time for completing and processing it are two factors that have expanded the use of the genogram beyond that of an initial assessment tool.