cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
I-SED: An Interactive Sound Event Detector

Tagging of sound events is essential in many research areas. However, finding sound events and labeling them within a long audio file is tedious and time-consuming. Building an automatic recognition system using machine learning techniques is often not feasible because it requires a large number of human-labeled training examples and fine tuning the model for a specific application. Fully automated labeling is also not reliable enough for all uses. We present I-SED, an interactive sound detection interface using a human-in-the-loop approach that lets a user reduce the time required to label audio that is tediously long (e.g. 20 hours) to do manually and has too few prior labeled examples (e.g. one) to train a state-of-the-art machine audio labeling system. We performed a human-subject study to validate its effectiveness and the results showed that our tool helped participants label all target sound events within a recording twice as fast as labeling them manually.
Economic Voting and Economic Inequality: U.S. Presidential Elections 1952–2012

Most economic models of election outcomes make two assumptions: voters look at the aggregate economy, and they compare the state of the economy with some fixed reference. We argue that the increase in economic inequality and slowing of overall growth suggest these assumptions should no longer hold. We propose a theory that allows voters to take into account the distribution of economic growth, and we reconsider different decision rules voters could use to evaluate the incumbent. Analyzing presidential elections from 1952 through 2012, we show that models using the economic performance of individual income quintiles are indistinguishable in overall fit from models using aggregate income to predict election results, but can produce different predictions given different distributions of growth. And we show that voters do not appear to explicitly compare economic performance of the incumbent with the out-party, suggesting they have reneged on their role as rational gods of vengeance.
Solution self‐assembly behavior of A‐B‐C triblock polymers and the implications for nanoporous membrane fabrication

Self-assembled block polymer membranes are rising to the fore of next-generation separations technologies, and a particular fabrication process of significant interest is the self-assembly and non-solvent induced phase-separation (SNIPS) method. This is because the SNIPS process allows for the facile manipulation of independent variables to produce simultaneously size- and chemically–selective membranes in a scalable manner. Despite significant advances in the SNIPS membrane fabrication procedure, the early-stage solution behavior of many of the polymer–solvent systems employed is still poorly understood. This work addresses the challenges posed by these systems and illuminates guiding relationships for the optimization of SNIPS membrane casting solutions. Specifically, polymer aggregate structures and critical micelle concentration (CMC) values are determined for an A-B-C triblock polymer dissolved in 1,4-dioxane using a combination of scattering and atomic force microscopy techniques. The CMC of this system ranges from 20 to 80 μM and shows a strong dependence on the polymer composition and solution processing method. Additionally, the shape of the self-assembled structures in solution can be altered by varying these parameters. These studies establish the relationships between polymer solution properties (i.e., the block polymer composition and the processing method) and assembly behavior as they impact membrane fabrication through SNIPS processing. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45531.
One-Dimensional Constitutive Theory

In this chapter, the concept of a thermomechanical constitutive model is introduced. Such a model is used to relate the kinematic variables to the kinetic variables in a solid subjected to thermomechanical loading. Because the constitutive behavior of real materials can be quite complicated, a series of constitutive models has been developed historically, and these models increase in mathematical complexity as more physically intricate behavior of materials is encompassed within the models. Because this mathematical complexity is quite challenging, the models to be developed in succeeding chapters in three dimensions are presented in this chapter in one-dimensional form as a means of introducing this subject in as mathematically and physically simple a form as possible. Accordingly, one-dimensional models are introduced for elastic, viscous, elasto-plastic, viscoelastic, and viscoplastic media. In addition, the effects of moisture and temperature on one-dimensional constitutive behavior are discussed. Finally, experimental techniques for obtaining material properties necessary for characterizing one-dimensional constitutive equations are detailed in this chapter.
Neuroanesthesia and Coexisting Coagulation Problems

Neurosurgical procedures require flawless hemostasis, as even a small bleeding can produce a significant damage, not only impairing a good outcome but causing life-threatening events. Patients requiring general anesthesia for neurosurgical procedures can be affected by inherited or acquired coagulation disorders. While the first are rarer conditions, the latter are becoming more frequent given the increased number of patients receiving anticoagulants and/or antiplatelet medications. Identification of individual patients with preexisting hemostatic defects and an adequate intraoperative monitoring remain crucial to prevent otherwise unexpected bleeding complications, to manage existing bleeding adequately, and to avoid unnecessary patient exposure to blood products.
Mental health disorder, pain, and pain treatment among long-term care residents: Evidence from the Minimum Data Set 3.0

Objective: This study evaluated: (a) associations between long-term care residents’ mental health disorder diagnoses and their pain self-reports and pain treatments, and (b) the extent to which com...
Contemporary analysis of complications associated with biliary stents during neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Abstract Background With the increasing use of biliary stents for neoadjuvant therapy (NT) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the risk of post-pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) infection remains relevant. This study documents the contemporary incidence of stent-related complications (SRC) during NT and to analyze their impact on surgical infections. Methods Consecutive patients from a single institution (2011–15) with resected PDAC treated with biliary decompression, NT, and PD were analyzed. Stent-related complications (SRC) were compared among patients with/without prospectively documented composite pre- and post-operative infections (surgical site infection [SSI], organ space infection [OSI], and cholangitis). Results Of 114 total patients, (median 164 days, initial stent to surgery), 95% had initial endoscopic (vs. percutaneous) stenting. Initial stents were often plastic (80/114, 70%), with 43/114 (38%) undergoing routine exchange to metal stent before NT. Fifteen (13%) patients had stent cholangitis during NT requiring antibiotics and/or stent exchange. There were 33/114 (29%) patients with SRC, requiring 66 exchanges. Post-PD rates of SSI, OSI, and cholangitis were 23%, 5%, and 4%, respectively [composite rate 30%]. On multivariate analysis, SRC were not associated with composite surgical infections (p > 0.05). Conclusions Although SRC occurred in almost one-third of PDAC patients during NT, with appropriate intervention, there was no association with increased surgical infections.
Association of cardiorespiratory fitness on interhemispheric hippocampal and parahippocampal functional connectivity.

Interhemispheric functional connectivity is associated with cognitive functioning. Although previous work has evaluated the association of cardiorespiratory fitness on cognitive function, there has been a limited investigation of the association of cardiorespiratory fitness on the functional connectivity of memory-related brain structures. As such, the objective of this study was to examine the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and parahippocampal and hippocampal interhemispheric functional connectivity. Data from the Nathan Kline Institute-Rockland Sample (NKI-RS) were utilized. Our analysis consisted of 284 participants (Mage = 43 years; 62% female). Cardiorespiratory fitness was objectively measured using a cycle ergometer protocol. Parahippocampal and hippocampal interhemispheric functional connectivity were assessed from fMRI. Higher cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with greater parahippocampal (β = 0.004; CI, 0.00009 to 0.008, p = 0.04), but not hippocampal (β = 0.001; CI, -0.002 to 0.005, p = 0.44) interhemispheric functional connectivity. In conclusion, enhanced cardiorespiratory fitness may facilitate parahippocampal interhemispheric functional connectivity.
Communication Activities in the 21st Century Business Environment

Effective undergraduate instruction requires accurate knowledge of professional communication practices and employer expectations, but ongoing contradictions between academic and professional expec...
Emotion regulation processes linking peer victimization to anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescence.

Difficulties with emotion regulation can take many forms, including increased sensitivity to emotional cues and habitual use of maladaptive cognitive or behavioral regulation strategies. Despite extensive research on emotion regulation and youth adjustment, few studies integrate multiple measures of emotion regulation. The present study evaluated the underlying structure of emotion regulation processes in adolescence using both task- and survey-based measures and determined whether differences in these emotion regulation latent factors mediated the association between peer victimization and internalizing psychopathology. Adolescents aged 16–17 years (n = 287; 55% female; 42% White) recruited in three urban centers in the United States completed baseline and follow-up assessments 4 months apart. Three models of emotion regulation were evaluated with confirmatory factor analysis. A three-factor model fit the data best, including cognitive regulation, behavioral regulation, and emotional reactivity latent factors. Task-based measures did not load onto these latent factors. Difficulties with behavioral regulation mediated the association between peer victimization and depression symptoms, whereas cognitive regulation difficulties mediated the association with anxiety symptoms. Findings point to potential targets for intervention efforts to reduce risk for internalizing problems in adolescents following experiences of peer victimization.
Temporal plasticity of insulin and incretin secretion and insulin sensitivity following sleeve gastrectomy contribute to sustained improvements in glucose control.

Abstract Objective Bariatric surgery acutely improves glucose control, an effect that is generally sustained for years in most patients. The acute postoperative glycemic reduction is at least partially mediated by enhanced incretin secretion and islet function, and occurs independent of caloric restriction, whereas the sustained improvement in glucose control is associated with increased insulin sensitivity. However, studies in humans with bariatric surgery suggest that these elevations are not static but undergo coordinated regulation throughout the postoperative time course. The studies described here test the hypothesis that incretin secretion, islet function, and peripheral insulin sensitivity undergo temporal regulation following bariatric surgery as a means to regulate glucose homeostasis. Methods Incretin secretion, islet function, and insulin sensitivity in mice with vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) were compared to sham-operated controls that were pair-fed for 90d, matching food consumption and body-weight between groups. Results Glucose clearance and insulin secretion were enhanced in VSG mice compared to controls during mixed-meal tolerance tests (MMTT) at 12 and 80 days postoperatively, as were prandial GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon levels. Insulin sensitivity was comparable between groups 14d after surgery, but significantly greater in the VSG group at day 75, despite similar body-weight gain between groups. Glucose stimulated insulin secretion was greater in VSG mice compared to controls in vivo (I.P. glucose injection) and ex vivo (islet perifusion) indicating a rapid and sustained enhancement of β-cell function after surgery. Notably, glycemia following a MMTT was progressively higher over time in the control animals but improved in the VSG mice at 80d despite weight regain. However, meal-stimulated incretin secretion decreased in VSG mice from 10 to 80 days postoperative, as did meal-stimulated and I.P. glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. This occurred over the same time period that insulin sensitivity was enhanced in VSG mice, suggesting postoperative islet output is tightly regulated by insulin demand. Conclusions These data demonstrate a dynamic, multifactorial physiology for improved glucose control after VSG, whereby rapidly elevated insulin secretion is complimented by later enhancements in insulin sensitivity. Critically, the glucose lowering effect of VSG is demonstrably larger than that of caloric-restriction, suggesting these adaptations are mediated by surgical modification of gastrointestinal anatomy and not weight-loss per se.
Should Free Deep Inferior Epigastric Artery Perforator Flaps be considered a Quality Indicator in Breast Reconstruction

Over the past several decades, technical advances in breast reconstruction have resulted in the development of flaps that are aimed at progressively decreasing abdominal wall morbidity. There is, however, ongoing controversy related to the superiority of deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flaps over muscle-sparing TRAM (MS-TRAM) flaps. Hence, the question remains unanswered as to which approach should be considered the standard of care, and more importantly, whether the rate of DIEP flap utilization should be considered a quality metric in breast reconstruction. In this review article, we examine the literature pertaining to abdominal free tissue transfer in breast reconstruction from both donor site and flap characteristics as well as the resultant complications and morbidity. The impact on the donor site remains a prevailing principle for autologous breast reconstruction; thus, must be adequately respected when classifying what is left behind following flap harvest. The most commonly used nomenclature is too simplistic. This, in turn, leads to inadequate incorporation of critical variables, such as degree of muscular preservation, fascial involvement, mesh implantation, and segmental nerve anatomy. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to support DIEP flap harvest as a quality indicator in breast reconstruction, as DIEP flap outcomes are not clearly superior when compared with MS-TRAM flaps.
P66 Transitioning adolescents and young adults living with HIV to adult care

Background Adolescents and young adults living with HIV (AYALWH) comprise a heterogeneous population but have a common need for successful transitioning to adult care. Many institutions have formal transitioning protocols but many obstacles to successful implementation exist. Aims The purpose of this project was to investigate, design, and implement a Transition Clinic for AYALWH with a goal of maximizing retention during the transition and addressing their comprehensive health care needs. Methods We initially conducted a literature review to identify best practices of engaging AYALWH to care and to identify gaps in health care needs. We then conducted several site visits to learn how other institutions prepared and engaged AYALWH for transition of care. We identified 15 AYALWH (Age 17-26) in our community who were experiencing difficulties in transitions to adult care and had unmet health care needs. Results We determined the barriers to care for AYALWH in our community are stigma, transportation, and insurance navigation. In August of 2018 we initiated the Adolescent and Young Adult Health Care Transition Clinic. The clinic is staffed by an Adolescent Physician, an HIV care physician, an Adolescent Social Worker, and an Adult Transition Nurse and is embedded within the General Adolescent Clinic. We have seen 11 clients for a total of 23 visits since inception. We have addressed contraceptive/sexual health needs, primary care needs, behavioral health, and transition preparedness by offering a multidisciplinary approach and focusing on Youth Friendly Services. Our team spends time discussing and addressing barriers to care at each visit. Conclusions A multidisciplinary clinic can engage and improve access to health care for AYALWH. The potential benefits of this approach include reduction in stigma, improved comprehensive care, and focused time to discuss transition to adult care for youth living with a chronic ailment. We have commenced individualizing transition preparedness for each client through an IRB approved transition survey. Future directions include assessing adherence to treatment through our transition program by measuring serial viral loads during successful transition.
Renormalization in the Golden-Mean Semi-Siegel Hénon Family: Non-Quasisymmetry

For quadratic polynomials of one complex variable, the boundary of the golden-mean Siegel disk must be a quasicircle. We show that the analogous statement is not true for quadratic Henon maps of two complex variables.
A Simulation Approach to Designing Digital Matching Platforms

Digital matching marketplaces are characterized by user heterogeneity, limited capacity, and dynamic market clearing. These features create spillovers between users. For example, an Airbnb listing booked by one guest cannot be booked by another guest for the same night. Spillovers limit the applicability of many experimental and observational methods for evaluating the effects of marketplace policies. In this paper, I show how to use marketplace simulations as an input into the design of user acquisition strategies and ranking algorithms. I calibrate a marketplace simulation using data on searches and transactions from Airbnb and use it to address three topics: the returns to scale in matching, the heterogeneity in returns to user acquisition, and the size of bias in experimental designs. I find that returns to scale are initially increasing due to market thickness effects and then decreasing due to availability frictions in search. Furthermore, heterogeneity in the value of listings to the platform is large - the effect of acquiring 25% more listings on bookings varies between -4.1% and 5.4% depending on the quartile of listing quality. I then measure the extent of bias in experimental treatment effects due to spillovers. The treatment effect of a better ranking algorithm on conversion rates is overstated by 53% when a quarter of users are randomized into treatment.
The Hawai‘i Rainfall Analysis and Mapping Application (HI-RAMA): Decision Support and Data Visualization for Statewide Rainfall Data

This paper discusses the design and implementation of the Hawai‘i Rainfall Analysis and Mapping Application (HI-RAMA) decision support tool. HI-RAMA provides researchers and community stakeholders interactive access to and visualization of hosted historical and near-real-time monthly rainfall maps and aggregated rainfall station observational data for the State of Hawai‘i. The University of Hawai‘i Information Technology Services Cyberinfrastructure team in partnership with members of the Hawai‘i Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) ‘Ike Wai project team developed this application as part of the ‘Ike Wai Gateway to support water sustainability research for the state of Hawai‘i. This tool is designed to provide user-friendly access to information that can reveal the impacts of climate changes related to precipitation so users can make data-driven decisions.
Distinct autoinhibitory mechanisms regulate vinculin binding by alpha-T-catenin and alpha-E-catenin

Alpha-catenin binds directly to beta-catenin and connects the cadherin-catenin complex to the actin cytoskeleton. Tension regulates alpha-catenin conformation: actomyosin-generated force stretches the middle(M)-region to relieve autoinhibition and reveal a binding site for the actin-binding protein vinculin. Here we describe the biochemical properties of alpha-T(testes)-catenin, an alpha-catenin isoform critical for cardiac function, and how intramolecular interactions regulate vinculin binding autoinhibition. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) showed that alpha-T-catenin binds the beta-catenin/N-cadherin complex with a similar low nanomolar affinity to that of alpha-E-catenin. Limited proteolysis revealed that the alpha-T-catenin M-region adopts a more open conformation than alpha-E-catenin. The alpha-T-catenin M-region binds the vinculin N-terminus with low nanomolar affinity, indicating that the isolated alpha-T-catenin M-region is not autoinhibited and thereby distinct from alpha-E-catenin. However, the alpha-T-catenin head (N- and M-regions) binds vinculin 1000-fold more weakly (low micromolar affinity), indicating that the N-terminus regulates M-region binding to vinculin. In cells, alpha-T-catenin recruitment of vinculin to cell-cell contacts requires the actin-binding domain and actomyosin-generated tension, indicating that force regulates vinculin binding. Together, our results indicate that the alpha-T-catenin N-terminus is required to maintain M-region autoinhibition and modulate vinculin binding. We postulate that the unique molecular properties of alpha-T-catenin allow it to function as a scaffold for building specific adhesion complexes.
Implementation of a Personal Health Library (PHL) to Support Chronic Disease Self-Management

This paper shows a work-in-progress on the implementation of an integrated Personal Health Library (PHL) for Chronic disease self-management (CDSM) using the Social Linked Data framework. The proposed method is fully decentralized and follows the linked open data platform specifications and grants patients true ownership over their data while giving them fine-grained access control mechanisms to exchange and share their data. It also supports interoperability and portability by following standard protocol, format, and vocabulary provided by ontologies.
The Impact of Information Processing Styles and Persuasive Appeals on Consumers’ Engagement Intention Toward Social Media Video Ads

Video advertisements have become a popular form of communication for advertisers seeking to reach promotion objectives. Yet, the literature on video ads on social media has mainly focused on the co...
Are Fashion Majors Ready for the Era of Data Science? – A Study on the Fashion and Apparel Curriculum in U.S. Educational Institutions

The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of fashion curriculums in preparing students’ career readiness in the new data-intensive fashion industry. While a few existing studies have evaluated the preparedness of fashion majors for traditional apparel design or merchandising positions, whether the current fashion curriculums have sufficiently exposed students to the topic of data science and improved students’ related competencies remain mostly unknown. The findings of the study will fulfill a critical research gap and provide valuable inputs for fashion educational programs to develop a next-generation curriculum suitable for the data-driven fashion industry in the 21st century.
Incorporating Travel Time Reliability in Equitable Congestion Pricing Schemes for Heterogeneous Users and Bimodal Networks

Congestion pricing is proposed as an effective travel demand management strategy to circumvent the problem of congestion and generate revenue to finance developmental projects. There are several st...
Accelerating parallel CFD codes on modern vector processors using blockettes

The performance and scalability of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers are essential for many applications, including multidisciplinary design optimization. With the evolution of highperformance computing resources such as Intel's Knights Landing and Skylake architectures in the Stampede2 cluster, CFD solver performance can be improved by modifying how the core computations are performed while keeping the mathematical formulation unchanged. In this work, we introduce a cache-blocking method to improve memory-bound CFD codes that use structured grids. The overall idea is to split computational blocks into smaller, fixed-sized blockettes that are sufficiently small to completely fit into the available cache size for each core on a given architecture. We can fully take advantage of modern vector instruction sets such as AVX2 and AVX512 on these modern architectures with this approach. Using this method, we have achieved up to 3.27 times speedup in the core routines of the open-source CFD solver, ADflow.
Improving the Radiation Oncology Black Workforce Pipeline: Learning From Early-Stage Career Initiatives.

Purpose/Objective(s) Much focus has been placed on describing the serious and disproportionate exclusion of black physicians in radiation oncology. As a result, many programs have recently emerged to introduce historically-excluded minority medical students from radiation oncology. However, according to annual Association of American Medical Colleges data, black applicants, let alone black medical school matriculants, are among the lowest of any racial/ethnic group. With the starting black population in medical school already significantly and concerningly low, the utility of early radiation oncology exposure initiatives are arguably limited in their ultimate objectives. Thus, to improve the exposure and ultimate inclusion of black physicians as part of the healthcare (generally) or radiation oncology (specifically) workforce, the systemic and institutionalized racist barriers to entry into medicine need to be adequately addressed. To this end, we describe and analyze programs designed to help black premedical students in their pursuit for a medical career. Materials/Methods We conducted a review of the indexed literature and content analysis in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Studies describing programs and initiatives designed to ultimately increase the volume of black American applicants and matriculants into medical school were included. These studies further analyzed for common themes, successes, and challenges. Results The search identified 7608 results. Following title, abstract, then full-text review, 10 articles detailing 11 initiatives were included. Programs ranged from three weeks to four years. The primary targets of these initiatives were undergraduate premedical students from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Themes emerging from these initiatives included mentorship, rigorous academic preparation, test taking strategies, and professional development training. Challenges included sustainable funding, maintaining student interest, and ultimately the need to identify which features specifically lend to programs’ success. Conclusion While programs designed to expose black medical students to radiation oncology are important, they unfortunately do not address the supply/demand problem. Initiatives supporting black premedical students within the larger medical system designed to exclude them and restrict their access offer an opportunity for radiation oncology programs to collaborate with undergraduate institutions to offer practical support of black premedical students. Given the uniqueness and breadth of the clinical components of radiation oncology (e.g., imaging, clinical interactions, procedures, inpatient consults, etc.), we can learn from the successes and challenges of current programs to design and improve future initiatives to introduce and support black undergraduates through the medical career pipeline.
Monolith to Microservice Candidates using Business Functionality Inference

In this paper, we propose a novel approach for monolith decomposition, that maps the implementation structure of a monolith application to a functional structure that in turn can be mapped to business functionality. First, we infer the classes in the monolith application that are distinctively representative of the business functionality in the application domain. This is done using formal concept analysis on statically determined code flow structures in a completely automated manner. Then, we apply a clustering technique, guided by the inferred representatives, on the classes belonging to the monolith to group them into different types of partitions, mainly: 1) functional groups representing microservice candidates, 2) a utility class group, and 3) a group of classes that require significant refactoring to enable a clean microservice architecture. This results in microservice candidates that are naturally aligned with the different business functions exposed by the application. A detailed evaluation on four publicly available applications show that our approach is able to determine better quality microservice candidates when compared to other existing state of the art techniques. We also conclusively show that clustering quality metrics like modularity are not reliable indicators of microservice candidate goodness.
Plato and the Post-Socratic Dialogue: The Return to the Philosophy of Nature

Preface 1. The Parmenides 2. The Theaetetus in the context of later dialogues 3. Being and not-being in the Sophist 4. The new dialectic: from the Phaedrus to the Philebus 5. Philebus and the movement to cosmology 6. Timaeus and the completion of the project: the recovery of the natural world Epilogue: Plato as a political philosopher.
The Influence of Cognitive Style on Customer Orientation

Cognitive style, the ways in which we take in information from the environment and process that information, has been shown to influence interactions in various behavioral fields. This paper investigates whether cognitive style would impact an individual’s orientation toward the customer or toward the sale, as measured by the SOCO scale. The results suggest cognitive style can influence one’s customer orientation.
Governmental Responsibilities and Genetic Disease

Governmental responsibility for dealing with genetic disorders is an old story that has expressed itself primarily through the knife, the law, and the purse. These past approaches are identified with the transmission of genetic handicaps, their detection by screening programs, and their understanding and treatment. In order to ask what government responsibilities should be, it may be instructive to review the contributions of these past efforts.
Privacy, Privilege, and Confidential Communication in Tax

Privileged communications in a tax controversy can take on several dimensions. In the realm of religious communication it takes some very interesting turns. This paper discusses some of those dimensions.
Circadian variation in gastric emptying of meals in humans

Abstract Circadian changes in drug absorption have been documented for several orally administered drugs in humans. To determine whether gastric emptying could account for these changes, morning (8 am) and evening (8 pm) gastric emptying rates were measured in 16 healthy male subjects synchronized with diurnal activity and nocturnal rest. Gastric emptying half-times for the evening meal were significantly (p
An initial investigation of radiolabeling with higher oxidation states of astatine-211. Evaluation of chelation with DOTA and NOTA

1454 Objectives The low in vivo stability of many organic compounds labeled with At-211 prompted investigation of whether compounds that contain higher oxidation states of At are stabilized to in vivo deastatination. The initial objective was to examine chelation of At with macrocyclic chelation reagents DOTA and NOTA. Methods Reaction conditions were evaluated for oxidation of NaI and Na[I-125]I with H2O2, Na2S2O8 and NaIO4 to be used as HPLC reference standards. HPLC conditions were developed to separate NaI, NaIO3, and NaIO4 for identification of oxidized forms of At-211. At(-) was oxidized to form AtO3(-) and AtO4(-). Studies of the chelation of I-125 and At-211 with DOTA and NOTA were conducted under oxidizing conditions at various temperatures. A microwave unit was used at higher temperatures. Results HPLC conditions were developed for separation of Na[I-125]I [tR=4.0 min], Na[I-125]IO3 [3.0 min], NaIO4 [6.1 min], using a JMC J’Sphere ODS M80 column eluting with 1:1 mixture of 50 mM aqueous (Bu4N)H2PO4 and CH3CN. Using this HPLC method, At(-) [tR = 5.5 min] was separated from AtO3(-) [4.8 min] and AtO4(-) [9.0 min]. None of the oxidizing conditions studied provided HPLC evidence of chelation I-125 with DOTA or NOTA. Contrary to this, reaction of At(-) with NaIO4 / 0.1N H2SO4 at 120°C for 10 min (microwave) resulted in new HPLC peaks with DOTA [11.2 min] or NOTA [15.1 min]. Examination of the reaction mixtures by HPLC over 24 hours indicated that the compounds formed were stable under the reaction conditions. However, attempts to isolate the labeled compounds by evaporation and dissolution in PBS resulted in formation of At(-) and AtO3(-). Conclusions HPLC conditions have been developed which provide a method of determining the oxidation state of radioiodine and At-211. The initial studies have provided evidence that At-211 may be chelated with DOTA and NOTA, but indicate that the complexes are not very stable. Research Support Financial support for these studies was provided from DOE (DE-FG02-08ER64666)
A Preliminary Report on the Cryptanalysis of Merkle-Hellman Knapsack Cryptosystems

In April, 1982, Adi Shamir caused a furor with the announcement [1] of “A Polynomial Time Algorithm for Breaking Merkle-Hellman Cryptosystems.” Like many others who received his “extended abstract,” members of the mathematics department at the Sandia National Laboratories undertook a careful study of both the algorithm and the underlying mathematical concepts. This paper summarizes some of our findings. In order to meet the deadline for Crypto’82 the style will be deliberately telegraphic -- and informal. A complete paper will be presented this fall at the Twelfth Conference on Numerical Mathematics and Computing at Winnipeg, the proceedings of which will be published in Congressus Numerantium. It should also be remarked that in discussions with Adi at Crypto’82, we learned that some of the results presented here as new were also arrived at independently by him in the period since his original announcement.
The Development of Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales for Evaluating Marketing Cases

To help establish a motivating classroom environment, a set of behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) was developed to evaluate marketing cases. Seven relevant tasks and corresponding behavioral anchors were identified; both undergraduate and graduate students participated. The system presented offers many advantages which bring it closer to an ideal evaluation system. Marketing professors should not hesitate to adopt BARS similar to the set described.
Leveraging laptops for low-cost, full-fledged outdoor robotics

The growing ubiquity and capabilities of off-the-shelf laptop computers give CS educators remarkable opportunities to include hands-on robotics within their curricula. At our college of 700 students we have developed several laptop-controlled robots based on the very inexpensive PowerWheels line of FisherPrice toys. Such a chassis offers a capable, low-cost base for large-scale outdoor navigation and planning tasks. It enables cost- and time-effective undergraduate engagement in the ongoing community of robot- and visionthemed venues, exhibitions, contests, and conferences. This work describes both successes and caveats from how laptops enable the use of these robots in AI electives and independent-study projects. We conclude that leveraging Moore's law helps make robotics not only an engineering challenge, but a truly computational endeavor at the undergraduate level.
The Category of Milner Processes is Exact

This analysis has shown that there are several levels of ideas used in categories of Park-Milner processes. First and foremost, the theory of exact categories provides the fundamental structures. Second, the idea of rooted processes means one is attempting to work in a bigpointed category. As this brief analysis shows, bipointed categories have a rather weak collection of nice properties—at least known to me. Third, additive idempotence introduces considerable additional structure, and it is here that the non-unital aspects of the A-modules play an important role.
Population Genomics of the Euryhaline Teleost Poecilia latipinna

Global climate change and increases in sea levels will affect coastal marine communities. The conservation of these ecologically important areas will be a challenge because of their wide geographic distribution, ecological diversity and species richness. To address this problem, we need to better understand how the genetic variation of the species in these communities is distributed within local populations, among populations and between distant regions. In this study we apply genotyping by sequencing (GBS) and examine 955 SNPs to determine Sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna) genetic diversity among three geographically close mangrove salt marsh flats in the Florida Keys compared to populations in southern and northern Florida. The questions we are asking are whether there is sufficient genetic variation among isolated estuarine fish within populations and whether there are significant divergences among populations. Additionally, we want to know if GBS approaches agree with previous studies using more traditional molecular approaches. We are able to identify large genetic diversity within each saltmarsh community (π ≈ 36%). Additionally, among the Florida Key populations and the mainland or between southern and northern Florida regions, there are significant differences in allele frequencies seen in population structure and evolutionary relationships among individuals. Surprisingly, even though the cumulative FST value using all 955 SNPs within the three Florida Key populations is small, there are 29 loci with significant FST values, and 11 of these were outliers suggestive of adaptive divergence. These data suggest that among the salt marsh flats surveyed here, there is significant genetic diversity within each population and small but significant differences among populations. Much of the genetic variation within and among populations found here with GBS is very similar to previous studies using allozymes and microsatellites. However, the meaningful difference between GBS and these previous measures of genetic diversity is the number of loci examined, which allows more precise delineations of population structure as well as facilitates identifying loci with excessive FST values that could indicate adaptive divergence.
Deposit Insurance Is Not Fair

Most depositors love the security offered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), but few realize the true costs of deposit insurance. Since government deposit insurance is not priced at “actuarially fair” rates, it raises the costs of insurance for depositors and encourages excessive risk in the financial system. We review the theoretical argument for actuarially fair rates and compare the actual rates assessed under the FDIC to an estimate of the fairest rate that could be provided by the FDIC. We conclude that the deposit insurance offered by FDIC is not fair. Indeed, historical rates deviated from the ideal by more than $0.03 per $100 insured on average. Considering that the average annual assessment rate is less than $0.07, the observed deviations tend to be quite large. We discuss how this policy increases bank risk and propose that, if policymakers insist on providing deposit insurance, they should find a more appropriate way to price it.
Operation of "Big Ear" for radar scattering measurements

The Big Ear was such a robust design that it was able to produce calibrated ultrawideband scattering signature data and ISAR images when used as an offset feed compact range. It also served as a platform for important measurements of FOPEN scattering signatures and FOPEN foliage propagation performance. For over 10 years, this system produced data of significance for the radar sensing community at UHF and VHF frequencies.
Evolution of a new bacterial pathway for 4‐nitrotoluene degradation

Summary Bacteria that assimilate synthetic nitroarene compounds represent unique evolutionary models, as their metabolic pathways are in the process of adaptation and optimization for the consumption of these toxic chemicals. We used Acidovorax sp. strain JS42, which is capable of growth on nitrobenzene and 2-nitrotoluene, in experiments to examine how a nitroarene degradation pathway evolves when its host strain is challenged with direct selective pressure to assimilate non-native substrates. Although the same enzyme that initiates the degradation of nitrobenzene and 2-nitrotoluene also oxidizes 4-nitrotoluene to 4-methylcatechol, which is a growth substrate for JS42, the strain is incapable of growth on 4-nitrotoluene. Using long-term laboratory evolution experiments, we obtained JS42 mutants that gained the ability to grow on 4-nitrotoluene via a new degradation pathway. The underlying basis for this new activity resulted from the accumulation of specific mutations in the gene encoding the dioxygenase that catalyses the initial oxidation of nitroarene substrates, but at positions distal to the active site and previously unknown to affect activity in this or related enzymes. We constructed additional mutant dioxygenases to identify the order of mutations that led to the improved enzymes. Biochemical analyses revealed a defined, step-wise pathway for the evolution of the improved dioxygenases.
Multicentric mast cell tumors in a horse.

Abstract: A 6-year-old female Rocky Mountain horse was presented for evaluation of draining tracts and distal limb subcutaneous edema on the left front and left hind limbs that had been present for 2 weeks. Direct smears of fluid collected by fine-needle aspiration of subcutaneous fluid from both limbs were highly cellular with a predominance of eosinophils accompanied by numerous, moderately atypical, variably granulated mast cells. The cytologic diagnosis was mast cell tumor (MCT) with prominent eosinophilic infiltration with a differential diagnosis of eosinophilic granuloma. Histologic evaluation of surgical biopsies of lesions from both limbs was performed on sections stained with H&E, toluidine blue, and Luna stains. The histologic diagnosis was MCT, and staining with toluidine blue and Luna stains confirmed the presence of mast cells and eosinophils, respectively. In addition, the mast cells strongly expressed CD117. This is the first reported case of cutaneous mast cell neoplasia in a horse in which primary presenting complaints were draining tracts and distal limb subcutaneous edema involving multiple limbs. This case illustrates the utility of staining for CD117 expression in combination with traditional stains, such as toluidine blue and Luna, in differentiating MCTs from other eosinophilic lesions in horses.
Heat and mechanical hyperalgesia induced by capsaicin. Cross modality threshold modulation in human C nociceptors.

Quantitative thermal and mechanical algometry was studied in 4 human subjects exposed to various concentrations of capsaicin administered topically to the skin of the palm or forearm Treated skin patches were assessed for changes in heat pain threshold and in mechanical pain threshold at various controlled temperatures The results showed that: (1) in addition to heat hyperalgesia, capsaicin consistently induces overt mechanical hyperalgesia; (2) thermal and mechanical hyperalgesias are linearly dependent on the log of capsaicin dose, (3) mechanical hyperalgesia is increased by increasing skin temperature; (4) mechanical hyperalgesia is abolished by cooling the skin to a point about 10° C below the threshold for heat pain, a temperature that does not impair touch or sharp pain sensation. These sensory effects of capsaicin are mediated by C fibres, since dissociated A fibre block established by compression-ischaemia does not abolish either spontaneous pain or mechanical hyperalgesia. In addition, abolition of mechanical hyperalgesia by cooling persists during A fibre block Cooling thus appears to act directly, presumably decreasing hyperexcitability of the C nociceptor. Hyperalgesia is also transiently depressed for at least 30 min during the postischaemic period, well beyond the duration of paraesthesiae or overt hyperaemia. Sensory changes identical to those induced experimentally by capsaicin have been observed in patients with a particular variety of neuropathic pain (ABC syndrome) and have been termed polymodal hyperalgesia and cross modality threshold modulation (Ochoa, 1986, Ochoa et al , 1987) Based on these overall observations, it is postulated here that the sensory abnormalities induced by capsaicin and those observed in this particular variety of patients relate to primary hyperalgesia and share a common mechanism in that the excitable receptor membrane of polymodal C nociceptors behaves as if it ‘misreads’ temperature.
NEW SPHERES OF TRANSNATIONAL FORMATIONS: MOBILIZATIONS OF HUMANITARIAN DIASPORAS

The subject of this article is the reinscription of a new diaspora in the public sphere by which governments and multilateral institutions are mobilizing. The following argues that these kinds of mobilizations have had the effect of subverting traditional approaches to diasporic linkage that in African and African American studies have privileged trans-Atlantic slavery and its consequent social dislocations and led to the marginalization of other forced and voluntary diasporic linkages. As this article argues, one such movement often excluded from popular diasporic theories in the Black Atlantic region represents new types of economic linkages being deployed alongside various UN stakeholders and members of business communities of the Global South. These formations carry the mission of developing concrete goals to end global poverty through eradicating war and developing new diasporic projects that will accelerate economic growth in the South. The author calls for a rethinking of the contemporary processes that are at play in diasporic invocations of a post-9/11 period and shows how the call for nationals abroad to invest in their “home” countries is being used to create new diasporic linkages. In this regard, the article introduces the notion of humanitarian diasporas in an effort to rethink transatlantic slavery as the central basis for conceptualizing the starting place of African diasporic theorizing in the North American Academy.
Metal and organic contamination effects on the characteristics of thin oxides thermally grown on silicon based wafers

Abstract The control of silicon dioxide properties in ULSI applications is important due to the trend in reducing the oxide thickness. The degree of residual contamination of silicon substrate can become a relevant component for the integrity and quality of thin and very thin oxides. This paper investigates the influence that metallic and organic contaminants can have on growth rate, dielectric strength and charges in thin and very thin oxides thermally grown on silicon wafers by various oxidation processes that led to oxide thickness values in the range of 3–30 nm. The effect of alkali metals (K, Ca, Na), fast diffusing metals (Ni, Cu) and caprolactam (as an example of organic contaminant) has been evaluated with a variety of techniques: ellipsometry for oxide thickness measurement, ICP-MS for determination of metal concentration in the oxide, gate oxide integrity, triangular voltage sweep and advanced Elymat technique. The paper provides a useful quantification of the relationship between alkali metal contamination and oxide growth rate, insights on the segregation of fast diffuser metals in silicon dioxide and their effect on oxide integrity, preliminary evaluation of organic contamination effect on oxide interface states and oxide integrity.