cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrating The Keepers: A Comparison of Black and White Prison Guards in Illinois

This article attempts to verify empirically the popularly held assumption that replacing veteran white rural prison guards with young black urban guards will significantly ameliorate tension, strain and conflict in the prison community. At issue sociologically is whether the attitudes of prison guards can be better accounted for by the exigencies of the role or by such a crucial background variable as race. The authors administered a questionnaire to 231 in-service Illinois guards. While black and white guards show some differences in their attitude toward prisoners, correctional goals, administrators and the guard role, these differences are not consistent and do not permit us to conclude that black guards will perform differently than whites.
Oxidation of Carbon-14 Labeled Galactose by Subjects with Congenital Galactosemia.

Galactose-1-C14 oxidation was studied in eight individuals with congenital galactosemia. Although two of these subjects fulfilled the usual diagnostic criteria for this disorder, they oxidized the intravenously administered sugar to C14O2 in a nearly normal fashion.
Equivalent-circuit modeling and verification of metal-ceramic packages for RF and microwave power transistors

A modeling procedure was developed to generate electrical package models for metal-ceramic packages. These models are capable of accounting for package effects associated with the package lead capacitance, the self and mutual inductances of the bond wires, and the coupling between the input and output of the package. A combination of full-wave electromagnetic simulation and equivalent-circuit model extraction allows accurate model generation and efficient circuit simulation. Measured S-parameters were used to verify the overall modeling methodology. It has been demonstrated that the package effects play an important role in the accurate prediction of the packaged transistor performance.
Myocardial Ischemia During Mental Stress: Role of Coronary Artery Disease Burden and Vasomotion

Background Mental stress–induced myocardial ischemia (MSIMI) is associated with adverse prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), yet the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. We hypothesized that compared with exercise/pharmacological stress–induced myocardial ischemia (PSIMI) that is secondary to the atherosclerotic burden of CAD, MSIMI is primarily due to vasomotor changes. Methods and Results Patients with angiographically documented CAD underwent 99mTc-sestamibi myocardial perfusion imaging at rest and following both mental and physical stress testing, performed on separate days. The severity and extent of CAD were quantified using the Gensini and Sullivan scores. Peripheral arterial tonometry (Itamar Inc) was used to assess the digital microvascular tone during mental stress as a ratio of pulse wave amplitude during speech compared with baseline. Measurements were made in a discovery sample (n=225) and verified in a replication sample (n=159). In the pooled (n=384) sample, CAD severity and extent scores were not significantly different between those with and without MSIMI, whereas they were greater in those with compared with those without PSIMI ( P <0.04 for all). The peripheral arterial tonometry ratio was lower in those with compared with those without MSIMI (0.55±0.36 versus 0.76±0.52, P =0.009). In a multivariable analysis, the peripheral arterial tonometry ratio was the only independent predictor of MSIMI ( P =0.009), whereas angiographic severity and extent of CAD independently predicted PSIMI. Conclusions The degree of digital microvascular constriction, and not the angiographic burden of CAD, is associated with MSIMI. Varying causes of MSIMI compared with PSIMI may require different therapeutic interventions that require further study.
Targeted Knockdown of Notch1 Inhibits Invasion of Human Prostate Cancer Cells Concomitant with Inhibition of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 and Urokinase Plasminogen Activator

Purpose: Notch , a type 1 transmembrane protein, plays a key role in the development of many tissues and organ types. Aberrant Notch signaling, found in a wide variety of human cancers, contributes to tumor development. Because Notch1 was found to be overexpressed in prostate cancer (PCa) cells and human PCa tissue, we therefore tested our hypothesis that overexpression of Notch1 in PCa promotes tumor invasion. Experimental Design: Notch1 expression was evaluated in human PCa cells and human PCa tissues. PCa cells were transiently transfected with Notch1 -specific small interfering RNAs in concentrations ranging from 30 to 120 nmol/L and subsequently evaluated for effects on invasion and expression analysis for molecules involved in invasion. Results: Small interfering RNA–mediated knockdown of Notch1 in PC3 and 22Rν1 PCa cells dramatically decreased their invasion. Focused cDNA array revealed that Notch1 knockdown resulted in significant reduction in the expression of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 ( MMP9 ) gene transcripts. These data were further verified by reverse transcription-PCR, real-time reverse transcription-PCR, and immunoblot analysis. Knockdown of Notch1 was also observed to significantly reduce the mRNA expression and protein levels of uPA and its receptor uPAR. A significant reduction in MMP9 expression in Notch1 knockdown cells suggested a role for Notch1 in augmenting MMP9 transcription. Conclusions: Our data show the involvement of Notch1 in human PCa invasion and that silencing of Notch1 inhibits invasion of human PCa cells by inhibiting the expression of MMP9 and uPA. Thus, targeting of Notch1 could be an effective therapeutic approach against PCa.
Nature and Empire in Ottoman Egypt: An Environmental History. By Alan Mikhail

(2012). Nature and Empire in Ottoman Egypt: An Environmental History. By Alan Mikhail. Geographical Review: Vol. 102, No. 3, pp. 392-393.
Attention mechanisms for multi-location first- and second-order motion perception

We applied the external noise plus attention paradigm to study attention mechanisms involved in concurrent first-order and second-order motion perception at two spatial locations. Cued to attend to one of the locations, the observer was instructed to independently judge direction of motion of either first-order (Experiment 1) or second-order (Experiment 2) motion stimuli at both locations in every trial. Across trials, systematically controlled amounts of external noise were added to the motion displays. We measured motion threshold at three performance criteria in every attention x external noise condition. We find that observers could, without any loss, simultaneously compute first-order motion direction at two widely separated spatial locations across a broad range of external noise conditions. However, considerable loss occurred at the unattended location in processing second-order motion direction at two separated spatial locations. We conclude that, under the conditions investigated in the current study, (1) in first-order motion perception, the visual system could simultaneously process motion direction at two widely separated locations without any capacity limitation; (2) in second-order motion perception, attending to a spatial location enhances stimulus contrast at that location by a factor of about 1.37 (or equivalently, reduces the internal additive noise by a factor of about 0.73).
Recursive Sparse, Spatiotemporal Coding

We present a new approach to learning sparse, spatiotemporal codes in which the number of basis vectors, their orientations, velocities and the size of their receptive fields change over the duration of unsupervised training. The algorithm starts with a relatively small, initial basis with minimal temporal extent. This initial basis is obtained through conventional sparse coding techniques and is expanded over time by recursively constructing a new basis consisting of basis vectors with larger temporal extent that proportionally conserve regions of previously trained weights. These proportionally conserved weights are combined with the result of adjusting newly added weights to represent a greater range of primitive motion features. The size of the current basis is determined probabilistically by sampling from existing basis vectors according to their activation on the training set. The resulting algorithm produces bases consisting of filters that are bandpass, spatially oriented and temporally diverse in terms of their transformations and velocities. The basic methodology borrows inspiration from the layer-by-layer learning of multiple-layer restricted Boltzmann machines developed by Geoff Hinton and his students. Indeed, we can learn multiple-layer sparse codes by training a stack of denoising autoencoders, but we have had greater success using L1 regularized regression in a variation on Olshausen and Field’s original SPARSENET. To accelerate learning and focus attention, we apply a space-time interest-point operator that selects for periodic motion. This attentional mechanism enables us to efficiently compute and compactly represent a broad range of interesting motion. We demonstrate the utility of our approach by using it to recognize human activity in video. Our algorithm meets or exceeds the performance of state-of-the-art activity-recognition methods.
THE PARTITIONING OF RESISTANCES TO PHOTOSYNTHETIC CO2 UPTAKE IN THE LEAF

Summary A theoretical analysis is presented of the partitioning of overall resistance to photosynthetic CO2 uptake in the leaf. This is based on the existence of a resistance to gaseous diffusion between the upper and lower layers of the chlorenchyma (Ri). It takes into account the anisolaterality of the leaf with respect to resistance to diffusion (Rw) through the upper and lower surfaces, and with respect to the (residual) resistance to CO2 uptake and fixation (Rm, the ‘mesophyll resistance’) in the upper and lower chlorenchyma. When Ri exists in conjunction with epidermal anisolaterality, mesophyll resistance of the whole leaf (R¯m) is over-estimated by subtracting the diffusion component resistance (R¯w) from the total resistance to CO2 uptake (R). This over-estimation increases with epidermal and mesophyll anisolaterality, as well as with increase in Ri and R¯w, but decreases as R¯m becomes relatively greater. A method is presented and discussed, by which Ri and the Rm values of the two sides of the leaf can be simultaneously estimated, using simultaneous measurement of their transpiration and photosynthesis and of diffusion porometry through the leaf.
Simplified Detection of Hydrochlorothiazide in Urine by Thin-Layer Chromatography

A new thin-layer chromatographic procedure for the detection of the antihypertensive/diuretic drug hydrochlorothiazide in human urine is described. The sensitivity of the method, 5 micrograms/mL, makes it useful to both the clinician interested in determining patient compliance and the toxicologist who must identify or confirm hydrochlorothiazide ingestion. The rapidity of analysis typically allows the screening of 25 urine samples within one hour.
School Counselors Serving Students with Disruptive Behavior Disorders

School counselors are in a prime position to collaborate with school and community stakeholders to both prevent and respond to the challenges experienced and exhibited by students with one or more ...
The disappearance of hysteresis for the hydride phase transition in palladium-nickel alloys

Hysteresis generally accompanies first order phase transitions which occur in the solid state and for this reason it is important. Its study has, however, been somewhat neglected. It is almost always present in the formation and decomposition of metal hydrides. The vanishing of hysteresis for such a system is noteworthy and this research is concerned with the disappearance. This paper reports that Pd-Ni alloys are reported to form a continuous series of fcc solid solutions over their entire concentration range. The present research concerns hydrogen absorption by several of these, initially homogeneous, Pd-rich alloys before and after they are subjected to a series of hydride formation and decomposition (cycling) phase transitions without intermediate annealing treatments. Pd-Ni alloys are unusual with regard to their hydrogen solubility behavior because the plateau pressures for hybrid formation/decomposition are greater than for pure Pd and the extents of these plateau regions do not markedly decrease with increase of % substituted metal, i.e. Ni. (The latter aspect of their behavior is more unusual than for former.) The increase in plateau pressure seems to be a characteristic of Pd substitutional alloys which have contracted volumes as compared to Pd itself.
Effects of Typical Broncho-Dilating Drugs on Intrapleural Pressure.

By means of suitable trochars and rubber tubing, one may observe intrapleural pressures from both sides of the chest of normal unanesthetized dogs. The tubing may be branched so that both manometric and kymographic records may be obtained for intrapleural pressure changes from each side of the chest. With such an arrangement we have noted the effects on intrapleural pressure of the administration of (1) epinephrin, a typical stimulant of the thoraco-lumbar autonomics and (2) atropine, a drug acting by peripheral paralysis of the cranio-sacral autonomics. Both drugs cause bronchodilatation.Examples of approximate intrapleural pressure changes in dogs following the administration of these drugs are offered in the tables. The mean pressure, which is given in a separate column, is the average of the intrapleural pressure at inspiration and expiration. It is difficult to obtain satisfactory manometric readings with a rapidly moving column of water and, therefore, the kymograph tracings probably present a bette...
Principles of Microwave Interaction with Polymeric and Organic Materials

Electromagnetic waves can discriminate between objects of different handedness due to their transverse nature, which implies that the origin of chirality need not necessarily be molecular as in the case of optically active media. Effectively chiral composites may, therefore, be constructed by embedding chiral microstructures in non-chiral host media.
ACTIVE DE-ICING COATING FOR AEROFOILS

Active electric coating for in-flight de-icing of aerofoils was developed and tested in an environmental chamber. When the coating was activated with a small DC bias, an electric current electrochemically decomposed ice adjacent to the protected surface thus eliminating the ice bonds. The paper describes theory of micro-grid electrodes that make the coating, technology of the coating manufacturing, and results of electrical and mechanical tests of the coating.
Facilitating Conceptual Understanding of Gas-Liquid Mass Transfer Coefficient through a Simple Experiment Involving Dissolution of Carbon Dioxide in Water in a Surface Aeration Reactor

Students in the undergraduate transport phenomena courses typically have a greater difficulty in understanding the theoretical concepts underlying the mass transport phenomena as compared to the concepts of momentum and energy transport. An experiment based on dissolution of carbon dioxide in water was added to the course syllabus to facilitate the student learning of these concepts. A surface aeration reactor (SAR) with precisely defined interfacial area was designed for conducting the experiment. The students learned to setup and run the experiment, perform data analysis and communicate the results through written report and oral question-and-answer sessions. The students compared the experimentally observed values of the mass transfer coefficient with those predicted from correlations available in the literature. The hands-on experience enabled the students to relate the theoretical concepts covered in the lectures and textbooks to a real system. The students acquired a deeper understanding of the fund...
A review of applications of satellite earth observation data for global societal benefit and stewardship of planet earth

Abstract Remotely sensed data can be used to understand and devise measures to address important global issues such as climate change, disaster and disease outbreak. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is one of the largest producer and gatekeeper of satellite earth observation (EO) data that plays a crucial role in ensuring that these resources are used for solving global societal problems. However, the extent of remote sensing application is highly disparate in different parts of the world. This paper provides a general overview of key societal applications that have been enabled globally with the use of EO data. It also summarizes the impact of various NASA-supported programs for promoting applications on the targeted beneficiary communities. The themes addressed here are land cover/land use mapping, carbon biomass assessment, food security, disaster management, water resources, ocean management and health and air quality. The paper also argues for capacity building that is crucial to building sustainable solutions when using EO data for science-based decision making.
Migration and Development in the Twenty-First Century

Displacements from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, sustained flows from Central America, and dislocations in North Africa and Southeast Asia—migration continues to grab headlines as the third decade of the twenty-first century approaches. Media in host countries cover the day-to-day realities in the form of interviews with migrants in camps along the Greece-Macedonia border, politicians’ stump speeches warning of flood tides of humans, and reactionary right-wing militia movements. The work is worthy, of course. Much can be learned from only a short conversation with a person stranded on a border in …
Sexual Harassment, Assault, and Rape: College Students Report Their Experiences

This paper reviews current research regarding sexual harassment, assault, and rape and its consequences. We examine different populations in varied settings and at different ages. We supplement this analysis with personal vignettes from college students who recall how and when their harassment and assaults occurred. Their experiences are shown to affect their views on gender, and gender relations.
Antiangiogenic virotherapy: VB-111 targeting glioma

ABSTRACTIntroduction: High grade gliomas continue to represent a group of cancers that are difficult to control with current cytotoxics and antiangiogenics. With tumor angiogenesis representing a critical mechanism, there is an unmet need for novel types of treatment that can hone in on this important pathway of tumorigenesis.Areas covered: Virotherapy is a promising modality of cancer treatment that is defined by genetic manipulation of a virus to preferentially target neoplastic cells. VB-111 (ofranergene obadenovec) is a genetically modified adenovirus that is designed to selectively target tumor-associated endothelial cells. Utilizing PubMed and MEDLINE® databases, we identified key preclinical and clinical data pertaining to VB-111. We then reviewed ClinicalTrials.gov to determine the status of ongoing research.Expert opinion: Demonstrating safety and showing signs of efficacy in early phase clinical trials, VB-111 is being studied in combination with and without bevacizumab in a large phase 3 trial ...
Introduction to the Virtual Issue: Past and Future Research Agenda on Causal Inference

If you ask political scientists whether a major goal of their empirical research is to test causal relationships, I suspect that most of them answer “yes.” In contrast, many statisticians would say that their methods may improve predictions but have little to do with causal inference. As a result, even as an increasing number of social scientists use statistical methods to infer causal effects in their empirical research, many of these methods were not originally designed for causal inference. This intellectual gap has been rapidly filled by two “revolutions.” In the community of empirical researchers, the identification revolution has occurred where the key assumptions for identifying causal quantities are taken much more seriously than before. Problems related to measurement and selection bias are no longer brushed under the table. The discipline has recently witnessed a rise in the use of randomized experiments, and an increasing number of political scientists now choose research designs to improve the credibility of identification assumptions (for example, see the 2009 Political Analysis special issue on “Natural Experiments in Political Science”). Simultaneously, among methodologists in various disciplines, the potential outcomes revolution has taken place where traditional statistical methods are reframed within the formal framework of causal inference. The potential outcomes framework, which originates in the classic works of Neyman and Rubin, makes explicit the fundamental problem of causal inference: to infer causal effects one must estimate counterfactual outcomes from observed data. Along with the development of new methodologies, this revolution has led to re-interpretations of familiar statistical methods such as regression and instrumental variables methods, and clarified the exact conditions under which they can be used to infer causal relationships from observed data. Many political methodologists contributed to these new developments. Here, I selected six articles published in Political Analysis between 2005 and 2010 that represent the leadership taken by political methodologists to contribute to advancement of causal inference. These articles have influenced the way in which political scientists and other social scientists conduct their empirical research, and three of them won the Warren Miller best paper award for 2005, 2007, and 2009. After briefly discussing each article with references to other relevant Political Analysis articles, I identify further research challenges where unresolved and yet important methodological problems await the contributions from political methodologists.
Labor, Resources, and the Production Function

This chapter introduces a more-or-less “classical” production function, a widely used tool for analyzing economic behavior in the long run. The version presented here is conventional in its derivation of labor demand. However, it is atypical in that, following the logic of Chaps. 1 and 2, it includes resources along with the usual productive factors of labor, capital, and technology. These are introduced via resource supply curves which Chap. 6 will then feed into the supply side of the labor market. The chapter introduces the Cobb-Douglas specification for the production function and ends with the derivation of the per-worker form.
Adverse effect profile comparison of pain regimens with and without intravenous acetaminophen in total hip and knee arthroplasty patients.

Background:The use of adjunct, non-opioid agents is integral for pain control following total hip and knee arthroplasty. Literature comparing safety profiles of intravenous acetaminophen versus opi...
The Ascendance of Noticing: Connections, Challenges, and Questions

This chapter serves as a reflection upon the work presented in this volume. Toward that end, I will examine key themes, persistent issues, and lingering questions in the area of teacher noticing.
Guidelines for dSPACE-based real-time implementation of predictive current control for grid-connected converters

This paper provides guidelines for the MATLAB-based simulation and dSPACE-based real-time implementation of predictive current control scheme for grid-connected two-level voltage source converters. A step-by-step procedure for the calculation and extrapolation of reference grid currents, and design of predictive model and cost function is provided. The predictive model uses grid voltages, grid currents, DC voltage, system parameters, and discrete-time mathematical model of the system to calculate the future values of grid currents. The cost function evaluates the error between reference and predicted grid currents and selects an optimal switching state based on the minimum error value. The proposed design and implementation approaches are validated by the simulation and experimental results. This paper serves as a valuable reference for novice readers in the model predictive control area.
A contemporaneidade de Bispo

Arthur Bispo do Rosario, psychiatric patient who represented Brazil at the Venice Biennale in 1995, is perhaps the best known Brazilian outsider artist. The analysis I propose to do of his work considers and respects the rights of people with mental illnesses, addressing their work through the perspective of contemporary art. Bispo never assigned artistic status to his production. I investigate if classifying his work as contemporary art, as Frederico Morais does, leaves one type of epistemic control (the psychiatric) to adopt another: a timeless aesthetic formalism. I support the need for more studies to understand how Bispo, whose psychopathological identification is intertwined with race and class discrimination, became one of the most prestigious Brazilian artists.
The Relationship Between Family Violence and Animal Cruelty

This section provides studies that examined the overlap between interpersonal violence along with animal cruelty. It also supported the idea that animal cruelty is a “reliable red flag” regarding the presence of child abuse or domestic violence. Another study presented indicated that women who experience domestic violence and enter a shelter express concern about abuse against their companion animals. One study found that 71% reported that their partner had threatened and/or actually hurt or killed one or more of their pets.
Thinking Seriously About Cable & Satellite Censorship: An Informal Analysis of S. 616, the Rockefeller-Hutchison Bill

Senate legislation introduced recently that aims to extend broadcast indecency regulations to cable and satellite providers, if passed, would represent the most significant congressional effort to regulate speech since the Communications Decency Act of 1996, and likely form the precursor to regulation of content on the Internet. The CDA was found unconstitutional, but with S-616 Rockefeller and Hutchison clearly are trying to avoid the same fate. The bill applies broadcast rules found constitutional in FCC v. Pacifica in 1978 to cable and satellite offerings because they are all ubiquitous. While this is a more nuanced argument for speech regulation than what we saw during the CDA debate it is precisely for these reasons that cross-media censorship must be rejected. The fact that new media outlets have grown in popularity and that millions of Americans voluntarily subscribe to them, are powerful arguments against speech controls, not for them. The First Amendment will be an empty vessel if a popularity-equals-pervasiveness doctrine is adopted. Shows like The Shield, South Park, and Nip/Tuck would be forced to migrate to premium tiers to avoid regulation, whereby viewers will have to pay significant sums of money to escape censorship in the future. Worth assessing is the findings section's pervasiveness rationale, which has never been applied to newspapers and the Internet, and would be constitutionally suspect for cable and satellite. Meanwhile mandates imposed on warning systems and filters deployed voluntarily by programmers might best be grouped under the theme hanging the industry with its own rope. Ratings systems are subjective, and government shouldn't have any say over them. Section 11 would exempt premium and pay-per-view channels, but what happens if S-616 forces popular content onto these networks and viewers follow? Would they then be regulated as well?
Metabolic network analysis of DB1 melanoma cells: how much energy is derived from aerobic glycolysis?

A network model has been developed for analysis of tumor glucose metabolism from 13C MRS isotope exchange kinetic data. Data were obtained from DB1 melanoma cells grown on polystyrene microcarrier beads contained in a 20-mm diameter perfusion chamber in a 9.4 T Varian NMR spectrometer; the cells were perfused with 26 mM [1,6-13C2]glucose under normoxic conditions and 37°C and monitored by 13C NMR spectroscopy for 6 h. The model consists of ∼150 differential equations in the cumomer formalism describing glucose and lactate transport, glycolysis, TCA cycle, pyruvate cycling, the pentose shunt, lactate dehydrogenase, the malate-aspartate and glycerophosphate shuttles, and various anaplerotic pathways. The rate of oxygen consumption (CMRO2) was measured polarographically by monitoring differences in pO2. The model was validated by excellent agreement between model predicted and experimentally measured values of CMRO2 and glutamate pool size. Assuming a P/O ratio of 2.5 for NADH and 1.5 for FADH2, ATP production was estimated as 46% glycolytic and 54% mitochondrial based on average values of CMRO2 and glycolytic flux (two experiments).
Piece-wise model fitting using local data patterns

In this paper we propose a novel classification algorithm that fits models of different complexity on separate regions of the input space. Our goal is to achieve a balance between global and local learning strategies by decomposing the classification task into simpler subproblems; each task narrows the learning problem to a local region of high example density over the input space. Specifically, our proposed approach is to apply a clustering algorithm to every set of training examples that belong to the same class; each cluster becomes an intermediate concept that is learned by selecting a model with an (estimated) optimal degree of complexity. Experimental results on real-world domains show consistent good performance in predictive accuracy with our piece-wise model fitting strategy.
Psychoacoustic measures of tinnitus.

This report reviews research from the 1930s to the present that has extended our understanding by investigating the characteristics of tinnitus that can be studied using psychoacoustic techniques. Studies of tinnitus masking and residual inhibition began in the 1970s, leading to the therapeutic use of tinnitus masking and a consequent increase in research devoted to tinnitus measurement . In 1981, the CIBA Foundation symposium on tinnitus advocated general adoption of four tinnitus measures : (1) pitch, (2) loudness, (3) maskability, and (4) residual inhibition . Since then, psychoacoustic research into all four topics has proliferated, yielding many valuable insights and controversies concerning the details of measurement techniques. A consensus has emerged that neither the loudness nor other psychoacoustic measures of tinnitus bear a consistent relation to the severity or perceived loudness of tinnitus . Nevertheless, quantification is needed in clinical trials of proposed treatments and in a variety of other types of tinnitus research. Standardization of techniques for specifying the acoustic parameters of tinnitus thus continues to be an important research goal.
Improved Electropositive Filter for Concentrating Viruses from Large Volumes of Water

ABSTRACT The further development and evaluation of an electropositive pleated cartridge filter (Virozorb 1MDS) for concentrating small quantities of viruses from large volumes of water at ambient pH levels up to 7.5 without added salts is described. 1MDS filters efficiently adsorbed viruses at high flow rates, and the adsorbed viruses retained their infectivity on filters stored at 4° for as long as 12.5 days prior to elution with beef extract-glycine. In comparative trials virus recoveries with 1MDS filters were equivalent to or greater than those with electronegative Filterite filters.
Building the Network of Minority Health Research Investigators: A Novel Program to Enhance Leadership and Success of Underrepresented Minorities in Biomedical Research

Background: To address the myriad of health problems and disparities that affect the United States (US) population, the mix of health care professionals and researchers must reflect the full diversity of the nation. There continues to be discrepancy between the number of trained scientists and bio­medical researchers from underrepresented populations relative to the overall popula­tion. A scarcity of formal and informal net­working opportunities for minority research­ers and health care providers contribute to this lack of diversity. Objective: The purpose of this article is to report the outcomes of an established junior minority faculty mentoring program. The Network of Minority Health Research Investigators (NMRI) was established by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) in 2002. We present outcome data from 2008 to the present. Methods: The Oversight and Planning Committees of the NMRI developed an 18-question survey. The NMRI program analyst conducted a pilot test of the survey and made modifications to ensure readabil­ity and understanding. From 2008 – 2018, we administered the survey in both paper and electronic versions to junior and senior members of NMRI. Descriptive results identified the participants. We used open coding to extrapolate recurring statements, words, and themes that were organized into four final categories: reasons for attending NMRI; mentoring; career development; and social support. Results: Participants were primarily post-doctoral researchers or assistant professors seeking promotion to instructor or associ­ate professor with tenure (64%). Consistent reasons for participating in the Network included: career development; emotional support; mentorship for research; devel­oping or refining skills for grant writing; lab management; poster presentations; and applying for tenure. Areas of research interest included diabetes, kidney diseases, nutrition, obesity, and bioinformatics. Conclusions: While the number of respons­es to the survey varied annually, the qualita­tive results suggest that career development and social support provided through the Network were the largest motivators for participation. Ethn Dis. 2019;29(Suppl 1):119-122; doi:10.18865/ed.29.S1.119.
Optically driven quantum-dot quantum computer

We propose a quantum computer structure based on coupled asymmetric single-electron quantum dots. Adjacent dots are strongly coupled by means of electric dipole-dipole interactions enabling rapid computation rates. Further, the asymmetric structures can be tailored for a long coherence time. The result maximizes the number of computation cycles prior to loss of coherence.
Altered synaptic adaptation and gain in sensory circuits of the casein kinase 1 delta (CK1dT44A) mouse model of migraine

Migraine is a very common and disabling neurological disorder that remains poorly understood at the cellular and circuit level. Transgenic mice harboring a mutation in casein kinase 1 delta (CK1dT44A) represent the first animal model of non-hemiplegic migraine. These mice have decreased sensory thresholds to mechanical and thermal pain after treatment with the migraine trigger nitroglycerin; and an increased susceptibility to cortical spreading depression (CSD), which models the migraine aura. In this study, we investigated cellular and synaptic mechanisms within sensory cortical circuits that might underlie the migraine relevant phenotypes of CK1dT44A mice, using in vitro and in vivo whole cell electrophysiology. Surprisingly we found that at resting state, CK1dT44A neurons exhibited hyperpolarized membrane potentials, due to increased tonic inhibition. Despite this reduction in baseline excitability, CK1dT44A neurons fired action potentials more frequently in response to current injection. And despite similar synaptic and dendritic characteristics to wild type neurons, excitatory but not inhibitory CK1dT44A synapses failed to adapt to high frequency short-stimulus trains, resulting in elevated steady state excitatory currents. The increased steady state currents were attributable to an increased replenishment rate of the readily releasable pool, providing a presynaptic mechanism for the CK1dT44A phenotype. Finally, during in vivo experiments, CK1dT44A animals showed increased duration and membrane potential variance at cortical up states, showing that the intrinsic and synaptic changes we observed have excitatory consequences at the local network level. In conclusion excitatory sensory cortical neurons and networks in CK1dT44A animals appear to exhibit decreased adaptation and increased gain that may inform the migraine phenotype.
Sensing the Physical World with RF: Self-Interferometry & Passive-Interferometry

RF can provide a non-contact and non-line-of-sight of sensing of the physical world, therefore, it makes RF unique sensing modality that has found applications in automotive sensing, smart-home sensing, health monitoring, and many other applications. Over the years, sensing using RF has explored different application domains wherein RF sensing is used dedicatedly for sensing and may or may not be used for productive wireless communication concurrently.In this talk, I would present active and passive RF sensing platforms, wherein active approaches require a transmitter to transmit the signal and measure reflections to perceive the environment and passive relies on ambient transmissions. Furthermore, the platforms I would describe inherently allows for concurrent productive communication for both active and passive sensing. The landscape of concurrent RF sensing and communication is relatively unexplored, allowing students to choose many interesting research problems to choose from and platforms to conduct research.
The Return Statement: Establishing a Continuous Assessment Database System for Consistent Program Feedback

Curriculum assessment is a critical but arduous task. It yields insight into the strengths and weaknesses of our programs, outlining paths for curriculum improvement. However, current methods of assessment are often viewed as burdensome, as disorganized, or even as unfruitful. A lack of consistent assessment makes determining the impact of program modifications to be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Even when issues are identified, lengthy and backloaded assessments do not leave any time to address these issues for the assessed students. To overcome the obstacles of program assessment, we have constructed the Continuous Assessment Database System (CADS). This system conducts direct assessment of student prerequisite knowledge at each semester's outset. By tracking prerequisite knowledge, we determine whether students recall the crucial elements of our curriculum. Furthermore, educators receive data on students' preparedness early in the semester, allowing for them to adapt their courses to best meet student needs. In order to generate informative reports for faculty each term, CADS maps its assessment questions to student information, to CS knowledge topics, to departmental student learning outcomes, and to taxonomic mastery levels. These reports visualize current data against historical data and present deeper examinations of significant data shifts for causal analysis. Different diagrams give insight into specific courses, while others examine student learning across the entire CS program via diverse mappings. Overall, CADS provides a model for using technology to craft an expedient form of program assessment that dynamizes a curriculum. This paper details our CADS implementation.
3.08 – Transfer of Multivariate Calibration Models

Multivariate calibration models are of critical importance to many analytical measurements, particularly for spectroscopic data. Generally, considerable effort is placed into constructing a robust calibration model, as the model is meant to be used for extended periods of time. A problem arises, though, when the samples to be predicted are measured on a different instrument or under differing environmental factors from those used to build the model. The changes in spectral variations between the two conditions may make the model invalid for prediction in the new system. Various standardization and preprocessing methods have been developed to enable a calibration model to be effectively transferred between two systems, thus eliminating the need for a full recalibration. This chapter presents an overview of the different methods used for calibration transfer and a critical assessment of their validity and applicability. The focus is on methods for transfer of near-infrared (NIR) spectra, but the methodology is generally applicable.
SelectStitch: Automated Frame Segmentation and Stitching to Create Composite Images from Otoscope Video Clips

Background and Objective: The aim of this study is to develop and validate an automated image segmentation-based frame selection and stitching framework to create enhanced composite images from otoscope videos. The proposed framework, called SelectStitch, is useful for classifying eardrum abnormalities using a single composite image instead of the entire raw otoscope video dataset. Methods: SelectStitch consists of a convolutional neural network (CNN) based semantic segmentation approach to detect the eardrum in each frame of the otoscope video, and a stitching engine to generate a high-quality composite image from the detected eardrum regions. In this study, we utilize two separate datasets: the first one has 36 otoscope videos that were used to train a semantic segmentation model, and the second one, containing 100 videos, which was used to test the proposed method. Cases from both adult and pediatric patients were used in this study. A configuration of 4-levels depth U-Net architecture was trained to automatically find eardrum regions in each otoscope video frame from the first dataset. After the segmentation, we automatically selected meaningful frames from otoscope videos by using a pre-defined threshold, i.e., it should contain at least an eardrum region of 20% of a frame size. We have generated 100 composite images from the test dataset. Three ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists (ENT-I, ENT-II, ENT-III) compared in two rounds the composite images produced by SelectStitch against the composite images that were generated by the base processes, i.e., stitching all the frames from the same video data, in terms of their diagnostic capabilities. Results: In the first round of the study, ENT-I, ENT-II, ENT-III graded improvement for 58, 57, and 71 composite images out of 100, respectively, for SelectStitch over the base composite, reflecting greater diagnostic capabilities. In the repeat assessment, these numbers were 56, 56, and 64, respectively. We observed that only 6%, 3%, and 3% of the cases received a lesser score than the base composite images, respectively, for ENT-I, ENT-II, and ENT-III in Round-1, and 4%, 0%, and 2% of the cases in Round-2. Conclusions: Frame selection improves the diagnostic quality of composite images from otoscope video clips.
Exercise as a therapy for cancer-induced muscle wasting

Abstract Cancer cachexia is a progressive disorder characterized by body weight, fat, and muscle loss. Cachexia induces metabolic disruptions that can be analogous and distinct from those observed in cancer, obscuring both diagnosis and treatment options. Inflammation, hypogonadism, and physical inactivity are widely investigated as systemic mediators of cancer-induced muscle wasting. At the cellular level, dysregulation of protein turnover and energy metabolism can negatively impact muscle mass and function. Exercise is well known for its anti-inflammatory effects and potent stimulation of anabolic signaling. Emerging evidence suggests the potential for exercise to rescue muscle's sensitivity to anabolic stimuli, reduce wasting through protein synthesis modulation, myokine release, and subsequent downregulation of proteolytic factors. To date, there is no recommendation for exercise in the management of cachexia. Given its complex nature, a multimodal approach incorporating exercise offers promising potential for cancer cachexia treatment. This review's primary objective is to summarize the growing body of research examining exercise regulation of cancer cachexia. Furthermore, we will provide evidence for exercise interactions with established systemic and cellular regulators of cancer-induced muscle wasting.
Poor sleep correlates with biomarkers of neurodegeneration in mild traumatic brain injury patients: a CENC study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Sleep disorders affect over half of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients. Despite evidence linking sleep and neurodegeneration, longitudinal TBI-related dementia studies have not considered sleep. We hypothesized that poor sleepers with mTBI would have elevated markers of neurodegeneration and lower cognitive function compared to mTBI good sleepers and controls. Our objective was to compare biomarkers of neurodegeneration and cognitive function with sleep quality in warfighters with chronic mTBI. METHODS In an observational warfighters cohort (n = 138 mTBI, 44 controls), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was compared with plasma biomarkers of neurodegeneration and cognitive scores collected an average of 8 years after injury. RESULTS In the mTBI cohort, poor sleepers (PSQI ≥ 10, n = 86) had elevated plasma neurofilament light (NfL, x = 11.86 vs 7.91 pg/mL, p = 0.0007, d = 0.63) and lower executive function scores by the categorical fluency (x = 18.0 vs 21.0, p = 0.0005, d = -0.65) and stop-go tests (x = 30.1 vs 31.1, p = 0.024, d = -0.37). These findings were not observed in controls (n = 44). PSQI predicted NfL (beta = 0.22, p = 0.00002) and tau (beta = 0.14, p = 0.007), but not amyloid β42. Poor sleepers showed higher obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk by STOP-BANG scores (x = 3.8 vs 2.7, p = 0.0005), raising the possibility that the PSQI might be partly secondary to OSA. CONCLUSIONS Poor sleep is linked to neurodegeneration and select measures of executive function in mTBI patients. This supports implementation of validated sleep measures in longitudinal studies investigating pathobiological mechanisms of TBI related neurodegeneration, which could have therapeutic implications.
Materiality, the Malaḥfa (Mauritanian Veil), and Social Hierarchy

This chapter examines the malaḥfa, a veil commonly worn in Mauritania, using the theoretical framework of materiality to analyze how it and the wearer co-constitute each other. While the malaḥfa’s particular form and fabric provide Muslim women with certain constraints and possibilities, women exercise agency by activating particular qualities of these garments. Wiley focuses on the Ḥarāṭīn, former slaves or slave descendants, arguing that their malaḥfas are integral to how they assert improved social rank. For example, women use them to generate and display their piety, morality, wealth, and femininity, all attributes that historically have been valued in this setting. This chapter provides insight into social change, demonstrating that dress is an integral way through which women attempt to rework the broader social hierarchy.
A Framework for the Adaptation of Positive Psychological Interventions to North American Indigenous Populations.

Positive psychology research has led to the development of brief interventions designed to promote positive emotions: positive psychological interventions (PPIs). Randomized controlled trials examining PPIs have found them to be effective in increasing well-being and decreasing depressive symptoms. PPIs have been studied in samples consisting primarily of White Americans; however, PPIs may be useful for members of North American Indigenous groups. PPIs align well with Indigenous views on health, which tend to be strengths-based, holistic, and encompassing the whole body (including the medicine wheel’s four dimensions of spirit, mind, heart, and body). This paper provides a framework for the adaptation of PPIs for Indigenous communities and a review of preliminary data on the relationships between positive psychological characteristics and health outcomes including substance use. Implications include the potential widespread impact of culturally adapted PPIs given their alignment with Indigenous thoughts on health and relative ease of administration.