cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using Cosmic Microwave Background Lensing to Constrain the Multiplicative Bias of Cosmic Shear

Weak gravitational lensing is one of the key probes of cosmology. Cosmic shear surveys aimed at measuring the distribution of matter in the universe are currently being carried out (Pan-STARRS) or planned for the coming decade (DES, LSST, EUCLID, WFIRST). Crucial to the success of these surveys is the control of systematics. In this work, a new method to constrain one such family of systematics, known as multiplicative bias, is proposed. This method exploits the cross-correlation between weak-lensing measurements from galaxy surveys and the ones obtained from high-resolution cosmic microwave background experiments. This cross-correlation is shown to have the power to break the degeneracy between the normalization of the matter power spectrum and the multiplicative bias of cosmic shear and to be able to constrain the latter to a few percent.
Motivation and framework for using genetic algorithms for microcode compaction

Genetic algorithms are a robust adaptive optimization technique based on a biological paradigm. They perform efficient search on poorly-defined spaces by maintaining an ordered pool of strings that represent regions in the search space. New strings are produced from existing strings using the genetic-based operators of recombination and mutation. Combining these operators with natural selection results in the efficient use of hyperplane information found in the problem to guide the search. The searches are not greatly influenced by local optima or non-continuous functions. Genetic algorithms have been successfully used in problems such as the traveling salesperson and scheduling job shops. Microcode compaction can be modeled as these same types of problems, which motivates the application of genetic algorithms in this domain.
The Comparative Method in Anthropological Perspective

Comparison is an indispensable technique of analytic scholarship. No analytic statement about empirical observation can be made without at least one comparison providing the contrast that permits either inductive generalization or deductive proof. Comparison is used for these purposes in all disciplines, but not always in the same way, or for the same reasons. Anthropology came to comparison because comparison was thrust on it by the rediscovery of classical antiquity and the opening of Africa, Asia, and the New World to a previously more isolated Europe. Indeed, anthropology was born as a response to the great cultural contrasts thus exposed. This philosophical child of comparison, however, pursued it in some very special ways. In the first place, the initial interests of anthropology lay in the reconstruction of an unknown human past, attempting to explain cultural variety through the reconstruction of events leading up to the present. In the second place, the comparisons drawn by anthropologists were usually extreme, prompted as they were by the shock value of new discoveries.
Assessment of Dysregulated Children Using the Child Behavior Checklist: A Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve Analysis

Disorders of self-regulatory behavior are common reasons for referral to child and adolescent clinicians. Here, the authors sought to compare 2 methods of empirically based assessment of children with problems in self-regulatory behavior. Using parental reports on 2,028 children (53% boys) from a U.S. national probability sample of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; T. M. Achenbach & L. A. Rescorla, 2001), the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was applied to compare scores on the Posttraumatic Stress Problems Scale (PTSP) of the CBCL with the CBCL Dysregulation Profile (DP), identified using latent class analysis of the Attention Problems, Aggressive Behavior, and Anxious/Depressed scales of the CBCL. The CBCL-PTSP score demonstrated an area under the curve of between .88 and .91 for predicting membership in the CBCL-DP profile for boys and for girls. These findings suggest that the CBCL-PTSP, which others have shown does not uniquely identify children who have been traumatized, does identify the same profile of behavior as the CBCL-DP. Therefore, the authors recommend renaming the CBCL-PTSP the Dysregulation Short Scale and provide some guidelines for the use of the CBCL-DP scale and the CBCL-PTSP in clinical practice.
Appendiceal versus ileal segment for antegrade continence enema.

Purpose: To assess outcomes after the antegrade continence enema procedure, we present our results with an ileal segment or the appendix in children with severe bowel dysfunction.Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of 45 children who had undergone the creation of a continent cecostomy for severe chronic constipation and fecal incontinence was performed.Results: The appendix was used to create the continent cecostomy in 28 patients (group 1) and ileum 17 (group 2). Of 16 patients who underwent simultaneous construction of appendiceal Mitrofanoff neourethra, including continent catheterizable stoma, the appendix was split and used for the cecostomy and neourethra in 11. Overall, acceptable continence was achieved in 39 (87%) patients and total continence 31 (69%). No significant difference was noted in the rate of continence between groups 1 and 2. Nonstomal postoperative complications occurred in 5 patients in group 1 and 3 group 2. Complications that required reoperation related to the continent...
Beyond “Post 9/11”

Sociologist Erik Love reviews the books Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire and Terrifying Muslims. Each move beyond “post 9/11” explanations for anti-Muslim sentiment, showing how Islamophobia...
CFTR and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in lung development

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) was shown previously to modify stretch induced differentiation in the lung. The mechanism for CFTR modulation of lung development was examined by in utero gene transfer of either a sense or antisense construct to alter CFTR expression levels. The BAT-gal transgenic reporter mouse line, expressing β-galactosidase under a canonical Wnt/β-catenin-responsive promoter, was used to assess the relative roles of CFTR, Wnt, and parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) in lung organogenesis. Adenoviruses containing full-length CFTR, a short anti-sense CFTR gene fragment, or a reporter gene as control were used in an intra-amniotic gene therapy procedure to transiently modify CFTR expression in the fetal lung. A direct correlation between CFTR expression levels and PTHrP levels was found. An inverse correlation between CFTR and Wnt signaling activities was demonstrated. These data are consistent with CFTR participating in the mechanicosensory process essential to regulate Wnt/β-Catenin signaling required for lung organogenesis.
Influence of a model human defensive peroxidase system on oral streptococcal antagonism

Streptococcus is a dominant genus in the human oral cavity, making up about 20 % of the more than 800 species of bacteria that have been identified, and about 80 % of the early biofilm colonizers. Oral streptococci include both health-compatible (e.g. Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis) and pathogenic strains (e.g. the cariogenic Streptococcus mutans). Because the streptococci have similar metabolic requirements, they have developed defence strategies that lead to antagonism (also known as bacterial interference). S. mutans expresses bacteriocins that are cytotoxic toward S. gordonii and S. sanguinis, whereas S. gordonii and S. sanguinis differentially produce H2O2 (under aerobic growth conditions), which is relatively toxic toward S. mutans. Superimposed on the inter-bacterial combat are the effects of the host defensive mechanisms. We report here on the multifarious effects of bovine lactoperoxidase (bLPO) on the antagonism between S. gordonii and S. sanguinis versus S. mutans. Some of the effects are apparently counterproductive with respect to maintaining a health-compatible population of streptococci. For example, the bLPO system (comprised of bLPO+SCN−+H2O2) destroys H2O2, thereby abolishing the ability of S. gordonii and S. sanguinis to inhibit the growth of S. mutans. Furthermore, bLPO protein (with or without its substrate) inhibits bacterial growth in a biofilm assay, but sucrose negates the inhibitory effects of the bLPO protein, thereby facilitating adherence of S. mutans in lieu of S. gordonii and S. sanguinis. Our findings may be relevant to environmental pressures that select early supragingival colonizers.
Translating Evidence-Based Dementia Caregiving Interventions into Practice: State-of-the-Science and Next Steps

Over the past 3 decades, more than 200 dementia caregiver interventions have been tested in randomized clinical trials and found to be efficacious. Few programs have been translated for delivery in various service contexts, and they remain inaccessible to the 15+ million dementia family caregivers in the United States. This article examines translational efforts and offers a vision for more rapid advancement in this area. We summarize the evidence for caregiver interventions, review published translational efforts, and recommend future directions to bridge the research-practice fissure in this area. We suggest that as caregiver interventions are tested external to service contexts, a translational phase is required. Yet, this is hampered by evidentiary gaps, lack of theory to understand implementation challenges, insufficient funding and unsupportive payment structures for sustaining programs. We propose ways to advance translational activities and future research with practical applications.
Towards Strict Sentence Intersection: Decoding and Evaluation Strategies

We examine the task of strict sentence intersection: a variant of sentence fusion in which the output must only contain the information present in all input sentences and nothing more. Our proposed approach involves alignment and generalization over the input sentences to produce a generation lattice; we then compare a standard search-based approach for decoding an intersection from this lattice to an integer linear program that preserves aligned content while minimizing the disfluency in interleaving text segments. In addition, we introduce novel evaluation strategies for intersection problems that employ entailment-style judgments for determining the validity of system-generated intersections. Our experiments show that the proposed models produce valid intersections a majority of the time and that the segmented decoder yields advantages over the search-based approach.
FaSReD: Fast and Scalable Resource Discovery in Support of Multiple Resource Range Requirements for Computational Grids

Distributed grid resource discovery (ReD) systems lack the ability to adapt efficiently to an increase in the number of attributes. The main contribution of this paper is a fast and scalable ReD mechanism, dubbed FaSReD, which composes a resource key via bit string encoding. We establish close-to-optimal FaSReD and a lower bound on the mean number of search hops under FaSReD. Through extensive simulation, our ReD is demonstrated to accommodate effectively an increase in the number of attributes with respect to such performance metrics as overlay hops, total messages, mean query response time, and throughput. FaSReD is further shown to outperform the leading prior distributed ReD range query schemes.
Primary Reconstruction of Congenital Facial Lesion Defects with Tissue Expansion

BACKGROUND. Congenital facial lesions may require surgical intervention to correct deformity or to decrease the potential for malignant degeneration. OBJECTIVE. Hemangiomata and melanocytic and sebaceous nevi are among the most common congenital facial defects. The techniques and outcome of serial tissue expansion in the management of facial lesions were evaluated. METHODS. Seven pediatric patients had congenital facial defects treated with tissue expansion and subsequent excision and reconstruction. RESULTS. All patients had a satisfactory outcome. Complications are reviewed, and in this patient population were minor. CONCLUSIONS. Tissue expansion has a role in surgical management of congenital facial lesions. Staged excision, skin grafting and nonintervention are also options which must be individualized to the case at hand. J Dermatol Surg Oncol 1993;19:1110-1116.
Food hypersensitivity and atopic dermatitis." Evaluation of 113 patients

One hundred thirteen patients with severe atopic dermatitis were evaluated for food hypersensitivity with double-blind placebo-controlled oral food challenges. Sixty-three (56%) children experienced 101 positive food challenges; skin symptoms developed in 85 (84%) challenges, gastrointestinal symptoms in 53 (52%), and respiratory symptoms in 32 (32%). Egg, peanut, and milk accounted for 72% of the hypersensitivity reactions induced. History and laboratory data were of marginal value in predicting which patients were likely to have food allergy. When patients were given appropriate restrictive diets based on oral food challenge results, approximately 40% of the 40 patients re-evaluated lost their hypersensitivity after 1 or 2 years, and most showed significant improvement in their clinical course compared with patients in whom no food allergy was documented. These studies demonstrate that food hypersensitivity plays a pathogenic role in some children with atopic dermatitis and that appropriate diagnosis and exclusionary diets can lead to significant improvement in their skin symptoms.
Developments in Wang-Landau Simulations of a Simple Continuous Homopolymer

The Wang-Landau method is used to study thermodynamic properties of a three-dimensional flexible homopolymer chain with continuous monomer positions. Results describing the coil-globule and solid-liquid transitions are presented for chain lengths up to N = 100. In order to elucidate the thermodynamic behavior, finite chain length effects and the influence of the energy range over which the density of states is determined are carefully analyzed. Simulation efficiency is also studied and it is shown that setting the natural logarithm of the final modification factor equal to 10-6 is an appropriate choice for this model.
Dietary lysine concentrations from deficient to excessive and the effects on broiler chicks

1. An experiment was designed to test the response of broiler chicks (0-21 d) to dietary lysine concentration. Concentrations ranged from 9.9 to 14.4 g of lysine per kg diet when energy was 13.4 MJ ME/kg. 2. Estimates of the concentration of lysine needed for maximum body weights gain, food consumption and gain:food ratio were calculated using two statistical methods. An average of these estimates was 12.0 g lysine/kg diet to 21 d of age. 3. Chicks given 13.9 or 14.4 g lysine/kg diet were negatively affected by these concentrations. The decreases in average weight gain, food consumption and food efficiency were caused mainly by several chicks that developed severe leg problems and were much smaller than their pen mates. Chicks with no leg problems gained weight as rapidly as chicks receiving optimal amounts of lysine.
Fabrication of burst pressure competent vascular grafts via electrospinning: Effects of microstructure

In this work, electrospun tubes of interest for vascular tissue engineering were fabricated and evaluated for burst pressure and suture retention strength (SRS) in the same context as tensile strength providing a direct, novel comparison. Tubes could be fabricated displaying average burst pressures up to 4000 mmHg--well above the standard of 2000 mmHg--and SRS values matching those of relevant natural tissues. Surprisingly, highly oriented fiber and maximal tensile properties are not absolutely necessary to attain clinically adequate burst pressures. The ability to resist bursting is clearly related to both initial solution solids loading and electrospinning deposition time. We make novel in situ observations of the relative microstructural characteristics of failure during bursting, and connect this to the conditions used to fabricate the graft. Processes typically thought to promote fiber alignment are, in fact, highly condition-dependent and do not always provide superior properties. In fact, electrospun structures displaying no discernable alignment could achieve burst pressures regarded clinically sufficient. The properties of individual electrospun fiber clearly do not fully dictate macroscale properties. Normal background levels of point bonding are enhanced by increased rotational speeds, and can have effects on properties more dominant than those of alignment.
Measuring and explaining competitiveness in the context of small island destinations.

This study measures and explains competitiveness among small island destinations. Current measures of competitiveness do not respond to the special needs of small island destinations. An alternative measurement suggests a more suitable Tourism Competitiveness Index (TCI), and through the application of panel regression analysis, tracks the most important factors affecting competitiveness among island destinations. The findings imply likelihood that more expensive destinations obtain a larger share of regional tourism revenues. The study concludes that providing a high-quality product may allow destinations to become and remain competitive.
Rickettsia felis from Cat Fleas: Isolation and Culture in a Tick-Derived Cell Line

ABSTRACT Rickettsia felis, the etiologic agent of spotted fever, is maintained in cat fleas by vertical transmission and resembles other tick-borne spotted fever group rickettsiae. In the present study, we utilized an Ixodes scapularis-derived tick cell line, ISE6, to achieve isolation and propagation of R. felis. A cytopathic effect of increased vacuolization was commonly observed in R. felis-infected cells, while lysis of host cells was not evident despite large numbers of rickettsiae. Electron microscopy identified rickettsia-like organisms in ISE6 cells, and sequence analyses of portions of the citrate synthase (gltA), 16S rRNA, Rickettsia genus-specific 17-kDa antigen, and spotted fever group-specific outer membrane protein A (ompA) genes and, notably, R. felis conjugative plasmids indicate that this cultivatable strain (LSU) was R. felis. Establishment of R. felis (LSU) in a tick-derived cell line provides an alternative and promising system for the expansion of studies investigating the interactions between R. felis and arthropod hosts.
Nanomaterials for Green Energy: Next-Generation Energy Conversion and Storage

The breakthroughs in next generation energy conversion and storage in thin-film and multifunctional devices depend on nanomaterials and composites, particularly with facile processing and manufacturing techniques. In recent years, several emerging technology breakthroughs have enabled unprecedented device performance when nanomaterials and devices are integrated at the converging length scales. For example, metal nanowires (NWs) incorporated in micro- or nanofluidic channels create plasmonic surface enhancement for biological and chemical sensing to at least a twofold increase in magnitude. Another exciting development is that nanomaterial assemblies are integrated with waveguides and optical fibers to improve light interactions for energy conversion in photosynthesis reactions and solar energy storage. These materials are optimized for electrical as well as optical properties in the devices. Nanostructured carbonaceous materials, semiconductor metal oxides, polymers, and metal NWs enable next-generation solar and wind energy harvesting, chemical and electrical storage, stretchable and flexible electronics, transparent electrodes, and displays.
Total synthesis and absolute stereochemistry of the proteasome inhibitors cystargolides A and B

The absolute stereochemistry of the cystargolides was determined by total synthesis. Evaluation of synthetic cystargolides and derivatives showed that the natural (2S,3R) stereochemistry is essential for activity. Moreover, benzyl esters (−)-10 and (−)-15 were found to be about 100 times more potent, and to selectively kill MCF-7 cancerous cells.
Quantification of protein group coherence and pathway assignment using functional association

Genomics and proteomics experiments produce a large amount of data that are awaiting functional elucidation. An important step in analyzing such data is to identify functional units, which consist of proteins that play coherent roles to carry out the function. Importantly, functional coherence is not identical with functional similarity. For example, proteins in the same pathway may not share the same Gene Ontology (GO) terms, but they work in a coordinated fashion so that the aimed function can be performed. Thus, simply applying existing functional similarity measures might not be the best solution to identify functional units in omics data.
Regular Wide QRS Complex Tachycardia During Atrial Fibrillation in a Patient with Preexcitation Syndrome: A Case Report

We report an unusual case of a relatively regular wide QRS complex tachycardia alternating with periods of an irregular narrow QRS complex tachycardia during atrial fibrillation in a patient with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Both tachycardias resulted from atrial fibrillation, the wide QRS complex tachycardia being due to 2:1 AV conduction of a type I atrial fibrillation across a posteroseptal accessory AV connection.
Nonnegative matrix factorization for real time musical analysis and sight-reading evaluation

Sight-reading is the ability to read and perform music from a written score with little or no preparation. Though an integral part of musicianship, it is rarely or minimally addressed in traditional music lessons. In this paper, we describe a real-time system for sight-reading evaluation of solo instrumental music. The system is trained to recognize monophonic and polyphonic music from acoustic instruments without digital pickups. The pattern-matching in the back-end is achieved by nonnegative matrix factorization, an algorithm that represents notes as combinations of learned templates and chords as combinations of single notes. As part of the user interface, an animated musical score provides beginning musicians with instant visual feedback as they practice to improve their sight-reading.
Imaging the distribution of individual platinum-based anticancer drug molecules attached to single-wall carbon nanotubes.

Aims: To image the distribution of drug molecules attached to single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Materials & methods: Herein we report the use of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) for atomic scale visualization and quantitation of single platinum-based drug molecules attached to SWNTs designed for targeted drug delivery. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy were used for characterization of the SWNT drug conjugates. Results: Z-contrast STEM imaging enabled visualization of the first-line anticancer drug cisplatin on the nanotubes at single molecule level. The identity and presence of cisplatin on the nanotubes was confirmed using energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. STEM tomography was also used to provide additional insights concerning the nanotube conjugates. Finally, our observations provide a rationale for exploring the use of SWNT bioconjugates to selectively target and kill squamous cancer cell...
Self-assembled palladium–organic composite nanofibers and their applications as a recyclable catalyst

We report the formation of palladium nanoparticle (PdNP)–lithocholic acid (LCA) composite nanofibers by the self-assembly of Pd2+-coordinated LCA molecules and an ex situ reduction. The ex situ reduction by sodium borohydride or ascorbic acid produces the composite nanofibers with PdNPs grown on the surface of LCA nanofibers. The catalytic activity of the PdNP–LCA composite nanofibers in the decolourization of 4-phenyl azo benzoic acid is investigated. We find that the composite nanofibers can be recycled without significantly losing their catalytic activities.
A Structural and Transactional Approach to Cognition in Clinical Problems

The study of cognition by psychologists has been largely isolated from the study of either action or desire. In most of the dominant models and approaches in the area of cognition, man is viewed as a kind of information-processing machine that transforms and organizes perceptual input. In pursuing such models, contemporary cognitive psychologists have achieved a good deal of sophistication, and the efforts by an increasing number of psychotherapists to incorporate these new developments into their clinical approach are likely to prove quite productive. But in applying these models to clinical problems, it will be necessary to pay a good deal of attention to the continuous interplay between cognitive processes and other activities of the organism.
Getting to the Roots of School Segregation: The Challenges of Housing Remedies in Northern School Desegregation Litigation

The critical relationship between racially identifiable neighborhoods in northern cities and school segregation has been recognized by scholars, lawyers and courts for decades. However, despite this close interrelationship, civil rights attorneys have been frustrated in attempts to gain the courts' approval of combined school and housing remedies. This essay seeks to illustrate the challenges of winning housing remedies in northern school desegregation cases: (1) proving causation in combined school and housing claims is difficult and requires more resources than most plaintiffs are willing or able to expend; and (2) the Justice Department remains either unable or unwilling to tackle both issues at once. Despite these obstacles, evidence of residential segregation has still historically played a significant strategic role. This essay highlights the Indianapolis Public Schools litigation, U.S. v. Board of School Commissioners of the City of Indianapolis, as an example of how litigators were able to gain an interdistrict school desegregation plan which included a significant, though limited, housing remedy. As the isolation and re-segregation of urban school districts in northern cities continues, it is essential that the Justice Department and civil rights organizations re-examine the critical relationship between housing and schools. This article is also available at the Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse.
A Multi Targeting Conditionally Replicating Adenovirus Displays Enhanced Oncolysis while Maintaining Expression of Immunotherapeutic Agents

Studies have demonstrated that oncolytic adenoviruses based on a 24 base pair deletion in the viral E1A gene (D24) may be promising therapeutics for treating a number of cancer types. In order to increase the therapeutic potential of these oncolytic viruses, a novel conditionally replicating adenovirus targeting multiple receptors upregulated on tumors was generated by incorporating an Ad5/3 fiber with a carboxyl terminus RGD ligand. The virus displayed full cytopathic effect in all tumor lines assayed at low titers with improved cytotoxicity over Ad5-RGD D24, Ad5/3 D24 and an HSV oncolytic virus. The virus was then engineered to deliver immunotherapeutic agents such as GM-CSF while maintaining enhanced heterogenic oncolysis.
CONTROL ALLOCATION FOR SYSTEMS WITH COPLANAR CONTROLS

The paper considers the problem of distributing control requirements among multiple, redundant actuators in flight control systems. The direct allocation technique proposed by Durham is studied. The original method assumed that any three columns of the controls effectiveness matrix were linearly independent, hi this paper, the condition is relaxed, so that systems with coplanar controls can be considered. The geometry of the attainable moment set is discussed and a control allocation solution is proposed. For fast on-line execution, a method using spherical coordinates is used and results of the implementation are reported.
OPTIMAL CONFIGURATION OF MXER TETHER SYSTEMS

The Momentum-Exchange/Electrodynamic Reboost Tether System (MXER) is a reusable in-space propulsion concept currently being studied by NASA as a means to boost payloads from low Earth orbit (LEO) without the use of propellants. For a given payload mass, there are numerous configurations of the tethered system that would provide the desired ∆v. This study examines the optimization of MXER subject to realistic constraints in order to achieve the minimum mass solution. Quantitative results for a specific design reference mission are presented as well as a qualitative analysis of the general optimal solution space.
Optical coherence tomography and neurodegeneration: are eyes the windows to the brain?

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Central nervous system (CNS) pathologies have ocular manifestations due to direct and/or retrograde degeneration of the visual pathways, most often related to a direct injury to the optic nerve, retinal ganglion cells and/or its surrounding cells. These ocular manifestations can be recognized and monitored by a non-invasive technique called Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT).Areas Covered: This review article describes the OCT technique and its application in various neurological pathologies. OCT helps in the measurement of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and macular thickness which consists of retinal ganglion cells. OCT provides a near-histological level of image resolution up to 5µm by using principles of interferometry that can detect CNS inflammatory, as well as degenerative, pathologies (i.e Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s Disease etc.) at initial clinical and possibly subclinical stages.Expert Commentary: RNFLT and macular volumes measured b...
Demand Forecast of Air Materiel Spare Parts in War

To deal with the various demand uncertainties during the wartime,the neural network and fuzzy reasoning have been combined to forecast the basic demand and the battle-scarred demand.A new fuzzy Inference based demand forecasting method is presented,in which modeling and simulation forecasting value and expert forecasting value are combined effectively.The severity has been confirmed by concretely circumstance.At last,the demand forecasting modeling has been presented,which improve the demand forecasting precision in war.
Awareness of and Interest in Native Wildflowers among College Students in Plant-related Disciplines: A Case Study from Florida

Traditional college students do not fit the demographic profile of people who are driving increased sales in gardening and landscaping or the use of native wildflowers. However, today’s college students, especially those in plant-related disciplines, may be making future decisions regarding the use of native wildflowers for various applications. Many college students may be unaware of or disinterested in native wildflowers. We used a web-based survey to gauge awareness and interest of native wildflowers in Florida college students enrolled in plant-related disciplines. While students have a generally low awareness of native wildflowers, they expressed high levels of interest in learning more about the identification or cultivation of these species, seeing wildflowers, particularly on their campuses, and using wildflowers in different settings. Students were also interested in purchasing native wildflower seeds or finished plants from local retailers rather than through the Internet. We used student responses from this study to discuss education and marketing opportunities toward native wildflowers.
Contrasting and Explaining the Viability of Two Compound Systems

Studies of European integration that dwell primarily on the successful constitutionalization of European law (Weiler, 1999; Goldstein, 2001; Stone Sweet, 2004) are apt to offer a partial representation of what makes the EU viable. Viewing the EU in terms solely of successful integration through law does not reveal much about the viability of this polity; it paints a picture of the increasing reach of EU legislation without revealing the recurrent and intractable conflicts over what the EU is for and how it should be constituted. This enthusiasm for a legal rather than political understanding of the EU compound polity has a parallel in the study of the US federal union. Until Reconstruction, scholars tended to see the US Constitution as ‘giving existence to government and prescribing and limiting its powers, rather than as the basic structure of the polity, not consciously constructed but growing organically through history’ (Belz, 1969: 111). Yet once the difficult struggle against secession had ended and the compromises necessary for re-establishing the union were in place, the constitution was more likely to be read ‘in essentially political terms’ (ibid., p. 123) as the role of parties, leaders, interests and unwritten norms became more obvious.
Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Regioselective syn-Hydroarylation of Disubstituted Alkynes Using a Removable Directing Group

A palladium(II)-catalyzed regioselective syn-hydroarylation reaction of homopropargyl amines has been developed, wherein selectivity is controlled by a cleavable bidentate directing group. Under the optimized reaction conditions, both dialkyl and alkylaryl alkyne substrates were found to undergo hydroarylation with high selectivity. The products of this reaction contain a 4,4-disubstituted homoallylic amine motif that is commonly seen in drug molecules and other bioactive compounds.
The Influence of Peer Reviewer Expertise on the Evaluation of Research Funding Applications

Although the scientific peer review process is crucial to distributing research investments, little has been reported about the decision-making processes used by reviewers. One key attribute likely to be important for decision-making is reviewer expertise. Recent data from an experimental blinded review utilizing a direct measure of expertise has found that closer intellectual distances between applicant and reviewer lead to harsher evaluations, possibly suggesting that information is differentially sampled across subject-matter expertise levels and across information type (e.g. strengths or weaknesses). However, social and professional networks have been suggested to play a role in reviewer scoring. In an effort to test whether this result can be replicated in a real-world unblinded study utilizing self-assessed reviewer expertise, we conducted a retrospective multi-level regression analysis of 1,450 individual unblinded evaluations of 725 biomedical research funding applications by 1,044 reviewers. Despite the large variability in the scoring data, the results are largely confirmatory of work from blinded reviews, by which a linear relationship between reviewer expertise and their evaluations was observed-reviewers with higher levels of self-assessed expertise tended to be harsher in their evaluations. However, we also found that reviewer and applicant seniority could influence this relationship, suggesting social networks could have subtle influences on reviewer scoring. Overall, these results highlight the need to explore how reviewers utilize their expertise to gather and weight information from the application in making their evaluations.
Screening for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in children: do guidelines provide enough guidance?

SummaryBackground Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in the industrialized world in children. Its high prevalence and important health risks make NAFLD highly suitable for screening. In practice, screening is widely, albeit not consistently, performed. Aim To review the recommendations on screening for NAFLD in children. Method Recommendations on screening were reviewed from major paediatric obesity guidelines and NAFLD guidelines. A literature overview is provided on open questions and controversies. Results Screening for NAFLD is advocated in all obesity and most NAFLD guidelines. Guidelines are not uniform in whom to screen, and most guidelines do not specify how screening should be performed in practice. Screening for NAFLD remains controversial, due to lack of a highly accurate screening tool, limited knowledge to predict the natural course of NAFLD and limited data on its cost effectiveness. Conclusions Guidelines provide little guidance on how screening should be performed. Screening for NAFLD remains controversial because not all conditions for screening are fully met. Consensus is needed on the optimal use of currently available screening tools. Research should focus on new accurate screening tool, the natural history of NAFLD and the cost effectiveness of different screening strategies in children.
Monitoring immune-checkpoint blockade: response evaluation and biomarker development

Cancer immunotherapy using immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) has created a paradigm shift in the treatment of advanced-stage cancers. The promising antitumour activity of monoclonal antibodies targeting the immune-checkpoint proteins CTLA-4, PD-1, and PD-L1 led to regulatory approvals of these agents for the treatment of a variety of malignancies. Patients might experience clinical benefits from treatment with these agents, despite unconventional patterns of tumour response that can be misinterpreted as disease progression, warranting a new, specific approach to evaluate responses to immunotherapy. In addition, biomarkers that can predict responsiveness to ICB are being extensively investigated to further advance precision immunotherapy. Herein, we review the biological mechanisms underlying the unconventional response patterns associated with ICB, describe strategies for the objective assessments of such responses, and also highlight the ongoing efforts to identify biomarkers, in order to guide treatment with ICB. We provide state-of-the-art knowledge of immune-related response evaluations, identify unmet needs requiring further investigations, and propose future directions to maximize the benefits of ICB therapy.
Readiness, Access, Preparation, and Support for Foster Care Alumni in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature

Research has shown that foster care alumni have poor educational outcomes and many do not enroll and/or graduate from a postsecondary institution. Many factors have been shown to promote and hinder...
Exploring the boundary element method for optimization-based machine design

To meet demands for ever greater efficiency and torque-density, the design of electric machinery through optimization techniques is increasingly common. Such approaches may involve the evaluation of millions of candidate designs and therefore their rapid assessment is paramount. Such emphasis on computational performance is problematic for modern machine design in which many cutting-edge topologies rely on the Finite Element Method (FEM) for evaluation. The Boundary Element Method (BEM) is an alternative numerical technique for solving partial differential equations that avoids the main computational expense of the FEM: one needs only to mesh the boundary of a solution domain. A key drawback is the myriad of integrals that must be evaluated numerically to populate the full system matrix. Recently, however, the need for numerical integration was eliminated for the 2-D Galerkin BEM, greatly enhancing its computational performance with no trade-off in accuracy, and a toolbox was developed including these gains. The performance of the BEM toolbox is compared with a similar implementation of the FEM, in which it is shown that the computation time of the BEM from meshing through post-processing is two orders of magnitude less than that needed just to generate the FEM mesh. Finally, the BEM toolbox is employed to analyze a wound rotor synchronous machine design, and the results are validated with commercial software. The path to realizing the BEM as a valuable tool in the machine design toolbox is discussed.
Phase II study of metronomic chemotherapy (MC) with bevacizumab (B) in patients (Pts) with advanced (Adv) nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NS-NSCLC).

8057 Background: Targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has shown modest improvement in pts with adv NS-NSCLC. The incorporation into MC regimens of antiangiogenic agents has been show...
New Therapies in Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common malignancy with high rates of mortality and morbidity. Beginning with cetuximab, investigators continue to optimize antibody technology to target cell-surface receptors that promote HNSCC growth. Small molecules and oligonucleotides have also emerged as therapeutic inhibitors of key receptor-mediated signaling pathways. Although many such therapies have been disappointing in clinical trials as single agents, they continue to be studied in combination with standard therapies. Approvals of pembrolizumab and nivolumab opened a new era of immunotherapy that aims to stimulate antitumor immunity in the tumor microenvironment. Immunotherapies are being intensively investigated in new HNSCC clinical trials, with the goal of optimizing the therapeutic potential of this new class of anticancer agent.
Effecting Internal Change in Human Service Organizations

Three basic patterns are illustrated with case studies from a school social work setting, a university context, and a voluntary counseling agency
Make comedy matter: Ernst Cassirer on the politics and morality of humor

Many of Ernst Cassirer’s later works are concerned with the dangers of political myth. His analysis speaks at length about the role of philosophy during the rise of the Third Reich, and Cassirer argues that philosophers failed to combat the dominant ideology. Today, philosophers struggle to explain their relevance to greater public and governmental powers that see no intrinsic value. Given the current political situation in the US, we find ourselves at a crossroads as philosophers. We can either retreat and remain within the comforts of academia, or we can take up arms against dangerous and divisive political forces. If we take Cassirer’s prescriptions seriously, we must choose the latter. Fortunately, philosophy has not disappeared from public consciousness completely. An emerging theme in contemporary cultural studies is the exploration of connections between humour and philosophy. I argue we ought to take advantage of the status of the comedian as public philosopher, and for philosophers to take seriously the political power of comedians. To do this responsibly, I analyse a portion of Cassirer’s work that has been widely ignored in scholarship – his understanding of the politics and morality of humour. By analysing these passages in relation to Cassirer’s later works, we are given the tools to understand the power of humour in political discourse, as well as the responsibility of that power. I argue that “joking responsibly”, for Cassirer, means to reveal the motives and values which underlie sophistry, particularly the sort which lends itself to political manipulation.
PI31 is an adaptor protein for proteasome transport in axons

Degradation of proteins by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP) is critical for the maintenance of protein homeostasis, cell function and survival. While all cells require regulated protein degradation, nerve cells face unique challenges as their highly complex structure and large intracellular space requires special mechanisms to allocate proteasomes to appropriate sub-cellular compartments where protein breakdown occurs. Here we show that the conserved proteasome-binding protein PI31 mediates axonal transport of proteasomes. PI31 binds directly to both proteasomes and dynein light chain LC8-type proteins (DYNLL1/2) and thereby promotes the formation of DYNLL1-PI31-proteasome complexes both in vivo and in vitro. Inactivation of PI31 inhibits proteasome motility in axons of Drosophila neurons, similar to ablation of dDYNLL1/ctp, and it disrupts synaptic protein homeostasis, structure and function. These results indicate that PI31 serves a critical function as an adapter protein to transport proteasomes to the periphery of neurons via microtubule-based motors. Because mutations affecting the activity of PI31 are associated with human neurodegenerative diseases, it is possible that impairment of PI31-mediated axonal transport is the root cause of these disorders.
Characterization of Receptors for Insulin and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 on FRTL-5 Thyroid Cells

The development of the FRTL and FRTL-5 thyroid cells (Fig. 1A) by F.S. Ambesi-Impiombato and his colleagues (1,2) moved research in the thyroid area from a concern with the thyrotropin receptor to an examination of receptor interactions or cross-talk. These cells require TSH for their growth (Fig. 1B). However, the TSH action requires the presence of insulin and serum factors, one of which we now know to be IGF-I (Fig. 1B); no single factor, TSH, insulin, or IGF-I, can reproduce the mixture of all. Further it is evident that the insulin and IGF-I actions are not identical; thus when concentrations of insulin as high as 10 micrograms per ml are present, the addition of only 50 or 100 ng/ml of IGF-I is still significantly additive to TSH and insulin in stimulating an increase in cell number.
Derivative Coupling Elements in Electronically Adiabatic Representations and Their Use in Scattering Calculations

The Born-Oppenheimer electronically adiabatic basis provides the most convenient representation for obtaining molecular-structure and potential-energy-surface information for systems of chemical interest. In this representation the electronic Hamiltonian is diagonal, and the adiabatic energies may be defined and calculated accurately by the variational principle. For systems in which the adiabatic states are well separated in energy, the nuclear motion at chemical energies can be treated adequately using a single adiabatic potential energy surface. For systems in which the coupling of electronic states is important, the coupling can be included consistently in this representation through matrix elements of nuclear-motion derivative operators.
Stimulated Raman Scattering, Phase Modulation, and Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering from Single Micrometer-Size Liquid Droplets

Nonlinear optical interactions in micrometer-size liquid droplets are readily observable. New data on the stimulated Raman scattering of benzene droplets (up to the 6th-order Stokes), and water droplets containing KNO3 (up to the 2nd-order Stokes) will be presented, as well as data on the phase modulation broadened line shape of the 1st and 2nd Stokes of CS2 droplets, and the phase-matching angular dependence of the coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) signal of ethanol droplets. The phenomenological description of these nonlinear interactions involving x(3) will be presented in terms of the internal field distributions of the incident and Raman fields which are modified by the droplet interface and the feedback provided by the morphology-dependent resonances.