cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors That Predict Teachers Staying in, Leaving, or Transferring from the Special Education Classroom

We randomly surveyed 1,576 Florida special education teachers to examine factors that contribute to their propensity to leave or stay in the special education classroom or transfer to a new school. The variables identified, based on extensive review of the literature, included background, classroom, school district, and personal factors. We tracked our respondents for 2 years using a multinomial logit model to identify significant predictors of leaving, staying, or transferring. Results indicate that teachers left special education teaching primarily due to insufficient certification, perceptions of high stress, and perceptions of poor school climate. Special educators who transferred to a different school or district had perceptions of high stress and perceptions of poor school climate and were significantly younger than stayers.
Rescue: A Microarchitecture for Testability and Defect Tolerance

Scaling feature size improves processor performance but increases each deviceýs susceptibility to defects (i.e., hard errors). As a result, fabrication technology must improve significantly to maintain yields. Redundancy techniques in memory have been successful at improving yield in the presence of defects. Apart from core sparing which disables faulty cores in a chip multiprocessor, little has been done to target the core logic. While previous work has proposed that either inherent or added redundancy in the core logic can be used to tolerate defects, the key issues of realistic testing and fault isolation have been ignored. This paper is the first to consider testability and fault isolation in designing modern high-performance, defect-tolerant microarchitectures. We define intra-cycle logic independence (ICI) as the condition needed for conventional scan test to isolate faults quickly to the microarchitectural-block granularity. We propose logic transformations to redesign conventional superscalar microarchitecture to comply with ICI. We call our novel, testable, and defect-tolerant microarchitecture Rescue. We build a verilog model of Rescue and verify that faults can be isolated to the required precision using only conventional scan test. Using performace simulations, we show that ICI transformations reduce IPC only by 4% on average for SPEC2000 programs. Taking yield improvement into account, Rescue improves average yield-adjusted instruction throughput over core sparing by 12% and 22% at 32nm and 18nm technology nodes, respectively.
Phylogenetic Systematics of the North American Fossil Caninae (Carnivora: Canidae)

Abstract The canid subfamily Caninae includes all the living canids and their most recent fossil relatives. Their sister taxon is the Borophaginae with which they share an important modification of the lower carnassial, namely the presence of a bicuspid talonid, which gives this tooth an additional function in mastication. Contributing to this function is the enlargement of the posterolingual cingulum of M1 and development of a hypocone. The Caninae diverged from the Borophaginae in the narrowing and elongation of the premolars separated by diastemata and placed in a shallow ramus and narrow muzzle. These latter features allow the Caninae to be recognized in the fossil record as early as the beginning of the Oligocene (34 Ma) and constitute evidence that they represent a monophyletic group. In striking contrast to the history of the Borophaginae, the Caninae remain confined to a closely similar group of fox-sized species (Leptocyon spp.) throughout the Oligocene and showing very limited cladogenesis into ...
On-line electrocatalyzed luminol chemiluminescence determination of d-glucose and dissolved oxygen in simulated mammalian cell bioreactor perfusion fluid using solid phase reagent modules

On-line instrumentation and methods for the chemiluminescence based real-time monitoring of d-glucose and O2 levels in mammalian cell bioreactor perfusion fluid are described. The unit processes required for the analysis include: pH adjustment using solid phase flow-through modules, immobilized enzyme catalyzed oxidation of glucose by molecular oxygen to produce hydrogen peroxide, controlled release of luminol using a solid phase flow-through module, electrocatalyzed luminescence using gold electrodes, and photodetection of chemiluminescent emissions. Calibration curves for d-glucose and dissolved O2 in simulated bioreactor perfusion fluid have been generated using fully integrated reagentless test systems from 0–800 mg l−1 and 0–10 mg l−1, respectively.
It really is not a fruit fly.

> There is a reference in Aristotle to a gnat produced by larvae engendered in the slime of vinegar. This must have been Drosophila. > > A. H. Sturtevant ([1965][1]) IN a recent essay titled “Talking about the Genome,” the distinguished historian of recent science, Horace Freeland Judson ([
IS THE NEW DEAL DEAD? GOVERNMENT, ECONOMICS, AND THE RURAL SOUTH

A year ago, apprehensive about writing this address, I spoke with former president Joe Broder. He advised me to pick something I cared about deeply. That advice, although well meant, left me rather stymied. I care about teaching, but Joe Broder’s own presidential address had handled that topic better than I thought I could. So I floundered for a while, without gaining a focus, Then came August and the signing into law of the new welfare bill. A few months earlier, farm programs had also been vastly modified. My topic finally came together. The combination of the 1996 Farm Bill and the new welfare legislation clearly signaled major changes for the rural South, and I wondered what these changes would entail. I don’t pretend to have predictions about what will happen in the wake of the 1996 policies. Rather, I hope in this address to stimulate thought about these changes and to point out some areas where economists could apply their skills.
Vitamin A Supplementation and Measles

Vitamin A deficiency resulting from inadequate intake or induced by infection is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Measles, the major single infectious cause of mortality in children worldwide, is more severe in children who have preexisting vitamin A deficiency. Several recent studies suggest that: 1) measles is associated with depressed serum levels of vitamin A; 2) hyporetinemia, defined as a serum retinol of less than 0.7 µmol/L, is associated with increased mortality from measles, especially in children younger than 2 years of age; and 3) vitamin A will decrease the risk of complications and death when administered during the acute phase of illness (within 5 days of the onset of rash).
Large-scale wire-speed packet classification on FPGAs

Multi-field packet classification is a key enabling function of a variety of network applications, such as firewall processing, Quality of Service differentiation, traffic billing, and other value added services. Although a plethora of research has been done in this area, wire-speed packet classification while supporting large rule sets remains difficult. This paper exploits the features provided by current FPGAs and proposes a decision-tree-based, two-dimensional dual-pipeline architecture for multi-field packet classification. To fit the current largest rule set in the on-chip memory of the FPGA device, we propose several optimization techniques for the state-of-the-art decision-tree-based algorithm, so that the memory requirement is almost linear with the number of rules. Specialized logic is developed to support varying number of branches at each decision tree node. A tree-to-pipeline mapping scheme is carefully designed to maximize the memory utilization. Since our architecture is linear and memory-based, on-the-fly update without disturbing the ongoing operations is feasible. The implementation results show that our architecture can store 10K real-life rules in on-chip memory of a single Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA, and sustain 80 Gbps (i.e. 2x OC-768 rate) throughput for minimum size (40 bytes) packets. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first FPGA-based packet classification engine that achieves wire-speed throughput while supporting 10K unique rules.
The dendritic cell response to classic, emerging, and homeostatic danger signals. Implications for autoimmunity.

Dendritic cells (DCs) initiate and control immune responses, participate in the maintenance of immunological tolerance and are pivotal players in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. In patients with autoimmune disease and in experimental animal models of autoimmunity, DCs show abnormalities in both numbers and activation state, expressing immunogenic levels of costimulatory molecules and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Exogenous and endogenous danger signals activate DCs to stimulate the immune response. Classic endogenous danger signals are released, activated, or secreted by host cells and tissues experiencing stress, damage, and non-physiologic cell death; and are therefore referred to as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Some DAMPs are released from cells, where they are normally sequestered, during necrosis (e.g. heat shock proteins, uric acid, ATP, HMGB1, mitochondria-derived molecules). Others are actively secreted, like Type I Interferons. Here we discuss important DAMPs in the context of autoimmunity. For some, there is a clear pathogenic link (e.g. nucleic acids and lupus). For others, there is less evidence. Additionally, we explore emerging danger signals. These include inorganic materials and man-made technologies (e.g. nanomaterials) developed as novel therapeutic approaches. Some nanomaterials can activate DCs and may trigger unintended inflammatory responses. Finally, we will review “homeostatic danger signals”, danger signals that do not derive directly from pathogens or dying cells but are associated with perturbations of tissue/cell homeostasis and may signal pathological stress. These signals, like acidosis, hypoxia and changes in osmolarity, also play a role in inflammation and autoimmunity.
Phenotypic Suppression of a Herpes Simplex Virus 1 ICP27 Mutation by Enhanced Transcription of the Mutant Gene

ICP27 is an essential herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) regulatory protein that enhances viral gene expression. Although it is predominantly nuclear, it shuttles to the cytoplasm during infection using an N-terminal nuclear export signal (NES). We previously engineered an NES-negative ICP27 mutant, dLeu, that replicates poorly in cultured cells. In this study, we isolated dLeuR, a growth-competent revertant of dLeu. We show that dLeuR possesses one or more extragenic mutations that enhance ICP27 transcription, leading to overexpression of the mutant protein and restoration of viral growth. This work provides evidence of a novel pathway regulating transcription of the ICP27 gene.
Effectiveness of Residence Restrictions in Preventing Sex Offense Recidivism

Many municipalities have recently extended residence restrictions for sex offenders beyond the provisions of state law, although the efficacy of these measures in reducing recidivism has not been empirically established. This study used arrest histories in Jacksonville, Florida, to assess the effects of a recently expanded municipal 2,500-foot residence restriction ordinance on sex crimes and sex offense recidivism. Using a quasiexperimental design, pre- and posttest measures of recidivism were compared, and no significant differences in citywide sex crimes or recidivist sex crimes were found. In addition, time-series analysis revealed no significant differences in sex crime trends over time when compared with nonsex crimes from the same of- fender sample. After controlling for several demographic factors, individual- level multivariate results indicate that the timing of the residence restriction policy was not associated with a meaningful change in sex crime arrests or sex offender recidivism after the policy implementation date, suggesting that the residence restriction did not achieve its intended goal of reducing recidivism.
LexRDF Model: An RDF-based Unified Model for Heterogeneous Biomedical Ontologies

The Lexical Grid (LexGrid) project is an on-going community-driven initiative coordinated by the Mayo Clinic Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics (BSI). It provides a common terminology model to represent multiple vocabulary and ontology sources as well as a scalable and robust API for accessing such information. While successfully used and adopted in the biomedical and clinical community, an important requirement is to align the existing LexGrid model with emerging Semantic Web standards and specifications. This paper introduces the LexRDF model, which maps the LexGrid model elements to corresponding constructs in W3C specifications such as RDF, OWL, and SKOS. Our mapping specification successfully used W3C standards to represent most of the existing LexGrid components, and those that did not map point out issues in the existing specifications that the W3C may want to consider in future work. With LexRDF, the terminological information represented in LexGrid can be translated to RDF triples, and therefore allowing LexGrid to leverage standard tools and technologies such as SPARQL and RDF triple stores.
Optically addressed ultra-wideband connected array antenna

Modern RF antenna systems are being asked to address many simultaneous and pressing challenges, e.g., wide operational bandwidth, dynamic gain patterns, and conformal profiles. One way to address these problems is to develop a low profile and ultra-wideband (UWB) phased array antenna. However, the design, fabrication, and integration of such an array using an all-RF feed is exceedingly difficult. Thus, in this paper we present a novel optical feeding technique to achieve efficient excitation of a UWB connected array (CA) antenna. By feeding the array optically, preservation of the theoretical bandwidth and low-profile of elementary connected dipole elements is enabled. Coupling of light to a photodiode merely requires enough space to firmly secure a fiber ferrule, allowing for the population of more densely packed arrays and wider operational bandwidth. Additionally, the optical feeding of the array can provide low noise excitation of the radiating elements, which supports high fidelity beam steering of independent signals over the array's ultra-wide bandwidth. Currently all of these abilities are unattainable by conventional electronic feeding networks. Previously the main limiting factor for the realization of such an optical system was the low power handling capability of the photodiode at the antenna excitation point. Recently, however, modified uni-travelling carrier (MUTC) photodiodes, flip-chip bonded to high-thermal conductivity aluminum nitride (AlN), have been able to achieve output powers of over 1 W at 10 GHz under CW operation, and over 10 W using pulsed power modulation. A prototype MUTC photodiode-integrated antenna array on AlN with direct fiber feed to each antenna element is discussed and demonstrated that can provide 5–20 GHz bandwidth and a size, weight, and power (SWaP) superior to conventional electronic phased array systems.
Influence Factors for Determining Number-Average Relative Molecular Mass of EO-THF Copolyether by VPO

Using vapor pressure osmometry(VPO),the test conditions were confirmed through investigating the influence of factors such as instrument calibration coefficient k value determination,moisture content of samples,concentration of sample solutions,stabilization time,etc.on the stability for determining number-average relative molecular mass(n) of hydroxyl-terminated ethylene oxide-tetrahydrofuran(EO-THF) copolyether.The results show that the stability for determining n of EO-THF copolyether by VPO can be effectively improved by octaacetyl sucrose as standard substance,using chloroform as solvent and determining the instrument calibration coefficient k value within sample concentration range of 6～30 g/kg.In addition,the n distribution and moisture content of EOTHF copolyether sample can significantly affect the determination results of n.
cADP-ribose activates reconstituted ryanodine receptors from coronary arterial smooth muscle

The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that cADP-ribose (cADPR) increases Ca2+release through activation of ryanodine receptors (RYR) on the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in coronary a...
Don't Touch that Column: Portable, Fine-Grained Access Control for Android's Native Content Providers

Android applications access native SQLite databases through their Universal Resource Identifiers (URIs), exposed by the Content provider library. By design, the SQLite engine used in the Android system does not enforce access restrictions on database content nor does it log database accesses. Instead, Android enforces read and write permissions on the native providers through which databases are accessed via the mandatory applications permissions system. This system is very coarse grained, however, and can allow applications far greater access to sensitive data than a user might intend.In this paper, we present a novel technique called priVy that merges static bytecode weaving and database query rewriting to achieve low-level access control for Android native providers at the application level. priVy defines access control for both database schema and entities and does not require any modifications to the underlying operating system and/or framework code. Instead, it provides a new Controller stub which is statically woven into the target application and a Controller interface for setting access levels, thus making it accessible and easily adoptable by average users. We provide an evaluation in terms of the resilience of applications to instrumentation as well as static and runtime instrumentation overhead. In our testing, priVy incurs an average of 1032 additional method calls or joinpoints created and it takes an average of 15 seconds to recompile an app and imposes virtually no runtime overhead.
Detection of bone marrow involvement in patients with cancer.

Current methods for the study of bone marrow to evaluate possible primary or metastatic cancers are reviewed. Bone marrow biopsy, radionuclide scan, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imagi...
Transcriptional Regulation of Potassium Channel Expression by G9a in Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain is a serious clinical problem and difficult to treat. Nerve injury causes a long-lasting reduction in potassium channel expression in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), but little is known about the epigenetic mechanisms involved. Using a rat model of neuropathic pain, we found that nerve injury significantly increased the expression and activity of G9a, histone deacetylases (HDACs), and EZH2 in the DRG. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that nerve injury consistently increased H3K9me2 occupancy at Kcna4, Kcnd2, Kcnq2 and Kcnma1 promoters. However, nerve injury had no effect on the DNA methylation levels of these potassium channel genes in the DRG. Only G9a inhibition consistently restored potassium channel expression and potassium channel activity of DRG neurons. In addition, intrathecal treatment with G9a-specific siRNA or selective G9a knockout in DRG neurons prevented potassium channel silencing and chronic pain development after nerve injury. Thus G9a plays a dominant role in transcriptional repression of potassium channels in primary sensory neurons and in the transition from acute to chronic pain after nerve injury.
Die Entwicklung von Konzepten

Shawna , ein Madchen von acht Monaten, krabbelt ins Schlafzimmer ihres sieben Jahre alten Bruders. Das Zimmer enthalt viele Gegenstande: ein Bett, eine Kommode, einen Hund, einen Baseball samt Fanghandschuh, Bucher, Hefte, Schuhe, schmutzige Socken und dergleichen mehr. Fur Shawnas Bruder enthalt der Raum Mobel, Kleidung, Gedrucktes und Sportsachen. Aber wie sieht der Raum fur Shawna aus?
Singly Linked Lists Package

This package provides 66 subprograms (including those that are generic formal parameters) for manipulating a singly-linked-list representation of sequences, in which the elements are of any type (supplied by a generic parameter). The purposes of these subprograms may be classified into the following three categories: 1. Construction and modification of sequences 2. Examining sequences 3. Computing with sequences In this section we give a brief overview of these categories, leaving the details and examples of usage to the individual subprogram descriptions.
Communication and quality of life outcomes from an interprofessional intensive, comprehensive, aphasia program (ICAP).

Background: Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programs (ICAPs) have developed in response to a growing need for treatments which produce changes in language function in people with aphasia, especially in the chronic phase of recovery. ICAPs are growing in number and several papers have presented preliminary results of their use, but little data exist about their efficacy or effectiveness.Objective: This paper explores the communication effects of an ICAP program that incorporated evidenced-based individual and group treatment in an interprofessional program.Method: Twenty-seven individuals with chronic aphasia were provided with 30 h of interprofessional treatment a week for a four-week period in both individual and group formats. A delayed treatment, within-participant research protocol was used. Language measures were taken at two intervals pre- and two intervals post treatment. Functional, narrative, and quality of life measures were taken once pre and once post treatment.Results: Significant change was ...
Measured body composition and geometrical data of four “virtual family” members for thermoregulatory modeling

The purpose of this paper is to develop a database of tissue composition, distribution, volume, surface area, and skin thickness from anatomically correct human models, the virtual family. These models were based on high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of human volunteers, including two adults (male and female) and two children (boy and girl). In the segmented image dataset, each voxel is associated with a label which refers to a tissue type that occupies up that specific cubic millimeter of the body. The tissue volume was calculated from the number of the voxels with the same label. Volumes of 24 organs in body and volumes of 7 tissues in 10 specific body regions were calculated. Surface area was calculated from the collection of voxels that are touching the exterior air. Skin thicknesses were estimated from its volume and surface area. The differences between the calculated and original masses were about 3 % or less for tissues or organs that are important to thermoregulatory modeling, e.g., muscle, skin, and fat. This accurate database of body tissue distributions and geometry is essential for the development of human thermoregulatory models. Data derived from medical imaging provide new effective tools to enhance thermal physiology research and gain deeper insight into the mechanisms of how the human body maintains heat balance.
Constrained Surface Complexation Modeling: Rutile in RbCl, NaCl, and NaCF3SO3 Media to 250 °C

A comprehensive set of molecular-level results, primarily from classical molecular dynamics (CMD) simulations, are used to constrain CD-MUSIC surface complexation model (SCM) parameters describing rutile powder titrations conducted in RbCl, NaCl, and NaTr (Tr = triflate, CF3SO3–) electrolyte media from 25 to 250 °C. Rb+ primarily occupies the innermost tetradentate binding site on the rutile (110) surface at all temperatures (25, 150, 250 °C) and negative charge conditions (−0.1 and −0.2 C/m2) probed via CMD simulations, reflecting the small hydration energy of this large, monovalent cation. Consequently, variable SCM parameters (Stern-layer capacitance values and intrinsic Rb+ binding constants) were adjusted relatively easily to satisfactorily match the CMD and titration data. The larger hydration energy of Na+ results in a more complex inner-sphere distribution, which shifts from bidentate to tetradentate binding with increasing negative charge and temperature, and this distribution was not matched wel...
The TileDB array data storage manager

We present a novel storage manager for multi-dimensional arrays that arise in scientific applications, which is part of a larger scientific data management system called TileDB. In contrast to existing solutions, TileDB is optimized for both dense and sparse arrays. Its key idea is to organize array elements into ordered collections called fragments. Each fragment is dense or sparse, and groups contiguous array elements into data tiles of fixed capacity. The organization into fragments turns random writes into sequential writes, and, coupled with a novel read algorithm, leads to very efficient reads. TileDB enables parallelization via multi-threading and multi-processing, offering thread-/process-safety and atomicity via lightweight locking. We show that TileDB delivers comparable performance to the HDF5 dense array storage manager, while providing much faster random writes. We also show that TileDB offers substantially faster reads and writes than the SciDB array database system with both dense and sparse arrays. Finally, we demonstrate that TileDB is considerably faster than adaptations of the Vertica relational column-store for dense array storage management, and at least as fast for the case of sparse arrays.
The effects of increased revenue transparency in the extractives sector: The case of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

Abstract It has been argued that transparency can play an important role in allowing governments and citizens to benefit from their natural resource wealth. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) was established in 2002 to promote transparency in the revenues collected by governments from the extractive industries, bringing industry, government and civil society stakeholders into the monitoring process. This study assesses the impact of EITI membership on two factors argued to be affected by resource wealth, economic development and corruption. Using panel data from 1997/98 to 2014, the study estimates a fixed effects model to evaluate the impact of joining the EITI on changes in economic and corruption indicators overtime and compared to non-members, conditional on a country’s level of resource dependence. The study finds that the EITI has had a significant and positive effect on economic development in member states since its inception, but these effects have not yet been translated to observable and significant improvements in control of corruption. The economic benefits of revenue transparency have important implications for resource producing governments who are considering joining the EITI and for resource importing governments that are currently considering increased regulation concerning revenue transparency in the extractive industries.
Design of a Drone Lead-Follow Control System

A Drone Light Show (DLS) is visual entertainment in which multiple autonomous drones form complicated flight patterns. As drones become smaller and more efficient due to technology advances, a DLS can replace fireworks for cheaper and reduced risks. This paper describes the design of a control system to create drone trajectories using a “Lead-Follow” Control System in a Cartesian coordinate. The simulation was created through a Matlab subprogram called Simulink and studies the trajectory behavior of the two drones with optimal Proportional, Integral and Derivative (PID) control gains to determine the separation between the drones. Based on the optimal separation, risks of fatality, injury and property damage are assessed. With a proportional gain of 6, derivative gain of 0.3, and a 0.1 integral gain, separation distances of 10 ft, in the X and Y axes and a 0 ft separation in the z axis, a 5% error margin was achieved.
Limb Laterality Recognition Score: A Reliable Clinical Measure Related to Phantom Limb Pain.

Objective To explore the usefulness of the limb laterality recognition score as a clinical measure of phantom limb pain, regarding test-retest reliability and association of limb laterality recognition scores with phantom limb pain measures. Design Retrospective cohort. Setting Community support group. Subjects Eleven adults who averaged 4.8 years since lower limb amputation due to vascular pathologies (N = 9), trauma (N = 1), and cancer (N = 1). Methods Subjects self-reported amputated limb pain using the sensation subsection of the Prosthetic Evaluation Questionnaire and back and sound limb pain. Using numbered iPads that corresponded to the self-reports, subjects played the Recognise Foot game to assess limb laterality recognition ability. Subjects identified the laterality of 20 foot images, within two seconds each. The software collected accuracy and speed scores in basic, vanilla, and context conditions for two rounds in random order. Basic showed feet against black backgrounds, vanilla showed feet with various monochromatic backgrounds, and context showed feet in clothed or environmental contexts. So that greater accuracy in less time meant a better score, accuracy scores were divided by completion speed. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)3,1 assessed test-retest reliability. Correlations between accuracy/speed and phantom limb pain measures were assessed with Spearman's rho (categorical) and Pearson coefficients (continuous). Results Accuracy/speed test-retest reliability was strong (ICC = 0.72) and inversely associated with phantom limb pain frequency (context rho = 0.72). Conclusions Limb laterality recognition accuracy/speed in the context condition had good test-retest reliability and correlated strongly with phantom limb pain frequency. Accuracy/speed limb laterality recognition ability relates to phantom limb pain and may be a valid clinical or research measure.
Crucial role of Mer tyrosine kinase in the maintenance of SIGN-R1+ marginal zone macrophages.

Mer Tyrosine Kinase receptor (Mer) is involved in anti-inflammatory efferocytosis. Here we report elevated spontaneous germinal center (Spt-GC) responses in Mer-deficient mice (Mer-/- ) that are associated with the loss of SIGN-R1+ marginal zone macrophages (MZMs). The dissipation of MZMs in Mer-/- mice occurs independently of reduced cellularity or delocalization of marginal zone B cells, sinusoidal cells or of CD169+ metallophillic macrophages. We find that MZM dissipation in Mer-/- mice contributes to apoptotic cell (AC) accumulation in Spt-GCs and dysregulation of the GC checkpoint, allowing an expansion of DNA-reactive B cells in GCs. We further observe that bone marrow derived macrophages from Mer-/- mice produce more TNFα, and are susceptible to cell death upon exposure to ACs compared to WT macrophages. Anti-TNFα Ab treatment of Mer-/- mice is, however, unable to reverse MZM loss, but results in reduced Spt-GC responses, indicating that TNFα promotes Spt-GC responses in Mer-/- mice. Contrary to an anti-TNFα Ab treatment, treatment of Mer-/- mice with a synthetic agonist for the transcription factor LXRα rescues a significant number of MZMs in vivo. Our data suggest that Mer-LXRα signaling plays an important role in the differentiation and maintenance of MZMs, which in turn regulate Spt-GC responses and tolerance.
Validation of MLC-based linac radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia

This study details a validation process for linear accelerator-based treatment of trigeminal neuralgia using HD-MLC field collimation. Nine trigeminal neuralgia treatment plans utilizing HD-MLC were selected for absolute dose measurement at isocenter using a commercial scintillating detector in an anthropomorphic phantom. Four plans were chosen for film dosimetry measurements in each of the three principal planes to assess spatial dose distribution agreement with the treatment planning system. Additionally, trajectory log analysis for each treatment field in the nine cases was performed to assess mechanical positioning accuracy of the MLC system during delivery. Scintillator and film measurements both revealed mean dose agreement at isocenter of better than 3% while FWHM of the 2D dose distribution in each plane showed agreement between plan and measurement within 0.2 mm. Analysis of log files revealed a maximum MLC leaf positioning error of 0.04 mm across 178 treatment fields. In conjunction with a quality-controlled treatment delivery methodology, an appropriately commissioned treatment planning system can be used for accurate and clinically appropriate design of trigeminal neuralgia treatment plans utilizing HD-MLC.
ACID PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY IN AUER BODIES.

Employing the Gomori lead salt method (pH 5.0), acid phosphatase activity was demonstrated in Auer bodies. The presence of this enzyme may be considered further evidence of the similarity between leukocyte granules, known to contain acid phosphatase, and this structure. No alkaline phosphatase activity was exhibited in these bodies. The significance of these findings is discussed.
Restructuring Tax-Favored Retirement Saving

This article contends that Americans are invested in the tax incentives for retirement savings but do not take full advantage of them. It then suggests changes to the tax-preferred retirement savings options based on successful models, from Canada and the United Kingdom.
DOES TIME SINCE FIRE EXPLAIN PLANT BIOMASS ALLOCATION IN THE FLORIDA, USA, SCRUB ECOSYSTEM?

Although belowground biomass patterns are important in understanding aboveground responses, few studies have quantified how belowground biomass changes in response to fire cycles. In this study, we determined if patterns of time-since-fire (TSF; range 3 yr to 25 yr) affect belowground and aboveground biomass in scrubby flatwoods, a type of Flor ida, USA, scrub ecosystem. We also examined if plant groups (oaks, palmettos and all other species) show variation in biomass partitioning between belowground to aboveground biomass. We found that TSF had a significant positive impact on shoot biomass of oaks and leaf litter but did not affect total aboveground biomass or the aboveground biomass of other species groups. Total belowground biomass was not significantly explained by TSF, although the belowground biomass of oaks showed a significant quadratic rela tionship with TSF (r 2 = 0.45, P = 0.023). Mean belowground to aboveground biomass ratios were 3.47 ±0.76 overall, 2.18 ±0.99 for oaks, 7.25 ±1.01 for palmettos, and 4.94 ±0.89 for other species. Management of fire-prone ecosystems can use belowground biomass patterns to avoid too-frequent burns that may reduce belowground biomass and affect the ability of ecosystems to respond to subsequent fires. Management actions should also maintain sufficient belowground biomass to buffer against periodic drought.
Efficacy of filter cake and Triplex powders from Ethiopia applied to wheat against Sitophilus zeamais and Sitophilus oryzae

Abstract The efficacy of filter cake and Triplex powders applied to wheat was evaluated in the laboratory against the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky and rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (Linnaeus)—two most common insect pests associated with stored grain in Ethiopia. Efficacy of these powders was determined by exposing 20 adults of each species to 100 g of wheat treated with 0, 100, 500, 700 and 1000 mg/kg of filter cake and Triplex. Adult mortality was determined 7 and 14 d after exposure. In addition, adult progeny production, percentage of insect damaged kernels, and percentage of grain weight loss at each species-powder-concentration-time combinations were determined after 42 d. The 7 and 14 d mortality was 100% for adults of both species exposed to 1000 mg/kg of filter cake; only the 14 d mortality of Sitophilus species was 100% for adults exposed to 700 mg/kg. Mortality of S. oryzae adults was 100% when exposed for 14 d to1000 mg/kg of Triplex. Mortality of S. zeamais never reached 100% in any Triplex treatments. Adult progeny production of S. zeamais was completely suppressed at filter cake concentrations of 700 and 1000 mg/kg, whereas 1000 mg/kg was necessary for complete suppression of S. oryzae adult progeny production. Complete suppression of adult progeny production was not observed in any Triplex treatments. Complete reduction in percentage of insect damaged kernels and percentage of grain weight loss were obtained when S. zeamais and S. oryzae adults were exposed to 1000 mg/kg of filter cake; similar reductions with S. zeamais occurred only at 1000 mg/kg of Triplex. In the case of S. oryzae, complete reduction of insect damaged kernels and grain weight loss were not achieved at any concentration of Triplex. These powders can be used as alternatives to chemical insecticides for management of Sitophilus species.
Unified theory of plasmon-induced resonance energy transfer and hot electron injection processes for enhanced photocurrent efficiency

Plasmons in metal nanoparticles (MNPs) promise to enhance solar energy conversion in semiconductors. Two essential mechanisms of enhancement in the near-field regime are hot electron injection (HEI) and plasmon-induced resonance energy transfer (PIRET). Individual studies of both mechanisms indicate that the PIRET efficiency is limited by the short lifetime of the plasmon, whereas the hot electrons result from the plasmon decay. The development of a unified theory of the coupled HEI and PIRET processes is fundamentally interesting and necessary for making reliable predictions but is complicated by the multiple interactions between various components that participate in the enhancement process. In this paper, we use the model-Hamiltonian approach to develop a combined theoretical framework including both PIRET and HEI. The coupled dynamics as well as the time evolution of hot electron energy distribution are studied. The theory further predicts an interference-induced asymmetry in the spectral dependence of PIRET, which can be used to distinguish it from HEI. As the relative contributions of PIRET and HEI strongly depend on the size of the MNPs, this presents itself as a simple route to control the strength of their contributions. The results presented here can further guide future applications of plasmonic solar energy harvesting.
Probability-Based Approach Explains (and Even Improves) Heuristic Formulas of Defuzzification

Fuzzy techniques have been successfully used in many applications. However, often, formulas for processing fuzzy information are heuristic: they lack a convincing justification, and thus, users are sometimes reluctant to use them. In this paper, we show that we can justify (and sometimes even improve) these methods if we use a probability-based approach.
Cryptography, Capitalism, and National Security

I call into question a line of thinking about the societal consequences of distributed network architectures. Empirically, this work centers its explanation on aberrant historical conditions, most notably the early Arpanet-centered Internet. Conceptually, despite an effort to identify a new order, it replicates foundational assumptions of exchange in (classical) markets. Drawing on recent talks and my upcoming book, I argue that metaphors (better yet, theories) for understanding network-based societies must incorporate cryptography and either celebrate or transcend neo-Smithian foundations.
Lab-as-a-Service (LaaS): A Middleware Approach for Internet-Accessible Laboratories

[Work in Progress] The proliferation of cloud computing and web-based technologies have made it possible for universities to expand their academic networks reaching a wider range of students. In an effort to expand offered services while reducing costs, universities began exploring the use of distributed software platforms and middleware infrastructures to make laboratories accessible over the Internet. However, there are major challenges in the way these platforms enable students to effectively interact with a remote laboratory environment. In this paper, we introduce a remotely-controlled middleware infrastructure called Lab-as-a-Service (LaaS) that is based on cloud computing and service-oriented architecture (SOA) concepts. LaaS aims at providing educators with the necessary tools to deploy course lab components over the Internet more efficiently while enabling students to productively complete lab material remotely. Throughout the paper, we discuss the overall architecture of LaaS, use cases and implementation details. We further use our LaaS framework to provide insights on improving the remote laboratory experience and interactive online learning models.
Perceiving demographic diversity as a threat: Divergent effects of multiculturalism and polyculturalism:

The growing racial/ethnic diversity in the United States can be perceived as threatening to White Americans. The present work examines how interethnic ideologies—different ways of framing ethnic di...
Health-related quality of life and oncologic outcomes after surgery in older adults with colorectal cancer.

Data regarding changes in functional status and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) before and after surgery are lacking. We identified colorectal cancer patients from the SEER-Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (MHOS) linked database to evaluate the association between HRQOL and survival. HRQOL survey data captured physical/mental health, activities of daily living (ADLs), and medical comorbidities. Patients who underwent surgery with HRQOL surveys prior to cancer diagnosis and ≥ 1 year after diagnosis were selected. Patient, disease, and HRQOL measures were analyzed in regard to overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and non-DSS. Of 590 patients included, 55% were female, 75% were Caucasian, and 83% had colonic primary. Disease extent was localized for 52%, regional for 41%, and distant for 7%. Median OS was 83 months. Decreased OS was independently associated with age ≥ 75 (HR 1.7, p < 0.0001), male sex (HR 1.4, p = 0.011), advanced disease (regional—HR 2.0, p < 0.0001; distant—HR 7.0, p < 0.0001), and decreased mental HRQOL (HR 1.4, p = 0.005). Decreased DSS was independently associated with advanced disease (regional—HR 4.1, p < 0.0001; distant—HR 16.5, p < 0.0001) and rectal primary (HR 1.6, p = 0.047). Decreased non-DSS was independently associated with age ≥ 75 (HR 2.2, p < 0.0001), male sex (HR 1.4, p = 0.03), decreased mental HRQOL (HR 1.4, p = 0.02), and increased comorbidities (HR 1.4, p = 0.04). The potential overall survival benefit of oncologic surgery is diminished by declines in physical and mental health. Early identification of older surgical patients at risk for functional and HRQOL declines may improve survival following colorectal cancer surgery.
15 – Mood Disorders

Publisher Summary Mood disorders include various affective problems such as major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, cyclothymiacs disorder, and dysthymic disorder. Depression occurs as a result of sudden environmental changes in which opportunities for positive reinforcement become limited. The paradigmatic model of depression is a comprehensive formulation of major depression that includes attention to acquired biological risk factors, historical antecedent events, and psychological vulnerability. According to this model, there are three basic behavioral repertoires of depression: (1) emotional-motivational, (2) language-cognitive, and (3) sensory-motor. Functional assessment of depressive symptoms may involve the use of clinical interviews conducted with the patient, family member, spouse, caregiver, or teacher in the case of adolescent or childhood depression. Functional analytic psychotherapy involves the application of functional analysis within the context of the therapeutic relationship. Self-report measures of depression also have proven useful in assessing a tremendous range of content areas, including affective, verbal-cognitive, somatic, behavioral, and social symptoms of depression.
Matrix Profile XVII: Indexing the Matrix Profile to Allow Arbitrary Range Queries

Since its introduction several years ago, the Matrix Profile has received significant attention for two reasons. First, it is a very general representation, allowing for the discovery of time series motifs, discords, chains, joins, shapelets, segmentations etc. Secondly, it can be computed very efficiently, allowing for fast exact computation and ultra-fast approximate computation. For analysts that use the Matrix Profile frequently, its incremental computability means that they can perform ad-hoc analytics at any time, with almost no delay time. However, they can only issue global queries. That is, queries that consider all the data from time zero to the current time. This is a significant limitation, as they may be interested in localized questions about a contiguous subset of the data. For example, "do we have any unusual motifs that correspond with that unusually cool summer two years ago". Such ad-hoc queries would require recomputing the Matrix Profile for the time period in question. This is not an untenable computation, but it could not be done in interactive time. In this work we introduce a novel indexing framework that allows queries about arbitrary ranges to be answered in quasilinear time, allowing such queries to be interactive for the first time.
Compound collections at KU 1947–2017: cheminformatic analysis and computational protein target prediction

We report the comparison of two small-molecule collections synthesized at KU at two different eras. We used a machine learning tool to classify the compounds in these collections by their predicted protein targets. The analyses shine light on the evolution of medicinal chemistry research at the University of Kansas, and reveal several new associations between compounds and protein targets.
Measuring Progress and Performance in Global Engineering

Measurement and feedback are increasingly being incorporated into global engineering and development financing and programming. Within this ecosystem, there is room to incorporate near-time measurement of program, product, and service performance, and feed these measures back to responsible parties in a way that enables iterative testing and improvement. This chapter presents a history of feedback approaches, and reviews case studies in using instrumentation to support improved global development program deployments.
The Historic Role of Alchemy in the Holy Roman Empire Anna Zieglerin and the Lion's Blood: Alchemy and End Times in Reformation Germany. By Tara Nummedal. Pp. 304, illus., index. University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia. 2019. £43. ISBN 978-0-81-225089-3.

In 2007 Tara Nummedal published Alchemy and Authority in the Holy Roman Empire. In that impressive volume, Nummedal used court proceedings and transcripts, legal contracts, literary satires, assayi...
Boundedness and decay for the Teukolsky equation of spin ±1 on Reissner–Nordström spacetime: the $\boldsymbol{ \newcommand{\e}{{\rm e}} \ell=1}$ spherical mode

We prove boundedness and polynomial decay statements for solutions to the spin $\pm1$ Teukolsky-type equation projected to the $\ell=1$ spherical harmonic on Reissner-Nordstr{\"o}m spacetime. The equation is verified by a gauge-invariant quantity which we identify and which involves the electromagnetic and curvature tensor. This gives a first description in physical space of gauge-invariant quantities transporting the \textit{electromagnetic radiation} in perturbations of a charged black hole. a#13; a#13; The proof is based on the use of derived quantities, introduced in previous works on linear stability of Schwarzschild (\cite{DHR}). The derived quantity verifies a Fackerell-Ipser-type equation, with right hand side vanishing at the $\ell=1$ spherical harmonics. The boundedness and decay for the projection to the $\ell\geq 2$ spherical harmonics are implied by the boundedness and decay for the Teukolsky system of spin $\pm2$ obtained in \cite{Giorgi4}.a#13; a#13; a#13; The spin $\pm1$ Teukolsky-type equation is verified by the curvature and electromagnetic components of a gravitational and electromagnetic perturbation of the Reissner-Nordstr{\"o}m spacetime. Consequently, together with the estimates obtained in \cite{Giorgi4}, these bounds allow to prove the full linear stability of Reissner-Nordstr{\"o}m metric for small charge to coupled gravitational and electromagnetic perturbations.