cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rising food prices in East Asia : challenges and policy options

Large increases in international food prices in 2007 and early 2008 have become a key concern for policy makers in East Asia. The increases are likely to have a significant impact on the living standards of many, particularly the poor. By March 2008, dollar nominated world food prices were more than two and a half times higher than in early 2002. Almost three quarters of this increase occurred since the start of 2007, and about half since the beginning of 2008. Recent sharp increases in international rice prices are of particular concern in East Asia. Food comprises 30 to 50 percent of the consumption basket of the average household in East Asia (compared to 15 percent in the United States). Within that, rice accounts for one third of the daily caloric intake, followed by wheat (12.4 percent), pork (8.8 percent), corn (4.4 percent), soybean and palm oil (3.4 percent and 1.8 percent respectively). This note examines the reasons for the surge in world food prices, in particular of rice in section two. It reviews the economic and poverty impacts of rising food prices in East Asian countries in section three. Finally, it concludes by assessing policy responses undertaken by East Asian economies so far, and discusses policy options going forward, including the importance of regional and international cooperation in addressing high food prices in section four.
Syntaxin 4, VAMP2, and/or VAMP3/cellubrevin are functional target membrane and vesicle SNAP receptors for insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation in adipocytes.

Introduction of the cytoplasmic domain of syntaxin 4, using either recombinant vaccinia virus or single-cell microinjection, resulted in an inhibition of insulin-stimulated GLUT4 but not GLUT1 translocation to the plasma membrane. This was specific for syntaxin 4, since neither the expression of syntaxin 3 nor the expression of a syntaxin 4 mutant in which the vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP) binding site was deleted had any significant effect. Consistent with the requirement for a functional VAMP binding site, expression of the cytoplasmic domains of VAMP2 or VAMP3/cellubrevin also resulted in an inhibition of insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation. In addition, immunoprecipitation of the expressed syntaxin 4 cytoplasmic domain resulted in an insulin-stimulated increase in the coimmunoprecipitation of GLUT4-containing vesicles. Together, these data demonstrate that syntaxin 4, VAMP2, and/or VAMP3/cellubrevin can function as target membrane and vesicle SNAP receptors, respectively, for insulin-responsive GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane.
A VLSI hardware accelerator for dynamic time warping

Describes an area and time efficient systolic array architecture for computations in Dynamic Time Warping (DTW). The special purpose architecture is used to perform the band matrix multiplication in order to compute the local distance metric based on Itakura's log likelihood distance. The time complexity of the algorithm is O(nk) where n and k are the number of elements in the row of the first and second input matrices. The number of processors is equal to the bandwidth w of the output band matrix. The speedup of the parallel algorithm compared to the sequential algorithm is wz where z is the multiplier stages within a PE. The parallel algorithm can be implemented as a single VLSI chip. >
Selection in Finite Populations. II. the Selection Limit and Rate of Response for a Monte Carlo Simulation Model.

KIMURA (1957) developed a general theory to give the probability of fixation of a favorable allele in a finite population based on a single locus, two allele model. By assuming no linkage or epistatic interactions between loci, ROBERTSON (1960) extended the single-locus theory to predict the limits to directional selection. At the present time there is no general solution for multilocus systems in which there is linkage or epistasis. In order to investigate the effects of linkage and epistasis on the selection limit, a number of workers have employed computer simulation (GILL 1965; YOUNG 1967; QURESHI and KEMPTHORNE 1968). In a series of papers, LATTER examined a two locus system where the genes had an additive effect on the selected trait. The two loci were in initial linkage equilibrium and several intensities of linkage were studied. LATTER (1965b) found that with no linkage (c=.5) between the two loci that the selection limit was generally close to the probability of fixation as given by u(q) (KIMURA 1957).
Innovations in Chemotherapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: An Update of Recent Clinical Trials

It has been estimated that cancer of the colon and rectum (CRC) would be diagnosed in 153,760 men and women in the U.S. alone in 2007. Approximately one in five patients has metastatic CRC (mCRC) at diagnosis, which, at best, is associated with a 5-year survival rate of just 10.3%. Oxaliplatin- and irinotecan-based combination regimens are standard first-line therapies for mCRC. Recent studies suggest that survival outcomes can possibly be further improved by adding biologic agents to chemotherapy. Novel treatment strategies are being investigated to optimize the opportunity for patients to receive and benefit from the increasing number of available active agents and to further improve the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of multiagent therapy. These include switching therapy before progression, maintenance therapy, and chemotherapy-free intervals. Recent innovations in chemotherapy for mCRC are reviewed, with a focus on emerging data that may significantly improve both survival and quality of life for patients with CRC in the future.
Soil moisture-precipitation feedback on the North American monsoon system in the MM5-OSU model

In this study, the Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research fifth generation Mesoscale Model (MM5) linked to the Oregon State University (OSU) land-surface scheme, is used to assess the strength of soil moisture–precipitation feedback in the region of influence of the North American monsoon (NAM). Two control simulations are made with external forcing taken from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction re-analysis, and with a nested horizontal resolution of 30 km, for the period 1 June to 30 September in wetter than average (1999) and drier than average (2000) monsoon seasons. These two model runs are then repeated with a prescribed precipitation rate anomaly in July over the entire NAM region, and comparisons made between atmospheric and land-surface states in the two control runs and the two runs with anomalous precipitation. The results show that size and importance of soil moisture–precipitation feedbacks in the NAM region have substantial interannual variability, and that the resulting behaviour has a strong dependency on the intensity of the prescribed precipitation anomaly. It is also shown that a marked precipitation anomaly in the NAM region results in modified soil moisture, rainfall, and surface temperature, which persist for about one month, and that a precipitation anomaly within the NAM region not only has an impact on soil moisture locally, but also causes a remote, downwind soil moisture anomaly one month later. Analysis of the modelled response to the soil moisture anomaly indicates that not only land–atmosphere interactions, but also the large-scale atmospheric circulation act together to determine the modified precipitation and soil moisture fields in the NAM system. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society
On a generalization of Filon's method and the computation of the oscillatory integrals of seismology

Summary. We review Filon’s method (FM) for the quadrature of oscillatory integrals and then introduce a generalization of Filon’s method (the GFM) which enables us to treat a large class of oscillatory integrals to which FM cannot be directly applied. One member of this class is the integral Jf(p) exp [sg(p)]dp which occurs in the spectral WKBJ and Cagniard-de Hoop methods of seismogram synthesis. Another large class of integrals can be treated directly with FM but is better treated with the GFM since, for a given error tolerance, the GFM is simpler and faster. This class consists of integrals of the form Jf(p)J(s, p)dp in which J(s, p) is a special function with an asymptotic expansion valid for large s. Such integrals occur in the reflectivity method. In general, every non-Filon formula for the quadrature of integrals from either class has an associated GFM formula (called the GFM analogue) which reduces to the original formula as s approaches zero but is more efficient than the original formula wher, s is large. We show how the GFM can be applied to the computation of synthetic seismograms in the reflectivity method and the spectral WKBJ method. Although reflectivity integrals can, in theory, be computed with FM the GFM is easier to code and more economical. For reflectivity computations where: (a) the source and receiver are many wavelengths apart, or (b) the depth to the reflectivity zone is much greater than its thickness, the GFM approach is much more efficient than any non-Filon quadrature technique. Some test calculations are presented for wavefields containing only body waves and for wavefields containing both body waves and locked modes. In the spectral WKBJ method the GFM permits the use of a much greater step size in the quadrature than would otherwise be possible. Each quadrature step contains a stationary point so no advantages accrue from deforming the contour of integration over the saddle points of the integrand.
Local Use of Survey Data: Impact of Research Findings on Farmer's Markets

Researchers lack adequate feedback on the utilization of their findings at the local level. Following an earlier study of farmers' markets with dual objectives of contributing to theory and practice, a 4-year follow-up was undertaken to document the flow of information that occurred and if and how the results were used. The follow-up indicated that the research was utilized far more at the local level than was known to the researchers, and that much of the usage involved public relations and promotion activities, rather than policy formation and guidance.
The Genomedata format for storing large-scale functional genomics data

Summary: We present a format for efficient storage of multiple tracks of numeric data anchored to a genome. The format allows fast random access to hundreds of gigabytes of data, while retaining a small disk space footprint. We have also developed utilities to load data into this format. We show that retrieving data from this format is more than 2900 times faster than a naive approach using wiggle files. Availability and Implementation: Reference implementation in Python and C components available at http://noble.gs.washington.edu/proj/genomedata/ under the GNU General Public License. Contact: william-noble@uw.edu
Economies of Scale in Livestock Production

NEW technology, changing relationships of resources, and shifts in population centers are causing many changes in livestock production in the United States. Livestock producers and processors are much concerned relative to the future of particular livestock enterprises in the various regions of the country. The development of large scale cattle feeding enterprises in the Southwest and the West Coast and the resulting competitive position of the corn belt feeder has been the topic of discussion of many meetings of producers, feeders, and others concerned. The milk cow pool idea, leasing of sows and cows, the confinement hog production systems, contract feeding, the feed bank idea, mechanization of feed lots, bulk feed handling, large scale broiler and turkey enterprises, and the increase in beef cow herds in the Middle West and Southeast have been justified as the coming trend in the livestock production by many persons for many reasons. Nearly all of these justifications are based on two general considerations: one, that a particular area has an advantage either in costs or markets over another; or two, the large scale enterprises have a cost advantage and resulting higher profits or a combination of the two.
Production of Fetuin and Other Serum Proteins by Fetal Sheep Liver in vitro.

SummaryA study was made of the incorporation of C14-labeled amino acid into various serum proteins by fetal lamb tissues in vitro. The fetal liver was quite active in production of fetuin during the first half of the gestation period, diminished in activity after this and barely showed any labeling of fetuin when taken during the last weeks before birth. Production of other serum proteins by the liver was at its peak around days 100-120, but also diminished towards the end of the gestation period. Lymphoid tissues did not synthesize fetuin.
Skill in using Excel 2003 on the automatic audit annual reports for schistosomiasis control

Objective To explore the skill of using Excel 2003 automatic audit annual reports for schistosomiasis control in Jingzhou in 2012. Methods Conditional formatting of the Excel 2003 was applied,reverse logic setting was implemented for all fields of the annual endemic reports,and data errors were indicated by color. Results When the summary was created,the results showed: "the blood test number"and"the stool positive number"of Huangchang village, "the stool positive number"and"the total number of patient"of Shakou village,"The total number of patient "of Shamu and Xihu village,"The blood test number"of Liuyuan village,"The stool positive number"of Shancha village,all the above data displayed color indicating data errors. Conclusion Excel 2003 automatic audit annual reports for schistosomiasis control in Jingzhou was applied in 2012. It could discover data errors clearly,and made automatic audit accurate and rapid. Manpower,energy and time for checking data were saved,and work quality and efficiency were greatly improved.
UNT: A Supervised Synergistic Approach to Semantic Text Similarity

This paper presents the systems that we participated with in the Semantic Text Similarity task at SEMEVAL 2012. Based on prior research in semantic similarity and relatedness, we combine various methods in a machine learning framework. The three variations submitted during the task evaluation period ranked number 5, 9 and 14 among the 89 participating systems. Our evaluations show that corpus-based methods display a more robust behavior on the training data, yet combining a variety of methods allows a learning algorithm to achieve a superior decision than that achievable by any of the individual parts.
Electrostatically Self-assembled Amphiplexes

This research will focus on characterizing the phase behavior of polyelectrolyte-surfactant microemulsions (PSM) that were recently discovered in our lab and indentifing possible uses of their long-range ordered nanostructures towards bioseparation, oil-recovery and drug delivery systems. In addition, we are proposing strategies for synthesizing solid and long-range ordered materials with unit cells on the nanometer scale using polymerization and/or cross-linking to solidify the soft template.
Epigenetics, Obesity, and Colon Cancer

Obesity is an important risk factor in incidence of colorectal cancer, particularly in males. The molecular underpinnings of increased risk are unclear. Recent work has suggested that altered epigenetic regulation resulting from complex factors related to obesity may play a role in the increased incidence of colon cancer. Here we review the relationship of colon cancer and alterations in epigenetic regulation in obesity. The colon epithelial cell is impacted by multiple signaling inputs subject to alteration in obese individuals including adipokines, alterations in metabolism, changes in intestinal microbiota, and chronic inflammation. Obesity-related changes in these pathways likely result in alterations in the epigenome of colonic epithelial cells, with the potential to influence cancer development and/or progression.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic disease inherited in an X-linked recessive pattern and characterized by the lack of the protein dystrophin. Boys with the genetic defect show symptoms of the disease at a young age, and symptoms progressively worsen and result in an early death. No treatment exists beyond comfort care and multidisciplinary efforts to decrease deformity, maintain function, and preserve life. Scoliosis is rapidly progressive and fusion should be pursued. Joint contractures and foot deformities are common as well, and surgery can be pursued if rehabilitative efforts fail.
Budgets of Heat, Water Vapor, and Trace Gases in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

This chapter is an application of the energy and mass conservation principles to the whole atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). We are interested in the diurnal evolution of temperature and concentrations of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other trace gases in the ABL and in the mechanisms that drive their temporal changes. A complete budget analysis requires that we quantify the time rate of change of these scalar quantities, dynamically couple their surface-air exchanges to varying forcing conditions in the ABL, and determine their transport between the ABL and the free atmosphere.
Examining Microstructural White Matter in Active Duty Soldiers with a History of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Traumatic Stress

Background There is a high comorbidity of posttraumatic stress (PTS) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), with largely overlapping symptomatology, in military service members. Objective To examine white matter integrity associated with PTS and mTBI as assessed using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Method Seventy-four active-duty U.S. soldiers with PTS (n = 16) and PTS with co-morbid history of mTBI (PTS/mTBI; n = 28) were compared to a military control group (n = 30). Participants received a battery of neurocognitive and clinical symptom measures. The number of abnormal DTI values was determined (>2 SDs from the mean of the control group) for fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), and then compared between groups. In addition, mean DTI values from white matter tracts falling into three categories were compared between groups: (i) projection tracts: superior, middle, and inferior cerebellar peduncles, pontine crossing tract, and corticospinal tract; (ii) association tracts: superior longitudinal fasciculus; and (iii) commissure tracts: cingulum bundle (cingulum-cingulate gyrus and cingulum-hippocampus), and corpus callosum. Results The comorbid PTS/mTBI group had significantly greater traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and post-concussive symptoms, and they performed worse on neurocognitive testing than those with PTS alone and controls. The groups differed greatly on several clinical variables, but contrary to what we hypothesized, they did not differ greatly on primary and exploratory analytic approaches of hetero-spatial whole brain DTI analyses. Conclusion The findings suggest that psychological health conditions rather than pathoanatomical changes may be contributing to symptom presentation in this population.
Morbidity Associated with Fetal Macrosomia among Women with Diabetes Mellitus

Objective This article aims to compare the composite maternal and neonatal morbidities (CMM and CNM, respectively) between macrosomic (≥4,000 g) and nonmacrosomic ( Methods Maternal demographic and peripartum outcome data (N = 1,260) were collected from a retrospective cohort. CMM included chorioamnionitis/endometritis, wound infection, shoulder dystocia, eclampsia, pulmonary edema, admission for hypoglycemia, 3rd/4th degree perineal laceration, and death. CNM included 5-minute Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity and Respiration (APGAR) score of Results The study population consisted of 967 subjects, including 854 (88.3%) nonmacrosomic and 113 (11.7%) macrosomic infants. After adjustment, the risk of CMM was higher among macrosomic deliveries (aRR = 4.08, 95% CI = 2.45–6.80). The risk of CNM was also higher among macrosomic deliveries (aRR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.39–2.24). Macrosomia was associated with an increased risk in NICU admission, hypoglycemia, and hyperbilirubinemia. Conclusion Among DM deliveries, macrosomia was associated with a fourfold higher risk of CMM and almost twofold higher risk of CNM.
Sleep and Fatigue Issues in Military Operations

Sleep is unquestionably a critical commodity for humans, yet research indicates a growing sleep debt prevalent in many segments of society. Performance and health have been shown to be profoundly affected by lack of sleep; we ignore the need for sleep at our peril. Research conducted at the Naval Postgraduate School over the past two decades has demonstrated that members of our military service are chronically sleep deprived. Many of them have insufficient opportunities to sleep due to long work hours and operational commitments. In addition, because of the 24/7 nature of the military mission, opportunities for sleep often occur during circadian-misaligned time periods. Military sleeping conditions are less than ideal, further exacerbating a chronic sleep debt.
South Africa, 1899−1902

This chapter deals with the Yeomanry’s involvement in the Second Boer War and the raising of three foreign service contingents amounting to nearly 35,000 men, then called the Imperial Yeomanry. This dramatic expansion and mobilisation was largely driven by temporary enlistment, but it did bring the historic institution to national attention. This chapter describes the organisation, social composition, motivations and operational performance of the force, and compares it on all counts to the home service force that acted as its parent. At the heart of this analysis is a database project that will map recruiting trends and provide answers for the occupational changes that took place over the course of the three contingents.
Understanding the theory and practice of team selling: An introduction to the special section and recommendations on advancing sales team research

Abstract Effectively managing sales teams is a prerequisite for success in modern business markets. Thus, practitioners are increasingly interested in improving the performance of their sales teams. However, academic research in the area is very scarce. Against this backdrop, this IMM special section on “Team Selling” aims at stimulating the level of discourse regarding how research in our field can be advanced. The present article introduces the special section; next, it summarizes the articles comprising the special section; and, finally, it concludes with our thoughts on fruitful research opportunities in the area of team selling.
Prozessorientierung und Längsschnittdesign als Forschungsstrategie der Organisationspädagogik

One of the main research interests in the field of organizational education focuses on the wide range of learning processes within organizations. These learning related changes cannot be fully understood without taking into account the time and temporality in which they unfold. Process approaches in organizational research claim to pay particular attention to the temporal aspects of how changes in organizations evolve. On a methodical approach level, longitudinal research is seen to be most suitable in organizational research when change, development or process in organizations is being investigated. Since longitudinal research does not refer to a single method, an overview of the different research designs is given and their strengths and weaknesses are discussed.
Compressive Stress Effects on the Ultrasonic Detection of Cracks in Welds

Crack closure due to external bending forces or residual stresses is an important concern in any nondestructive examination. It is particularly important in ultrasonic examination since this technique depends on the change in acoustic impedance at the crack interface to produce the reflected wave. If the two surfaces come into intimate contact somewhere along the crack due to closure effects, partial transmission can occur [1]. This partial transmission reduces the reflected signal and so underestimates the flaw depth when sizing is based on the reflected signal amplitude.
Research Subjects, Informed and Implied Consent of

‘Informed consent’ denotes a person's autonomous agreement to a proposed course of action, usually in a treatment or research context. The rules governing informed consent to research have developed largely in reaction to a series of abuses and scandals, beginning with the Nuremberg trials after World War II, and continuing with several highly publicized episodes in the USA in the 1960s and 1970s. The general principle that research should not be conducted without the informed consent of participants has been accepted around the world. Elements required for a consent to be informed include disclosure to the subject of the information relevant to a decision, the subject possessing adequate decisionmaking capacity, and the absence of coercion or undue influence on the subject's decision. Since the rules governing consent to research have been devised largely with biomedical research in mind, issues more characteristic of social and behavioral research have been relatively neglected. Unsettled issues in this realm include: when, if ever, the deception of subjects is acceptable; the extent to which consent needs to be obtained prior to research based on review of records; the role of informed consent in observational research and field work; and the role that communities should play in reviewing and agreeing to interventions aimed at those communities as a whole. Empirical study of informed consent to research holds the promise of improving both investigators' behavior and formal regulation of the consent process.
Influence of Ambient Gas Pressure on Cathode Erosion Rate in a Vacuum Arc

A simple formula to calculate the cathode erosion rate due to an arc burning in ambient gas is proposed. The relatively well-known parameters are used. The formula gives the correct order of magnitude of the erosion rate and correctly describes the erosion rate dependence on the ambient pressure.
Concussion Center Dynamics for Diagnosis and Treatment

Abstract With the increase in attention and research for sport-related concussion (SRC), it seems that every month there are more concussion clinics and centers opening across the United States in order to provide assistance. Also, with every state in the country passing some form of youth concussion legislation for schools, sports leagues, and teams, regulation of SRC has improved. This chapter focuses on the importance of developing a center where a multidisciplinary team of experts assess and treat SRC, but also be a place where education and training is provided to coaches, athletic trainers, school administrators, and other stakeholders as well as place to conduct clinical research. Our experience at the University of Miami’s Sports Medicine Institute has been shared with other programs across the country as a 6 Steps to Play Safe model that includes a countywide concussion-injury surveillance system. Over the years, we have been able to improve training and education which reflects in injury prevention and management of these injuries.
Measurement of surface strain rates in glaciers using embedded wire strain gages

Natural scientists and engineers are continuing to seek an understanding of the mechanism of flow and deformation of glaciers. A necessary component of this exploration is the accurate determination of strain rates in glacier ice. The purpose of this investigation was to develop a strain-measuring method which is dependable and precise under difficult field conditions.
Intellectual Property Rights and AI

In this chapter we initially give an overall discussion of the nature and types of intellectual property rights, namely, patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets in the U.S. We then proceed with a discussion how such rights are protected internationally. AI poses specific new issues affecting such rights and how AI is disrupting universally held protections. Of interest is the case of a monkey taking selfies of itself and whether the owner of the camera used was entitled to claim copyright protection for the selfies. We review a number of cases affecting such rights and the differing interpretations globally.
Anatomic Variations From 120 Mental Nerve Dissections: Lessons for Transoral Thyroidectomy.

Abstract Background Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) is a promising technique for eliminating a neck incision. A new risk of TOETVA is the potential for injury to the mental nerves during placement of three oral endoscopic ports. A better understanding of the variations in mental nerve anatomy is needed to inform safer TOETVA technique. Materials and methods We performed 120 dissections of mental nerve branches exiting the mental foramen in 60 human cadavers. Anatomic distances and relationships of the foramen to the midline were evaluated. Mental nerve branching patterns were studied and compared with previously reported classification systems to determine surgical safe zones free of nerve branches. Results The mean midline-to-mental foramen distance was 29.2 ± 3.3 mm, with high variability across individuals (18.8-36.8 mm). There were differences in this distance between the left and right foramina (29.8 ± 3.2 versus 28.8 ± 3.3 mm, P = 0.03). All mental nerve branches exiting the mental foramen distributed medially. The branching patterns were classified into eight distinct categories, three of which are previously undescribed. One of these novel patterns, occurring in 9.2% of cases, had a dense and wide clustering of branches traveling toward the midline. Conclusions The location of the mental foramen and mental nerve branching patterns demonstrate high variability. To avoid mental nerve injury in TOETVA, we identify a safe zone for lateral port placement lateral to the plane of the mental foramen. Placement and extension of the middle port incision should proceed with caution, as clustering of mental nerve branches in this area can frequently be present.
3D reconstruction of a hologram with brightfield contrast using deep learning

Holographic microscopy encodes the 3D information of a sample into a single hologram. However, holographic images are in general inferior to bright-field microscopy images in terms of contrast and signal-to-noise ratio, due to twin-image artifacts, speckle and out-of-plane interference. The contrast and noise problem of holography can be mitigated using iterative algorithms, but at the cost of additional measurements and time. Here, we present a deep-learning-based cross-modality imaging method to reconstruct a single hologram into volumetric images of a sample with bright-field contrast and SNR, merging the snapshot 3D imaging capability of holography with the image quality of bright-field microscopy.
Timing of Repeat Cesarean Delivery for Women with a Prior Classical Incision.

Objective This study aimed to compare neonatal outcomes for delivery at 36 weeks compared with 37 weeks in women with prior classical cesarean delivery (CCD). Study Design This was a secondary analysis of the prospective observational cohort of the Eunice Kennedy National Institute for Child and Human Development's Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit Network Cesarean Registry. Data on cases of repeat cesarean delivery (RCD) in the setting of a prior CCD were abstracted and used for analysis. This study compared outcomes of women who delivered at 360/7 to 366/7 versus 370/7 to 376/7 weeks. The primary outcome was a composite of adverse neonatal outcomes that included neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN), hypoglycemia, mechanical ventilation, sepsis, length of stay ≥5 days, and neonatal death. A composite of maternal outcomes that included uterine rupture, blood transfusion, general anesthesia, cesarean hysterectomy, venous thromboembolism, maternal sepsis, intensive care unit admission, and surgical complications was also evaluated. Results There were 436 patients included in the analysis. Women who delivered at 36 weeks (n = 176) were compared those who delivered at 37 weeks (n = 260). There were no differences in baseline characteristics. Delivery at 37 weeks was associated with a reduction in composite neonatal morbidity (24 vs. 34%, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.61 [0.31–0.94]), including a decrease in NICU admission rates (20 vs. 29%, aOR = 0.63 [0.40–0.99]), hospitalization ≥5 days (13 vs. 24%, aOR = 0.48 [0.29–0.8]), and RDS or TTN (9 vs. 19%, aOR = 0.43 [0.24–0.77]). There was no difference in adverse maternal outcomes (7 vs. 7%, aOR = 0.98 [0.46–2.09]). Conclusion Delivery at 37 weeks for women with a history of prior CCD is associated with a decrease in adverse neonatal outcomes, compared with delivery at 36 weeks. Key Points
Rapid reprogramming of ALS patient fibroblasts differentiates CuATSM responders from nonresponders.

Patient diversity and unknown disease cause are major challenges for drug development and clinical trial design for ALS. Moreover, the heterogeneity of the ALS patient population is not reflected in currently available transgenic animal models making direct translation of potential therapeutics difficult. To address this, we utilize direct conversion technology to transform skin biopsies from ALS patients into neuronal progenitor cells (NPC). Using induced astrocytes (iAs) differentiated from these NPCs in co-culture with mouse embryonic motor neurons, we developed an in vitro ALS model to screen potential therapeutics. We have screened numerous compounds on multiple sporadic (sALS) and familial (fALS, mtSOD1 and C9ORF72) iAs and observed a diverse patient response to different therapeutic agents. Here, we utilize the compound, CuATSM, to subgroup therapeutic responsiveness of patient lines and identified shared dysfunctional pathways between responders. Following detailed analysis of ALS disease markers, elevated mitochondrial activity states was present in all CuATSM responders and was nonexistent in nonresponders. Treatment of iAs with CuATSM restored this activity to healthy control levels. Together, these findings suggest that iAs can be used to identify both disease modifiers and pathways dysregulated in an individual. Thus enhanced understanding of cellular profiles could facilitate personalized medicine based treatments.
Hypothalamic Obesity and Wasting Syndromes

Since the early animal lesional and electric brain stimulation experiments of Hetherington and Ranson, it has been appreciated that lesions in certain parts of the hypothalamus can induce profound phenotypes of morbid obesity or dramatic wasting. These and other findings led to the postulation of hypothalamic “satiety” and “feeding” centers. Subsequent clinical observations in humans including characterization of children with morbid obesity associated with entities such as the Prader-Willi and Frohlich syndromes as well as Simmonds’ cachexia demonstrated that similar hypothalamic dysfunction phenotypes existed in human hypothalamic disease. The discovery of leptin and the subsequent better characterization of the hypothalamic basis for modulation of satiety, hunger, and energy balance as well as the discovery of various adipo- and enterocytokines with central hypothalamic modulatory effects crystallized hypothalamic obesity and wasting as distinct and important clinical entities. This manuscript seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the causes, presentation, and basic pathophysiology of these two disparate but functionally related clinical syndromes.
Lower Extremity Deformity in Osteogenesis Imperfecta: Overview and Surgical Approach

Lower extremity deformity occurs commonly in patients with moderate to severe osteogenesis imperfecta. Lower extremity deformity increases fracture occurrence and functional difficulties in these patients. Femoral and tibial osteotomies with telescoping intramedullary fixation are reliable and safe options for deformity correction in this patient population. Telescoping rods decrease the need for revision surgery when compared to static intramedullary implants. Deformity correction and medical treatment with bisphosphonate infusions reduce fracture burden in children with osteogenesis imperfecta . Deformity correction often includes closed, percutaneous or open osteotomies depending on the patient's age, brittleness of the bone, and amount of deformity. Multiple lower extremity bones can be treated in the same surgical setting safely and efficiently.
Coupling Simulation and Hardware for Interactive Circuit Debugging

Simulation offers many advantages when designing analog circuits. Designers can explore alternatives quickly, without added cost or risk of hardware faults. However, it is challenging to use simulation as an aid during interactive debugging of physical circuits, due to difficulties in comparing simulated analyses with hardware measurements. Designers must continually configure simulations to match the state of the physical circuit (e.g. capturing sensor inputs), and must manually rework the hardware to replicate changes or analyses performed in simulation. We propose techniques leveraging instrumentation and programmable test hardware to create a tight coupling between a physical circuit and its simulated model. Bridging these representations helps designers to compare simulated and measured behaviors, and to quickly perform analytical techniques on hardware (e.g. parameter-response analysis) that are typically cumbersome outside of simulation. We implement these techniques in a prototype and show how it aids in efficiently debugging a variety of analog circuits.
Dietary Quercetin Reduces Plasma and Tissue Methylglyoxal and Advanced Glycation End Products in Healthy Mice Treated with Methylglyoxal

Background Methylglyoxal (MGO), a precursor of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), has been linked to AGEs-associated diseases. Objectives This study investigated the efficacy and mechanisms of dietary quercetin in decreasing plasma and tissue concentrations of MGO and AGEs in MGO-administered mice. Methods Male, 6-wk-old CD-1 mice were administered AIN-93G diet and water (Con) or 0.12% MGO in water (MGO) or MGO plus 0.2% (0.2Q) dietary quercetin for 1 wk (n = 5) (experiment 1), and water (Con), 0.12% MGO (MGO), or MGO plus 0.1% (0.1Q), 0.2% (0.2Q), or 0.4% (0.4Q) dietary quercetin for 6 wk (n = 10) (experiment 2). The plasma, kidney, and liver concentrations of MGO, quercetin, and isorhamnetin and their trapping adducts with MGO were determined by LC-MS, and AGE concentrations were measured by the fluorescent method. Furthermore, the expressions of glyoxalase I/II (GLO I/II) and aldose reductase (AR), MGO detoxification enzymes, were determined by Western blot. One-factor ANOVA and post hoc Dunnett's or Tukey's test were used to analyze the data. Results After 1 wk of treatment, the MGO concentrations in plasma (20.2%) and kidney (29.9%) in 0.2Q mice were significantly lower than those in MGO mice. After 6 wk of treatment, the concentrations of MGO in the plasma (14.7-18.6%), kidney (20-20.8%), liver (15.4-18.6%), and tissue AGEs (28-36.8%) in 0.1Q, 0.2Q, and 0.4Q mice were significantly lower than those in MGO mice. The plasma concentrations of quercetin, isorhamnetin, and their MGO adducts were dose-dependently increased after quercetin administration. In addition, after 6 wk of quercetin administration, the expressions of GLO I/II and AR in the liver and kidney were significantly upregulated to promote MGO detoxification compared with MGO-treated mice. Conclusions Quercetin reduced plasma and tissue MGO concentrations and inhibited AGE formation by trapping MGO and regulating the MGO detoxification systems in MGO-administered healthy mice.
Gene Expression and Mutation Analysis of Early-Stage Recurrent Endometrial Cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) As currently under investigation in PORTEC-4a, an integrated molecular model of endometrial cancer is postulated to risk stratify women to better identify those more likely to benefit from adjuvant radiation therapy following hysterectomy for early-stage disease. Stratification of tumor biology is based on several features, including: p53 mutation, POLE mutation, CTNNB1 mutation, microsatellite instability (MSI), LICAM expression and the presence of LVSI. TCGA data evaluating a large cohort of early and advanced stage endometrial tumors suggests that gene expression profiles may also distinguish between favorable and unfavorable biology of endometrial tumors. We aimed to determine whether recurrent early-stage endometrial tumors have distinct gene-expression patterns from early-stage tumors that did not recur. MATERIALS/METHODS Using the TCGA-UCEC dataset available via the Genomic Data Commons, 394 Stage I-II tumors' gene expression data were evaluated and analyzed using R (R Core Team, 2020). Of these cases, 17 were confirmed as relapsed endometrial cancer (10 endometrioid and 7 serious/mixed) and 370 were tumors without documentation of a recurrence. Gene expression analysis was performed with limma, gene set variation analysis with GSVA, and gene enrichment with Metascape. The frequency of several common mutations was evaluated in the recurrent tumor subset. RESULTS There were 860 differentially expressed genes in recurrent versus not recurrent early-stage tumors identified from the TCGA-UCEC dataset. The most significant of which include DDIT3, THAP12, EMSY, CLNS1A, and AAMDC (log[Fold Change] > 1000, adjusted P-value < 0.001). Differentially expressed genes show pathway enrichment in GO Biologic Processes and Reactome Gene Sets, specifically, mitochondrion organization, proteolysis, organelle disassembly, translation, response to endoplasmic reticulum stress, proteinases, cellular component disassembly, covalent chromatin modification, and intrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway. Non-overlapping mutations within the recurrent tumors include, 9 of 17 recurrent tumors with p53 mutation, 3 of 17 with CTNNB1 mutation, 4 of 17 with PIK3R1, PIK3CR and PIK3CB mutation, and 1 of 17 a mutation in POLE. CONCLUSION Of recurrent early-stage tumors within the TCGA-UCEC dataset, of which as least a majority classify as intermediate or unfavorable according to PORTEC-4a criteria, differential gene expression in recurrent tumors compared to not recurrent tumors demonstrate relative increased expression of genes involved in catabolic and cell cycle processes. PORTEC-4a does not employ gene expression signatures to distinguish amongst favorable, intermediate, and unfavorable subtypes of early-stage endometrial tumors. However, further investigation may prove gene expression incorporation into stratification beneficial.
Social Networks and Political Analysis

Social networks have been an important area of study in sociology dating back to the classic works of Simmel. The study of social networks entails a unique perspective focused on social relations. It also carries a powerful methodological repertoire geared toward mapping and analyzing social ties. Political research has greatly benefited from the application of social networks. In particular, numerous studies of political behavior/social movements and political power structure have applied social networks to help us better understand how relations matter in these realms. But, there are still virtually endless opportunities to apply social networks to political research. In this chapter, I briefly discuss how research on political behavior/social movements and political power structure has been impacted by social networks. I then illustrate how social networks can be fruitfully applied to another important political topic – policymaking – and bridge this back with political power structure research. Specifically, I examine how receiving campaign contributions from the same big business and labor political action committees (PACs) affects roll call vote similarity among pairs of U.S. House members. My analyses show that the more big business PAC contributors legislators share, the more similarly they vote, independent of other factors (including their vote similarity in prior years). Conversely, sharing labor contributors has no influence on voting patterns among legislators. These findings carry significant implications for our understanding of policymaking and political power structure. Importantly, the findings also show that social networks are important in policymaking, which means they should be included in future policymaking research.
Oh SNAP! A one-week summer computing workshop for K-12 teachers

Drag-and-drop programming is becoming increasingly popular among K-12 teachers and students. In this paper, we present our experience, findings, and lessons learned from conducting a one-week SNAP! summer computing workshop for K-12 teachers. Our workshop focused on introducing fundamental computing concepts to K-12 teachers using SNAP! a drag-and-drop programming development environment. During the workshop, the participants developed curricula for the subjects they will teach in the following semesters with the help of our workshop tutors. Our assessment results show that the average scores of computing knowledge in the pre-workshop survey was 2.52 out of 5, which increased to 3.76 in the post-workshop survey, and the average score of computing knowledge improved by 25%.
A spectroscopic method for calibration of solar extreme ultraviolet instrumentation

A method of calibrating solar extreme ultraviolet spectrographs in space using coronal emission lines of known relative intensity is presented and demonstrated. This approach is useful for recalibrating orbiting instruments that may be subject to degradation during extended periods of operation. The calibration results are insensitive to the physical distribution of emitting plasma in any likely solar coronal source. It is suggested that this technique may be useful for calibration of spectrographs used in the study of laboratory plasmas.
Gratification Discrepancies and News Program Choice

This study examined gratifications sought and discrepancies in gratifications obtained from network news programs in an attempt to predict news program choice. The results of both 1-test and discriminant analyses indicate that the decision to view a particular television news program is strongly related to the perception of gratifications obtained (or potentially available from) the various programs. A comparison of means indicates that such choice behavior is not a function of overallperceptions of gratifications obtained from oneS favorite program alone. nor is it usually a function of gratifications sought from television news in general. It is only when an audience member makes a comparison between the gratifications perceived to be obtained from his favorite program and competing programs that a functional relationship with viewing choice emerges. While in certain cases more specific perceptions of anchorpersons, program format. and news quality may be more important, the discriminant analyses indica...
Luminescence Behavior of Tm3+ Activated GdAlO3 Phosphors Synthesized Using Solid-Reaction Method

Trivalent thulium ions (Tm3+) doped GdAlO3 (Gd1-xTmxAlO3) phosphors which show a blue luminescence of high color purity have been synthesized by using solid-state reaction method starting from nanosized powders. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were used to analyze the phase transformations that take place during the preparation of the phosphors. The morphologies of the powders calcined at different temperatures were studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The luminescence properties of the compounds were investigated. Pure phase of orthorhombic type GdAlO3 (GAP) was yielded by calcining the phosphors at 1200°C for 8 h. The PL spectra showed representative Tm3+ emission. The strong band centered at ~488 nm and the weak one centered at 697 nm were attributed to the 1D2-3F4 and 1G4-3F4 transitions of Tm3+, respectively. The quenching concentration of Tm3+ was estimated to be ~0.75at.% (x=0.0075), for which can be ascribed to the exchange interactions. The decay curve was fitted to be a single exponent and the estimated fluorescent lifetime of the GdAlO3:Tm3+ phosphor was 1.73±0.08 ms.