cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Private equity alliances in mergers

Abstract This paper examines reasons for alliance formation between private equity bidders when compared to sole-sponsored private equity deals. Testing a comprehensive set of hypotheses, we find strong evidence for the relative-risk hypothesis of Robinson (2008), as private bidders are more likely to form an alliance in a diversifying acquisition. We also find that private equity alliances involved more profitable target firms when compared to sole-sponsored private equity deals. Finally, we find that the significantly lower abnormal returns for target firms in private equity alliance deals are eliminated once we control for differences in the types of target firms acquired by private equity alliances and single private equity bidders. The last result suggests that private equity alliances do not generate significantly lower target returns because of collusion.
Metabolic and Anatomic Adaptations in Chickens “Trained” to Eat Their Daily Food in Two Hours

Abstract INTRODUCTION THE SCIENCE of nutrition was greatly advanced when Brobeck (1946) showed that the obesity observed in rats with hypothalamic lesions was the consequence of overeating. Tepperman et al. (1943) obtained evidence showing that the excess food that was eaten was rapidly converted to fat as shown by the R. Q., which rose above 1.00. These investigators showed further that normal rats will also show high R. Q.'s similar to those of the hypothalamic rats when they are induced to eat large amounts of food in a short time. They accomplished this by “training” the rats to eat their total daily food intake in one hour. This “trained” feeding technique proved to be useful in nutritional studies and has been used extensively in this laboratory with rats and chickens. This “trained” feeding technique set up abnormal feeding schedules and presented many problems. Tepperman and Tepperman (1958) found it necessary to …
Magnitude of length-dependent changes in contractile properties varies with titin isoform in rat ventricles

The effects of differential expression of titin isoforms on sarcomere length (SL)-dependent changes in passive force, maximum Ca2+-activated force, apparent cooperativity in activation of force (nH...
Energetic particles, tangential discontinuities, and solar flux tubes

This study examines the probable sources of sharp changes in the flux of energetic particles (EPs) in the solar wind. Data acquired by the ACE Low Energy Magnetic Spectrometer sensors during 1999 were used to identify EP boundaries that were not located at interplanetary shocks or caused by intermittent connection to the Earth's bow shock. It was found that at least 68%, and probably 80%, of such boundaries occur at significant changes in the plasma and magnetic field in the solar wind. Those changes are consistent with crossing preexisting tangential discontinuities or flux tube boundaries rather than by local MHD turbulence or time-dependent bursts of acceleration. Because some of the EP boundaries would not have been detected by Borovsky's (2008) analysis of flux tube boundaries, it is concluded that such boundaries in the solar wind are at least 30% more prevalent than previously suggested. The result can also be used to explain some observations of localized variations in EP flux both ahead of and behind the interplanetary shocks where particle acceleration occurred without requiring local acceleration.
Movimento Messiânico no Espírito Santo: O Estado de União de Jeovah

Este ensaio tem como objetivo identificar dentro do processo de litigio da Zona do Contestado entre os Estados de Minas Gerais e Espirito Santo, ocorrida na primeira metade do seculo XX, um movimento campones com caracteristicas messiânicas, idealizado pelo baiano Udelino Alves de Matos, que seria um Antonio Conselheiro, por sua religiosidade e misticismo. O movimento encampado por Udelino, posteriormente denominado de Cotaxe, teve por finalidade a criacao de uma nova Unidade Federativa na regiao, baseando-se em ideais cristaos de irmandade, igualdade e distribuicao social da terra, a este novo Estado batizaram-no com o nome de Uniao de Jeovah. Um clima de inseguranca, desconfianca e incertezas marcaram profundamente a regiao. As forcas do Governo do Estado do Espirito Santo, intimidadas com o avanco da causa jeovense, transformaram-se em pouco tempo em luta armada, ou melhor, em Massacre em Cotaxe.
Functional Properties of the Feeding Musculature

The focus of this review is on the characteristics of the individual fibers that compose the feeding muscles. The literature on muscle biochemistry and physiology is extensive and has been reviewed many times. Among the most useful recent contributions are Hoyle’s (1983) comparison of muscle cells across animal phyla, the summaries of vertebrate muscle structure and molecular diversity by Ogata (1988) and Pette and Staron (1990), respectively, and the discussion of slow fibers by Morgan and Proske (1984). With few exceptions (notably the excellent review of Rowlerson 1990), these compendia reflect the primary literature in that they deal almost exclusively with muscles of the locomotor system. It is common to hear feeding apparatus researchers complain that the field of muscle physiology concentrates too much on locomotor muscles (especially cat hindlimb muscles), and that the unique feeding system does not receive adequate attention. Actually, these reviews make it clear that cat hindlimb muscles are not even representative of postcranial musculature in general. Skeletal muscles are extremely diverse, not only between groups of muscles but also among species. As will become clear below, a dichotomous view of locomotor vs feeding muscles is probably just as misleading as an extrapolation from cat hindlimbs to cranial muscles. Muscle properties vary and depend on many factors, ranging from metabolism to behavior; at this stage in our understanding it seems prudent to avoid categorization.
Learning to grasp and extract affordances: the Integrated Learning of Grasps and Affordances (ILGA) model

The activity of certain parietal neurons has been interpreted as encoding affordances (directly perceivable opportunities) for grasping. Separate computational models have been developed for infant grasp learning and affordance learning, but no single model has yet combined these processes in a neurobiologically plausible way. We present the Integrated Learning of Grasps and Affordances (ILGA) model that simultaneously learns grasp affordances from visual object features and motor parameters for planning grasps using trial-and-error reinforcement learning. As in the Infant Learning to Grasp Model, we model a stage of infant development prior to the onset of sophisticated visual processing of hand---object relations, but we assume that certain premotor neurons activate neural populations in primary motor cortex that synergistically control different combinations of fingers. The ILGA model is able to extract affordance representations from visual object features, learn motor parameters for generating stable grasps, and generalize its learned representations to novel objects.
Genetic variation in thymidylate synthase confers resistance to 5-fluorodeoxyuridine.

The human colorectal tumor cell line HCT 116 was resistant to the cytotoxic effects of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd). The response to FdUrd was increased only slightly by the presence of 10 μM folinic acid (CF). HCT 116 formed FdUMP and CH2H4PteGlu polyglutamates after exposure to FdUrd and CF. The sensitivity to FdUrd correlated well with the extent of TS inhibition. The role of TS in the resistance of the cells to FdUrd was examined. HCT 116 expresses two TS enzymes, which differ in pI. The more basic TS has been detected in only HCT 116 cells. The other TS is identical in pI to the enzymes detected in other human cells. The variant TS differs from the common by His replacement of Tyr at residue 33. The variant TS exhibited a 3-fold lower affinity for FdUMP than the common TS. The enzymes co-expressed in HCT 116 exhibited an FdUMP binding constant similar to that of the variant TS. TS-deficient cells were transfected with cDNAs encoding the two TS polypeptides. Transfectants expressing the variant TS were more resistant to FdUrd cytotoxicity than cells expressing the common TS. Thus, the structural variation in TS reduced enzyme affinity for FdUMP and conferred resistance to FdUrd.
Soybean Production and Processing in Brazil

Publisher Summary The success of Soybean (SB) production and utilization in Brazil actually begins with the development of the poultry sector during the 1950s in the southern United States. Researchers in the United States sought to adapt soybeans to lower latitudes to provide southern poultry farmers with a local high-quality protein meal. Researchers quickly developed varieties adapted to the longer growing season and warmer climates by focusing on the role of the nighttime photoperiod in soybeans' growth and development. These new varieties became the opening for the Brazilians. Researchers took the low-latitude technology and developed germ plasm that could be deployed in the Southern three states of Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Parana with a growing climate similar to the Southern United States. Brazil's soybean industry began in the south of the country in the late 1960s, supporting both soybean processing and poultry production. By the 1980s, the federal agricultural research institute, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria (EMBRAPA), had advanced the photoperiod line of research even further and successfully adapted soybeans to grow in the tropics at even lower latitudes. Developing this technology opened up soybean production to the West and North regions of the country that lie between 15 degrees south latitude and 5 degrees north latitude. The development of the lowest-latitude varieties begins the real story of the Brazilian soybean complex.
The broad role of multiple imputation in statistical science

Nearly a quarter century ago, the basic idea of multiple imputation was proposed as a way to deal with missing values due to nonresponse in sample surveys. Since that time, the essential formulation has expanded to be proposed for use in a remarkably broad range of empirical problems, from many standard social science and biomedical applications involving missing data in surveys and experiments, to nonstandard survey and experimental applications, such as preserving confidentiality in public-use surveys and dealing with noncompliance and “censoring due to death” in clinical trails, to common “hard science” applications such as dealing with below-threshold chemometric measurements, to other scientific or medical applications such as imaging brains for tumors, and exploring the genetics of schizophrenia. The purpose of this presentation is to provide some links to this broad range of applications and to indicate the associated computing requirements, primarily using examples in which I am currently involved.
Characterization of the Thermodynamic Stability of Solvated Metal–Organic Framework Polymorphs Using Molecular Simulations

Understanding the factors that govern the thermodynamic stability of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is critical to the development of these materials. In this work we present the first theoretical...
Treatment of Snapping Scapula Syndrome in Children and Adolescents.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review 2 separate cohorts of young patients treated for snapping scapula: those treated surgically and those managed nonoperatively. Methods: A retrospective IRB-approved review was conducted on 18 pediatric aged patients (19 shoulders): 12 patients (average age 13.3) were treated nonoperatively, 6 patients (average age 15.4) (7 shoulders) were treated operatively. Demographic and clinical data were collected from medical records and 2 questionnaires for level of activity, return to sport, subjective satisfaction from treatment, and preoperative/postoperative levels of pain. The American Shoulder and Elbow Society (ASES) score was measured for both groups. Results: Mean follow-up for nonoperative patients was 43.7 months (range, 20 to 116 mo). Pretreatment subjective pain levels were 5.2 (scale 1 to 10), posttreatment were 1.5. There was a 75% return to play rate, and an overall 75% satisfaction rate. Posttreatment ASES scores were 90.0. Mean follow-up for surgical patients was 129.5 months (range, 68 to 177 mo). Pretreatment subjective pain level was 8.6, posttreatment was 0.75. There was an 83% return to play rate, and an overall 100% satisfaction rate. There were no complications. Posttreatment ASES scores were 92.6. Conclusions: Outcomes for nonoperative treatment of snapping scapula are good for young patients. Surgical management of snapping scapula is a safe and viable treatment option for patients who fail nonoperative treatment. Level of Evidence: Level IV.
Influence of Materials Properties on the Irradiation Behavior of U-10Mo Monolithic Mini-Plates

The DOE/NNSA Conversion [1] Program in the US aims to minimize the use of high enrichment uranium in civilian applications. This initiative is being approached by converting research and test reactors from the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low enrichment uranium (LEU, <20% 235U) with high density of uranium to achieve stable operation of converted reactors. Among variety of fuel materials investigated to serve in the conversion process, U-Mo based alloys have shown stable and acceptable swelling response under typical operation conditions of research and test reactors.For the conversion of high performance research reactors, a large number of irradiation experiments were conducted to evaluate the mechanical behavior of the U-10Mo monolithic mini-plate; however, it is difficult to investigate all design and operation variables with potential impact on the irradiation behavior of the fuel experimentally.Thus, this study performed Finite Element Analyses (FEA) on a 3-D monolithic plate by changing material properties of components. The material properties considered in this study included thermal, mechanical, and irradiation specific properties of the fuel, cladding, and liner. Among FEA results, higher Young’s modulus of cladding material caused a significant decrease in all stress values in the three sections of the monolithic mini-plate. On the other hand, variation in the Young’s modulus of Zr-liner showed the minimal effect on the overall mechanical response of the monolithic mini-plate. Results showed that increasing the yield stress of the cladding material directly caused a increase in the maximum stress observed in the cladding section by almost 40 %. Considering the thermal properties of materials in the monolithic plate, maximum and minimum stress in fuel foil were found to either increase or decrease in proportional with the coefficient of thermal expansion of the fuel material. However, variation in the coefficient of thermal expansion in the cladding section caused a remarkable increase in peak stresses in the fuel foil.While mechanical and thermal properties of the foil, liner, and cladding sections are known, other irradiation-dependent properties such as coefficient of irradiation creep of U-10Mo are not firmly determined to date. The mechanical response of L1P756 is being simulated with different values of the coefficient of irradiation creep and the observed “bulging” in the plate will be compared to available post-irradiation measurements. Thus, it will be possible to determine an accurate value of irradiation creep coefficient of U-10Mo which in turn would allow predicting its mechanical behavior under different irradiation conditions.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Observations and Experiments on the Natural History and Behavior of the Commensal Isopod Colidotea Rostrata (Benedict, 1898) (Isopoda: Idoteidae)

ABSTRACT The idoteid isopod Colidotea rostrata is the only known commensal within the suborder Valvifera. This isopod lives on and mimics the color of two eastern Pacific sea urchins, Strongylocentrotuspurpuratus and S. franciscanus, and has never been reported as free-living. Field and laboratory observations, and experiments were conducted to examine the natural history and behavior of C. rostrata in southern California. While C. rostrata have no apparent effect on their urchin hosts, the urchins provide the isopods with food (trapped algae) and shelter from predators. Isopods cling tenaciously to urchin spines and cannot swim if dislodged. However, isopods do move between urchin hosts by crawling from the spines of one urchin directly to the spines of adjacent urchins. Laboratory experiments showed that C. rostrata is not capable of chemically mediated host location, and that isopods detached from natural urchin hosts seek alternate refuges and do not feed. Experiments also revealed that isopods shift their position on urchins in response to diurnal cues and tidal height. Increasing light and decreasing water levels cause isopods to move from the exposed aboral urchin surfaces towards the more protected oral surfaces. This behavior appears advantageous in that it minimizes the exposure of isopods to desiccation stress and to predators.
Factors associated with persistent subfoveal fluid and complete macular hole closure in the PIONEER study.

PURPOSE To investigate preoperative and intraoperative factors associated with persistent subfoveal fluid in surgically closed macular holes (MHs). METHODS This was a prospective consecutive case series of eyes undergoing surgical repair for full-thickness MH in the PIONEER study, a prospective intraoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT) multisurgeon single-center study. Thirty-seven eyes (36 patients) with surgically closed MH were studied. Quantitative OCT analysis was performed including intraoperative MH area, volume, ellipsoid zone to retinal pigment epithelium (EZ-RPE) height, extent of subretinal hyporeflectivity (SRHR), and the amount of postoperative subfoveal fluid. RESULTS Persistent subfoveal fluid was identified in 58% of eyes at 2 weeks following surgery. The mean time to two-line improvement in visual acuity was greater in eyes with persistent subfoveal fluid (P = 0.03). Final visual acuity did not correlate with the initial presence of fluid. Two intraoperative factors following internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling were associated with the formation of persistent subfoveal fluid: EZ-RPE height and SRHR width (P < 0.01). These were both negatively correlated with amount of postoperative subfoveal fluid (P = 0.028 and 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Persistent subfoveal fluid following MH surgery is a common finding that appears to delay visual recovery but not effect final visual outcome. The incidence of persistent subfoveal fluid appears to be related to intraoperative alterations after ILM peeling in the outer retinal architecture (e.g., increased EZ-RPE height and SRHR width). This finding suggests a novel mechanism for facilitating MH closure through ILM peeling (e.g., altering photoreceptor/RPE adherence and increasing retinal mobility that allows for complete hole closure).
LABORATORY STUDY OF SURF-ZONE TURBULENCE ON A BARRED BEACH

Wave height, wave set-up, undertow, and turbulent velocity on a plane beach and a barred beach were compared in the case of regular waves. The study showed that the presence of an offshore bar altered the turbulent flow in the surf zone by altering the characteristics of the broken waves. It was found that the magnitude of undertow and turbulence intensity were smaller in the inner surf zone on the barred beach. These results suggest that it may be possible to reduce the erosive wave action on beaches by construction of underwater berms in the nearshore zone. Further studies are needed to determine the effects of water depth, berm width and crest elevation on surf-zone turbulence under different wave conditions in order to provide explicit design guidance.
High Speed, High Resolution Imaging of Fluctuations at the Leading Edge of Motile Cells

Cell motility is an essential cellular function required for tasks ranging from chemotaxis to the formation of multicellular structures. With motility being such a ubiquitous process, cells are outfitted with a vast yet well-conserved set of proteins that self-organize in order to form protrusions with a surprising range of shapes and sizes. One such hallmark shape is the lamellipodium: a long, flat, sheet-like protrusion used for migration along flat surfaces. At ten microns wide and two hundred nanometers tall, these high aspect ratio protrusions are formed by the coordinated force of thousands of actin polymers growing against the membrane at the leading edge. Even more surprising, these protrusions are stable on the order of minutes to hours. How are thousands of nanometer-sized actin filaments able to form a stable leading edge several orders of magnitude larger, in time and space, than the assembly of its individual components? Using high-speed, high-resolution phase imaging of a neutrophil-like HL-60 cell line, I have discovered sub-second fluctuations along the leading edge of the lamellipodia. The time-evolution of these fluctuations is a direct readout of the self-correction mechanism used to create the smooth leading edge. High-resolution data and quantitative analysis now give us a handle to measure changes in leading-edge fluctuations in response to experimental perturbations. Using a cycle of theoretical modeling and experimental perturbation, I will tease apart the possible mechanisms for self-correction and the subsequent effects on the stability of the leading edge of motile cells.
Food stamps and the energy status of the U.S. elderly poor.

With the use of data from NHANES I and II, the iron status of poor elderly persons was examined by comparing it with that of nonpoor elderly persons. Within the poor group, the iron status of Food Stamp Program participants was compared with that of nonparticipants. The poor were those below the poverty line; the nonpoor were those with incomes at least twice the poverty line. The indicators of iron status were: hemoglobin, hematocrit, free erythrocyte protoporphyrin, transferrin saturation, total iron-binding capacity, serum iron, and iron intake. Iron status was examined by analyses of variance. The effects associated with sex, race, age, geographic region, and other potentially confounding factors were included in the model. In both surveys, there were interactions with race. That is, the poor whites had lower transferrin saturation and iron intake means than the nonpoor whites, while the Food Stamp Program participants were no different from the nonparticipants in transferrin saturation. Within the nonwhites, the poor had a lower hemoglobin mean than the nonpoor, and the program participants had a lower hemoglobin mean than the nonparticipants. Therefore, the Food Stamp Program was not consistently associated with better iron nutrition of the elderly poor in NHANES I and II.
Cardiac xenotransplantation in primates.

Successful cardiac xenotransplantation would alleviate the severe shortage of donor organs that presently limits the availability of cardiac transplantation. Early attempts at human xenotransplantation achieved minimal success. However, the effectiveness of cyclosporine in nonhuman xenotransplant models has received little experimental investigation. We have therefore studied the effect of cyclosporine-based immunosuppression in primate cardiac xenograft models using cynomolgus monkey donors and baboon recipients. Donor hearts were transplanted heterotopically into the necks of recipients or in the orthotopic position. Recipients were treated with no immunosuppression (controls), cyclosporine and steroids, or cyclosporine, steroids, azathioprine, and antithymocyte globulin. Statistically significant prolongation of graft survival compared to the control group was observed in the heterotopic groups. Mean survival time of the cyclosporine-treated and steroid-treated heterotopic grafts was 61 days compared to 6 days for grafts in the control group (p = 0.01); the addition of azathioprine and antithymocyte globulin yielded a mean survival of 84 days (p
Seismic Source Modeling by Clustering Earthquakes and Predicting Earthquake Magnitudes

Seismic sources are currently generated manually by experts, a process which is not efficient as the size of historical earthquake databases is growing. However, large historical earthquake databases provide an opportunity to generate seismic sources through data mining techniques. In this paper, we propose hierarchical clustering of historical earthquakes for generating seismic sources automatically. To evaluate the effectiveness of clustering in producing homogenous seismic sources, we compare the accuracy of earthquake magnitude prediction models before and after clustering. Three prediction models are experimented: decision tree, SVM, and kNN. The results show that: (1) the clustering approach leads to improved accuracy of prediction models; (2) the most accurate prediction model and the most homogenous seismic sources are achieved when earthquakes are clustered based on their non-spatial attributes; and (3) among the three prediction models experimented in this work, decision tree is the most accurate one.
Cancellation Predictive Control for Three-Phase PWM Rectifiers under Harmonic and Unbalanced Input Conditions

This paper presents an intuitive and simple-to-implement control scheme to improve the performance of three-phase boost-type PWM rectifiers under harmonic and unbalanced input conditions. Unlike most other control strategies, the proposed method does not need to extract either the harmonic or the negative-sequence components in the supply voltages and currents. A near-synchronous reference frame is used to determine the positive-sequence fundamental-frequency component in the input voltages. Utilizing only the extracted component, the dc-link voltage control and power factor control are implemented independently to determine the phase angle and magnitude of the PWM reference voltage. The commanded rectifier voltage adjustments are superimposed upon the grid voltages in such a way that the distortions (both harmonic and negative sequence components) are effectively cancelled. By employing a near-synchronous reference frame, no line-synchronization algorithm or hardware PLL is needed, so very little computational effort is required for its implementation. Simulation results show that the proposed method performs very well under extreme harmonic and unbalanced conditions such as when one or even two phases of the grid voltages are zero. In order to further verify its effectiveness, a laboratory hardware platform has been developed.
Race and Racism: The Black Male Experience in Sports

Today, the United States is marred by extreme racist openness toward minorities and people of color. It begins in Congress and the Senate with voting measures that advocate racist movements. Further, candidates for the presidency promote the idea of sending millions of illegal immigrants back to their country. The movement “Black Lives Matter” reflects a level of dissatisfaction with the blatancies of racist actions throughout America, but a most important arena of racist actions is in academia. It begins with the recruitment of top athletes, which are typically African American, and is evident in the starting lineups for football and basketball teams. Over the years there has been a prevalence of once-aspiring professional Black male athletes who end up with no degree, few job prospects, and used-up eligibility. Only 65 percent of African American basketball student-athletes graduated in 2013. There is a 25-percent gap between the graduation rates of white and Black basketball student-athletes. This is due to a lack of concern for academic achievements among male athletes, where they are taught to think about athletics first and academia second. This chapter will utilize the critical race theory to explore academic versus athletic achievement and racism among African American males in predominantly white and historically Black colleges and universities.
Injuries in collegiate women's volleyball: a four-year retrospective analysis

A four-year retrospective analysis of injury data was conducted on a collegiate (NCAA Division I) women’s volleyball team. Twenty athletes (Year 1: age = 19.4 ± 0.9 y, height = 175.2 ± 5.1 cm, body mass = 70.5 ± 10.2 kg; Year 2: age = 20.1 ± 1.0 y, height = 175.7 ± 4.7 cm, body mass = 69.5 ± 10.1 kg; Year 3: age = 20.1 ± 1.4 y, height = 173.8 ± 6.3 cm, body mass = 69.9 ± 10.8 kg; Year 4: age = 19.5 ± 1.4 y, height = 174.4 ± 8.6 cm, body mass = 72.7 ± 10.8 kg) participated in this study, accounting for 1483 total training exposures. Injury was defined as any damage to a body part, incurred during volleyball or strength and conditioning-related activities, which interfered with training and/or competition. Injury rate was normalized to the number of athletes and exposure and expressed as injuries per 1000 exposures. A total of 133 injuries were recorded. The most common injury was to the knee (left = 7.5%, right = 12.0%). Injuries occurred most often in volleyball practice (75.2%), followed by competition (20.3%), and strength and conditioning-related activities (4.5%). Non-contact injuries (upper body = 26.3%, lower body = 53.4%) were more common than contact injuries (upper-body = 13.5%, lower-body = 6.8%). An examination of injury rates relative to the training year revealed patterns in injury occurrence. Specifically, spikes in injury rate were consistently observed during periods of increased training volume that were preceded by breaks in organized training, such as the early pre-season and off-season training periods.
Poster: Memory Protection in Ultra-Low-Power Multi-Application Wearables

An increasing number of wearable devices support the execution of multiple third-party applications, increasing the functionality and flexibility of these devices. These multi-application, multi-tenant devices provide users with more options, and application developers with a standard platform. Typical ultra-low-power wearable devices, however, lack the type of hardware memory protection mechanisms~-- such as Memory Management Units (MMU)~-- needed to safely separate applications. At best, they provide a Memory Protection Unit (MPU), which allows the user to configure read/write/execute permissions for a few distinct regions of memory. At worst, no hardware memory protection is provided. MPU capabilities vary across hardware platforms, with many shortcomings: (1)~the MPU may only support a few distinct memory regions (fewer than one per application), (2)~the MPU may not protect all regions of memory, like hardware registers, and (3)~MPU protection boundary rules can be arcane, because they depend on opaque hardware implementations. Our key observation is that by supplementing a limited segment MPU with runtime checks, and using compile-time static analysis to explicitly layout applications in memory, we can guarantee application isolation (sandboxing) even on these limited MPUs, with lower overhead than software-only solutions.
Design and characterization of a research phantom for shock-wave enhanced irradiations in high intensity focused ultrasound therapy

The use of shock waves for enhancing thermal effects and mechanically ablating tissue is gaining increased attention in high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) applications such as tumor treatment, drug delivery, noninvasive biopsy, and immunotherapy. For abdominal targets, the presence of ribs and inhomogeneous adipose tissue can affect shock formation through aberration, absorption, and diffraction. The goal of this study was to design and validate a phantom for investigating the impact of different tissue structures on shock formation in situ. A transducer with driving electronics was developed to operate at 1.2 MHz with the ability to deliver either short pulses at high powers (up to 5 kW electric power) or continuous output at moderate powers (up to 700 W). Fat and muscle layers were represented by phantoms made from polyvinyl alcohol. Ribs were 3D-printed from a photopolymer material based on 3D CT scan images. Representative targeted tissue was comprised of optically transparent alginate or polyacrylamide gels. The system was characterized by hydrophone measurements free-field in water and in the presence of a body wall or rib phantoms. Shocked waveforms with peak positive/negative pressures of +100 / −20 MPa were measured at the focus in a free field at 1 kW electric source power. When ribs were present, shocks formed at about 50% amplitude at the same power, and higher pressures were measured with ribs positioned closer to the transducer. A uniform body wall structure attenuated shock amplitudes by a smaller amount than non-uniform, and the measurements were insensitive to the axial position of the phantom. Signal magnitude loss at the focus for both the rib phantoms and abdominal wall tissue were consistent with results from real tissues. In addition, boiling histotripsy lesions were generated and visualized in the target gels. The results demonstrate that the presence of ribs and absorptive tissue-mimicking layers do not prevent shock formation at the focus. With real-time lesion visualization, the phantom is suitable for adaptation as a training tool.
Pd-Catalyzed Remote Meta-C–H Functionalization of Phenylacetic Acids Using a Pyridine Template

An effective pyridine based U-shaped template has been developed to enable a diverse range of meta-C–H functionalizations of phenylacetic acid scaffolds. This new template has extended the reaction scope to cross-coupling with ArBF3K as well as iodination using 1,3-diiodo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin as the iodination reagent.
Barriers to Integrating New Urbanism in Mixed-Income Housing Plans in Chicago: Developer, Housing Official, and Consultant Perspectives

AbstractThis article explores the barriers to implementing mixed-income development plans that incorporate the social (income) and physical (new urbanism) mixing goals of HOPE VI. I examine a comparative case study of three HOPE VI planning efforts in Chicago, Illinois, that exhibit different results. I draw from 25 in-depth interviews across three primary types of actors involved in the development process: developers, housing officials, and consultants. This research uses the perspectives of these key actors to identify the barriers that constrain the implementation of new urbanist designs. Current research indicates that mixed-income developments vary in their degree of income mixing and how new urbanist strategies are implemented. However, there is little consensus on why this is so. Findings indicate implementation of new urbanism is constrained by limited interagency coordination, restrictive design policies, low community buy-in, and exclusive marketing and occupancy practices. Overall, the researc...
Direct Catalytic Asymmetric Vinylogous Additions of α,β‐ and β,γ‐Butenolides to Polyfluorinated Alkynyl Ketimines

We report a Zn-ProPhenol catalyzed asymmetric Mannich reaction between butenolides and polyfluorinated alkynyl ketimines to obtain vinylogous products featuring two contiguous tetrasubstituted stereogenic centers. Notably, this is the first successful use of ketimines in the ProPhenol Mannich process, and the reaction offers a new approach for the preparation of pharmaceutically relevant products possessing trifluoromethylated tetrasubstituted alkylamines. The reaction can be performed on large scale with reduced catalyst loading without impacting its efficiency. Moreover, the acetylene moiety can be further elaborated using various methods.
Leishmania parasitophorous vacuole membranes display phosphoinositides that create conditions for continuous Akt activation and a target for miltefosine in Leishmania infections

Miltefosine is an important drug for the treatment of leishmaniasis; however, its mechanism of action is still poorly understood. In these studies, we tested the hypothesis that like in cancer cells, miltefosine's efficacy in leishmaniasis is due to its inhibition of Akt activation in host cells. We show using pharmacologic agents that block Akt activation by different mechanisms and also using an inducible knockdown approach that miltefosine loses its efficacy when its access to Akt1 is limited. Interestingly, limitation of Akt activation results in clearance of established Leishmania infections. We then show, using fluorophore-tagged probes that bind to phosphoinositides, that Leishmania parasitophorous vacuole membranes (LPVMs) display the relevant phosphoinositides to which Akt can be recruited and activated continuously. Taken together, we propose that the acquisition of PI(4) P and the display of PI (3,4)P2 on LPVMs initiate the machinery that supports continuous Akt activation and sensitivity to miltefosine.
Extensions of principal components analysis

Principal Components Analysis is a standard tool in data analysis, widely used in data-rich fields such as computer vision, data mining, bioinformatics, and econometrics. For a set of vectors in Rn number k < n, the method returns a subspace of dimension k whose average squared distance to that set is as small as possible. Besides saving computation by reducing the dimension, projecting to this subspace can often reveal structure that was hidden in high dimension. This thesis considers several novel extensions of PCA, which provably reveals hidden structure where standard PCA fails to do so. First, we consider Robust PCA, which prevents a few points, possibly corrupted by an adversary, from having a large effect on the analysis. The key idea is to alternate noise removal with projection to a constant fraction of the dimensions. When applied to noisy mixture models, the algorithm finds a subspace that is close to the pair of means that are furthest apart. By choosing and testing random directions in this subspace, the algorithm finds a partitioning hyperplane that does not cut any component and then recurses on the two resulting halfspaces. This strategy yields a learning algorithm for noisy mixtures of log-concave distributions that is only slightly weaker than the noiseless result (Chap. 5). Second, we consider Isotropic PCA, which can go beyond the first two moments in identifying “interesting” directions in data. The algorithm first makes the distribution isotropic through an affine transformation. Then the algorithm reweights the data and computes the resulting first and second moments. In effect, this simulates a non-isotropic distribution, whose moments are sometimes meaningful. In the case of a mixture of Gaussians under a Gaussian reweighting, either the first moment or the direction of maximum second moment can be used to partition the components of the mixture assuming that the components are sufficiently separated. This strategy leads to the first affine-invariant algorithm that can provably learn mixtures of Gaussians in high dimensions, improving significantly on known results (Chap. 6). Thirdly, we define the “Subgraph Parity Tensor” of order r of a graph and reduce the problem of finding planted cliques in random graphs to the problem of finding the top principal component of this tensor (Chapter 7). This extends work by Frieze and Kannan, which considers only third order tensors. The intuition behind the result is that the entries in the block of the tensor corresponding to the clique will all have the same values, while the values in other blocks will be uncorrelated. This forces the top principal component of the tensor to “point” towards the clique. Using a previously known algorithm, the clique can be recovered.
Use of an acute spinal cord injury clinical pathway.

Patients with acute spinal cord injuries present enormous challenges to neuroscience critical care nurses. The immediate problems of neurogenic shock, pulmonary decompensation, and immobility require expert nursing management. This article demonstrates how an organized collaborative plan of care can decrease pulmonary complications, skin breakdown incidences, and length of stay during the acute phase of spinal cord injury.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity of Hydroxycyclopentadienyl Cobalt Complexes

The reaction of tetraphenylcyclopentadienone with Co2(CO)8 generates the mixed-valence tricobalt complex [Ph4C4CO]Co(CO)2]2[μ-Co(MeCN)2]. In contrast to the conventional Pauson–Khand reaction to generate cyclopentadienone-ligated cobalt complexes, this method benefits from both mild reaction conditions and high yields. Treatment of this tricobalt complex with proton sources such as water or alcohols yields the monomeric hydroxytetraphenylcyclopentadienyl cobalt complex [Ph4CpOH]Co(CO)2. Phosphite substituted monomeric cobalt complexes [Ph4CpOH]Co(CO)[P(OR)3] were also synthesized, and protonation of these complexes transiently formed cobalt hydride species.
Association of Proton Pump Inhibitors With Hospitalization Risk in Children With Oropharyngeal Dysphagia.

Importance Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are commonly prescribed to children with oropharyngeal dysphagia and resultant aspiration based on the assumption that these patients are at greater risk for reflux-related lung disease. There is little data to support this approach and the potential risk for increased infections in children treated with PPI may outweigh any potential benefit. Objective The aim of this study was to determine if there is an association between hospitalization risk in pediatric patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia and treatment with PPI. Design, Setting, and Participants We performed a retrospective cohort study to compare the frequency and length of hospitalizations for children who had abnormal results on videofluoroscopic swallow studies that were performed between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015, and who were or were not treated with PPI, with follow-up through December 31, 2016. Records were reviewed for children who presented for care at Boston Children’s Hospital, a tertiary referral center. Participants included 293 children 2 years and younger with evidence of aspiration or penetration on videofluoroscopic swallow study. Exposures Groups were compared based on their exposure to PPI treatment. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcomes were hospital admission rate and hospital admission nights and these were measured as incident rates. Multivariable analyses were performed to determine predictors of hospitalization risk after adjusting for comorbidities. Kaplan-Meier curves were created to determine the association of PPI prescribing with time until first hospitalization. Results A total of 293 patients with a mean (SD) age of 8.8 (0.4) months and a mean (SD) follow-up time of 18.15 (0.20) months were included in the analysis. Patients treated with PPI had higher admission rates (Incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.77; 95% CI, 1.16-2.68) and admission nights (IRR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.36-4.62) even after adjustment for comorbidities. Patients with enteral tubes who were prescribed PPIs were at the highest risk for admission (hazard ratio [HR], 2.31; 95% CI, 1.24-4.31). Conclusions and Relevance Children with aspiration who are treated with PPI have increased risk of hospitalization compared with untreated patients. These results support growing concern about the risks of PPI use in children.
Are Children an Oppressed Group? Positing a Child Standpoint Theory

Standpoint theory identifies a power differential between a group in power and an oppressed group. Standpoint theories provide a theoretical framework to explore how oppressed groups experience their position, and help identify a way to challenge the group in power. Among the standpoint theories that have been posited, a Child Standpoint Theory has not been fully formed. In the development of a Child Standpoint Theory, there must be exploration to determine whether children are an oppressed group. This paper is broken into four sections in the consideration of a Child Standpoint Theory. The first section is a brief overview of the history of standpoint theory. The second provides a brief overview of the view of the child developmentally and socially. The third identifies possible tenets of Child Standpoint Theory. The final section explores the reasons for the development of, and reasons to consider, Child Standpoint Theory. In this article, “children” will be inclusive of all developmental ages through childhood and adolescence.
Adolescent Health Disparities: Historical Context and Current Realities

Health disparities among racial and ethnic minority adolescents are compounded by both historical and current inequities and will have greater implications in health care as demographics shift toward increasing diversity of the adolescent population. The United States provides an example of the complex relationship between health status and history. Specifically, racism has been woven into the fabric of American society since its development, but the connection to health status through historical observation is rarely addressed in the literature. While there have been significant advances in the United States over time, undoing the legacy of displacement, enslavement, and the disenfranchisement of populations experiencing the greatest disparities will require aggressive and bold changes in policy. These affected populations are usually racial and ethnic minorities. This perspective aids in the understanding of why health disparities are persistent and pervasive. This chapter will examine those historical injustices and contextualize them to facilitate a better understanding of the contemporary factors impacting adolescent health status in both the clinical and community setting.
The Solo Surgeon in the Modern Hospital

Surgeons in the United States have been practicing solo or in small private practice groups since the beginning of the profession. Recent decades have brought about changes that threaten these practice models, however. Policy shifts, technological advancements, and challenging economic conditions have fostered dramatic transitions in the practice patterns of all physicians in the United States, and greater numbers of surgeons are choosing to leave private practice to become hospital-employed. Today, the traditional solo surgeon’s practice is especially threatened. This chapter addresses the major factors behind these transitions, evaluates some of the advantages and disadvantages of hospital employment vis-a-vis private practice, and assesses their overall effects on the sustainability of the solo surgeon’s practice model in the modern healthcare environment.
Showcasing Collections from a Community Museum

Crowdsourcing cultural heritage materials presents opportunities and challenges for archives and museums. Successful engagement with collections through crowdsourcing initiatives requires mindful p...